Win2000 Service pack 4 fails to install

  • Thread starter Thread starter Paul RETI
  • Start date Start date
P

Paul RETI

On a friend's computer, using the standard Windows Update and choosing
the create backup option, Win2000 Service Pack 4

1) Failed to install
and
2) retained a functional and seemingly unchanged system.

Using MSDN disc 0016.4 (September 2003) I attempted to install
Win2000 Service Pack 4, and selected the create backup option.

This attempt was creating the backups and seemed to hang the system
-- no response to Ctrl-Alt-Dlt. So I restarted the computer.

Regardless of the start-up mode I choose, the system continues to
start and then automatically restarts.

I am a computer professional after all and so obviously I did NOT
make a backup of my friends system. ;-(

With Win 9X, deleting win.com and then reinstalling Win 9X
normally recovers a ?!?!? system.

The Fat32 file system is intact. I now have my friend's
computer to my place where I can make backups BEFORE I try
to be helpful again. :-)

How can I restore my friend's system to a viable state?

Thanks...
Paul RETI
Sydney Australia
 
Paul wrote:

Regardless of the start-up mode I choose, the system continues to
start and then automatically restarts. <<<

Sounds like the blaster worm to me.

Cody
 
Cody said:
Sounds like the blaster worm to me.
Click to expand...

Possible. I'll put the disk as just another disk into an XP
system, run checkdsk, make a backup if I can and then
run Norton 2003. "We'll see" said the blind man.

Thanks...
Paul RETI
Sydney Australia
 
Oli Restorick said:
Have you tried the Last Known Good option from the F8 startup menu?
Click to expand...

Yes. It just starts to load normally and then automatically
restarts. And restarts...

Thanks...
Paul RETI
Sydney Australia
 
At which point exactly does it restart? I must admit that I'm clutching at
straws here.

As a last resort, you could do an over-the-top (upgrade) installation of
Windows 2000 from the CD and then try the service pack again. I've known
this to work, but it does stand a chance of messing things up.

At least if you can put the disk in another machine, you get the chance to
back up all the files. Also, if you have a piece of drive cloning software,
it may be a good opportunity to take an image of the drive before you try
anything that may potentially make things worse.

Regards

Oli
 
Oli Restorick said:
As a last resort, you could do an over-the-top (upgrade)
installation of Windows 2000 from the CD
Click to expand...

Question
========
This is what I have not done before. Is is as simple as
running the the install and then selecting an option?

With Win9x one has to delete win.com to achieve that.

Other info
==========
I now have the chance to make an image of the drive
BEFORE I start to do the job. :-)

My WinXP system thinks that the FAT32 file system is OK,
checkidk and defrag worked fine. Norton 2003 did not
find any viruses, so the installed Norton 2002 AV and
firewall on the system are probably up-to-date as
my friend claimed.

Thanks...
Paul R
 
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