MS Update on 2000 SP4 fails with file in use

I know little to nothing about Windows 2000. My neighbor asked for
help with a printer problem and I offered to help. Turns out his old
printer needed replacing and he had a new one in the car. That should
be plug and play right ? wrong ! Hooked up the new printer to his PC
and did a test page fine. Things turned south when I inserted the
printer software cd. The install noticed windows 2000 SP2 was on and
wanted SP3. ok, go to windows update and start the install for SP4.
Soon after that I get a message rasppp.dll file in use shut down
everything you can and try again, did that still repeats message.

Four hours later still no solution. Google says people have run into
other files in use and to look into turning off WFP and SFP. I plan to
tomorrow. But, maybe this will not fix the problem with the SP4
install. So, there is a link to a free utility called WhoLockMe that
may help show who has the file locked. And I will try that if I have
too and I somehow think I will be.

Why would MS send down a update(s) that would not provide for a file
in use situation ?

I know, I'm just letting off steam, and true, unsure of what I'm
doing, but with system files you would expect the system to be using
them during the install using this method. I have searched, and
checked the file settings to allow for updating. Need to check the
folder setting.

Any help would be appreciated. I'm just a old mainframe guy trying to
help a neighbor.

<> wrote in message
news: ups.com...
>I know little to nothing about Windows 2000. My neighbor asked for
> help with a printer problem and I offered to help. Turns out his old
> printer needed replacing and he had a new one in the car. That should
> be plug and play right ? wrong ! Hooked up the new printer to his PC
> and did a test page fine. Things turned south when I inserted the
> printer software cd. The install noticed windows 2000 SP2 was on and
> wanted SP3. ok, go to windows update and start the install for SP4.
> Soon after that I get a message rasppp.dll file in use shut down
> everything you can and try again, did that still repeats message.


Use tasklist or Process Explorer to find out which processes
are using it and then shut them down before trying the update again.

Alternatively, try applying the update during a safe mode boot
(when fewer processes would be running, hopefully none of the ones
which are currently causing you your problem symptom.)

There may also be the (usually vain) hope that the logging (at least
verbose kind) might provide enough detail that you wouldn't have
to resort to such supplementary diagnostics gathering.


>
> Four hours later still no solution. Google says people have run into
> other files in use and to look into turning off WFP and SFP. I plan to
> tomorrow. But, maybe this will not fix the problem with the SP4
> install. So, there is a link to a free utility called WhoLockMe that
> may help show who has the file locked. And I will try that if I have
> too and I somehow think I will be.
>
> Why would MS send down a update(s) that would not provide for a file
> in use situation ?


It could be that whatever is blocking is a less common third-party program.
E.g. is this an OEM machine? MS might be less likely to have tested with
them since the manufacturer is supposed to do that and provide support
to the user anyway.


>
> I know, I'm just letting off steam, and true, unsure of what I'm
> doing, but with system files you would expect the system to be using
> them during the install using this method. I have searched, and
> checked the file settings to allow for updating. Need to check the
> folder setting.
>
> Any help would be appreciated. I'm just a old mainframe guy trying to
> help a neighbor.


Good luck

Robert Aldwinckle
---

wrote:

> The install noticed windows 2000 SP2 was on and
> wanted SP3. ok, go to windows update and start the install for SP4.
> Soon after that I get a message rasppp.dll file in use shut down
> everything you can and try again, did that still repeats message.

The name "rasppp" suggests something to do with dial-up or DSL networking.
So make sure the PC is disconnected from the internet before running the
update.

--
Robin Walker [MVP Networking]

Thanks everybody for trying to help. Running in safe mode did not
help.

http://www.pctools.com/guides/registry/detail/790

Editing the registry + trying to change another system32 file to turn
off MS file protection failed to work, the other system file SFC.DLL
will not allow a copy over "file in use". When attempting to apply SP4
running is safe mode and when the rasppp.dll file in use msg appears
nothing else is running. Tried a free pgm WhoLockMe to attempt
identification but never figured out how to get it to work with
rasppp.dll. btw I did remove a dsl modem too.

The printer is working without the vendor software by using generic MS
printer drivers.

bb