I'm missing my compressed file option from disk clean up in windows xp. This was due to a system file cleaner I downloaded and as a result it wiped out my compressed files, which I believe is why my office 2003 won't start, it's prompting me for the cd to install office 2003 which I don't have. Can anyone tell he me how to restore my compressed files back to disk cleanup?Do you have an XP CD ? ?

If so go to Start/Run and type in sfc /scannow and hit Enter.
Have the CD handy as it will ask for it.
Let it run to completion...remove the CD and re-boot.Yes I doI did what you said and nothing happensRepair Install of XP

I suggest reading it thru to get a clear understanding of the process paying special ATTENTION to the warnings...
Also print out a copy for reference.

Done properly all your data and apps will be intact and XP will be fixed...
Done improperly all your data and apps will be GONE but you will have a clean install of XP

Best of Luck.I have 2 thoughts on the very first post :-

1. If all compressed files have been deleted, I very much doubt the computer would boot !
Problems with Office 2003 are the last thing you would see.

2. Some downloadable "System File Cleaners" deliberately do more harm than good,
are you sure you are still free of malware ?

Alan
the PC would boot just fine SANS compressed install files, and Office, and various other applications (in general MSI installer PROGRAMS) would have issues starting.

That being said if they were deleted by some other program then there would be no reason for disk cleanup to display them- since they don't exist.BC_Programmer

Thanks. I far prefer portable software to anything installed,
and I hate anything that uses MSI installers because of the bloat.
You have just given me another reason to avoid MSI installers like the plague.

I consider it absolutely disgusting that M.$ OFFICE can be installed and then refuse to run if its installation package is lost,
but I guess that is "par for course" with M.$ who .... I cannot foul my keyboard with my thoughts on M.$.
I am so thankful I use Free of charge and Portable (non-installed) Open Office.

Regarding compressed files.

I insist that I am right, but so are you !

It depends upon what is meant by compressed files.

To me "compressed files" means files in a NTFS partition that get compressed because they are rarely used, but can be so important that Windows Files Protection refuses to trust Windows Operating system and re-validates the compressed file, and if it does not like it then insists upon being given the Windows Installation Disc, after which it is reinstalled from the disc and an extra copy put in system32\dllcache,
effectively doubling the space taken instead of halving it. I cannot forget such things because Windows came without a disc and was pre-installed on my SECONDHAND P.C., so I have suffered greatly from such things.

In this particular case we know so LITTLE. We have not been told how many were deleted, nor where they were. We are guessing in the dark.
Patio requested "type in sfc /scannow and hit Enter."
and we only know that "nothing happens".
Did sfc stall and do nothing because its executables were amongst those deleted,
or did it announce "Nothing to do", or was it some other sort of "nothing happened"?

Regards
Alan