[H] Small problem w/pdf files?
I use Foxit reader (just updated to v3.2.0.0430) I use FF Browser v3.6.3. I use Java v6 update 20. I use M$ Sync-Toy v2.1. I AM WinXP SP3 fully patched. Lately, I am seeing errors using Sync-Toy when backing up my office machine to my NAS. The file do not seem to transfer. It seems to stumble on PDF files. I usually get: Error: Cannot write to the destination file. Access is denied. (Exception from HRESULT:0x80070005 (E_ACESSDENIED)) Yes, I can suppose that these may be some glitch on my NAS, but this only happens via use of SyncToy v2.1 or, Could this be somehow related to these files being coded Read-Only? Have PDF file specs changed lately? Are there suggested add-ons to Foxit I might need to add? I mostly run Foxit box-stock and only update it when a base-code update appears... ? How/where do I start my looksee/trouble-shoot? Confused, I AM! tnx, Duncan
Re: [H] Small problem w/pdf files?
Duncan. I think your problem might be related to the Read Only attribute. Disclaimer: I haven't used SyncToy yet so this is only a SWAG. When SyncToy goes to back up your file to the NAS it attempts to delete the existing file and then rewrite it. Since the original is Read Only the copies on the NAS might also be marked Read Only. If that's the case, then when you go to resync it will fail since the existing copy on the NAS will not be deleted. Also, as a test to see if the Read Only attribute might be the cause of the problem, manually reset the file attribute on the NAS and then try to resync. If successful then the Read Only attribute is the cause. Check if SyncToy has an option to allow rewrites of Read Only files or an option to not carry over the original file attributes when syncing to the NAS. - Mike Resnick At 01:58 PM 5/7/2010, DSinc wrote: ...snip ... Lately, I am seeing errors using Sync-Toy when backing up my office machine to my NAS. The file do not seem to transfer. It seems to stumble on PDF files. I usually get: Error: Cannot write to the destination file. Access is denied. (Exception from HRESULT:0x80070005 (E_ACESSDENIED)) Yes, I can suppose that these may be some glitch on my NAS, but this only happens via use of SyncToy v2.1 or, Could this be somehow related to these files being coded Read-Only? ... snip ... tnx, Duncan __ NOD32 5095 (20100507) Information __ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com __ Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security, will not have, nor do they deserve, either one. - Benjamin Franklin PS. Please note that I have switched to my GMAIL address - mike...@gmail.com Please update your email / address book / contact list accordingly. Thanks
Re: [H] Small problem w/pdf files?
Mike, While waiting for my query to gell to the List, I did go back and dig up all the dot-pdf files on my Office PC. Sadly, there were a lot :( OK. YES! all of the trouble files were coded Read-Only. This attribute I have reset locally. I have NOT YET gone to my NAS and start resetting this attribute... maybe later tonight.. :) A silly tangential question. I also see that many of my dot-pdf files also NOW show some new business; a sub-protection about this file MAY BE from a blocked web-site. Nice that I am given a button to UNBLOCK the file. Is it proper to UnBlock my pdf files? TNX. You win. I am resetting the Read-Only status of my pdf files. Best, Duncan On 05/07/2010 16:05, Michael Resnick wrote: Duncan. I think your problem might be related to the Read Only attribute. Disclaimer: I haven't used SyncToy yet so this is only a SWAG. When SyncToy goes to back up your file to the NAS it attempts to delete the existing file and then rewrite it. Since the original is Read Only the copies on the NAS might also be marked Read Only. If that's the case, then when you go to resync it will fail since the existing copy on the NAS will not be deleted. Also, as a test to see if the Read Only attribute might be the cause of the problem, manually reset the file attribute on the NAS and then try to resync. If successful then the Read Only attribute is the cause. Check if SyncToy has an option to allow rewrites of Read Only files or an option to not carry over the original file attributes when syncing to the NAS. - Mike Resnick At 01:58 PM 5/7/2010, DSinc wrote: ...snip ... Lately, I am seeing errors using Sync-Toy when backing up my office machine to my NAS. The file do not seem to transfer. It seems to stumble on PDF files. I usually get: Error: Cannot write to the destination file. Access is denied. (Exception from HRESULT:0x80070005 (E_ACESSDENIED)) Yes, I can suppose that these may be some glitch on my NAS, but this only happens via use of SyncToy v2.1 or, Could this be somehow related to these files being coded Read-Only? ... snip ... tnx, Duncan __ NOD32 5095 (20100507) Information __ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com __ Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security, will not have, nor do they deserve, either one. - Benjamin Franklin PS. Please note that I have switched to my GMAIL address - mike...@gmail.com Please update your email / address book / contact list accordingly. Thanks
Re: [H] Small problem w/pdf files?
