My point about removing the INSERT was to prove that the XML shredding actually works and could come back as a recordset.

If this was the case the chances are that...

Put it this way, you have sat for 15 years in front of a cathode ray gun.

When I was at college in the 1980s one of our tasks was to...

Temporarily comment out the INSERT statement.

If that doesn't work try supplying a small XML file in the correct format.

What happens if you change the parameter to NTEXT rather than TEXT?

Have a separate table.

BEGIN TRANS

INSERT INTO dbo.YourSeparateTable

SELECT FROM dbo.YourOriginalTable

WHERE [qualifying criteria]

DELETE FROM dbo.YourOriginalTable

WHERE [qualifying criteria]

COMMIT TRANS

Then BCP out dbo.YourSeparateTable

Then TRUNCATE dbo.YourSeparateTable

Incidentally a fast way of generating the structure of YourSeparateTable...

cmd.Parameters.Add(new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlParameter("@xmlInput", SqlDbType.Text, 1024));

Possibly 1024(1KB) should be 5120000 (5MB)?

I have read an article on physical file defragmentation on a SAN or RAID system http://www.raxco.com/products/perfectdisk2k/whitepapers/pd_raid.pdf.

The gist of RAID/SAN defrag is that

a) Not all defrag tools are compatible with SANS/RAID...

The BBC has been experimenting with on-demand podcasting and their view is that as a public service broadcaster their material should be free.

I've had BSkyB for 4 years but it...

Oh the beloved datetime thing.

9/10 times it has something to do with the server being configured to recognise dates in month-day rather than day-month or vice verse.

I got so teed...

Joe Celko is a purist and while technically correct (probably) he has a "forceful" way of expressing his views.

OK I have got my file by ditching the FOR XML command and using the sp_makewebtask stored procedure with a template that has my XML structure in it.

If I keep...

Good news Dad, your airbag works!

You couldn't trust him to sit the right way on a toilet seat!

Your displaying more intelligence than your hand-writing would suggest.

The most important part of...

If I could get the file then FTPing it is pretty straight forward.

My problem is that my query produces the XML I want but if I try and use a...

The behaviour of the outer join is very useful if you get an question such as

"Give me all the customers who ordered in December who didn't order in November"

You can...

I would consider having a set of archive tables that are basically structurally identical to your existing tables.

Your existing tables contain the data up to 3 months old, your new...

SQL2000 or SQL2005?