How can I tell if Service Pack 2 was installed and is functioning?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Alan Moorman
  • Start date Start date
A

Alan Moorman

I have Windows XP Home, and when I downloaded it, the thing hung after
finishing the download -- saying "preparing to install"

I waited 10 minutes, and then restarted the computer. Went to the
update web site again, and clicked on the download again. It appeared
to know that I had already downloaded SP2, and it went right into
install mode.

It finally asked me to restart the computer. Which I did.

After it settled down, I went online again, and started Windows Update
again, and after searching in it's usual way, it said I should
download SP2!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???????????????????????

How can I tell if it actually installed SP2 correctly?

(And why didn't Microsoft's site know if I had?)

Thanks,
Alan
 
SP2 takes about 12-15 min.to install,you could go to run,type:
WinVer You probably need to reinstall,try installing SP2 thru windows
update,it works much better.One other sure way of knowing,on starting
computer,xp spash page with SP2 no longer has xp home edition listed,
its just windows xp with a blue bar graph from the green bar.
 
You should know that this is a common problem with SP2 and often the only work around is to download the entire 230+MB file to your system and then install from there instead of updating from their site. This has been reported to the beta guys but I don't know if they are doing anything about it. I do know that once you have SP2 RC2 installed you will love the added stability and security. I have had each SP2 installed from the start and it only keeps getting better and better. Have fun.
 
You can't "download" Windows XP Home. You have to purchase it in a store.
Or, it comes with a new computer (-:

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard :-)
 
You really should learn to read, Richard. The OP said he had XP Home and was referring to "downloading" SP2 RC2.
 
Yep! I didn't read all the way to the bottom. He threw me off course by
saying he had XP Home "and when he downloaded it"..... This, of course, is
totally irrelevant to installing SP2, as it doesn't care what version of XP
you have installed (as long as it isn't pirated).

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard :-)


You really should learn to read, Richard. The OP said he had XP Home and was
referring to "downloading" SP2 RC2.

--
Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart Display
Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
http://www.dougknox.com
 
Yep! I didn't read all the way to the bottom. He threw me off course by
saying he had XP Home "and when he downloaded it"..... This, of course, is
totally irrelevant to installing SP2, as it doesn't care what version of XP
you have installed (as long as it isn't pirated).
Click to expand...
....and here I thought you were making a pointed, and friendly, joke
about my bad writing....

....and now someone needs to chastise you!

Anyway, I still haven't managed to get SP2 installed.

Since I began, I've downloaded it 4 times, I think, and each time it
has hung up on the "preparing to install" point. The install progress
indicator doesn't move.

While online at the Microsoft update site, I can check on the upgrade
log and see four attempts. One of the is listed as "successful".

However, when I run WINVER the screen says I have SP1, not SP2.

So, I think I may have downloaded it, but it hasn't been installed.

Is there an Actual File Name I can look for to see if the file that
was downloaded is still sitting there on my drive, waiting to be run,
or something???

Alan
 
Alan,

Many who have your problem download the "network" install, save it to their
hard drive, and then perform the install. It seems that they have a problem
with the "express" install and this overcomes the problem.

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard :-)
 
Additionally, if SP2 is listed in Add/Remove Programs (make sure the Show Updates box is checked), remove it first, then reinstall.
 
Rather than use the Windows Update feature, you can get the SP2 file at the following link and then put it in a folder where you know where it is...

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sp2predl.mspx
Click to expand...
It says to remove SP2 first, so I went to the Add/Remove section and
found about a dozen items called:


Windows XP Hotfix (SP2) Q_____________
(the underscore represents a number)

Do I need to delete all of these? None?

continuing to thank you for your ongoing help,

Alan Moorman
 
Alan (e-mail address removed) wrote in
Is there an Actual File Name I can look for to see if the file
that was downloaded is still sitting there on my drive, waiting to
be run, or something???
Click to expand...

You don't need to do that, if there's a security advisor popping up
continually telling you your firewall and anti-virus aren't working
(even if they are) and you MUST activate automatic updates OR ELSE! and
MSIE is changed for the much worse, you have SP2, if not, you don't.

BTW, all the annoying crap SP2 dumps on you can be disabled.
 
Alan (e-mail address removed) wrote in


You don't need to do that, if there's a security advisor popping up
continually telling you your firewall and anti-virus aren't working
(even if they are) and you MUST activate automatic updates OR ELSE! and
MSIE is changed for the much worse, you have SP2, if not, you don't.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't have asked if it all worked OK. I DO need to do SOMETHING
other than the norm, because the norm isn't working.

Automatic updates has been active for the last year.

I only use MSIE for automatic updates, I use Mozilla Firefox for all
other web browsing.
BTW, all the annoying crap SP2 dumps on you can be disabled.
Click to expand...
I'd like to see it installed before I make those decisions!!!!!
 
Alan (e-mail address removed) wrote in
I wouldn't have asked if it all worked OK. I DO need to do
SOMETHING other than the norm, because the norm isn't working.
Click to expand...

Do you have the security center installed? If so, you have SP2
installed.
 
Alan (e-mail address removed) wrote in


Do you have the security center installed? If so, you have SP2
installed.
Click to expand...

As far as I know, I don't. Because I've never gotten SP2 installed.
 
No, you do not need to delete the existing Hotfixes, the files will be replaced by the full SP2 installation.

The entry you're looking for is "Windows XP Service Pack 2"
 
No, you do not need to delete the existing Hotfixes, the files will be replaced by the full SP2 installation.

The entry you're looking for is "Windows XP Service Pack 2"
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's what I thought.

There is no entry for SP2


I've tried several times, and it always hangs up on "preparing to
install".

If I restart, go online again and try to download it again, it
realizes that it already did the download, and begins installation.
This hangs after several steps -- at "creating restore point".
 
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