Misleading error message when you install an update package in Windows Vista or in Windows Server 2008: "Not enough storage is available to process this command"

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SYMPTOMS

On a Windows Vista-based computer or on a Windows Server 2008-based computer, you install an update package. However, the installation may fail. You may also receive the following error message:

Not enough storage is available to process this command.

Note The installation failure occurs if the update package is designed for one of the following operating systems:

Microsoft Windows 2000
Windows Server 2003
Windows XP

You find that there is sufficient free space on the hard disk and sufficient physical memory to install the package. Therefore, you may find that the error message is misleading.

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The installation failure occurs because Update.exe tries to use a private and undocumented SetupAPI function. However, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 do not support the SetupAPI function.

The Update.exe file of the update package calls the SetupAPI function to allocate a string table during the installation. However, because Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 do not support this function, the installation fails. The actual cause of the failure is that the Update.exe file does not allocate sufficient memory.

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MORE INFORMATION

How the version of the Update.exe file influences the error message

If the version of the Update.exe file is earlier than 6.3.13.0, you receive the misleading error message that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section when the installation fails. If the version of the Update.exe file is 6.3.13.0 or a later version, the error message indicates that the update package does not support the platform.

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How to check the version of the Update.exe file

To check the version of the Update.exe file, follow these steps:

Type the following command at a command prompt to extract an update package to a temporary folder:
file_name /X:temporary folder
For example, to extract an update package that is named KBArticleNumber.exe to a folder that is named ExtractedPackage on drive C, type the following command at a command prompt:
KBArticleNumber.exe /X:C:\ExtractedPackage
In the temporary folder to which you extracted the update package in step 1, locate the Update.exe file.
Right-click the Update.exe file, click Properties, and then click the Version tab. The file version appears on this tab.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

824684 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/824684/ ) Description of the standard terminology that is used to describe Microsoft software updates

For more information about the SetupAPI function, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms791318.aspx (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms791318.aspx)

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