For about the last week or so my Drive C: will not retain changes made to
files on that drive. I noticed this when Windows kept asking me to install
the same updates over and over. While exploring this problem, I found that
any changes made to Drive C: remain in effect until the next reboot or
startup, but are wiped out after the reboot/startup., such as changes to an
Excel desktop short cut or a Word file saved to Drive C:. Fortunately, all of
my data files are stored on other physical drives (Drive D: and E, but this
is why I didn’t notice the problem right away. If I boot up in Safe Mode all
changes can be made and they remain in effect even after a reboot, so the
problem must be associated with a Windows XP Pro setting.
My computer is running Windows XP Pro, SP3 and all available updates. I have
three physical hard drives: Drive C: is two SATA drives running under Raid 0,
the other two drives are SATA drives as well.
Note, all drives appear in My Computer, but only one, Drive D: appears under
the Disk Management display. Drives D: and E: appear to be working normally.

"Kent" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
newsD5AB10E-7EE8-49FD-92CC-(E-Mail Removed)...
> For about the last week or so my Drive C: will not retain changes made to
> files on that drive. I noticed this when Windows kept asking me to install
> the same updates over and over. While exploring this problem, I found
> that
> any changes made to Drive C: remain in effect until the next reboot or
> startup, but are wiped out after the reboot/startup., such as changes to
> an
> Excel desktop short cut or a Word file saved to Drive C:. Fortunately, all
> of
> my data files are stored on other physical drives (Drive D: and E, but
> this
> is why I didn't notice the problem right away. If I boot up in Safe Mode
> all
> changes can be made and they remain in effect even after a reboot, so the
> problem must be associated with a Windows XP Pro setting.
> My computer is running Windows XP Pro, SP3 and all available updates. I
> have
> three physical hard drives: Drive C: is two SATA drives running under Raid
> 0,
> the other two drives are SATA drives as well.
> Note, all drives appear in My Computer, but only one, Drive D: appears
> under
> the Disk Management display. Drives D: and E: appear to be working
> normally.
>

I had a similar problem some time ago. It was caused by some corruption in
the NTFS file system. Repartitioning/reformatting/reloading the lot from
backup fixed it.