Repairing XP SP2 without unistall info :-(

[Lars-Erik Østerud]

I need to repair XP SP2 and IE6. But on the two machines in question
all uninstall info for XP SP2 is removed (to save space I guess).

Now MS tells me that the ONLY way to repair XP SP2 and IE6 is to first
uninstall XP SP2, and then reinstall IE6 or run a XP repair of some
kind.

But what product needs to be downgraded to be repaired ?!?!?!??!

And without the XP SP2 uninstall info they say the only way to repair
is to reinstall XP (loosing all or much of my setup, in addition to
other trouble since that will most likely mess up my dual-boot).

Why on earth isn't there a way to reinstall XP SP2 without first
uninstalling it (a switch that forces all files and setting to be
overwritten as if SP2 was installed the first time).

Or even better a repair tool for XP SP2 and one for IE6?

 

[Brian A.]

How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341

--

Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Shell/User }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

 

[ANONYMOUS]

What exactly is the problem? Perhaps you need only a Windows CD and
these commands:

a. Click Start, and then click Run.
b. In the Open box, type sfc /scannow, and then click OK.
c. You may be prompted for the Windows XP or Windows XP Service Pack 1
installation media.

hth

 

[Yves Leclerc]

You will need to create a newer install CD by "slipstreaming" Service Pack 2
and then proceed with a repair re-install of XP on top of the installed version.

 

[lvee]

The problem is, the poster deleted the 'uninstall files' for SP2..meaning,
there is no way to remove SP2 unless the poster reinstalls XP, a repair
install, rather than a clean install should leave all your personal doc's
etc intact, reinstalling only the os.

That's why it is best to copy those files to a cd, before uninstalling
them...Ya, water under the bridge, I know.

 

[ANONYMOUS]

Again, I still don't follow. Why would anyone remove SP2? It is with
us and we need it for future updates (Bill Gates has already decided for
us). Why are people so sceptic about SP2?

I can solve his problems if I know what it/they is/are. He can use his
CD (perhaps integrated with SP2) and his problems can easilly be solved.

People really need to specify their problems before they mess their
systems beyond repair.

Regards,

 

[lvee]

well, no one is skeptic ..(that's the spelling by the way, not
sceptic)..about SP2 in this post, it's not a matter of wanting to uninstall
it because they are SKEPTIC of SP2..if you read the post, only 2 of the
computers in question had the files removed. Believe it or not, sometimes
SP2 HAS to be removed, then reinstalled to solve some problems. Yes, the
poster can use the cd ...no shit..that's what we've suggested..use the cd to
reinstall

 

[PA Bear]

[Crossposted to IE6 Browser, as that's where this all started.]

1. It'd be best if you kept this conversation in your original, long-running
thread, Lars-Erik:

http://groups.google.com/group/micr...+author:østerud&rnum=2&hl=en#0b8958c4ca496026

2. It may not be necessary to "repair" WinXP SP2. The ActiveX problem may
be caused by hijackware: Have you posted your HijackThis log to an
appropriate forum yet?

3. In an earlier thread, you told us you were running Zone Alarm (ZA). The
most recent, fully updated version of ZA have been causing many problems for
users. Have you looked into the possibility of ZA being the cause of your
ActiveX problems?

I need to repair XP SP2 and IE6. But on the two machines in question
all uninstall info for XP SP2 is removed (to save space I guess).

4. Did the machines come with WinXP SP2 pre-installed? (If the machines
were manufactured after mid-August 2004, chances are that it was.)

5. If the machines were upgraded from WinXP (SP1) to WinXP SP2 and the
uninstall data has been deleted, you will have to do a Repair Install to
repair WinXP SP2 (as Brian A. pointed out):
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341

 

[Lars-Erik Østerud]

lvee:

SP2 HAS to be removed, then reinstalled to solve some problems. Yes, the
poster can use the cd ...no shit..that's what we've suggested..use the cd to
reinstall

But the I have to reinstall XP, messing up all installed programs and
setting, dual-boot (any ideas how to make XP stay off that) and so on

My point is that since several people (have seen more than me
searching the web) have the problem that IE6 has stopped downloading
ActiveX'es, then there should be another way to fix this.

