updating hardware information fault

-- Hi Group,

My computer has a problem whereby when I plug in my printer or any other
device it stalls at "updating hardware information".

I reinstalled ("overinstalled" as I don't have the motherboard drivers
disks - only a recover disc which doesn't help if I had reformatted the
disc) Windows ME but it took hours - like 12, and during restarts it can up
with File %2 could not replace file %1 or something like that, also during
file copying some files could not be written and I had to "skip" them in
order to continue the installation.

The original updating hardware information fault has not been fixed.

Any Help please.

Derek

*** Updating Hardware Information Delay ***

Check your windows\inf folder (a hidden system folder and you will have to
enable the viewing of such files and folders in Explorer (Tools | Folder
Options | View and check "Show hidden files and folders" and uncheck "Hide
protected operating system files") and look for large numbers of oem*.inf
files that are all 0 bytes in size. If you've got thousands of such files
this is the cause of your problem as you're probably at the limit of the
number of entries that can be entered in a FAT folder and therefore cannot
add any inf file associated with the update. Delete ONLY the 0 byte
oem*.inf files.

Why has this happened? One possibility it that you have Norton's System
Doctor installed and forgot to disable System Doctor before updating your
system from the Windows Update site. If you don't delete these files some
software and most hardware and driver installs will take a very long time
to complete if they complete at all.

For more details see the Symantec
site:http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT...15010309&src=n
and also MS KB 281967 - "Computer Stops Responding (Hangs) During Setup,
Installing Updates, or Adding New Hardware"
(http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=281967). I would strongly recommend
that you contact Microsoft and mention KB281967 and also KB301540 and ask
for a copy of the new ifsmgr.vxd v4.90.3003. You will then either be sent
the file or told how and where to download a copy. There should be no
charge for this call other than for the cost of the phone call.
Alternatively do yourself and your PC a big favour and dump System Doctor.

Your "Windows Could Not Upgrade the File %1 from %2 %1: %2" error:

First boot to DOS using a floppy and check whether you have a WININIT.INI
file in your C:\WINDOWS folder. If present rename it to something like
wininit.old and try booting again. It is also probable that you will have
to repeat the last software install or update that you made. See MS
KB283069 - "Error Message: Windows Could Not Upgrade the File %1 from %2
%1: %2 (http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=283069).

If you can't find a wininit.ini file then I suspect your problem is due to
the C:\_RESTORE\TEMP folder having around 64K files in it which is the
limit (2**16) for the number of files that can be located in a folder
using the FAT32 filing system. This then results in the "Cannot upgrade
file %1 from %2.." message when booting. I suggest you try deleting the
_RESTORE folder with the loss of any system restore checkpoints you might
have (not that I think they are now usable) and see if that solves the
problem. Delete the folder as follows:
a) Boot to DOS using a floppy. Do NOT choose "Minimal Boot" from the menu
when booting from a floppy but rather choose "Start computer with (or
without) CD-ROM support" otherwise the ATTRIB command will not be
available.
b) At the DOS A:\ prompt, type:

ATTRIB -H -S -R C:\_RESTORE
and then
REN C:\_RESTORE OLDREST

c) Remove the floppy
d) Reboot your PC

Another problem is that the update you were doing was never completed so
your system may still be unusable and the update repeated.

e) Delete the folder C:\OLDREST
f) Check that an automatic system restore checkpoint was created.
g) Finally adjust the space allocated to the restore folder: System |
Performance | File System | Hard Disk and adjust the restore slider to
your preferred setting. A figure of 200MB is normally more than adequate
for day to day use allowing perhaps a week of checkpoints to be available
although increasing this to perhaps 400MB for a few days during periods of
large installs such Microsoft Office is advisable.

*** Problems resulting from reinstalling Win Me ***


Note also that reinstalling Win Me over itself using the Win Me CD causes
the original versions of many files to be reinstalled. I would therefore
strongly recommend that following reinstalling Win Me that you to download
and use the Belarc Advisor (http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html)
which will help you in identifying which critical updates and other
patches need to be reinstalled.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP [2001-2004]



Derek wrote:

-- Hi Group,

My computer has a problem whereby when I plug in my printer or any
other device it stalls at "updating hardware information".

I reinstalled ("overinstalled" as I don't have the motherboard
drivers disks - only a recover disc which doesn't help if I had
reformatted the disc) Windows ME but it took hours - like 12, and
during restarts it can up with File %2 could not replace file %1 or
something like that, also during file copying some files could not be
written and I had to "skip" them in order to continue the
installation.

