Re: windows update to wrong drive

Amy wrote:

I'll have to look into this more later -- short on time right now, but . . .

My G drive is larger than my C drive -- short of moving all my programs from C to G (which I don't want to do), I can't think of a way to offset this. The C drive has room though -- it's only about 40% "used space." I actually had the G drive installed for about a year before the updates started downloading there.


The size of the drive is not the determining factor for which drive the updates are downloaded to, it's the * amount of free space * on the drive that is the determining factor.
As you've witnessed, the update were not downloaded to G:\ until the
* amount of free space * on C:\ became smaller than whatever AU requires to store, unpack to a temp staging area, install, and then delete the temp staging area.

There is no one temp folder (hidden or not) on my G drive. The updates weren't going into any folder on the G drive -- each was making it's own folder. I'm not sure if those were temp folders, as I tried to delete them, & the next time I went to Windows update, it said I hadn't downloaded them. The thing is, it seems sometimes the updates aren't downloading properly to the G drive anyways, as it get errors, or told I never downloaded the update (when they're sitting right on my G drive).


So, each update created a temp staging area on G:\. The updates were then installed to C:\ and the temp staging areas deleted.
Thanks for that info.
IF those updates were installed then revisiting Windows Update should *not* have reoffered them.

I need you to check
C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download
to see if the updates are being downloaded there and remaining there past the time that they should. They are supposed to be deleted over a period of time so as to prevent unnecessary lost of diskspace.

We can 'trick' Windows or Automatic Updates into downloading and staging all the updates to the C:\ drive but I'd like to find out what's going on with the Download subfolder first.

Have you ever run a disk clean up tool on/or defragmented C:\ ?


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




"MowGreen [MVP]" wrote:


Amy wrote:


I have 2 hard drives (C & G). The Windows Updates keep trying to install on my G drive. This has also happened when I try to download other things from the Microsoft website. How do I stop this?

I have Windows XP SP2. It is installed on my C drive. (I had found similar posts where they were asking how to change to the non-Windows drive). I use the G only for storing some files (i.e. pictures, music).

The G drive downloading is a fairly recent development. Prior to that the updates were downloading directly to my C drive. I don't remember that happening before. Aren't they supposed to go into something like the Windows folder?

Amy,

The updates are downloading to the G:\ drive because there's more space on that drive than C:\
They are being stored there to be installed to C:\
Unless you can reclaim enough disk space to make the space available on C:\ greater than G:\, than this behavior will persist.
Suggest you read this to see if it helps reclaim disk space:

I want to Save Space and delete unnecessary files after installing a Windows Update patch or Service Pack.
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spack.htm

Also, you should check to see if the subfolder that held the downloaded updates on C:\ is retaining them longer than it should.

Show hidden files, folders, and system files
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial62.html#winxp

Using Windows Explorer [ Start > All Programs > Accessories ], navigate to the WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download folder

Delete *all* contents of the Download folder of *all* downloaded updates that are already installed. Check the G:\ drive for a temp folder that may be holding downloaded and previously installed updates, too. Since I've never seen this issue in person I can't tell you precisely where it may be.

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

.

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