NAS broke Windows Update

N

N. Miller

Not long ago I posted a problem with a broken update:

| Subject: Damn KB890830!!! Arrrrggggghhh.
| Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:03:05 -0700
| Message-ID: <x3n7zrovkmn2$.dlg@msnews.aosake.net>

This AM, the Silverlight updated failed. Same symptoms: Update progress
window started, and suddenly an audible "click", and the power was dumped.
Computer restarted automatically, and ran a disk check for inconsistencies
in the file system. Then Windows popped up a notice that it wanted to report
a serious system failure to Microsoft. And the update was still flagged as
needing to be installed.

While working on some files on my newly installed NAS ("Network Attached
Storage") drive, I noticed a slew of temp folders which should not have been
there. Turns out that they were written by Windows Update! This NAS was
added by the system disk manager to the "Hard Disk Drives" group in the
Windows Explorer. The assigned logical volume was the first unused drive
letter after some USB card reader slots.

Apparently, Windows Update writes temporary files to the last logical HDD
volume. Alas, the NAS logical volume depends on a software manager which
doesn't load immediately after boot the consequence is a failure of the
update to find its files after a restart.

For the HP Pavilion 6745C, I will swap logical volumes, putting the Temp
volume as the last in the list. I can stop the NAS by dismounting it, then
use the Windows XP Disk Manager to alter the drive letters and paths.
Similar for the HP Pavilion a1440n.

For the HP Pavilion m7590n, things proved a little stickier I have the
Tversity media server running, and while it was accessing the NAS I couldn't
detach it. I had to temporarily disable the startup group, using 'msconfig',
to keep the mediaserver from launching, then reorder the drive letters.
September will tell if I have succeeded in fixing this problem.

--
Norman
~Shine, bright morning light,
~now in the air the spring is coming.
~Sweet, blowing wind,
~singing down the hills and valleys.
 
M

MowGreen [MVP]

Windows Update writes to temp locations on the drive with the most free
space and is *supposed* to delete them after the update finishes the
update process.
Having the most free space available on the NAS is what's causing the
behavior you describe, it has nothing to do with boot order.
Which presents an interesting dilemma when the NAS doesn't load fast
enough on a reboot to finish the updating process, eg. swap files in use.

Is it possible to free up more space on the internal HDs ?


MowGreen [MVP 2003-2008]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============



N. Miller wrote:

> Not long ago I posted a problem with a broken update:
>
> | Subject: Damn KB890830!!! Arrrrggggghhh.
> | Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:03:05 -0700
> | Message-ID: <x3n7zrovkmn2$.dlg@msnews.aosake.net>
>
> This AM, the Silverlight updated failed. Same symptoms: Update progress
> window started, and suddenly an audible "click", and the power was dumped.
> Computer restarted automatically, and ran a disk check for inconsistencies
> in the file system. Then Windows popped up a notice that it wanted to report
> a serious system failure to Microsoft. And the update was still flagged as
> needing to be installed.
>
> While working on some files on my newly installed NAS ("Network Attached
> Storage") drive, I noticed a slew of temp folders which should not have been
> there. Turns out that they were written by Windows Update! This NAS was
> added by the system disk manager to the "Hard Disk Drives" group in the
> Windows Explorer. The assigned logical volume was the first unused drive
> letter after some USB card reader slots.
>
> Apparently, Windows Update writes temporary files to the last logical HDD
> volume. Alas, the NAS logical volume depends on a software manager which
> doesn't load immediately after boot the consequence is a failure of the
> update to find its files after a restart.
>
> For the HP Pavilion 6745C, I will swap logical volumes, putting the Temp
> volume as the last in the list. I can stop the NAS by dismounting it, then
> use the Windows XP Disk Manager to alter the drive letters and paths.
> Similar for the HP Pavilion a1440n.
>
> For the HP Pavilion m7590n, things proved a little stickier I have the
> Tversity media server running, and while it was accessing the NAS I couldn't
> detach it. I had to temporarily disable the startup group, using 'msconfig',
> to keep the mediaserver from launching, then reorder the drive letters.
> September will tell if I have succeeded in fixing this problem.
>
 
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