Someone at MS must know how this work, and have an idea on what could
be wrong. But instead they only say "Reinstall XP" (as usual

It's so d**n frustrating :-( I have wasted so much time on this.

Only a switch that would make SP2 install if like it wasn't allreday
installed would have done the trick, or a "hack" to be able to install
IE6 on top of the one not working (to fix whatever is wrong).

But all they can come up with is "Reinstall your PC" :-(

I feel like crying or something :-/

 

[Lars-Erik Østerud]

ANONYMOUS:

a. Click Start, and then click Run.
b. In the Open box, type sfc /scannow, and then click OK.

He he. That doesn't work, because it asks for the XP SP2 CD
And there is no such CD. It was installed from an original XP CD.
Then upgraded with SP2. So to run "sfc /scannow" you need to
uninstall SP2 (stupid, could they have updated "sfc" too).
And that can't be done when the uninstall info is missing.

 

[Lars-Erik Østerud]

lvee:

The problem is, the poster deleted the 'uninstall files' for SP2..meaning,
there is no way to remove SP2 unless the poster reinstalls XP, a repair
install, rather than a clean install should leave all your personal doc's
etc intact, reinstalling only the os.

What exacly will a "repair install" do?

What partition will it upgrade? Will it mess up the MBR?
I have a dual boot using "BootUs" with to PRI partitions.
Must I deactivate the one not having XP before repair to
keep out of trouble (ain't the keep on a "repair install",
last time I did that on a PC I was locked out from XP,
and had to hardformat and start all from scratch...)

In the reinstall KB article it says you can start the reinstall from
XP as well. Or will that mess up even more the existing install?

 

[Lars-Erik Østerud]

ANONYMOUS:

I can solve his problems if I know what it/they is/are. He can use his
CD (perhaps integrated with SP2) and his problems can easilly be solved.

OK, problem is simple. All works except IE6 downæt download AcriveXes
anymore (no matter security settings). ActiveXes are run OK if I copy
them from another machine. Why does not IE6 try to get them anymore?

What files should I copy from a working XP SP2 (same version)?
What registry settings could be messed up (I can compare)?
What other settings could affect this on these two machines?

(and of course it would be nice to now WHY this problem occured,
a reinstall/repair install might help, but the problem might come
back, and a reinstall will not help us finding out what happened)

People really need to specify their problems before they mess their
systems beyond repair.

As stated, all else works OK, system is 100% stable. I'm an IT guy
(even an MCP way back and I scan for errors, viruses and spyware
often. Only thing is the ActiveX download issue on 2 of 3 machines
(one home, one at work, the third one at work works as it should).

 

[Lars-Erik Østerud]

Yves Leclerc:

You will need to create a newer install CD by "slipstreaming" Service Pack 2
and then proceed with a repair re-install of XP on top of the installed version.

Yep, but the CD XP is installed from at work didn't work with
slipstreaming. I used the SelectCD as source, and slipstreamed the SP2
pack (the one I have used for upgrading without problems).

The new slipstreamed CD crashes during installation :-(
Tried with several slipstreaming creation programs too :-(
Just gave up, and upgraded after installation instead.

 

[Brian A.]

Is AutoStreamer one you tried? I have found it the best and easiest way.
Latest version AutoStreamer 1.0.33

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sp2_slipstream.asp

How to use AutoStreamer to Slipstream Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/using_autostreamer/using_autostreamer.html

--

Brian A. Sesko { MS MVP_Shell/User }
Conflicts start where information lacks.
http://basconotw.mvps.org/

Suggested posting do's/don'ts: http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375

 

[lvee]

Check your I.E. plugins or add-ons..whatever they are called. ...some of
them may have the active x disabled.
also, here is a link to an article that can help locate the logfile that may
give a reason why your activex's are not downloading.
Another thing to check are all your anti-programs..maybe the security
settings were changed within those programs, and those would over-ride the
security settings in I.E.


