Question about System Pack 2

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tiff
  • Start date Start date
T

Tiff

I was installing SP2 on my boyfriends computer tonight,
and while it was in the installation process, the comp's
screen turned black and asked for the system disk to be
installed, and to press enter. His computer is an HP
that didn't come with an XP disk (or so he says), so I
did the reasonable thing--I shut it off and turned it
back on after a couple of minutes. Now, the computer has
loaded a blue screen like the welcome screen and it says
something to the extent of "loading prior system
configurations", and has been like this for about 4
hours. Is this good? Have I not blown up the computer,
and how can he get SP2?
 
Tiff said:
I was installing SP2 on my boyfriends computer tonight,
and while it was in the installation process, the comp's
screen turned black and asked for the system disk to be
installed, and to press enter. His computer is an HP
that didn't come with an XP disk (or so he says), so I
did the reasonable thing--I shut it off and turned it
back on after a couple of minutes. Now, the computer has
loaded a blue screen like the welcome screen and it says
something to the extent of "loading prior system
configurations", and has been like this for about 4
hours. Is this good? Have I not blown up the computer,
and how can he get SP2?
Click to expand...

You blew it up.

Repair Install it - well, wait - HP may not actually ship a CD, so this may
not be an option unless you can find someone else with an OEM version of
Windows XP.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/tips/dougknox/doug92.asp
or
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/repaxp.htm
or
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=315341
 
Tiff--

It would be nice to see every error that you're getting if you could get to
Event Viewer by putting "eventvwr.msc" in the run box, but right now your
problem is to get back to Windows so you can install SP2. Can you see that
blue screen now with any numbered "stop error" messages information on it?
There are a few BSODs or stop error MSKBs associated with SP2, and I just
looked over a list of 163 KBs that have been generated on SP2 to date
(since this morning).

I didn't find any stop error KBs that fit your situation precisely, but I
did come close, so I'll list the KBs I did find with the closest referencing
an HP box on top. I'm asuming that if you turn off your PC2-3 more times,
you're going to get the same blue screen, and wonder if you can read any
stop error messages from it you can relate.

Here's what I'd do first and you can look over the links and see if any more
error information will help you correlate with any of them.

The big concern is to get to Windows via Safe Mode--if you can I'd run
System Restore and then try to find the offending problem via event viewer
and if you can elminate it try to download/reinstall SP2, and try even if
you can't --set a restore point first, because I'm not sure how far in the
SP2 setup you're getting (it sets a restore point when it runs normally).

Restart your PC and if you see the firmware screen that has an HP logo on
it, start tapping F8 and see if it will take you to a screen with Last Known
Good and Safe Mode Options. That's the Windows Advanced Options Menu, and
if it does, see if you can boot into Safe Mode and then if you can run
System Restore. If not, go to that screen and try clicking Last Known Good.
If you get up to Windows, check and see what version you have by putting
"winver" in the run box. You can go to Event Viewer and under Applications
and System see if you get any more error information that helps after you.

If you do get back to Windows, I'd check Add/Remove and if it shows an SP2
entry, uninstall it to get a clean install the next attempt. At that time,
I'd also consider downloading and running the Windows Installer Cleanup
Utility which sounds tricky and off-putting, but from the link I'm giving
you it's very easy to download and run. If you can put a key in a door, or
write your name, you can run it.

I'm not putting any links here for a Repair/Upgrade Install since Shanan has
already, and if you can't F8 to Safe Mode and get into Safe Mode and System
Restore that'd be a good idea. The only problem is, that if you borrow a CD
from a friend to boot from it, (or as Shanan mentioned "find someone else
with an OEM CD", you're still going to have the problem that it will ask
for a Product ID and unless you call MSFT and explain the situaiton and have
them give you one, that CD will already have used its Product Key for some
other machine. You might want to contact HP as early as possible, in case
they can provide you a usuable CD to boot from. One of the KBs associated
with HP mentions making boot floppies which would involve using another PC:

*3 KBs--First One has Most Similarity from Info I have*:

You receive a "Windows XP Setup is incompatible with this version of
Windows" error message when you install Windows XP Service Pack 2 on a
Hewlett-Packard computer
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;870898

You receive a "Stop: c0000135" and "winsrv was not found" error message
after you install Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;885523

Your computer stops responding when you restart to complete the installation
of Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;885626

System Restore for Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_restore.htm

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/xpsysrst.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/systemrestore.mspx

A description of the Safe Mode Boot options in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=315222

hth,

Chad Harris
________________________________________



I was installing SP2 on my boyfriends computer tonight,
and while it was in the installation process, the comp's
screen turned black and asked for the system disk to be
installed, and to press enter. His computer is an HP
that didn't come with an XP disk (or so he says), so I
did the reasonable thing--I shut it off and turned it
back on after a couple of minutes. Now, the computer has
loaded a blue screen like the welcome screen and it says
something to the extent of "loading prior system
configurations", and has been like this for about 4
hours. Is this good? Have I not blown up the computer,
and how can he get SP2?
 
Tiff--

There's one additional KB that may help you I should have included, and
it's this one:

How to use the Automatic Recovery feature to recover your computer if the
Windows XP Service Pack 2 Setup program is not completed successfully
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;875355

Chad Harris
______________________________


I was installing SP2 on my boyfriends computer tonight,
and while it was in the installation process, the comp's
screen turned black and asked for the system disk to be
installed, and to press enter. His computer is an HP
that didn't come with an XP disk (or so he says), so I
did the reasonable thing--I shut it off and turned it
back on after a couple of minutes. Now, the computer has
loaded a blue screen like the welcome screen and it says
something to the extent of "loading prior system
configurations", and has been like this for about 4
hours. Is this good? Have I not blown up the computer,
and how can he get SP2?
 
BTW--

I don't think you've "blown up" your computer, but you have a failed setup
or a conflicted install because of reasons similar to the KB mentioning a
conflict with SP2 installs and HP boxes. If you do get back to Windows, and
actually have SP2 on the machine (I'd put the odds there at 50/50 since
setup might have been aborted given your description, and want to uninstall
it and reinstall it, I would reference these again if SP2 is on the machine:

How to remove Windows XP Service Pack 2 from your computer
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=875350

Use the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility:

Description of the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290301

Then uninstall via Add/Remove.

_____________________________________________________________

Here's an explanation of the WICU from Sloan Crayton [MS]:

"When the Windows Installer was first being created, a tool called
MSIZap was created that would be able to 'zap' an application's Installer
registry information. Later it was included in the Windows Installer SDK
products. That tool is a command line utility that must be used via command
prompt; so it's not the most user friendly utility.

To answer a need for a utility that could more easily be used by the
majority of users that need a way to recover a corrup installation, the
Windows Installer Cleanup Utility was created that leverages the
functionality of MSIZap but provides nice wizard-like UI.

The function of the utility is to remove the remove the corrupted Windows
Installer registry information for an application that was installed via the
Windows Installer. There are several things that it does not do ...
- It does not uninstall any applications
- It does not delete the Windows Installer

After using this utility, the application should then be installed again so
that Setup will function (otherwise, the Windows Installer has no
information that it was ever installed). If the real objective is to remove
a product, it can be uninstalled after this reinstall has occurred."

Sloan Crayton
Microsoft
____________________________________________________________

hth,

Chad Harris
__________________________




I was installing SP2 on my boyfriends computer tonight,
and while it was in the installation process, the comp's
screen turned black and asked for the system disk to be
installed, and to press enter. His computer is an HP
that didn't come with an XP disk (or so he says), so I
did the reasonable thing--I shut it off and turned it
back on after a couple of minutes. Now, the computer has
loaded a blue screen like the welcome screen and it says
something to the extent of "loading prior system
configurations", and has been like this for about 4
hours. Is this good? Have I not blown up the computer,
and how can he get SP2?
 
It's a little late for that, isn't it? Anyway, his
computer did start up again, after another time of that
black screen asking for the system disk... then windows
booted and said that it was unstable and to remove SP2.
So I guess I should go about it using Add/Remove?
 
