Incomplete Uninstall of SP2 Crippling System

[Major Malfunction]

Here's a problem I'm working on for someone. I was removing parasite
programs for someone's computer. I had to stop for the day and told them I'd
be back. While I'm gone, someone else comes along and tries to uninstall SP2
from the system. Allegedly, their ISP Tech Support said they were having
trouble with XP-SP2. (This is totally bogus as the problem I was working on
is not an ISP problem nor a SP2 problem.)

When I returned the next day, I found the machine trying to complete the SP2
uninstall. It was sitting at the same point "for about an hour", I was told,
and clearly stalled. The next thing I knew, he reached over and pulled the
plug "as it wasn't going to finish anyway".

Now, I fear, the computer is between states. Booting normally, we can
eventually get to a desktop, but there is not taskbar and the Flag Key
(Windows Key?) is unresponsive. Keyboard shortcuts, i.e. Flag-R or Flag-E,
do work and have been used to open command prompts and Windows Explorer.

I tried to restore to SP2 by reinstalling SP2. Using the command line, I was
able to copy SP2 to the hard drive, access the service pack and start the
install process. The process unpacks the service pack, but quits with an
error message relating to the Cryptographic Service not running. Using the
Run command, I am able to open the Computer management Console and was able
to verify this service, and several others, have not started. I am unable to
start the service and am unable to bring up any properties for the service.

Just to complete the picture, this is a typical home user: while they have
all the install disks for their games and additional programs (MS Office
2003) but they are unable to locate their original XP Home install disk.
Their PC, a Compaq, does have a recovery partition, but the files are locked
and there seems to be no way to access these files.

Help please?!

 

[Malke]

Major Malfunction wrote:

OMG. I totally feel for you. See my comments inline:

Here's a problem I'm working on for someone. I was removing parasite
programs for someone's computer. I had to stop for the day and told
them I'd be back. While I'm gone, someone else comes along and tries
to uninstall SP2 from the system. Allegedly, their ISP Tech Support
said they were having trouble with XP-SP2. (This is totally bogus as
the problem I was working on is not an ISP problem nor a SP2 problem.)

You are not responsible for this. The client allowed this to happen. Bad
decision on their part.

When I returned the next day, I found the machine trying to complete
the SP2 uninstall. It was sitting at the same point "for about an
hour", I was told, and clearly stalled. The next thing I knew, he
reached over and pulled the plug "as it wasn't going to finish
anyway".

You are not responsible for this. The client allowed this to happen. Bad
decision on their part.

Now, I fear, the computer is between states. Booting normally, we can
eventually get to a desktop, but there is not taskbar and the Flag Key
(Windows Key?) is unresponsive. Keyboard shortcuts, i.e. Flag-R or
Flag-E, do work and have been used to open command prompts and Windows
Explorer.

You're absolutely right. The installation is toast. And to top it off,
you have no idea what *really* was done while you were gone. Did I
mention that you are not responsible for this?

I tried to restore to SP2 by reinstalling SP2. Using the command line,
I was able to copy SP2 to the hard drive, access the service pack and
start the install process. The process unpacks the service pack, but
quits with an error message relating to the Cryptographic Service not
running. Using the Run command, I am able to open the Computer
management Console and was able to verify this service, and several
others, have not started. I am unable to start the service and am
unable to bring up any properties for the service.

You need to offer to rescue their data and completely format and
reinstall Windows. No amount of messing with this system is going to
produce something stable in the end. Cut the losses, format, clean
install, move on. See below for more.

Just to complete the picture, this is a typical home user: while they
have all the install disks for their games and additional programs (MS
Office 2003) but they are unable to locate their original XP Home
install disk. Their PC, a Compaq, does have a recovery partition, but
the files are locked and there seems to be no way to access these
files.

The client has two choices: 1) contact Compaq for a replacement Restore
Disk cd for their exact model and wait for it to get there; 2) buy a
retail copy of WinXP Home and have you install it. If you do the
latter, of course the client's warranty with Compaq is void. If it's an
older machine, no biggie on that. Remove all partitions, including the
Compaq hidden one (after all, you're never going to use the Compaq
Restore Disk feature), create new ones, install the retail XP, get
drivers from the HP/Compaq site.

