Windows XP SP2 - Installing DRVMAIN.SDB problem

When I try to install SP2, in the middle of the process it says
"C:\WINDOWS\AppPatch\drvmain.sdb is open or in use by another application.
Close all other applications and retry."

No other programs are running - I shut down Zone Alarma and uninstalled
Ad-Aware but I still cannot install SP2.

Any clues on how to fix this problem? Much appreciated... thanks.

....and your anti-virus???


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"Chaula" <> wrote in message
news:018EF760-A98A-4998-B670-...
> When I try to install SP2, in the middle of the process it says
> "C:\WINDOWS\AppPatch\drvmain.sdb is open or in use by another application.
> Close all other applications and retry."
>
> No other programs are running - I shut down Zone Alarma and uninstalled
> Ad-Aware but I still cannot install SP2.
>
> Any clues on how to fix this problem? Much appreciated... thanks.

Chaula wrote:

> When I try to install SP2, in the middle of the process it says
> "C:\WINDOWS\AppPatch\drvmain.sdb is open or in use by another application.
> Close all other applications and retry."
>
> No other programs are running - I shut down Zone Alarma and uninstalled
> Ad-Aware but I still cannot install SP2.
>
> Any clues on how to fix this problem? Much appreciated... thanks.
Hi

This is how Jon and Steve solved this problem:


From: "Jon Erlandson" <jerla...@no_spam_sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Re: SP2 - Error drvmain.sdb is open - Success
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2004 00:44:55 -0500
Message-ID: <>
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsupdate

<quote>
What I wound up doing was a "Diagnostic Boot" with "Automatic
Updates" and "Cryptographic Services" enabled. I opened Explorer
into the directory for drvmain.sdb, made a copy of the file and
then deleted it. The file was automatically rewritten so I opened
"task manager" into Processes and saw a couple of instances of
svchost.exe running, took a gamble and ended the first process
then deleted drvmain.sdb. The file remained deleted without being
rewritten so I rebooted and checked the directory again for the
file and it was still deleted; SP2 then was able to complete the
install. I then copied drvmain.sdb back into the directory, set
things back for a "Normal Boot" and things seem fine so far
</quote>



From: "Steve" <anonym...@discussions.microsoft.com>
Subject: Re: Unable to Install SP2
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2004 19:33:18 -0700
Message-ID: <3b2701c4af3a$ab174750$>
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment
NNTP-Posting-Host: tk2msftngxa14.phx.gbl 10.40.1.166

<quote>
Torgeir Bakken's Link to Jon Erlandson's comments from 2004-09-27
worked fine.
However, I would add the following tips for users who are less
experienced than Jon:

1) He is referring to a "Diagnostic Boot" that is reached through
msconfig. To get there, go to Start, Run, type msconfig, on the
General Tab, put a check in the option "Diagnostic Startup". Then
go to the "Services" Tab and put checks in the boxes "Automatic
Updates" and "Cryptographic Services". If you fail to do this,
you can't use the SP2 download to validate the installation.

2) When Jon says to delete the "drvmain.sdb" files, he should have
said in BOTH places: C:\%windows directory% \AppPatch AND in
C:\%windows directory%\system32\dllcache where %windows directory%
will vary according to which version of XP you have. It may be
WINDOWS or WINNT or other, depending on your XP version.

3) Once you have copied the two drvmain.sdb files and put them
somewhere handy other than the directories where they are
installed (best with a new name), then delete BOTH copies of
the originals.

4) When you do that you will get a scary message saying that you
need to put your Windows XP Service Pack 1 CD now to restore the
files and system integrity. You need to press Cancel once and
maybe twice, depending on how many copies of drvmain you have
deleted. I deleted the copy in dllcache first, then the copy
in AppPatch.

5) I downloaded the "full" version of SP2 "for IT Professionals"
from the Windows Update site: WINDOWS- KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe and
used it to do the successful install of SP2. Since you do not have
access to the Windows Update icon when in a "diagnostic Boot",
that is the only option. DOWNLOAD the "IT Professionals" version
BEFORE doing any of the above.

6) I did not use Jon's suggestion of performing an "end task" on
svchost.exe using Task Manager before deleting the two copies of
drvmain.sdb, since I only had one copy of svchost.exe running when
I was in the "Diagnostic Boot" mode. It still worked fine.


I hope this helps the rest of you with this problem. I can't
imagine why Microsoft tech support did not recommend this
approach!! Nor why it is necessary at all?? From the discussion
I saw at Will Denny's link, it looks like there are a lot of
problems due to drvmain.sdb that need to be corrected!!
</quote>


--
torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...r/default.mspx