Windows Delayed Write Failed

Question

I am getting numerous messages of the type "Windows-Delayed Write Failed " followed by the text "Windows was unable to save all the data for the file C:\file... The Data has been lost. This error may be caused by a failure of your computer hardware or network connection." This happened after I reboot the laptop and when it was trying to load the OS, I just reinstalled Windows XP and all the drivers for my laptop.

However, the laptop seems to be back to normal after I re-installed the OS again. Then two days later, this started to happen all over again, I had already reinstalled XP 3 times this week and I can't keep doing this!!!

I have already run all the harddrive related test from the diagnostic CD and they all found no error, is my harddrive dying??? The laptop is only 4 months old!!!!!!!!

Spec:

Latitude D600, Pentium M 1.6, 512 MB RAM, 40GB 5400rpm harddrive.

DELL-Corey · Answer

pytao,

Thank you for using Dell's Community Forum.

I read that you have done all of the “harddrive related test(s)” but have you run the complete diagnostic to let it check the whole system?

If not, try that, and get back with whatever error it shows.

pytao · Answer

I ran all the test (Express/Extend) from the diagnostic utility and it passed all of them, no error was found.

What should I do next? I can't afford to lose my data anymore if this happens again.

Thanks.

DELL-Corey · Answer

pytao, When you are reinstalling Windows, are you doing a repair install or are you doing a format and then reinstall?

pytao · Answer

I did a format (not quick format) to reinstall.  The issue has not happened since the last format/reinstall of XP.  What else should I try?

DELL-Corey · Answer

Pytao,

Going by what you wrote earlier about the system working immediately after you reinstalled, I would have to guess that the root of the problem will end up being some sort of software that is being added to the system.

pytao · Answer

what do you think could have caused the problem?  It even happened right after I reinstalled XP and the Dell drivers, nothing else was done to it unless you are saying something was wrong with the Dell drivers?  I am worried because it happened to me twice in one week already and I need the root cause of the issue so that I can use my laptop with a peace of mind, until now I still have not installed everything I need on the laptop because I don't know when it will fail again.  This is not something I expected from a $2000 laptop.

DELL-Corey · Answer

pytao, You will need to contact us in regards to addressing this issue in more detail.

Jan_C_7e4250 · Answer

What Bios version is you using. There is a failure in bios since A06 - A08 and that is posted in here

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=latit_bios&message.id=7923

The A05 Bios works.

pytao · Answer

I have A06 Bios, thanks for the article, very informative, I will give it a try and let everyone know the result. I tried to contact Dell support for the problem and all I got was A LOT OF unhelpful suggestion (Reinstall XP, check the USB driver...).

Appreciate your help.

Rod dude · Answer

Try this:-

Open Internet Explorer - goto:-

Tools->Internet Options

Click on the Settings button in the heading Temporary Internet Files, increase the amount of disk space to use.

I was getting this problem when my speace available was only 25Mb.

It might help - it might just delay the problem:)

Cheers

Rod

Rod dude · Answer

Just noticed something else too which may be causing it for me - my 'Days to keep pages in History' is set to 0. There may be an issue here where the history does take the history files out (this does happen) but the Temporary Internet Files see 0 as infinite. Just a thought:)

Storage, Drives & Media

Windows Delayed Write Failed

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