Windows XP SP2 -> Windows XP SP3 upgrade fails w/ "File Copy Error"

[zulukng]

Hello,

I have one computer that I have been upable to upgrade to SP3. I have
spent about ten hours on it now and I can't solve the problem. This is
one of those problems that has left me extremely frustrated,
emotionally drained, and on the verge of tearing my hair out.

It has SP2. I have a VLK CD that I am using to upgrade. I put the CD
in, run setup.exe, select "upgrade," enter the key, then it does
"copying files." The bar gets all the way to the end, then an error
message comes up saying "File Copy Error." The file that it says it
can't copy is different every time. It appears to always start with
"a", then seven random letters and numbers, then ".sys". For example,
"aeuvv323.sys". Since these file names are randomly generated, they
are not on the CD, hence the "File Copy Error." If I do "Skip File,"
then the install fails on reboot because it wants the missing file.

I have done extensive searching on the web and cannot find any
information whatsoever about this problem.

Any info or ideas on how to fix this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Your Windows XP CD is bad.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------

Hello,

I have one computer that I have been upable to upgrade to SP3. I have
spent about ten hours on it now and I can't solve the problem. This is
one of those problems that has left me extremely frustrated,
emotionally drained, and on the verge of tearing my hair out.

It has SP2. I have a VLK CD that I am using to upgrade. I put the CD
in, run setup.exe, select "upgrade," enter the key, then it does
"copying files." The bar gets all the way to the end, then an error
message comes up saying "File Copy Error." The file that it says it
can't copy is different every time. It appears to always start with
"a", then seven random letters and numbers, then ".sys". For example,
"aeuvv323.sys". Since these file names are randomly generated, they
are not on the CD, hence the "File Copy Error." If I do "Skip File,"
then the install fails on reboot because it wants the missing file.

I have done extensive searching on the web and cannot find any
information whatsoever about this problem.

Any info or ideas on how to fix this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[zulukng]

No it isn't. I used it to successfully upgrade Windows XP SP2 to
Windows XP SP3 on four other computers.

Please re-read my post. The "missing file" has a file name that is
being randomly generated.

 

[zulukng]

I just got another one of our XP SP3 CD's and tried it again. Exact
same problem. I can rule out a bad CD with 100% certainty.

Thanks for trying to help though.

 

[Gerry]

Have you examined the WindowsUpdate.log?

Also read the Release Notes:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/c/d/8/cd8cc719-7d5a-40d3-a802-e4057aa8c631/relnotes.htm

Steps to take before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950717

http://support.microsoft.com/ph/1173#tab0

This forum may offer more focussed help:
http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=2010&SiteID=17

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[David Webb]

Why are you using a full system setup CD to install a service pack? Why not try
installing just the service pack? It can be downloaded as an ISO image and then
burned to a CD. Install SP3 from this new CD.

 

[microsoftolypse]

Hi

I think this is a bug. I've seen it happen to some users before. It's
not specific to the XP SP3 CD... I saw this on SP2, as well as Windows
Server 2003.

When it does happen, it only happens when you choose "upgrade" after
running setup.exe. Before the first reboot, the progress bar goes to
100%, then returns an error that it can't copy a file. The file starts
with "a" followed by seven random alphanumeric characters followed
by .sys. The setup routine run by the CD actually is scripted to look
for the randomly generated file. In other words, the CD is NOT bad and
it is NOT caused by a virus trojan or malware. The randomly generated
file name is NOT any kind of valid driver, it's just garbage. To date,
no one associated with Microsoft has publically acknowledged this
behavior, what it is, why it happens, etc.

Anyway... if this is happening to you, it's relatively easy to fix it:

Run the setup.exe on the CD and choose "upgrade". When it stops with
the "File Copy Error," click "Skip File." Let it reboot.

On reboot, it will give you a boot menu. DON'T select the "Windows XP
Install" option. Instead, select the normal operating system and boot
back into Windows XP.

After you're back in XP, go into the C:\$WIN_NT$.~BT\ directory. Open
the unsupdrv.inf file in notepad. There will be two sections in it.
The header, then a section that only references the randomly generated
file name from above. DELETE the ENTIRE SECTION that references the
randomly generated file name. Leave the header alone. Save the file.

Reboot, then when you get the boot menu, select the "Windows XP
Install" option.

It should now run normally.

Good luck!!!

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Free unlimited installation and compatibility support is available for
Windows XP, but only for Service Pack 3 (SP3), until 14 Apr-09. Chat and
e-mail support is available only in the United States and Canada.

.. US:
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-us&prid=11273&gprid=522131

.. CA:
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-ca&prid=11273&gprid=522131

.. UK:
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-gb&prid=11273&gprid=522131

.. AU:
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-au&prid=11273&gprid=522131

.. Other: http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?gprid=1173 | select
Windows XP | select Windows XP Service Pack 3

 

[zulukng]

I replied to you over on Technet as well.

I can't thank you enough... I followed your instructions and it went
without a hitch. I honestly didn't think I would get any help at all
on this (just the usual smug unhelpful replies) but you really
suprised me.

 

[zulukng]

And how exactly is your post supposed to be helpful? Get a clue from
people who actually post helpful information that solves problems!

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

You don't think MS Support would be helpful? Bite me.

 

[Michael]

Hello,

I have one computer that I have been upable to upgrade to SP3. I have
spent about ten hours on it now and I can't solve the problem. This is
one of those problems that has left me extremely frustrated,
emotionally drained, and on the verge of tearing my hair out.

It has SP2. I have a VLK CD that I am using to upgrade. I put the CD
in, run setup.exe, select "upgrade," enter the key, then it does
"copying files." The bar gets all the way to the end, then an error
message comes up saying "File Copy Error." The file that it says it
can't copy is different every time. It appears to always start with
"a", then seven random letters and numbers, then ".sys". For example,
"aeuvv323.sys". Since these file names are randomly generated, they
are not on the CD, hence the "File Copy Error." If I do "Skip File,"
then the install fails on reboot because it wants the missing file.

I have done extensive searching on the web and cannot find any
information whatsoever about this problem.

Any info or ideas on how to fix this would be greatly appreciated.

The DAEMON Tools SPTD driver caused this problem. Disable the SPTD
driver in device manager, install Windows, then enable it.