Good luck, and remember this is not your fault,

Malke

 

[Steve N.]

Major Malfunction wrote:

OMG. I totally feel for you. See my comments inline:




You are not responsible for this. The client allowed this to happen. Bad
decision on their part.



You are not responsible for this. The client allowed this to happen. Bad
decision on their part.



You're absolutely right. The installation is toast. And to top it off,
you have no idea what *really* was done while you were gone. Did I
mention that you are not responsible for this?




You need to offer to rescue their data and completely format and
reinstall Windows. No amount of messing with this system is going to
produce something stable in the end. Cut the losses, format, clean
install, move on. See below for more.



The client has two choices: 1) contact Compaq for a replacement Restore
Disk cd for their exact model and wait for it to get there; 2) buy a
retail copy of WinXP Home and have you install it. If you do the
latter, of course the client's warranty with Compaq is void. If it's an
older machine, no biggie on that. Remove all partitions, including the
Compaq hidden one (after all, you're never going to use the Compaq
Restore Disk feature), create new ones, install the retail XP, get
drivers from the HP/Compaq site.

Good luck, and remember this is not your fault,

Malke

As usual, you give excellent advice Malke.

However, I would check on the warranty specifics for the machine. I'm
not sure about Compaq warranties but I do know that Dell hardware
warranties are not voided if you install an OS other than that supplied.
Of course the OEM support for the OS would be invalidated, but since
that is virtually meaningless it's a moot point anyway.

Steve

 

[Jim Byrd]

Hi Major - You may well have to follow one of the routes outlined by Malke
or Steve N.; however, there's one possible "deparate" measure you might want
to go to first:

Uninstalling Windows XP SP 2 using Recovery
Console http://win-xp-sp.blogspot.com/2004_08_01_win-xp-sp_archive.html


--
Please respond in the same thread.
Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP



In

 

[Malke]

As usual, you give excellent advice Malke.

However, I would check on the warranty specifics for the machine. I'm
not sure about Compaq warranties but I do know that Dell hardware
warranties are not voided if you install an OS other than that
supplied. Of course the OEM support for the OS would be invalidated,
but since that is virtually meaningless it's a moot point anyway.

Steve

You're so sweet, Steve. I wuv u.

Malke

 

[Malke]

Hi Major - You may well have to follow one of the routes outlined by
Malke or Steve N.; however, there's one possible "deparate" measure
you might want to go to first:

Uninstalling Windows XP SP 2 using Recovery
Console
http://win-xp-sp.blogspot.com/2004_08_01_win-xp-sp_archive.html

Hi, Jim. It's true he could try just uninstalling SP2 that way, but the
reason I didn't suggest it is because from my own unhappy experience
with this sort of thing, the machine is in such a twist that the best
thing to do is start over. Also, depending on how the OP is charging,
from a practical standpoint it could take many more hours to try and
untangle the system than to just wipe it. The client will be happier to
spend less money and the OP will stop twitching eventually. ;-)

Malke

 

[Jim Byrd]

OK, makes sense, Malke. I'll leave it to you XP gurus. (Anything's better
than that "twitching" thing - ugly, that is!)

--
Please respond in the same thread.
Regards, Jim Byrd, MS-MVP



In

 

[Major Malfunction]

Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions. The PC is out of warranty, so
I'm opting for the simpler plan: wiping and starting over. The client agreed
to buy an XP upgrade and I'm using that to wipe all partitions and reinstall
XP and their programs. Prior to wiping the system, I did manage to get it
stable enough to copy their important data to Zip disks for backup . . . but
only from a command line. GUI copy was not working. I'd boot the system, go
get coffee while the OS stabilized, get a refill after going through a
prompt for new software installs, get more coffee while waiting for the
desktop to show, open a command window, issue the xcopy and get still more
coffee waiting for the command to execute. I did test the archives I did
copy and the information is readable on another system.

Ah yes, the experience of having used DOS and using XCOPY does come in handy
now and then.

Again, thanks to all and we can let this thread die.