Before you reset the Read Only attribute of all your PDF files, just reset one of them on your NAS and then see what happens. If that works you can then use the attrib cmd to change all your PDF files at once. Not sure about the sub-protection about this file MAY BE from a blocked web-site. I haven't checked, but I'll bet that google is your friend. You're on your own. on this one. Regards, Mike At 04:25 PM 5/7/2010, DSinc wrote: Mike, While waiting for my query to gell to the List, I did go back and dig up all the dot-pdf files on my Office PC. Sadly, there were a lot :( OK. YES! all of the trouble files were coded Read-Only. This attribute I have reset locally. I have NOT YET gone to my NAS and start resetting this attribute... maybe later tonight.. :) A silly tangential question. I also see that many of my dot-pdf files also NOW show some new business; a sub-protection about this file MAY BE from a blocked web-site. Nice that I am given a button to UNBLOCK the file. Is it proper to UnBlock my pdf files? TNX. You win. I am resetting the Read-Only status of my pdf files. Best, Duncan On 05/07/2010 16:05, Michael Resnick wrote: Duncan. I think your problem might be related to the Read Only attribute. Disclaimer: I haven't used SyncToy yet so this is only a SWAG. When SyncToy goes to back up your file to the NAS it attempts to delete the existing file and then rewrite it. Since the original is Read Only the copies on the NAS might also be marked Read Only. If that's the case, then when you go to resync it will fail since the existing copy on the NAS will not be deleted. Also, as a test to see if the Read Only attribute might be the cause of the problem, manually reset the file attribute on the NAS and then try to resync. If successful then the Read Only attribute is the cause. Check if SyncToy has an option to allow rewrites of Read Only files or an option to not carry over the original file attributes when syncing to the NAS. - Mike Resnick At 01:58 PM 5/7/2010, DSinc wrote: ...snip ... Lately, I am seeing errors using Sync-Toy when backing up my office machine to my NAS. The file do not seem to transfer. It seems to stumble on PDF files. I usually get: Error: Cannot write to the destination file. Access is denied. (Exception from HRESULT:0x80070005 (E_ACESSDENIED)) Yes, I can suppose that these may be some glitch on my NAS, but this only happens via use of SyncToy v2.1 or, Could this be somehow related to these files being coded Read-Only? ... snip ... tnx, Duncan __ NOD32 5095 (20100507) Information __ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com __ Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security, will not have, nor do they deserve, either one. - Benjamin Franklin PS. Please note that I have switched to my GMAIL address - mike...@gmail.com Please update your email / address book / contact list accordingly. Thanks __ NOD32 5096 (20100507) Information __ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com __ Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security, will not have, nor do they deserve, either one. - Benjamin Franklin PS. Please note that I have switched to my GMAIL address - mike...@gmail.com Please update your email / address book / contact list accordingly. Thanks
Re: [H] Small problem w/pdf files?
Mike, TNX again. Wilco! So far so good w/files causing trouble. I still know/recall the attrib cmd, if req'd. Not yet. Still wondering the blocked business. Think this is new, and, could be driven from NoScript or CS-Lite. Checking :) Good now. And, getting better :) Best, Duncan On 05/07/2010 19:29, Michael Resnick wrote: Before you reset the Read Only attribute of all your PDF files, just reset one of them on your NAS and then see what happens. If that works you can then use the attrib cmd to change all your PDF files at once. Not sure about the sub-protection about this file MAY BE from a blocked web-site. I haven't checked, but I'll bet that google is your friend. You're on your own. on this one. Regards, Mike At 04:25 PM 5/7/2010, DSinc wrote: Mike, While waiting for my query to gell to the List, I did go back and dig up all the dot-pdf files on my Office PC. Sadly, there were a lot :( OK. YES! all of the trouble files were coded Read-Only. This attribute I have reset locally. I have NOT YET gone to my NAS and start resetting this attribute... maybe later tonight.. :) A silly tangential question. I also see that many of my dot-pdf files also NOW show some new business; a sub-protection about this file MAY BE from a blocked web-site. Nice that I am given a button to UNBLOCK the file. Is it proper to UnBlock my pdf files? TNX. You win. I am resetting the Read-Only status of my pdf files. Best, Duncan On 05/07/2010 16:05, Michael Resnick wrote: Duncan. I think your problem might be related to the Read Only attribute. Disclaimer: I haven't used SyncToy yet so this is only a SWAG. When SyncToy goes to back up your file to the NAS it attempts to delete the existing file and then rewrite it. Since the original is Read Only the copies on the NAS might also be marked Read Only. If that's the case, then when you go to resync it will fail since the existing copy on the NAS will not be deleted. Also, as a test to see if the Read Only attribute might be the cause of the problem, manually reset the file attribute on the NAS and then try to resync. If successful then the Read Only attribute is the cause. Check if SyncToy has an option to allow rewrites of Read Only files or an option to not carry over the original file attributes when syncing to the NAS. - Mike Resnick At 01:58 PM 5/7/2010, DSinc wrote: ...snip ... Lately, I am seeing errors using Sync-Toy when backing up my office machine to my NAS. The file do not seem to transfer. It seems to stumble on PDF files. I usually get: Error: Cannot write to the destination file. Access is denied. (Exception from HRESULT:0x80070005 (E_ACESSDENIED)) Yes, I can suppose that these may be some glitch on my NAS, but this only happens via use of SyncToy v2.1 or, Could this be somehow related to these files being coded Read-Only? ... snip ... tnx, Duncan __ NOD32 5095 (20100507) Information __ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com __ Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security, will not have, nor do they deserve, either one. - Benjamin Franklin PS. Please note that I have switched to my GMAIL address - mike...@gmail.com Please update your email / address book / contact list accordingly. Thanks __ NOD32 5096 (20100507) Information __ This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. http://www.eset.com __ Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security, will not have, nor do they deserve, either one. - Benjamin Franklin PS. Please note that I have switched to my GMAIL address - mike...@gmail.com Please update your email / address book / contact list accordingly. Thanks
Re: [H] ?small problem
Duncan in XP it is called Enable Boot Logging and it is in the list when you hit the F8 key. It will log every step thru all the boot process and see exactly where is stops or hangs up. After you can find the log file in the Windows folder called ntbtlog.txt. You can see that there are quite a few files from the system sub folder that load after mup.sys, and where it stops logging will be the bad guy. -Original Message- From: hardware-boun...@hardwaregroup.com [mailto:hardware-boun...@hardwaregroup.com] On Behalf Of DHSinclair Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 12:00 PM To: hardware@hardwaregroup.com Subject: Re: [H] ?small problem Mark, I do not know how to do a stepped boot. The last thing I see in the (AMI bios) Post is checking nvram, then the screen goes black; shortly followed by the XP boot screen. It is actually pretty tough just to even get to the F8 (Safe Mode) selection screen.
