Windows 10: I deleted the entire \Windows\System32\Drivers\etc folder a couple weeks ago. How do I...

I ran an anti malware scan using HitmanPro and it detected the hosts file to be infected so I deleted that and the other contents of the folder quite foolishly under the assumption that they were all infected. I haven't run into any direct issues after deleting these files except maybe some weird behaviour from my Firefox browser and also the Spotify desktop app not behaving properly to quite a degree. I did the first thing that made sense which was to create a default hosts file and place it into the etc folder but then I realised there were other files missing as well so I created them and named them whatever they were named on other computers hoping windows would know what to do with them but I'm still quite unsure if this fixed the problem. I've ran the system repair commands and they didn't seem to find any problems with the system files so I don't know what to do next.


I do want to remind you that my Spotify app has been behaving weirdly since I deleted them and I wish to recover these files in the hopes that it will fix how spotify interacts with my home network. And no they are not in my recycle bin anymore.

:)

 

Trouble deleting a folder

Thanks for the suggestion but it says "delete folder failed for E:\....." for each folder I try.

*Confused

Will I be forever stuck with these unnecessary folders? *Oh Well hwell:

 

SLI with different cards

Here is what is did
step 1:





step 2:





:/ i dont get this doe ?

okay ive done the same thing as you but i cant put the file back into the folder

• Copy nvlddmkm.sys in C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\nv_dispi.inf_amd64_5518e59e8d3b48f4\ to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\ and replace the existing one.

that thing

 

C windows installer folder - Delete?

He can do symbolic link redirection and move the files in it to a different location. *Wink
Better try it out in a virtual of first. Just a suggestion.

Like:
First move everything in c:\windows\installer to d:\installercache
Then delete c:\windows\installer folder
Then type this in command mode as admin
mklink /d c:\windows\installer d:\installercache

Removing those installer files is a bad idea. it might prevent you from updating or uninstalling apps.