Eddy said:
Started getting 'delayed write failed' messages and tried all the
fixes in KB and assorted forums to no avail.
Eventually I reinstalled WinXP Home from my oroginal CD - SP1
I downloaded SP2 from Windows Update but I can't install it. It
starts installing but always hangs after a few minutes (for 8 hours
last night) on 'Creating cabinets' while 'Running processes before
install'.
I'd like to get a clean SP2 download but WU insists on using the
copy I have already downloaded.
Can anyone tell me where this copy is likely to be stored so I can
delete it?
I've tried the usual suspects - temp folders etc but found nothing
so far.
Any thoughts on why I started getting the 'delayed write failed'
messages in the first lace very welcome?
Ed K
Gigabyte GA-M61SME-S2, Athlon Dual 4800+, 1GB RAM, SATA HDDs 250GB
Seagate and
500GB Western Digital.
(Everything in reference to Windows XP)
First - Why SP2? Why not go from SP1 to SP3? Service Packs are
cumulative - with one caveat: you have to have SP1 or greater in order to
install SP3 onto a functioning OS install. You have a great opportunity to
skip installing SP2 and jump to SP3 (which includes everything in SP2) and
have a current machine. You are on a clean slate.
Second - stop trying to use automatic updates for it. Download the full
file and install it that way. Ignore the badly worded warning about "this
download is for installing on more than one machine' - one, 1000 or
1,000,000 - doesn't matter - the full download works the same. I would
still likely go tstraight to SP3 - but, that is your decision. For now -
choose one (or get both.)
Windows XP Service Pack 2 (Full Installation File)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en Windows XP Service Pack 3 (Full Installation File)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en Want to order the Windows XP SP3 CD?
https://om2.one.microsoft.com/opa/V...6b4f5b&LocaleCode=en-us&JavaScriptOn=yesThird - test your hardware. It sounds to me like you may have some issuesthere. I would suggest at least a hard disk drive check (use CHKDSK) and amemory test (you can grab a memory diagnostics from Microsoft...) Thoseerrors you are getting - that could be bad. I can only hope that before youeven started the clean install - you did a full diagnostics with the harddisk drive diagnostics utilites that your hard disk drive manufacturerlikely provides on their web site. If not - you may even want to do thatnow... How to scan your disks for errors
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265 Windows Memory Diagnostic
http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.aspDidn't check your drive with the hard disk drive diagnostics utility? Wantto now - before you invest more time and energy into something that may failon you? Figure out the manufacturer of the hard disk drive you have and ifit is one of the ones below - grab the utility and read up on how to use it(usually booting up from whatever media it has you make) and run the fullseries of tests. Seagate
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/seatools Western Digital
http://support.wdc.com/download/ Hitachi
http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm Maxtor (Now 'Seagate')
http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/support/downloads/seatoolsAfter testing your hardware - given the position you are in (freshinstallation) - you should verify you have the latest hardware drivers thatare available for your system. If it is a system from one of the third-tiervendors (IBM, Dell, HP, Packard Bell, Sony, etc) - visit their web pages,the support sections, the downloads/drivers sections and download the latestdrivers for everything from there and install them. Even if you think thatpart is working fine - in this case (given the CD you installed with, etc)the drivers they will be offering on their site at this point are tried andtrue and you would be best to guarantee those are the ones you are running.If this is a computer that you built/had built for you at a shop - youshould list out the hardware components and visit the manufacturer for eachone and get the latest drivers (motherboard chipset, video card, networkcard, sound card, etc.) You are starting fresh on an older machine. Thiswill help ensure you start out on the right foot.After all that (assuming it went well) - now you are ready to install SP2 orSP3 (I highly recommend going with SP3 at this point.) Just run the fileyou downloaded and start the installation. If you do get any errors - comeback and repeat them verbatim in response to this conversation - so thatpeople can know what you have done and where you are at now.Good luck to you!--Shenan Stanley MS-MVP--How To Ask Questions The Smart Wayhttp://
www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html