Tiff--

Since I can't sit at that box, it might well be "too late," but a lot of
blue screens as you described present stop error messages. I usually try to
figure out what would get you back to Windows if it isn't too late. Most of
the BSODs if that's what your "blue screen" represents are due to hardware
and driver incompatibilities, if you look at a list of them and many are
available when you search engine.

KNOWLEDGE BASE LINKS
STOP MESSAGES
Last updated August 29, 2004

http://aumha.org/win5/kbestop.php

Stop Error Messages
http://www.theeldergeek.com/stop_error_messages.htm

Windows XP Error Codes
http://labmice.techtarget.com/windowsxp/TroubleshootingXP/error.htm

Windows XP Stop Errors
http://www.pro-networks.org/XPMaNiA/stop_errors.shtml

Errors by Number
http://www.generation.net/~hleboeuf/erbynum.htm

If there are problems with the hard drive or other hardware problems causing
what you're seeing (loose cable, loose memory stick, or a myriad of others),
then it could be a little late for what I wrote, but I can't be sure since
the description you gave could be a symptom of a software problem with
Windows, hardware problems, of having just enjoyed what Hurricaine Francis's
backwash can do to a brain dead and quitisentially primitive power company
who doesn't ground, it could even happen when your surge protector can't
draw enough power after it's turned back on and the surge blows the breaker
at the meter. Now I get to try to head fake Ivan away and he's playin'
chicken at 160 mph.

I gave you my best shots toward getting back to Windows and how your
boyfriend "could get SP2." But if it's a little late for what I just gave
you, and it's a hardware problem or hard drive problem specifically, or
memory or a cable, then someone where you are is going to have to deal with
that. If you can use any of the steps I gave you, then you're onto
something else.

Besides "it's a little late for that," if there is any text on that blue
screen, then putting it up here would give us more information to try to
help you.

Good luck--please let us know how you do.

Chad Harris
_________________________________________



It's a little late for that, isn't it? Anyway, his
computer did start up again, after another time of that
black screen asking for the system disk... then windows
booted and said that it was unstable and to remove SP2.
So I guess I should go about it using Add/Remove?
 
Tiff-

Yes, that should do it in most cases. Since you had problems, though, I'd
go a little further to mop up so that when you all go to install SP2 again,
you can optimize your chances. None of these steps takes long. See:

Use the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility, then uninstall via Add/REmove.

Description of the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290301

Then uninstall via Add/Remove.

How to remove Windows XP Service Pack 2 from your computer
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=875350

Chad Harris
_____________________________




It's a little late for that, isn't it? Anyway, his
computer did start up again, after another time of that
black screen asking for the system disk... then windows
booted and said that it was unstable and to remove SP2.
So I guess I should go about it using Add/Remove?
 
Tiff--

Since I can't sit at that box, it might well be "too late," but a lot of
blue screens as you described present stop error messages. I usually try to
figure out what would get you back to Windows if it isn't too late. Most of
the BSODs if that's what your "blue screen" represents are due to hardware
and driver incompatibilities, if you look at a list of them and many are
available when you search engine.

KNOWLEDGE BASE LINKS
STOP MESSAGES
Last updated August 29, 2004

http://aumha.org/win5/kbestop.php

Stop Error Messages
http://www.theeldergeek.com/stop_error_messages.htm

Windows XP Error Codes
http://labmice.techtarget.com/windowsxp/TroubleshootingXP/error.htm

Windows XP Stop Errors
http://www.pro-networks.org/XPMaNiA/stop_errors.shtml

Errors by Number
http://www.generation.net/~hleboeuf/erbynum.htm

If there are problems with the hard drive or other hardware problems causing
what you're seeing (loose cable, loose memory stick, or a myriad of others),
then it could be a little late for what I wrote, but I can't be sure since
the description you gave could be a symptom of a software problem with
Windows, hardware problems, of having just enjoyed what Hurricaine Francis's
backwash can do to a brain dead and quitisentially primitive power company
who doesn't ground, it could even happen when your surge protector can't
draw enough power after it's turned back on and the surge blows the breaker
at the meter. Now I get to try to head fake Ivan away and he's playin'
chicken at 160 mph.

