Windows7 + Windows Updates + Junctions = fail

DSN · 5 Feb 2011 at 08:50

Hey guys,

Long story short,

My new rig is running windows7, on SSD.

I have junctions setup for C:\ Users / Program Files / Program Files (x86) / ProgramData / Temp / Tmp

Since installing these junctions all my windows updates seem to fail.

Anyone have the same issue. Or a solution.

Google results led to a load of people whining that they could not get junctions to work.

Thanks in advance.

mrk · 5 Feb 2011 at 13:42

I've never heard of junctions before, do you mean jumplists? What do the junctions do if not?

SiriusB · 5 Feb 2011 at 14:38

A junction lets you point a folder to another folder. Like hardlinks for files, but with directories. I use them for my steamapps folder etc.

OP, you want your programs and temp files on the SSD. No point moving them as you lose any benefit of having an SSD. If you have large software [Adobe suite or games] just install them elsewhere.

DSN · 6 Feb 2011 at 07:38

SiriusB said:
A junction lets you point a folder to another folder. Like hardlinks for files, but with directories. I use them for my steamapps folder etc.

OP, you want your programs and temp files on the SSD. No point moving them as you lose any benefit of having an SSD. If you have large software [Adobe suite or games] just install them elsewhere.

No no, the OS is installed ON the SSD, im creating the juntions to move the files OFF of the SSD onto the spinal.

The SSD is reserved for the core OS files and a couple of games that I play.

But the problem is that it does not let me do updates.

andshrew · 6 Feb 2011 at 11:36

It could be that Windows doesn't like you creating junction points on certain core folders - or there could be another underlying issue.

What I would try is removing all the junctions and then see if Windows Update works OK. If it does, start re-adding the junctions one at a time then by process of elimination you'll be able to work out which one is causing the problem.

SiriusB · 6 Feb 2011 at 12:16

DSN said:
No no, the OS is installed ON the SSD, im creating the juntions to move the files OFF of the SSD onto the spinal.

The SSD is reserved for the core OS files and a couple of games that I play.

But the problem is that it does not let me do updates.

I know what you are doing. Moving you temp files and most of your software off the SSD just goes against you. SSD is meant to speed things up, so why move temp folders and programs off it? I can understand moving huge programs and games, as there is a point where a speed boost is not worth the space lost to it.

Windows writes to the temp folders as do running applications. Why slow them down by putting them on a mechanical HDD? Most OS files that are used regularly are loaded into RAM anyway, so you are systematically making your SSD pointless!

Uhtred · 6 Feb 2011 at 12:39

As above, I would simply relocate desktop, documents, music, pictures etc and leave the profile application folders where they are.

Nanobot · 8 Feb 2011 at 00:34

I don't think setting a junction would achieve it, and besides this, your path is wrong unless you purposely left out your username - usually after c:\users\...
Have you tried changing your environment variables for TEMP and TMP in Control Panel,System? I think that would be your best bet.

PS: I think Windows Update needs your temp folder to have permissions for SYSTEM account with Write permissions too so check the folder permissions at the new location where you are trying to point to.

SiriusB · 8 Feb 2011 at 01:07

He shouldn't be moving it at all if he wants maximum benefit of his SSD.

Sunbed · 8 Feb 2011 at 10:42

Does it make any difference whether using junctions or symbolic links i.e. mklink?

SiriusB · 8 Feb 2011 at 13:26

You create junctions using mklink, at least in Vista and 7. Junctions are an older NTFS only version of symbolic directory links. They still exist for backward compatability.

If you want to symlink to SMB shares or across filesystems, you should use symbolic links.