Knowledge Base

How to Replace In-Use Windows NT System Files

Article ID: 184408

Article Last Modified on 10/31/2006

Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Standard Edition
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Enterprise Edition
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition

This article was previously published under Q184408

SUMMARY

This article describes how to replace system files that are in use by using the Mv.exe tool included with the Windows NT 4.0 Resource Kit.

MORE INFORMATION

The Mv.exe tool is a 32-bit version of the POSIX MV tool. Mv.exe has the following syntax:

mv [/x [/d]] file1 [file2 ...] target

The command-line switches are:

/x: Do not save files that are replaced.

/d: Delay file move until system reboot.

For example, to replace the Url.dll file in the Winnt\System32 folder with the Url.dll file located in the Temp folder at the next reboot without saving the replaced file, type the following line:

mv.exe /x /d c:\temp\url.dll c:\winnt\system32\url.dll

There are two versions of Mv.exe in the Windows NT Resource Kit, a 32-bit Windows-based version and a Posix version. The correct version to use in this instance, the Windows version, is located on the Windows NT Resource Kit CD-ROM in the <platform>\filebat\mv.exe folder.

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

228930 How to Replace Currently Locked Files with Inuse.exe

Additional query words: busy access denied

Keywords: kbhowto KB184408