Re: [H] ?small problem
Mark, I do not know how to do a stepped boot. The last thing I see in the (AMI bios) Post is checking nvram, then the screen goes black; shortly followed by the XP boot screen. It is actually pretty tough just to even get to the F8 (Safe Mode) selection screen. Bill Cohane, I have read thru your share several times. Many years ago FORC5 schooled me in the use of removing old ghost devices in the Safe Mode and the use of the View Hidden Devices switch in the CP/Device Manager. I now plan to view and decode all the items of my current hidden devices from the fully booted perspective. Thank you for the idea about the system file. I was able to find it after allowing hidden system file view temporarily. Normally I leave this stuff hidden because I can be a klutz! :) o-Yes, my system file is now 10,240 KB and dated yesterday. o-I do not overclock any of my systems any more. o-I do not see a Reset ESCD switch in my current 0502 bios (Asus P5Q3). I'm off to study the UM again. o-I have re-flashed my bios w/o any change. There is a newer bios available (0603) but the release notes do not suggest any improvement to my kit stack. Still thinking here anyway :) Best, Duncan At 22:09 02/02/2009 -0600, you wrote: Can you do a stepped boot not in safe mode and get hung up at the same place? Mup.sys is blamed a lot just because it is the last thing loaded, it is not really causing the problem in most cases. -Original Message- From: hardware-boun...@hardwaregroup.com [mailto:hardware-boun...@hardwaregroup.com] On Behalf Of DHSinclair Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 6:33 PM To: hardware@hardwaregroup.com Subject: Re: [H] ?small problem John, Thanks. I'll drill into your send. I choose to wait to update the bios; I do not meet the minimum ATM. mup.sys remains the stop for a boot to Safe Mode. I'll find it in time. Time I do still have. Yes, have a new bios also. Already discussed.. :) Really odd glitch; from my perspective. Have patience. Can wait. winXP-SP3 is still AOK here ... (as long as I don't drill into either mup.sys or network'.)... odd I remain in this Stuff Happens! Mode right now; still digging. Duncan At 15:36 02/02/2009 -0800, you wrote: Here are some more to try. :) Here are some troubleshooting suggestions: . ESCD corruption, Try resetting ESCD and/or changing ACPI setting in the BIOS. If there is no specific way to reset the ESCD data via the BIOS you can force this by reflashing. For added value check to see if there is a BIOS update available first. . If your system is overclocked, Try reverting to the original standard spec.'s . If you have USB devices connected, including any hubs, try removing them all before you boot . If you have devices connected to the serial or parallel ports, Try disconnecting them, again before you boot . If you added any new hardware recently, including PCI,PCI-E, ISA cards, Or memory DIMMs Try removing them one at a time, reboot and see if this allows the system to boot correctly . If you have access to a DMM (Multimeter), Check all the power supply voltages and try to watch each as you try to boot. If they are more than 7% below normal and\or your PSU is over 5 years old, less than 350W and you have a 3D gaming graphics card with 128MB or more of graphics memory. Consider replacing the power supply with an upgrade of 500W or better. For more information on troubleshooting PC Power Supplies see my article on ATX PSU Troubleshooting . If you have PCI, PCI-E or AGP Graphics card and also have a video connector on your motherboard try taking out the graphics card and run off the motherboard video. Be sure to adjust your BIOS accordingly . Try moving around your System RAM DIMMs and/or try removing one . Try running an antivirus scan from CD or Diskette if you have that capability. If needed boot the recovery CD to a prompt first . Try booting with as minimal a system you can. Remember to disconnect optical and floppy drives. Also, try using a non-USB kybd and a regular ball mouse that plugs into the PS\2 port in place of an optical USB type . If all this fails to identify or fix your problem, Try Running Chkdsk from the Windows XP\2000 Recovery Console. If chkdsk fails to resolve the problem, at this point you may need to reinstall windows but first ... . Try checking out my Windows XP Boot Issues article to find out how to fix mup.sys hangs by manually restoring your registry. The process I detail is reversible if you back up the original hives first as instructed so it is worth a try ;) The fundementals of this procedure should also work on Windows 2000.I can say from experience that this absolutely fixes the windows XP mup.sys boot hang when the cause is a corrupted registry! . The motherboard my have failed or was damaged in a particular way such as from an excessive power draw by USB devices or AGP graphics card. One astute and observant reader provided this feedback: We actually found
Re: [H] ?small problem
At 13:00 02/03/09, DHSinclair wrote: Bill, I have read thru your share several times. Many years ago FORC5 schooled me in the use of removing old ghost devices in the Safe Mode and the use of the View Hidden Devices switch in the CP/Device Manager. I now plan to view and decode all the items of my current hidden devices from the fully booted perspective. Thank you for the idea about the system file. I was able to find it after allowing hidden system file view temporarily. Normally I leave this stuff hidden because I can be a klutz! :) o-Yes, my system file is now 10,240 KB and dated yesterday. o-I do not overclock any of my systems any more. o-I do not see a Reset ESCD switch in my current 0502 bios (Asus P5Q3). I'm off to study the UM again. o-I have re-flashed my bios w/o any change. There is a newer bios available (0603) but the release notes do not suggest any improvement to my kit stack. Still thinking here anyway :) There is a 39 page discussion (pages are short, with only a few posts per forum page) entitled Windows XP freezes at mup.sys, how do I fix it? at http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/topic/31874/. My suggestion is mentioned, as well as the idea that mup.sys is not the culprit but only the last good on screen (or log) entry before the problem happens. Several people mentioned that they have the problem when trying to boot in safe mode but not in regular mode. Some solved their problem by making hardware changes (swapping a memory stick, updating their motherboard BIOS, changing device driver version, new keyboard, disabling processor cache, for example) and some downloaded and installed a fix (a file download) from Microsoft or Intel. In my last email, I talked about %WINDIR%\System32\Config\System. System holds the System Hive which is the part of the