The original updating hardware information fault has not been fixed.

Any Help please.

Derek

Thanks Mike

much appreciated

Derek


"Mike M" wrote in message
...
*** Updating Hardware Information Delay ***

Check your windows\inf folder (a hidden system folder and you will have to
enable the viewing of such files and folders in Explorer (Tools | Folder
Options | View and check "Show hidden files and folders" and uncheck "Hide
protected operating system files") and look for large numbers of oem*.inf
files that are all 0 bytes in size. If you've got thousands of such files
this is the cause of your problem as you're probably at the limit of the
number of entries that can be entered in a FAT folder and therefore cannot
add any inf file associated with the update. Delete ONLY the 0 byte
oem*.inf files.

Why has this happened? One possibility it that you have Norton's System
Doctor installed and forgot to disable System Doctor before updating your
system from the Windows Update site. If you don't delete these files some
software and most hardware and driver installs will take a very long time
to complete if they complete at all.

For more details see the Symantec

site:http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT...20915010309&sr
c=n
and also MS KB 281967 - "Computer Stops Responding (Hangs) During Setup,
Installing Updates, or Adding New Hardware"
(http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=281967). I would strongly recommend
that you contact Microsoft and mention KB281967 and also KB301540 and ask
for a copy of the new ifsmgr.vxd v4.90.3003. You will then either be sent
the file or told how and where to download a copy. There should be no
charge for this call other than for the cost of the phone call.
Alternatively do yourself and your PC a big favour and dump System Doctor.

Your "Windows Could Not Upgrade the File %1 from %2 %1: %2" error:

First boot to DOS using a floppy and check whether you have a WININIT.INI
file in your C:\WINDOWS folder. If present rename it to something like
wininit.old and try booting again. It is also probable that you will have
to repeat the last software install or update that you made. See MS
KB283069 - "Error Message: Windows Could Not Upgrade the File %1 from %2
%1: %2 (http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=283069).

If you can't find a wininit.ini file then I suspect your problem is due to
the C:\_RESTORE\TEMP folder having around 64K files in it which is the
limit (2**16) for the number of files that can be located in a folder
using the FAT32 filing system. This then results in the "Cannot upgrade
file %1 from %2.." message when booting. I suggest you try deleting the
_RESTORE folder with the loss of any system restore checkpoints you might
have (not that I think they are now usable) and see if that solves the
problem. Delete the folder as follows:
a) Boot to DOS using a floppy. Do NOT choose "Minimal Boot" from the menu
when booting from a floppy but rather choose "Start computer with (or
without) CD-ROM support" otherwise the ATTRIB command will not be
available.
b) At the DOS A:\ prompt, type:

ATTRIB -H -S -R C:\_RESTORE
and then
REN C:\_RESTORE OLDREST

c) Remove the floppy
d) Reboot your PC

Another problem is that the update you were doing was never completed so
your system may still be unusable and the update repeated.

e) Delete the folder C:\OLDREST
f) Check that an automatic system restore checkpoint was created.
g) Finally adjust the space allocated to the restore folder: System |
Performance | File System | Hard Disk and adjust the restore slider to
your preferred setting. A figure of 200MB is normally more than adequate
for day to day use allowing perhaps a week of checkpoints to be available
although increasing this to perhaps 400MB for a few days during periods of
large installs such Microsoft Office is advisable.

*** Problems resulting from reinstalling Win Me ***


Note also that reinstalling Win Me over itself using the Win Me CD causes
the original versions of many files to be reinstalled. I would therefore
strongly recommend that following reinstalling Win Me that you to download
and use the Belarc Advisor (http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html)
which will help you in identifying which critical updates and other
patches need to be reinstalled.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP [2001-2004]



Derek wrote:

-- Hi Group,

My computer has a problem whereby when I plug in my printer or any
other device it stalls at "updating hardware information".

I reinstalled ("overinstalled" as I don't have the motherboard
drivers disks - only a recover disc which doesn't help if I had
reformatted the disc) Windows ME but it took hours - like 12, and
during restarts it can up with File %2 could not replace file %1 or
something like that, also during file copying some files could not be
written and I had to "skip" them in order to continue the
installation.

The original updating hardware information fault has not been fixed.

Any Help please.

Derek