SP3 requires 4 MB of disk space?

[Kyle]

Every time I try to install SP3 an error saying it requires an additional 4
MB of hard disk space pops up. I just reformatted my hard drive, have not
installed a single thing other than windows updates, used Disk Cleanup
repeatedly and closed everything I believe I safely can. Even if I have
multiple applications running it always tells me to free up 4MB of hard disk
space. What exactly is it trying to tell me?

[Kyle]

Here is the eact error message:

There is not enough disk space on C:\WINDOWS\$NtServicePackUninstall$ to
install Service Pack 3. Setup requires a minimum of 4 additional megabytes of
free space or if you want to archive the files for uninstallation, Setup
requires 4 additional megabytes of free space. Free additional space on your
hard disk and then try again.

[Shenan Stanley]

Since this is a clean install - I have to ask...

Start button --> RUN --> type in:

winver

--> Click OK.

What VERSION do you have currently?

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

[Kyle]

I got version 5.1.

[Shenan Stanley]

Kyle wrote:
> Every time I try to install SP3 an error saying it requires an
> additional 4 MB of hard disk space pops up. I just reformatted my
> hard drive, have not installed a single thing other than windows
> updates, used Disk Cleanup repeatedly and closed everything I
> believe I safely can. Even if I have multiple applications running
> it always tells me to free up 4MB of hard disk space. What exactly
> is it trying to tell me

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> Since this is a clean install - I have to ask...
>
> Start button --> RUN --> type in:
>
> winver
>
> --> Click OK.
>
> What VERSION do you have currently?

Kyle wrote:
> I got version 5.1.

Okay - let me be more specific...
The line in its entirety ;-) :
example:
Version 5.1 (Build 2600.xpsp.######-#### : Service Pack #)

All fully released 32-bit Windows XP installations are Version 5.1, it's
realy the #'s you fill in above that will tell everyone where you are at
right now. ;-)

[Kyle]

Version 5.1 (Build 2600.xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158 : Service Pack 2)

[Shenan Stanley]

Kyle wrote:
> Every time I try to install SP3 an error saying it requires an
> additional 4 MB of hard disk space pops up. I just reformatted my
> hard drive, have not installed a single thing other than windows
> updates, used Disk Cleanup repeatedly and closed everything I
> believe I safely can. Even if I have multiple applications running
> it always tells me to free up 4MB of hard disk space. What exactly
> is it trying to tell me

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> Since this is a clean install - I have to ask...
>
> Start button --> RUN --> type in:
>
> winver
>
> --> Click OK.
>
> What VERSION do you have currently?

Kyle wrote:
> I got version 5.1.

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> Okay - let me be more specific...
> The line in its entirety ;-) :
> example:
> Version 5.1 (Build 2600.xpsp.######-#### : Service Pack #)
>
> All fully released 32-bit Windows XP installations are Version 5.1,
> it's realy the #'s you fill in above that will tell everyone where
> you are at right now. ;-)

Kyle wrote:
> Version 5.1 (Build 2600.xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158 : Service Pack 2)

Figure you tried this (you mentioned Disk Cleanup)...
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949385

For grins - do that and additionally...

While in Disk Cleanup click the "More Options" tab and then, at the
bottom (System Restore) click Clean Up. This will remove all but the
last system restore point.

Reboot.

Download the SP3 IT executable and save it to your desktop and try
installing it from there.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=5B33B5A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en

Further information...

A place to get FREE support for SP3 installation issues *from Microsoft*...
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-us&prid=11273&gprid=522131

WinXP SP3 - Read all prerequisites for a successful installation
http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldron/archive/2008/05/08/windows-xp-sp3-read-all-prerequisites-for-a-successful-installation.aspx

Steps to take before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950717

Only other thing - is this a Macintosh running BootCamp?
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950716

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

In no certain order:

How to reclaim disk space on a Windows XP-based computer that has a hard
disk capacity of 4 GB or less
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956324

Remove Hotfix Backup Files
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_hotfix_backup.htm

The hard disk space requirements for WinXP SP3
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947311

You receive error messages if there is insufficient free disk space on the
system drive to install the Windows XP SP3
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956894

