I have a clients Windows XP system that occasionally has errors relating to Windows delayed write failures when writing back to the server. This has been occurring intermittently over several months.
I have tried all the solutions to this I can find (they are many and varied), both relating to the client and the server systems, and nothing seems to get rid of it. So I have been looking for patterns that might help me determine the cause of the problem, and I think I may have found one...
When this error occurs, and I am in the process of trying to diagnose it (again), I am usually having to continuously cancel the Windows Update dialog telling me that an update has been installed, and asking me if I want to reboot now or later. Usually, when I am forces to give up again (I run out of time), I finish by rebooting the system (ask I was being asked to by the Windows Update). Then I don't usually see the problem again for a while, but when I do, the same Windows Update Installed, reboot now or later dialog is hanging around again.
Now I cannot have this system automatically reboot after installing an update, because it performing an important task that must not be interrupted just at any time Windows chooses to do an update. But I do not have access to be able to turn off the Windows Updates at the site either. (The term "Stuck between a rock and a hard place" comes to mind). So please don't respond with ideas like "reboot automatically after an update" or "turn off the update installation". If I had access to do these things, I would have done them already.
However: Is it possible that not rebooting after the update has been installed, may be the cause of the problems I am seeing?
Alternatively: Does anyone have any unconventional ideas about what may be causing this problem (be assured that I have already pursued the half dozen or so conventional causes without success)?