I gave you my best shots toward getting back to Windows and how your
boyfriend "could get SP2." But if it's a little late for what I just gave
you, and it's a hardware problem or hard drive problem specifically, or
memory or a cable, then someone where you are is going to have to deal with
that. If you can use any of the steps I gave you, then you're onto
something else.

Besides "it's a little late for that," if there is any text on that blue
screen, then putting it up here would give us more information to try to
help you.

Good luck--please let us know how you do.

Chad Harris
_________________________________________
Click to expand...

Another Windows XP Stop Error Page:

http://www.updatexp.com/stop-messages.html

Kind Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
Windows Digital Media
 
Marc--

Thanks for the link I had missed on your site. There are some very helpful
items, and the System File Checker Article you wrote gave me and others I
passed it on to some good help on figuring out to do with service pack
updates and SFC. There are a lot of good articles and references on this
site.

Windows XP Advice & Information
http://www.updatexp.com/

Main Article Index
http://www.updatexp.com/main-index.html

Newsletter
http://www.updatexp.com/newsletter.html

Introduction to using scannow sfc (system file checker)
http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html

Best,

Chad Harris
____________________________________


Tiff--

Since I can't sit at that box, it might well be "too late," but a lot of
blue screens as you described present stop error messages. I usually try to
figure out what would get you back to Windows if it isn't too late. Most
of
the BSODs if that's what your "blue screen" represents are due to hardware
and driver incompatibilities, if you look at a list of them and many are
available when you search engine.

KNOWLEDGE BASE LINKS
STOP MESSAGES
Last updated August 29, 2004

http://aumha.org/win5/kbestop.php

Stop Error Messages
http://www.theeldergeek.com/stop_error_messages.htm

Windows XP Error Codes
http://labmice.techtarget.com/windowsxp/TroubleshootingXP/error.htm

Windows XP Stop Errors
http://www.pro-networks.org/XPMaNiA/stop_errors.shtml

Errors by Number
http://www.generation.net/~hleboeuf/erbynum.htm

If there are problems with the hard drive or other hardware problems
causing
what you're seeing (loose cable, loose memory stick, or a myriad of
others),
then it could be a little late for what I wrote, but I can't be sure since
the description you gave could be a symptom of a software problem with
Windows, hardware problems, of having just enjoyed what Hurricaine
Francis's
backwash can do to a brain dead and quitisentially primitive power company
who doesn't ground, it could even happen when your surge protector can't
draw enough power after it's turned back on and the surge blows the breaker
at the meter. Now I get to try to head fake Ivan away and he's playin'
chicken at 160 mph.

I gave you my best shots toward getting back to Windows and how your
boyfriend "could get SP2." But if it's a little late for what I just gave
you, and it's a hardware problem or hard drive problem specifically, or
memory or a cable, then someone where you are is going to have to deal with
that. If you can use any of the steps I gave you, then you're onto
something else.

Besides "it's a little late for that," if there is any text on that blue
screen, then putting it up here would give us more information to try to
help you.

Good luck--please let us know how you do.

Chad Harris
_________________________________________
Click to expand...

Another Windows XP Stop Error Page:

http://www.updatexp.com/stop-messages.html

Kind Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
Windows Digital Media
 
Marc--

Thanks for the link I had missed on your site. There are some very helpful
items, and the System File Checker Article you wrote gave me and others I
passed it on to some good help on figuring out to do with service pack
updates and SFC. There are a lot of good articles and references on this
site.

Windows XP Advice & Information
http://www.updatexp.com/

Main Article Index
http://www.updatexp.com/main-index.html

Newsletter
http://www.updatexp.com/newsletter.html

Introduction to using scannow sfc (system file checker)
http://www.updatexp.com/scannow-sfc.html

Best,

Chad Harris
____________________________________
Click to expand...

Thanks Chad :-)

Kind Regards

Marc Liron
Microsoft MVP
Windows Digital Media
 
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