Registry (HKLM\System) that's referenced when windows is starting up. I'm not sure about Windows XP, but Windows 2000 can only use 16MB of memory when first loading, and this limited memory must be shared by the kernel, the HAL, the boot drivers, and the system loader. If the System Hive gets too big, or badly fragmented, then it cannot load and windows stalls. That's why I asked you how large your system file was. My problem happened when my system file was about 9.8 MB in size. That was too much. (The limit is supposed to be 10.3 MB for Windows 2000 Server.) You can shrink the System file manually (ADD-REMOVE HARDWARE or equivalent) or use the Veritas VxScrub utility which you can download using the link http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/277301.htm. (You have to type in your name, phone number, and email address. I tested the link last night using fake personal information and the download works fine.) I used the Veritas utility (Vxscrub –forcepurge) to shrink my system hive from 9.8MB to about 4MB on one system. (Every time I changed one or both of the SCSI controllers in that system, I acquired 26 more SCSI devices in ADD-REMOVE HARDWARE, two entries per device, and I had changed SCSI cards several times over that year's period. Every time I added a USB device, multiple entries were added in ADD-REMOVE HARDWARE.) Using Vscrub looks complicated (you run it in command mode using switches) but the directions as listed on the webpage I gave are straightforward. It helps if you print them out. If something happens and you cannot boot up your system (to shrink the system hive) you could try the FixBoot command in the recovery console (boot from the WINDOWS CD and run \I386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons). This should fix the error temporarily. When I did this, the problem reoccurred every few days. Apparently the system file changes size during during daily use and system kept going over that 10 MB size. Another helpful utility is NTREGOPT (Registry Optimizer) which is a separate utility that is included with ERUNT (Emergency Recovery Utility NT which makes a copy of your registry...or lets you replace it with a previously saved copy). Both work for Windows NT/2000/2003/XP/Vista. NTREGOPT can shrink a registry if it's fragmented or contains too much white space. Get them from http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/. All these utilities (VXSCRUB, ERUNT, NTREGOPT) require a reboot after running. Regards, Bill primary email: wcoh...@nyc.rr.com list email: wcoh...@gmail.com (because I can't get list email at my Road Runner address)
[H] ?small problem
Have what seems to be a small problem. WXPproXP3.. Was an Upgrade from W2KproSP4. Otherwise works superb! But, Can Not boot to Safe Mode...Hangs at mup.sys. Do have reading for this, but, am wondering if there may be something else going on? My network connection pointer in the CP is at #2. In the past, I have found that #1 was never totally ripped out :) I do not recall how to fully erase net connections, if this is what is going on... I have sat for 40+ minutes waiting, at the blue (Windows is Starting) screen trying to do a Restore Install. Not yet. I really do NOT wish to erase/reformat my C: partition; UNLESS the Collective convinces me this is the ONLY way. Hmmm. Perhaps Windows CAN NOT really be Upgraded? Sure looks like it at the moment. This is NOT a call to Resurrect. I am not Down. WXP is fully running (and I remain totally confused!) If this is a boot.ini file trouble, I can read/correct. (?) If this is a mbr partition error, I can read/correct. (?) Where to start? Ideas? Suggestions? Opinions (except Vista) welcome? Duncan
Re: [H] ?small problem
Found this after a google of mup.sys. :) So, we started scouring the Internet looking for other possible causes. We found quite a few instances of the hung at Mup.sys symptom, but with a variety of fixes. Several administrators solved the problem by replacing memory. Several others solved it by replacing drive controllers or by simply moving the controllers to a different slot. One administrator even replaced both processors. Then we found a posting by Sean Branham at the Annoyances.org web site. See the full text of the thread at http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/t1047532372. Sean correctly determined that the cause of all these disparate hung at Mup.sys failures were actually caused by problem with the Extended System Configuration Data (ESCD) stored in the system BIOS. The ESCD maintains a static list of Plug-and-Play resource allocations. This avoids recalculating all the allocations at each restart. If the ESCD gets corrupted, then the operating system cannot assign resources correctly. Windows makes this resource decision just after it loads the Mup.sys driver because that's when it loads the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) drivers. You can download the (mercifully short) ESCD specification from http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/1/161ba512-40e2-4cc9-843a-923143f3456c/escd.rtf. Once we knew that something in BIOS might be causing the problem, solving it was a snap. We downloaded the most current firmware revision from Dell's web site and flashed the BIOS and that was that. (Some motherboards come with an ESCD rebuild option in CMOS, so it would not be necessary to flash the BIOS.) The system booted without a hitch and performance was right back to where it had been before the problems started. If it hadn't been for Sean's insight, we would have spent time and money replacing the PERC controller, which unfortunately might well have solved the problem because replacing the board would have refreshed the ESCD. It's difficult to determine whether the system crash earlier in the week caused the ESCD problem or vice-versa, or if some other problem caused both. At this point, Anon is going to keep an eye on the system and hope for the best. I'd like to thank Sean both for solving this tricky problem and for taking the time to post a detailed account. This was the first time I'd visited the Annoyances.org web site, and it looks like a great resource. -- JRS steinie**...@pacbell.net Please remove **X** to reply... Facts do not cease to exist just because they are ignored. From: DHSinclair dsinc...@bellsouth.net To: Hardware Group hardware@hardwaregroup.com Sent: Monday, February 2, 2009 2:37:03 PM Subject: [H] ?small problem Have what seems to be a small problem. WXPproXP3.. Was an Upgrade from W2KproSP4. Otherwise works superb! But, Can Not boot to Safe Mode...Hangs at mup.sys. Do have reading for this, but, am wondering if there may be something else going on? My network connection pointer in the CP is at #2. In the past, I have found that #1 was never totally ripped out :) I do not recall how to fully erase net connections, if this is what is going on... I have sat for 40+ minutes waiting, at the blue (Windows is Starting) screen trying to do a Restore Install. Not yet. I really do NOT wish to erase/reformat my C: partition; UNLESS the Collective convinces me this is the ONLY way. Hmmm. Perhaps Windows CAN NOT really be Upgraded? Sure looks like it at the moment. This is NOT a call to Resurrect. I am not Down. WXP is fully running (and I remain totally confused!) If this is a boot.ini file trouble, I can read/correct. (?) If this is a mbr partition error, I can read/correct. (?) Where to start? Ideas? Suggestions? Opinions (except Vista) welcome? Duncan
