\windows\installer deleted after partition restore

[jeffareid]

I use a second hard drive and OS (XP X64) to backup my windows XP partition.

After a backup / format / restore, the contents of

\windows\installer

will be deleted, after some period of time, or the instant I try
to install an update via Microsoft Update or other software update
program.

The workaround is to restore \windows\installer a second time, after
which it won't get deleted again.

Any ideas?

Note, the backup and restore are done via a program that just copies all
files and directories, preserving time stamps and short file names. I
verify each step using windiff.

 

[Leonard Grey]

You installed a second operating system to backup your first operating
system?

 

[jeffareid]

You installed a second operating system to backup your first operating system?

Yes, 3 hard drives on system.

C D E => D is Windows XP X64 OS
F G H => F is Windows XP SP3
I J K => swap and temp files, and K used for backup of C=>H
L => cd-rom
M => external USB hard drive also used for backup.

After doing a backup / verify / format / restore / verify,

\windows\installer

ends up in a state where it will get deleted after some auto-update
activity, or after an actual update attempt, which will usually fail
because it results in \windows\installer getting deleted. I can
open a folder window and see it get emptied during an update attempt.

If I then simply drag and drop from the backup to restore
\windows\installer

it stays and doesn't get deleted again.

 

[Leonard Grey]

To backup an operating system, use disk imaging software. I haven't
heard of an imaging program that loses the contents of windows\installer.

A separate partition just for temp files?

 

[jeffareid]

To backup an operating system, use disk imaging software. I haven't heard of an imaging program that loses the

contents of windows\installer.

The backup/restore process isn't losing the contents. Initially all
the files and directories are there, but after a while, or after any attempt
to do an update the entire contents of \windows\installer is deleted.

This may be related to the date and time stamp file of the directory,
since the backup / restore program tries to preserve it.

I don't use disk imaging software because I also use the backup / verify /
format / restore / verify to defrag partitions.

Again, note that windiff does a full compare without error during this
process. I wrote the copy program, but I use windiff to compare.

 

[Leonard Grey]

This gets better all the time. You defragment by backing up and
restoring? That's how we used to do it back in the days of mag tapes.

Look, friend, if you want to do things in your own unique way, nobody's
stopping you. But if you're looking for help you'll need to find someone
who thinks like you, since most folks use backup and defrag software for
those jobs, and we delete temp files instead of putting them in their
own special partition.

 

[jeffareid]

This gets better all the time. You defragment by backing up and restoring? That's how we used to do it back in the

days of mag tapes.

No, I primarily backup. Occasionally I will format and restore to defrag,
but usually it's because I've swapped out an old hard drive for a new one.

since most folks use backup and defrag software for those jobs

Which is what I do.

and we delete temp files instead of putting them in their own special partition.

Who mentioned anything about temp files?

This is an issue with the \windows\installer directory, which doesn't
have any temp files.