I have checked other posts on subject but they didn't quite cover this enough.

This has only started in last 2 or 3 weeks (machine is over 4 years old), and seemingly not tied in to new software.  After the first event and getting out - things seemed OK for a few days then had 2 episodes same day. My system description should be available.

Also noticed (this must tie in?) - Win is not ''remembering" settings on shut-down.  Seems it is not writing such things as a moved icon position, and even tells me I have updates ready when they have already been applied.  Some other examples too showing inadequate during or end of session write.  Even had a bunch of emails disappear from Thunderbird (back to 10/27/12 - not sure why that was a cut-off date unless this is when things went amiss).

I have heard this may be due to HDD failing - and best I recall all supposed ''can't save'' windows delayed write error messages relate to C drive. Thoughts?  Anyone with similar problem and any fixes/suggerstions? Am working on a slow BACKUP machine right now.Do a quick check in System/Device Manager and see if any of your IDE HDD's have dropped in to PIO mode...
This occurs when there are consecutive read / write errors on any hard drive.Hi Patio - well checked on both (SATA) drives - no indication of what you mention and disk caching BTW is off on both.

I am doing some data backups but later will do some disk test.  As I mentioned, all probs seem geared to C system partition and so am thinking this would be the suspect drive compared with 32.Most likely...best to run the tests and see...i suggest the long test...more thorough.Having a suspicion about the drive, I found an identical one on Newegg for not too much - am hoping to make a clone of the old one on an extl so I can do a swap eventually.  Over 4 years intensive use probably puts it towards MTBF!

In meantime yes, I'll run a full test. Thanks.When you clone you can just use an image app instead that will be less taxing on the HDD in question...I assume you mean to make an .iso - only thing is a pure clone is possibly easier to transfer without needing any extra software.  Take your point tho thanks - may go that route. Hope to get new HDD by end of week if lucky.I use and recommend Acronis for the task...Paid.
For a Free alternative i use and recommend Macrium Reflect...
Best of Luck and let us know.I have Acronis true image and hoped to use that to clone -- trouble is, despite a full format of my external it now comes up with an Acronis error ''failed to read from sector 63 ... disk itself has 63 sectors and after format is clean and just has system volume info folder which is empty.

Other problem is that (I assume) because delayed write is malfunctioning, after starting a clone process anyways earlier and after just a quick format and doing first reboot, Acronis does not come back on to do its next stage process. So not sure where to go!

The Acronis you mention is perhaps another app specifically for disk DIAGNOSIS, unless you just referred to imaging and cloning - all I have is True Image. My disk diag apps on inspection seem pretty thin.

I downloaded that Reflect app, thanks for the mention - and started a clone proceedure for HDD1 but it showed up early on as failed! No error reason so, whether reading the drive or seeing the extnl is problematic I don't know.

Thinks - is there any future to removing the drive, setting it up in an extl housing and trying a full copy of each partition on my spare machine?  C of course being the important one and I can pre format the new drive to same sizes in advance.  But - will boot sector get copied that's the main thought? Bit stuck as to best way forward and still not really managed a deep check on the HDD1 health.

BTW, my delayed write errors do not appear to be from a malicious bug - they seem too genuine. Much info out there tho refers to a false alert and so fixes seem not much use. Did find a site offering a fix for this tho was not too confident in what they were offering - small 3MB app. Sorry to ramble!That error rang an immediate bell for me...
See Here...

It's a long winded issue at the Acronis unofficial Forums...something i don't think got resolved til after ver. 11 or 12...
At any rate nothing to harm trying his fix above...Thx for the link Patio - well he describes a permissions ASPECT but on my machine the Acronis is just on its own under my admin permissions - so not sure what I could or should change, if anything, to improve on that.  Wondering where to look - "local administrator GROUP"??  What is he referring too?

BTW - re a previous question - can the drive be faithfully copied if set up in an external HDD holder and copied (one partition at a time)onto a pre-partitioned disk - matching previous partitioning?  And -- what about the boot sector? That's critical. I am trying to think outside the box as to just how I can finish up making a full faithful copy when I get the replacement HDD. Sorry to keep firing the questions but pretty desperate to get this sorted out by some means.  Appreciate your help thus far, thanks.