Ryan (nikotromus) :-),
I think you are on the right path. Instead of a corrupt table you might have corrupt data somewhere. This might take a while but i would load a smaller subset (say, 1000 records) and try it. Then maybe to 50,000, then 100,000 and so on. I think this is going to be a process of elimination.

Scott,

I dont think this is the issue. I say this because if I delete records a day at a time or two days at a time, the queries run. I can purge the entire table by performing these queries until the table is empty. If it were a problem with the data, I would be able to narrow it down to the individual data, and then eventually the individual record from there.

nikotromus

Hi!

I have the same timeout expired problem but with UPDATEs. I checked and rechecked the timeout setting and it's put to 0.

I'm trying to make an UPDATE over a table of one million records, so it would be REALLY difficult for me to make it in parts.

Any ideas?

I forget is there a timeout setting on the client app as well as the server app???

Yes, there is a timeout setting on the client as well. Assuming you are using .NET to connect, it is on the sqlcommand object and it is the commandtimeout property.

Hey
   I am facing somewhat the same kinda problem but its not when i update multiple records but when i update one field of a table which has a very long data.
i can update all the rest of the fields but the description field cos it has a longggggggg text. when i delete or update it creates a problem .. when i go to database--->management-->current activities folder in EM . it show me that few processes are blocked or one blocking with a red exclamation.
i try to kill the process but the status remains the same.
all i end up doing is turn the database off and then put it on ..
it deletes all the blocked processes after that and then accepts the new request.
and the interesting part of the error is .. when i delete/update one of the records.. it doesnt do it but if i update/delete the other recrds in the same table it gets stuck and after sometime either it doesnt respond back or it says timeout expired.
Please help me solve this issue.
thanks
Smita

Is your app a web app, if so the timeout may be on the web server?