Re: [H] ?small problem
Steine, Thank you. That share is part of the print I have made and not yet read thru. Sometimes the Collective Mind is on the same track! The bios ESCD business I can shortly fix, but I think I've already done this. We'll see. I will do this routine immediately! I do understand this from long, long ago. I did go from one asus bios to a brand new asus bios; across m/b's, but WTF! Yet again, perhaps I still screwed up! LOL! Thank you very much, Duncan At 14:45 02/02/2009 -0800, you wrote: Found this after a google of mup.sys. :) So, we started scouring the Internet looking for other possible causes. We found quite a few instances of the hung at Mup.sys symptom, but with a variety of fixes. Several administrators solved the problem by replacing memory. Several others solved it by replacing drive controllers or by simply moving the controllers to a different slot. One administrator even replaced both processors. Then we found a posting by Sean Branham at the Annoyances.org web site. See the full text of the thread at http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/t1047532372. Sean correctly determined that the cause of all these disparate hung at Mup.sys failures were actually caused by problem with the Extended System Configuration Data (ESCD) stored in the system BIOS. The ESCD maintains a static list of Plug-and-Play resource allocations. This avoids recalculating all the allocations at each restart. If the ESCD gets corrupted, then the operating system cannot assign resources correctly. Windows makes this resource decision just after it loads the Mup.sys driver because that's when it loads the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) drivers. You can download the (mercifully short) ESCD specification from http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/1/161ba512-40e2-4cc9-843a-923143f3456c/escd.rtf. Once we knew that something in BIOS might be causing the problem, solving it was a snap. We downloaded the most current firmware revision from Dell's web site and flashed the BIOS and that was that. (Some motherboards come with an ESCD rebuild option in CMOS, so it would not be necessary to flash the BIOS.) The system booted without a hitch and performance was right back to where it had been before the problems started. If it hadn't been for Sean's insight, we would have spent time and money replacing the PERC controller, which unfortunately might well have solved the problem because replacing the board would have refreshed the ESCD. It's difficult to determine whether the system crash earlier in the week caused the ESCD problem or vice-versa, or if some other problem caused both. At this point, Anon is going to keep an eye on the system and hope for the best. I'd like to thank Sean both for solving this tricky problem and for taking the time to post a detailed account. This was the first time I'd visited the Annoyances.org web site, and it looks like a great resource. -- JRS steinie**...@pacbell.net Please remove **X** to reply... Facts do not cease to exist just because they are ignored. From: DHSinclair dsinc...@bellsouth.net To: Hardware Group hardware@hardwaregroup.com Sent: Monday, February 2, 2009 2:37:03 PM Subject: [H] ?small problem Have what seems to be a small problem. WXPproXP3.. Was an Upgrade from W2KproSP4. Otherwise works superb! But, Can Not boot to Safe Mode...Hangs at mup.sys. Do have reading for this, but, am wondering if there may be something else going on? My network connection pointer in the CP is at #2. In the past, I have found that #1 was never totally ripped out :) I do not recall how to fully erase net connections, if this is what is going on... I have sat for 40+ minutes waiting, at the blue (Windows is Starting) screen trying to do a Restore Install. Not yet. I really do NOT wish to erase/reformat my C: partition; UNLESS the Collective convinces me this is the ONLY way. Hmmm. Perhaps Windows CAN NOT really be Upgraded? Sure looks like it at the moment. This is NOT a call to Resurrect. I am not Down. WXP is fully running (and I remain totally confused!) If this is a boot.ini file trouble, I can read/correct. (?) If this is a mbr partition error, I can read/correct. (?) Where to start? Ideas? Suggestions? Opinions (except Vista) welcome? Duncan
Re: [H] ?small problem
Superb idea! But, for some odd reason my current 0502 bios does NOT have
the Reset ESCD {whatever} switch. NOW, it is back to the BOOK!
I do know that there is a NEW bios (0603), but, my read of the Asus site
indicates ZERO about this.
WOW! This one is again odd, and fun to work at.
Close to the crest of the wave again!
Thanks,
Duncan
At 14:45 02/02/2009 -0800, you wrote:
Found this after a google of mup.sys. :)
So, we started scouring the Internet looking for other possible
causes. We found quite a few instances of the hung at Mup.sys
symptom, but with a variety of fixes. Several administrators solved the
problem by replacing memory. Several others solved it by replacing drive
controllers or by simply moving the controllers to a different slot. One
administrator even replaced both processors.
Then we found a posting by Sean Branham at the Annoyances.org web
site. See the full text of the thread at
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/t1047532372.
Sean correctly determined that the cause of all these disparate hung at
Mup.sys failures were actually caused by problem with the Extended
System Configuration Data (ESCD) stored in the system BIOS.
The ESCD maintains a static list of Plug-and-Play resource
allocations. This avoids recalculating all the allocations at each
restart. If the ESCD gets corrupted, then the operating system cannot
assign resources correctly. Windows makes this resource decision just
after it loads the Mup.sys driver because that's when it loads the
Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) drivers.
You can download the (mercifully short) ESCD specification from
http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/1/161ba512-40e2-4cc9-843a-923143f3456c/escd.rtf.