I'm not sure about your question regarding a dual boot system and a 'repair
installation'
I believe..but am not sure, that when you do the repair installation, if you
have multi partitions, you will be prompted to choose which os you are
reinstalling..leaving the one not chosen in tact.
A repair installation, sometimes called In-place-upgrade..or just an
upgrade..repairs the os, but leaves all your installed programs, doc's etc
in tact.personal settings.
You can further research it on the web..tons of info.

 

[ANONYMOUS]

It looks like you are not going to solve this problem. How about doing
a clean install to save valuable time and bandwidth of this NG? It
tales only 39 minutes to install OS and perhaps another 1 hour to
install all your applications!

hth

 

[lvee]

sorry, forgot the link,

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=252937

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=271451


ANONYMOUS >>>>It looks like you are not going to solve this problem. How
about doing
a clean install to save valuable time and bandwidth of this NG? It
tales only 39 minutes to install OS and perhaps another 1 hour to
install all your applications<<<<<

If you are so concerned with valuable time and bandwidth, stop posting
useless dribble.

 

[Lars-Erik Østerud]

Brian A.:

Is AutoStreamer one you tried? I have found it the best and easiest way.
Latest version AutoStreamer 1.0.33

Tried several programs, AutoStreamer was one of them. Same error.

I think it has do do with the original XP CD at work. It's a SelectCD
(not serial code to enter during installation). After slipstreaming
things look OK a while. Then installation crashes (think it ended in a
blescreen with lots of cryptic information every time). Would NOT like
that to happend during a reinstall (had one XP PC that we had to
reformat, because after crash we couln't get logged into XP anymore)

 

[Lars-Erik Østerud]

lvee:

Check your I.E. plugins or add-ons..whatever they are called. ...some of
them may have the active x disabled.

Where do I find the plugin list? In IE Objects there are only Java
1.5.0 (twice), ProductIDGatherer and ShockWave Flash. According to
Spybot S&D there are no BHO's installed, and on the ActiceX list I see
DirectAnimation for Java, Internet Explorer Classes for Java,
Microsoft XML Parser for Java, Java Runtime 1.5.0 (twice, only first
has Spybot "green checkmark") and ShockWave Flash.

also, here is a link to an article that can help locate the logfile that may
give a reason why your activex's are not downloading.

That could help, if I could only find out what DLLs and registry keys
are involved in the ActiveX download process (I could log this on the
PC that works as well to compare) I could replace and fix those only.

I still think that: Someone at MS must know how the ActiveX downloads
are initiated and done. Then they MUST know what could prevent it too.

Another thing to check are all your anti-programs..maybe the security
settings were changed within those programs, and those would over-ride the

Tried disabling/uninstalling them all. I addition they are also
installed (with the same settings) on the PC where things work.

have multi partitions, you will be prompted to choose which os you are
reinstalling..leaving the one not chosen in tact.

I think so to, but anyway. I could disable the Win98se partition so I
have only one active primary partition. Just to be sure (I think that
was what I originally did to prevent XP from using it's boot-selector,
that doesn't handle two primary and large disk that well I found

A repair installation, sometimes called In-place-upgrade..or just an
upgrade..repairs the os, but leaves all your installed programs, doc's etc

Anyway, I could try one the one w/o dual-boot at work first
(that doesn't have a 3rd party S-ATA controller, the other do

But since I haven't been able to create a slipstreamed SP2 CD I will
end up with plain XP after the repair, right, and must run SP2 too)?

 

[Lars-Erik Østerud]

It looks like you are not going to solve this problem. How about doing

a clean install to save valuable time and bandwidth of this NG? It
tales only 39 minutes to install OS and perhaps another 1 hour to
install all your applications!

1 hour, you must be kidding
You can't have much installed on your PC
And must be using all standard look and feel