WinXP SP3 - Read all prerequisites for a successful installation
http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldron/archive/2008/05/08/windows-xp-sp3-read-all-prerequisites-for-a-successful-installation.aspx

Free unlimited installation and compatibility support is available for
Windows XP, but only for Service Pack 3 (SP3), until 14 Apr-09. Chat and
e-mail support is available only in the United States and Canada. Go to
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?gprid=1173 | select "Windows
XP" then select "Windows XP Service Pack 3"
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

<paste>

[Kyle]

Thank you very much. I'll some of those a try, I think it's the last one you
put up that will fix it. I 'prolly should have mentioned I was using a Mac
with BootCamp too.

[Shenan Stanley]

PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:
> In no certain order:
>
> How to reclaim disk space on a Windows XP-based computer that has a
> hard disk capacity of 4 GB or less
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956324
>
> Remove Hotfix Backup Files
> http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_hotfix_backup.htm
>
> The hard disk space requirements for WinXP SP3
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947311
>
> You receive error messages if there is insufficient free disk space
> on the system drive to install the Windows XP SP3
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/956894
>
> WinXP SP3 - Read all prerequisites for a successful installation
> http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldron/archive/2008/05/08/windows-xp-sp3-read-all-prerequisites-for-a-successful-installation.aspx
>
> Free unlimited installation and compatibility support is available
> for Windows XP, but only for Service Pack 3 (SP3), until 14 Apr-09.
> Chat and e-mail support is available only in the United States and
> Canada. Go to
> http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?gprid=1173 | select
> "Windows XP" then select "Windows XP Service Pack 3"

Ended up being (or most likely will end up being):

Error message when you try to install Windows XP Service Pack 3 on some
Intel processor-based Apple computers: "Out of Disk Space"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950716

Turns out the OP was running a Macintosh and BootCamp - so this seems the
most likely suspect. Another case of 'a little information left out means a
lot of guessing'... ;-)

[Kyle]

Again, thank you so very much. Having updated BootCamp to 2.1 and doing both
Disk Cleanup actions you mentioned worked perfectly.

[Shenan Stanley]

<snipped>

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> Figure you tried this (you mentioned Disk Cleanup)...
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949385
>
> For grins - do that and additionally...
>
> While in Disk Cleanup click the "More Options" tab and then, at the
> bottom (System Restore) click Clean Up. This will remove all but the
> last system restore point.
>
> Reboot.
>
> Download the SP3 IT executable and save it to your desktop and try
> installing it from there.
> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=5B33B5A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en
>
>
> Further information...
>
> A place to get FREE support for SP3 installation issues *from
> Microsoft*...
> http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-us&prid=11273&gprid=522131
>

> WinXP SP3 - Read all prerequisites for a successful installation
> http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldron/archive/2008/05/08/windows-xp-sp3-read-all-prerequisites-for-a-successful-installation.aspx
>

> Steps to take before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950717
>
> Only other thing - is this a Macintosh running BootCamp?
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950716

<snipped>

Kyle wrote:
> Again, thank you so very much. Having updated BootCamp to 2.1 and
> doing both Disk Cleanup actions you mentioned worked perfectly.

No Problem. Glad you got it sorted out.
I have added the pertinent parts above for anyone who happens to Google with
a similar issue in the future.

Not too bad for a question asked less than two hours ago. ;-)
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsupdate/browse_frm/thread/898376a1457347f1/b424bbce57e88fde#b424bbce57e88fde

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Ya think?

You *must* be running the latest, fully updated version of BootCamp to be
able to install WinXP SP3 on a Mac.

--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

[Leon Baehre]

Have the saame problem and finally got a solution. The one thing that I
noticed that was unusal about this sp3 install is that it was to hp notebook
and that the process seemed to be confusing the c: drive with the D: and E:
drives. THe D: drive was the typical HP recovery drive and the e: was the
DVD. I used the XP sp3 support reference above and 2 hours later was offered
a regedit: HKEY_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup
added new string value BootDir with value C:\

Problem resolved, Yours truly Lee Baehre (Theres another bear in those woods)