Once we knew that something in BIOS might be causing the problem,
solving it was a snap. We downloaded the most current firmware revision
from Dell's web site and flashed the BIOS and that was that. (Some
motherboards come with an ESCD rebuild option in CMOS, so it would not be
necessary to flash the BIOS.) The system booted without a hitch and
performance was right back to where it had been before the problems
started. If it hadn't been for Sean's insight, we would have spent time
and money replacing the PERC controller, which unfortunately might well
have solved the problem because replacing the board would have refreshed
the ESCD.
It's difficult to determine whether the system crash earlier in the
week caused the ESCD problem or vice-versa, or if some other problem
caused both. At this point, Anon is going to keep an eye on the system
and hope for the best.
I'd like to thank Sean both for solving this tricky problem and for
taking the time to post a detailed account. This was the first time I'd
visited the Annoyances.org web site, and it looks like a great resource.
--
JRS steinie**...@pacbell.net
Please remove **X** to reply...
Facts do not cease to exist just
because they are ignored.
From: DHSinclair dsinc...@bellsouth.net
To: Hardware Group hardware@hardwaregroup.com
Sent: Monday, February 2, 2009 2:37:03 PM
Subject: [H] ?small problem
Have what seems to be a small problem.
WXPproXP3..
Was an Upgrade from W2KproSP4.
Otherwise works superb!
But,
Can Not boot to Safe Mode...Hangs at mup.sys.
Do have reading for this, but, am wondering if there may be something else
going on?
My network connection pointer in the CP is at #2.
In the past, I have found that #1 was never totally ripped out :)
I do not recall how to fully erase net connections, if this is what is
going on...
I have sat for 40+ minutes waiting, at the blue (Windows is Starting)
screen trying to do a Restore Install. Not yet.
I really do NOT wish to erase/reformat my C: partition; UNLESS the
Collective convinces me this is the ONLY way. Hmmm.
Perhaps Windows CAN NOT really be Upgraded? Sure looks like it at the moment.
This is NOT a call to Resurrect. I am not Down. WXP is fully running
(and I remain totally confused!)
If this is a boot.ini file trouble, I can read/correct. (?)
If this is a mbr partition error, I can read/correct. (?)
Where to start? Ideas? Suggestions? Opinions (except Vista) welcome?
Duncan
Re: [H] ?small problem
downloaded the most current firmware revision from Dell's web site and flashed the BIOS and that was that. (Some motherboards come with an ESCD rebuild option in CMOS, so it would not be necessary to flash the BIOS.) The system booted without a hitch and performance was right back to where it had been before the problems started. If it hadn't been for Sean's insight, we would have spent time and money replacing the PERC controller, which unfortunately might well have solved the problem because replacing the board would have refreshed the ESCD. It's difficult to determine whether the system crash earlier in the week caused the ESCD problem or vice-versa, or if some other problem caused both. At this point, Anon is going to keep an eye on the system and hope for the best. I'd like to thank Sean both for solving this tricky problem and for taking the time to post a detailed account. This was the first time I'd visited the Annoyances.org web site, and it looks like a great resource. -- JRS steinie**...@pacbell.net Please remove **X** to reply... Facts do not cease to exist just because they are ignored. From: DHSinclair dsinc...@bellsouth.net To: Hardware Group hardware@hardwaregroup.com Sent: Monday, February 2, 2009 2:37:03 PM Subject: [H] ?small problem Have what seems to be a small problem. WXPproXP3.. Was an Upgrade from W2KproSP4. Otherwise works superb! But, Can Not boot to Safe Mode...Hangs at mup.sys. Do have reading for this, but, am wondering if there may be something else going on? My network connection pointer in the CP is at #2. In the past, I have found that #1 was never totally ripped out :) I do not recall how to fully erase net connections, if this is what is going on... I have sat for 40+ minutes waiting, at the blue (Windows is Starting) screen trying to do a Restore Install. Not yet. I really do NOT wish to erase/reformat my C: partition; UNLESS the Collective convinces me this is the ONLY way. Hmmm. Perhaps Windows CAN NOT really be Upgraded? Sure looks like it at the moment. This is NOT a call to Resurrect. I am not Down. WXP is fully running (and I remain totally confused!) If this is a boot.ini file trouble, I can read/correct. (?) If this is a mbr partition error, I can read/correct. (?) Where to start? Ideas? Suggestions? Opinions (except Vista) welcome? Duncan -- JRS steinie**...@pacbell.net Please remove **X** to reply... Facts do not cease to exist just because they are ignored.
Re: [H] ?small problem
correctly. Windows makes this resource decision just after it loads the Mup.sys driver because that's when it loads the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) drivers. You can download the (mercifully short) ESCD specification from http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/1/161ba512-40e2-4cc9-843a-923143f3456c/escd.rtf . Once we knew that something in BIOS might be causing the problem, solving it was a snap. We downloaded the most current firmware revision from Dell's web site and flashed the BIOS and that was that. (Some motherboards come with an ESCD rebuild option in CMOS, so it would not be necessary to flash the BIOS.) The system booted without a hitch and performance was right back to where it had been before the problems started. If it hadn't been for Sean's insight, we would have spent time and money replacing the PERC controller, which unfortunately might well have solved the problem because replacing the board would have refreshed the ESCD. It's difficult to determine whether the system crash earlier in the week caused the ESCD problem or vice-versa, or if some other problem caused both. At this point, Anon is going to keep an eye on the system and hope for the best. I'd like to thank Sean both for solving this tricky problem and for taking the time to post a detailed account. This was the first time I'd visited the Annoyances.org web site, and it looks like a great resource. -- JRS steinie**...@pacbell.net Please remove **X** to reply... Facts do not cease to exist just because they are ignored. From: DHSinclair dsinc...@bellsouth.net To: Hardware Group hardware@hardwaregroup.com Sent: Monday, February 2, 2009 2:37:03 PM Subject: [H] ?small problem Have what seems to be a small problem. WXPproXP3.. Was an Upgrade from W2KproSP4. Otherwise works superb! But, Can Not boot to Safe Mode...Hangs at mup.sys. Do have reading for this, but, am wondering if there may be something else going on? My network connection pointer in the CP is at #2. In the past, I have found that #1 was never totally ripped out :) I do not recall how to fully erase net connections, if this is what is going on... I have sat for 40+ minutes waiting, at the blue (Windows is Starting) screen trying to do a Restore Install. Not yet. I really do NOT wish to erase/reformat my C: partition; UNLESS the Collective convinces me this is the ONLY way. Hmmm. Perhaps Windows CAN NOT really be Upgraded? Sure looks like it at the moment. This is NOT a call to Resurrect. I am not Down. WXP is fully running (and I remain totally confused!) If this is a boot.ini file trouble, I can read/correct. (?) If this is a mbr partition error, I can read/correct. (?) Where to start? Ideas? Suggestions? Opinions (except Vista) welcome? Duncan -- JRS steinie**...@pacbell.net Please remove **X** to reply... Facts do not cease to exist just because they are ignored.
