any work around to index system32?

[eltranced]

i was trying to patch dwm.exe "desktop windows management service" thats in c:\windows\system32.. and found that "everything" couldnt find it... im on default administrator account on win 7 ultimate 64bit... is there a permission work around? i've read previous forum posts about files being physical and a hard link in this case hard link from WinSxS but if thats the case... why is the patching occuring on a hard-link then? if dwm.exe is not a physical file in system32 why are my instructions to patch that instance instead of supposedly the real physical in winsxs, it makes no sense, have i misunderstood something?

[therube]

dwm.exe is a hardlinked file (three times over).
(Much of what is in the \Windows\ directory tree is hardlinked.)

Code: Select all

C:\Windows\System32\dwm.exe
C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-d..pwindowmanager-core_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_none_8d79ea381e8590a8\dwm.exe
C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-d..pwindowmanager-core_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7601.17514_none_8faafe001b741442\dwm.exe

There is no concept of "the original" file with a hardlink.

Everything will enumerate one of a set of hardlinked files, but not all of them. And no way to determine which is chosen.


A tool like Link Shell Extension (LSE) can be used to determine the linkage.

[eltranced]

appreciated the response rube, ill study up on hard-linking as im not sure i fully get it