Duze said:
i realize i may've asked for the worst consequences for my actions,
but i'm begging for sympathy from some godsent tech-savvy WIZ! My
son's outdated computer got infected. i installed for him an
anti-virus program i trust, and started installing xp sp 3 for him.
as the anti-virus program moved infected files into a chest, i
noticed windows updates depleting freespace at an alarming rate.
Rapidly taking up twice the maximum-size approximated, i started up
the anti-virus program inHopes i could hyper-sensitize its
settings. During its initial mem-test, it told me a memory-file was
infected, and to scan upon reboot at once. after it moved the
infected mem-file into a chest, i senselessly interupted the rest
of the scan, and since cannot startup his windows home edition
normally NOR in safest mode. At first it tried to restore prior
configuration, but the process turned endless, and i foolishly
tried to reboot in lieu, and the last sign of life left was a blue
screen and white text telling me there's a prob with windows and to
reboot--To NO aVAIL! Am i doomed or does somebody think i might
have one last prayer, PRAYTELL!
Boot with something like a BartPE boot CD and get what you need off it
and/or connect the hard drive to a known good system (with AV protection)
and/or make an image of the hard disk drive.
Locate all of your media and product keys/serial numbers for installing the
system from scratch.
Format the system - you should probably do a zero-write (sometimes called a
low-level format) on the hard disk drive using the hard drive manufacturer's
utilities.
Then install the operating system from scratch, make sure it is patched to
SP3 before it is physically connected to *any* method that makes it possible
for it to get on the Internet. Make sure you have installed all the latest
hardware drivers for it as well. Download all the drivers and SP3 using
another system - put them on a USB stick, external drive, CD, DVD, etc to
get them to the machine being rebuilt so there is no chance before you get
to a given point of the machine touching the Internet. Install your
favorite AV software and *THEN* connect the machine back to the Internet for
further Windows Updates (
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com) and to ensure
your AV software is up to date.
Why?
From what I can tell - you decided to not clean up a machine before
installing Windows XP SP3 onto it. You kept the antivirus running while
installing SP3 and either the machine was previously infested and as SP3
installed and files were touched, things got scanned and 'quarantined' or
the antivirus interfered with the installation of SP3 in some way (not
unheard of.)
You've messed up the PC - but good. While the machine could probably get
back to a bootable state with a repair installation vs. a clean
installation - you would probably still have a ton of infested/infected
files on the machine and who knows if you have a root kit or 10. You could
try the repair installation instead of the clean installation and get data
off the machine - but in the end - the 100% sure way to get the machine
running right is the one I have given you.
And next time you think about installing SP3 onto a machine - perhaps follow
this advice:
With proper preparation - you are unlikely to have problems - and if you
have been performing proper maintenance all along - even if you do - you are
only out a short period of time (restoring from the backup/drive image you
made wisely before diving in...)
A place to get FREE support for SP3 installation issues *from Microsoft*...
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-us&prid=11273&gprid=522131
WinXP SP3 - Read all prerequisites for a successful installation
http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldro...requisites-for-a-successful-installation.aspx
Steps to take before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950717
Suggestions:
1) Download the full SP3 installation file and/or burn the ISO download to
CD.
2) Ensure (as well as plausible) you have no spyware/malware by doing a full
scan with SuperAntiSpyware and MalwareBytes.
3) CHKDSK
4) Defragment
5) Ensure your hardware drivers are up to date (from the hardware
manufacturer's respective web pages.)
6) Reboot right before you try to install SP3.
7) Disconnect from the internet before installing (physically.)
8) Disable your antivirus and antispyware applications when you are about to
install SP3.
Some (if not all) of that is covered in the above links.
LONG:
Like it or not - Windows XP SP3 is something that you probably should
install if...
- You are currently running Windows XP (32bit).
- You care about keeping your machine current and running its best.
- You wish to continue running Windows XP for some indeterminate time into
the future.
- You want to free support if you have any trouble installing it (SP3 that
is.)
Service Pack 3 is mostly all of the updates released after SP2 and until the
release of SP3. You may think to yourself that you have been keeping your
PC updated - so you probably have all those updates - fact is, you'd be
incorrect. You may have all the publically released ones, but SP3 contains
1179 previously released updates - guaranteed you do not have them all
installed without it. ;-)
Most of the issues people have had with SP3 have to do with their particular
configuration or a problem caused by a third party change/mis-configuration
on their system - and almost all have a relatively simple fix.
Before starting, know where you can get help:
A place to get FREE support for SP3 installation issues *from Microsoft*
until April 2009...
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-us&prid=11273&gprid=522131
Other than "Automatic Updates" or the Windows Update web page - how can you
get SP3?
Windows XP Service Pack 3 - ISO-9660 CD Image File
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...ce-b5fb-4488-8c50-fe22559d164e&DisplayLang=en
Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for
IT Professionals and Developers (works just as well for you.)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en
Do a little reading - to ensure you are ready...
WinXP SP3 - Read all prerequisites for a successful installation
http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldro...requisites-for-a-successful-installation.aspx
Steps to take before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950717
Release Notes for Windows XP Service Pack 3
http://download.microsoft.com/download/c/d/8/cd8cc719-7d5a-40d3-a802-e4057aa8c631/relnotes.htm
Key things to note:
Internet Explorer:
"If you have installed Windows Internet Explorer® 7 or a beta version of
Internet Explorer 8, and then install Windows XP SP3, you cannot uninstall
Internet Explorer. To avoid this, ensure Internet Explorer 7 or a beta
version of Internet Explorer 8 is not installed before installing Windows XP
SP3. If you have already encountered this issue, uninstall Windows XP SP3,
uninstall Internet Explorer, and then reinstall Windows XP SP3."
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2002:
"If you install Windows XP SP3 on a computer running Windows XP Media Center
Edition 2002 with SP1, Windows XP Media Center Edition may malfunction. To
avoid this, install Windows XP SP2 before you install Windows XP SP3. If
this issue has already occurred, uninstall Windows XP SP3, install Windows
XP SP2, and then reinstall Windows XP SP3."
Did all that and have some issues you believe might be related to SP3?
Check these out:
It seems some people are unable to get further updates after installing
SP3... Seems some have experienced a symptom similar to doing a repair
installation on Windows XP - and the same fix seems to work for them for
that...
Updates are not installed successfully from Windows Update, from Microsoft
Update, or by using Automatic Updates after you repair a Windows XP
installation:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943144
Some people experience an "endless reboot" issue...
Workarounds:
http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jes...ed-computer-boot-after-installing-xp-sp3.aspx
[NB: The above has been updated many times and now includes "a small tool
that will detect the IntelPPM problem and mitigate it before installing
[WinXP SP3]."
1. Boot into Safe Mode and rename INTELPMM.SYS to INTELPMM.OLD.
2. After booting into Safe Mode:
Start --> Run --> (copy/paste)
sc config intelppm start= disabled
--> OK --> Reboot into normal (Windows) mode.
Other references include:
1.
http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?p=187790#p187790
2.
http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jes...ed-computer-boot-after-installing-xp-sp3.aspx
3.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/09/windows_xp_sp3_reboots_crashes/
4.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9084418
5. You receive a "Stop 0x0000007E" error message after you upgrade to
Windows XP Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3 on a
non-Intel-processor-based computer (Revised 06 May-08):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888372
Some people have gotten an "Access Denied" message when trying to install
SP3... I suggest going straight to the third method of this article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949377
Beyond that - some simple maintenance might be needed - like installing the
latest hardware drivers from your hardware vendors...
Good luck to you! You shouldn't need it, however, with just a little
planning. ;-)
