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Copy the Windows CD to your hard drive

I've copied my Windows CD-ROM's \Win98 folder on to my hard drive so I don't have to use the CD-ROM when installing drivers or accessories. When I do something that would normally require the CD-ROM, Windows gives me an error message and I have to show it where the files are. Is there a way to teach Windows where to look for its installation files?

You don't have to use the Windows 9x CD-ROM every time you add or remove a Windows component. Copy your \Win98 (or \Win95) folder to your hard drive so that Windows can find the files there. However, you'll find Windows still looks for the CD-ROM when it needs one of the files and gives an error message when it can't find it. Getting Windows to look for its installation files in the right place involves editing the Registry. Back up the Registry before you touch it, see tip Back up the Registry.

Once your Registry is backed up, select Start, Run, enter the command Regedit, and press Enter. Navigate the left pane of the Registry Editor as if it were Windows Explorer until you get to My Computer\Hkey_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup. In the right pane, double-click SourcePath, enter the appropriate path (for instance, C:\Win98) into the dialog box, and press Enter. Close the Registry Editor. Windows will now look for its files on your hard drive.
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