XP SP2 failure on running services after install 1

[stussy]

Hi

Well I finally came across a problem with SP2, after dozens of happy installations! I've been bringing three XP PC's up to date after they have spent 3 years with no antivirus, no firewall and no auto-updates (not at my place I hasten to add!).

2 pc's took SP2 fine, so I started the third last night. It failed twice to install at first, reporting a cab file problem. I followed some steps from MS, renamed the catroot2 folder, and it got over that hurdle. I left it last night at the 'running processes after install' stage, as the owner wanted to go home. When I got there this a.m it was STILL at this stage. Not good. Keyboard and mouse were responding, but nothing would actually happen - ctrl-alt-del put the taskman icon in the systray, but no dialog appeared. Eventually I bit the bullet and hit the power button. It started the shutdown, gave me a 'taskman not responding' dialog, then rebooted.

With everything crossed, the PC eventually came back to life, and did a 'setup was interrupted, restoring previous version', then rebooted again. It went into Windows after a VERY long boot, and gave me an error saying the system was unstable, and that I should uninstall SP2. I've had to leave it like that today. Bizarrely, everything is working on the PC that I had time to test - networking, mail, various apps.

Any ideas why it could be falling over at that stage? Recommendations for what to try now? Should I follow what MS say and uninstall SP2? I'm at a complete loss.

Thanks

Mike

 

[bcastner]

Uninstall.

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=875350

I would prefer you install this from an SP2 CD, but your CAB reading issue is notable. Recopy the SP2 image you are using for the installation.

 

[stussy]

Thanks Bill, I actually have an SP2 CD from a cover mount, I never even thought of that - I can take it with me next time.

Cheers

Mike

 

[bcastner]

It is just an oddity I have noticed that SP2 from CD usually works, or reports issues that are known and can be worked around.

However installs from the downloaded images seem problematic, even when they work on some machines.

So I have become a "CD only" SP2 upgrader.

Best regards to you, and if you do have issues:

. Hans-George Michna, MS-MVP has a valuable site:

http://www.michna.com/kb/WxSP2.htm

. The AUMHA forum has a forum section just for SP2, and it is quite good:

http://aumha.net/

Or ask again here.