I need to do a repair install of an XP system.

But partway through, I get an error message:

Copy error. Setup cannot copy the file aaclient.mu_
Ensure that the disk labeled ‘windows xp home edition service pack 3 cd’ is in the drive
I decide to tell it to ignore the file and continue anyway, and soon after I get another similar error:

cannot copy file tscdsbl.ba_

and then:

cannot copy Tscinst.vb_

This continues for a while, until I decide that there is no way XP will run properly with all these files missing.

I plug the drive into my workshop PC, and a scan picks up an infection… once I clean up the infection, I try again, but alas, I still get the same errors.

So I try new IDE cable… in case there is a cable fault, but that doesn’t help.

I do some more searching, and eventually find a possible cause (and solution):

The windows folder: “softwaredistribution” only had limited access rights for the System user… and no other user had any rights to the folder.

So, I once again put the disk into my workshop PC, and change the file permissions on the folder: softwaredistribution… so that anyone can have write access.

Another re-run of the XP repair install, but this time, no errors!

I find it strange that windows setup will not override the folder permissions of folders that it needs to write to… during setup, It should have the power to override any such obstacles.