Re: [H] ?small problem
of Plug-and-Play resource allocations. This avoids recalculating all the allocations at each restart. If the ESCD gets corrupted, then the operating system cannot assign resources correctly. Windows makes this resource decision just after it loads the Mup.sys driver because that's when it loads the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) drivers. You can download the (mercifully short) ESCD specification from http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/6/1/161ba512-40e2-4cc9-843a-923143f3456c/escd.rtf . Once we knew that something in BIOS might be causing the problem, solving it was a snap. We downloaded the most current firmware revision from Dell's web site and flashed the BIOS and that was that. (Some motherboards come with an ESCD rebuild option in CMOS, so it would not be necessary to flash the BIOS.) The system booted without a hitch and performance was right back to where it had been before the problems started. If it hadn't been for Sean's insight, we would have spent time and money replacing the PERC controller, which unfortunately might well have solved the problem because replacing the board would have refreshed the ESCD. It's difficult to determine whether the system crash earlier in the week caused the ESCD problem or vice-versa, or if some other problem caused both. At this point, Anon is going to keep an eye on the system and hope for the best. I'd like to thank Sean both for solving this tricky problem and for taking the time to post a detailed account. This was the first time I'd visited the Annoyances.org web site, and it looks like a great resource. -- JRS steinie**...@pacbell.net Please remove **X** to reply... Facts do not cease to exist just because they are ignored. From: DHSinclair dsinc...@bellsouth.net To: Hardware Group hardware@hardwaregroup.com Sent: Monday, February 2, 2009 2:37:03 PM Subject: [H] ?small problem Have what seems to be a small problem. WXPproXP3.. Was an Upgrade from W2KproSP4. Otherwise works superb! But, Can Not boot to Safe Mode...Hangs at mup.sys. Do have reading for this, but, am wondering if there may be something else going on? My network connection pointer in the CP is at #2. In the past, I have found that #1 was never totally ripped out :) I do not recall how to fully erase net connections, if this is what is going on... I have sat for 40+ minutes waiting, at the blue (Windows is Starting) screen trying to do a Restore Install. Not yet. I really do NOT wish to erase/reformat my C: partition; UNLESS the Collective convinces me this is the ONLY way. Hmmm. Perhaps Windows CAN NOT really be Upgraded? Sure looks like it at the moment. This is NOT a call to Resurrect. I am not Down. WXP is fully running (and I remain totally confused!) If this is a boot.ini file trouble, I can read/correct. (?) If this is a mbr partition error, I can read/correct. (?) Where to start? Ideas? Suggestions? Opinions (except Vista) welcome? Duncan -- JRS steinie**...@pacbell.net Please remove **X** to reply... Facts do not cease to exist just because they are ignored.
Re: [H] ?small problem
At 17:37 02/02/09, DHSinclair wrote: Have what seems to be a small problem. WXPproXP3.. Was an Upgrade from W2KproSP4. Otherwise works superb! But, Can Not boot to Safe Mode...Hangs at mup.sys. Do have reading for this, but, am wondering if there may be something else going on? My network connection pointer in the CP is at #2. In the past, I have found that #1 was never totally ripped out :) I do not recall how to fully erase net connections, if this is what is going on... I have sat for 40+ minutes waiting, at the blue (Windows is Starting) screen trying to do a Restore Install. Not yet. I really do NOT wish to erase/reformat my C: partition; UNLESS the Collective convinces me this is the ONLY way. Hmmm. Perhaps Windows CAN NOT really be Upgraded? Sure looks like it at the moment. This is NOT a call to Resurrect. I am not Down. WXP is fully running (and I remain totally confused!) If this is a boot.ini file trouble, I can read/correct. (?) If this is a mbr partition error, I can read/correct. (?) Where to start? Ideas? Suggestions? Opinions (except Vista) welcome? Hi Duncan You mentioned that you changed motherboards (presumably without doing a clean reinstall of Windows 2K or XP). This is something that I've done a few times while running one Win2k installation and I've run into a problem similar to yours. With XP running normally, check to see how large (the single file) SYSTEM is. Problems like yours can occur if this file (no file extension, its name is just system, without the quotes of course) gets too large. Why would it get too large? Because Windows XP and 2K don't remove hardware information from the registry when you physically remove hardware devices from your box. By the way, SYSTEM is usually in the folder C:\WINNT\system32\config or C:\WINDOWS\system32\config). SYSTEM is the file that holds the part of the registry with all the hardware information (past and present). If SYSTEM approaches 10 MB in size (in Win2k, not sure the actual number in WinXP), Windows will not boot fully because it doesn't allocate enough memory for all the files needed in memory during the boot process for all the files that need to go into memory during boot. It doesn't matter how much RAM you have, it's just the way Microsoft handles things. I've lost the Microsoft Knowledge Base article that described all this, or I'd give you a copy or a URL for it. So if SYSTEM gets near 10 MB, Windows will think the registry is corrupt and will refuse to boot fully. You can shrink the size of SYSTEM by using ADD-REMOVE HARDWARE in Control Panel (or wherever it is in WinXP) to remove all ghost hardware. By ghost, I mean hardware that was once in the system but has been physically removed from the system but not from the