My OEM XP (SP1) version didn't have the dllcache in system32; that's why, I'm presuming, every attempt to run the sfc command always asked for the cd. The dllcache was actually in c:\windows\last known\system32; there was the standard system32 in Windows. I read that the dllcache was normally in c:\windows\system32.

Somehow thru a combination of renaming, copying, and whatever I got Windows to eat my dllcache. I did a registry hack and now have dllcache reg path set to c:\windows\system32; can't remember if this helped cause the loss of the folder or not.

Q1. What's the easiest way to 'manually' restore this folder (with contents) ?
Q2. I will have to re-apply my Windows updates, won't I ?