registry. Windows hides this stuff in Device Driver and ADD-REMOVE HARDWARE. It might take an hour or two to remove all the hardware from previous motherboards, previously removed disk drives, USB devices, etc. When my Windows periodically failed to boot, I shrunk the SYSTEM file from 9.8 MB to 4.4 MB and the problem has never returned. I do recall that this problem occurs in both Win2k and WinXP. Maybe it's not your problem...but why not just check the size of your SYSTEM file and see if maybe it's too large. When I had this problem, I found over a hundred hidden disc drives in ADD-REMOVE HARDWARE, as well as dozens of hidden copies of every hardware device that you'd normally see once in Device Manager or ADD-REMOVE HARDWARE. If you deed to, you can get a copy of the free VERITAS Volume Manager 4.2 to remove more stuff from SYSTEM due to old disc drives. Let me know. Regards, Bill
Re: [H] ?small problem
Can you do a stepped boot not in safe mode and get hung up at the same place? Mup.sys is blamed a lot just because it is the last thing loaded, it is not really causing the problem in most cases. -Original Message- From: hardware-boun...@hardwaregroup.com [mailto:hardware-boun...@hardwaregroup.com] On Behalf Of DHSinclair Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 6:33 PM To: hardware@hardwaregroup.com Subject: Re: [H] ?small problem John, Thanks. I'll drill into your send. I choose to wait to update the bios; I do not meet the minimum ATM. mup.sys remains the stop for a boot to Safe Mode. I'll find it in time. Time I do still have. Yes, have a new bios also. Already discussed.. :) Really odd glitch; from my perspective. Have patience. Can wait. winXP-SP3 is still AOK here ... (as long as I don't drill into either mup.sys or network'.)... odd I remain in this Stuff Happens! Mode right now; still digging. Duncan At 15:36 02/02/2009 -0800, you wrote: Here are some more to try. :) Here are some troubleshooting suggestions: . ESCD corruption, Try resetting ESCD and/or changing ACPI setting in the BIOS. If there is no specific way to reset the ESCD data via the BIOS you can force this by reflashing. For added value check to see if there is a BIOS update available first. . If your system is overclocked, Try reverting to the original standard spec.'s . If you have USB devices connected, including any hubs, try removing them all before you boot . If you have devices connected to the serial or parallel ports, Try disconnecting them, again before you boot . If you added any new hardware recently, including PCI,PCI-E, ISA cards, Or memory DIMMs Try removing them one at a time, reboot and see if this allows the system to boot correctly . If you have access to a DMM (Multimeter), Check all the power supply voltages and try to watch each as you try to boot. If they are more than 7% below normal and\or your PSU is over 5 years old, less than 350W and you have a 3D gaming graphics card with 128MB or more of graphics memory. Consider replacing the power supply with an upgrade of 500W or better. For more information on troubleshooting PC Power Supplies see my article on ATX PSU Troubleshooting . If you have PCI, PCI-E or AGP Graphics card and also have a video connector on your motherboard try taking out the graphics card and run off the motherboard video. Be sure to adjust your BIOS accordingly . Try moving around your System RAM DIMMs and/or try removing one . Try running an antivirus scan from CD or Diskette if you have that capability. If needed boot the recovery CD to a prompt first . Try booting with as minimal a system you can. Remember to disconnect optical and floppy drives. Also, try using a non-USB kybd and a regular ball mouse that plugs into the PS\2 port in place of an optical USB type . If all this fails to identify or fix your problem, Try Running Chkdsk from the Windows XP\2000 Recovery Console. If chkdsk fails to resolve the problem, at this point you may need to reinstall windows but first ... . Try checking out my Windows XP Boot Issues article to find out how to fix mup.sys hangs by manually restoring your registry. The process I detail is reversible if you back up the original hives first as instructed so it is worth a try ;) The fundementals of this procedure should also work on Windows 2000.I can say from experience that this absolutely fixes the windows XP mup.sys boot hang when the cause is a corrupted registry! . The motherboard my have failed or was damaged in a particular way such as from an excessive power draw by USB devices or AGP graphics card. One astute and observant reader provided this feedback: We actually found this problem (mup.sys hang) was bulging capacitors on the motherboard - Thanks MOH for the much appreciated feedback!On Feb 2, 2009, at 3:08 PM, DHSinclair wrote: Steine, Thank you. That share is part of the print I have made and not yet read thru. Sometimes the Collective Mind is on the same track! The bios ESCD business I can shortly fix, but I think I've already done this. We'll see. I will do this routine immediately! I do understand this from long, long ago. I did go from one asus bios to a brand new asus bios; across m/ b's, but WTF! Yet again, perhaps I still screwed up! LOL! Thank you very much, Duncan At 14:45 02/02/2009 -0800, you wrote: Found this after a google of mup.sys. :) So, we started scouring the Internet looking for other possible causes. We found quite a few instances of the hung at Mup.sys symptom, but with a variety of fixes. Several administrators solved the problem by replacing memory. Several others solved it by replacing drive controllers or by simply moving the controllers to a different slot. One administrator even replaced both processors. Then we found a posting by Sean Branham at the Annoyances.org web site. See the full text of the thread at http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp
