Win2000 SP-4 trashed PC

[msnews.microsoft.com]

I started installing SP-4 on a drive that is only half full (24 GB on a 40
GB drive).
Install proceeded about 1/2 way through and got progressively slower with
each file.
Finally it hung.
After about 30 minutes I tried to use Task Manager but it wouldn't show up.
Nothing worked. Mouse moved but nothing responded.
I turned off the power.
When rebooting the startup proceeded normally up to the point where the blue
progress bar reached the end.
Then a blue-screen crash occurred indicating: c0000135 can't load winsrv,
can't find Default Load Path.
Tried a "Safe Mode" start and got the same crash.
Paid the $245 for call to M$ and tech had no clue, but wanted to doc the
case for "others that may get the same problem."
We ran the Setup Repair but that didn't help.
The SP-4 files are apparently installed but the registry is not set to
recognize/load them and it looks like the reg keys for SP-4 are mostly
empty.
(I can see all this by booting on a second drive.)

I saved the prior version and I am just trying to return to SP-3 which is
all still there but I must boot up before it can be restored.

Based on several other messages with other odd behaviors like mine, my
advice is to avoid SP-4.

Skillman Hunter

 

[acrobytes]

Finally got my PC back to SP-3, thanks to a MS Duty Manager, and have hope
that I will get to SP-4 soon without a complete reinit of HD.

#1. He said if a SP failed to install I did not have to pay the $245 fee for
support call. A call to MS TS for SP problems should be free. If you are
forced to give a CC to get a case #, make sure you ask the tech to cancel
the charge or if cancel is refused ask to speak to a Duty Manager.

#2. It appears that my install of SP-4 failed due to internet cable
connection. The normal SP-4 install is an "Express" install downloaded as it
goes over internet. I have a cable modem but that may not be adequate.
Virus checker software, firewall SW - in my case ZoneAlarm, may disrupt the
install.
My install slowed to a crawl and died. After that, rebooting ended in a blue
screen crash. Fortunately I had a second boot drive so I could recover.
Now I am very glad I paid for that second drive.

#3. None of the normal recovery steps worked per the first tech I talked to.
Booted on Win200 CD and did repair - No help. Same blue screen crash.

#4. Duty manager walked me through ridiculously simple steps to restore SP-3
from my second boot drive. DO NOT DO THIS ON YOUR OWN. JUST CALL MS AND HAVE
THEM TELL YOU STEPS TO TAKE TO RESTORE SP-3 ON YOUR MACHINE.
This was possible because I choose to save the prior version before the SP-4
install. If you didn't do that you may have to reinit your drive and start
from scratch.
Even if you don't have a second boot drive you may be able to do this by
booting your Win2000 CD.
There is a dir $NTservicePackUninstall$ in which you can run spuninst.exe
from a special recover command window. MS tech will help run this.
That will remove all the SP-4 files, hopefully.
Run, Open CMD window.
cd c:\WINNT\System32\config - this dir holds all the registry hives, life
blood of Win2000. I plan to keep this backed up from now on.
ren software software.alt - clue was this file was only 8k, obviously a
failed install of SP-4.
ren software.old software - this was the old SP-3 registry hive - 32 MB.
Reboot. SP-3 is restored.
AGAIN LET ME RESTATE - THIS WAS DONE AT DIRECTION OF ME TECH. IT IS A FREE
CALL. YOUR SYSTEM MAY DIFFER. CALL THEM FOR HELP. DONT TELL ME IT DIDNT WORK
FOR YOU.

#4. Go get the full SP-4 install file, 129 MB and run it from your hard
disk. Not easy to find:
Go to http://support.microsoft.com
Click "Download Software"
At next page DO NOT click "Microsoft Windows Updates", click "Service
Packs".
Under latest releases, click "Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP-4)"
You come to "How to Obtain the Latest Windows 2000 Service Pack".
Scroll down to "How to Obtain" and click link to SP-4.
Now come to "Windows 2000 Service Pack 4".
At right of page, Click your language (English?), then "Go".
Now come another page named "Windows 2000 Service Pack 4".
This page warns to stop real-time virus checkers (which is probably what
killed my install. When will they figure out how to run installs with virus
checkers active? What gaurantee do I have that Microsoft doesn't have a
virus? Of all vendors, MS is the one I trust the least to be virus free!
No one should EVER have to turn off a virus checker to do anything. My 2
cents.)
At the right of this page are two sections "ON THIS PAGE" and "DOWNLOAD"
In the "DOWNLOAD" part click "SP4 Network Installation".
This allows you to download the entire 129 MB of SP-4 thus avoiding the
internet problems that the "Express" version can have.
You should recieve a file named "W2KSP4_EN.EXE" which is 132,302 KB.
According to Microsoft Tech I should be able to install SP-4 free of
interference from the internet.

The final URL to get this file and perhaps avoid all the clicking is:
www.microsoft.com/Windows2000/downloads/servicepacks/sp4/download.asp

Trust me, if this file doesn't get me on SP-4, this NewsGroup will be the
first to hear.

Much thanks to the MS Duty Manager, Bryan, that helped me with this.
Bryan said there have been 4 million downloads of SP-4 and only 2% fails.
That is about like the US death rate. For those still alive, no sweat.
For those that died, 2% is a big deal.
(Actual US death rate is much less than SP-4 fail rate.
Death rate in US in 2000 was 0.87% per year, 8.7/1000 per year,
www.cia.gov/publications/factbook/geos/us.html.)

Skillman Hunter

 

[Skillman Hunter]

Anybody have any insight into solving "Stop c0000135" boot failures after
installing Win2000 Pro SP-4?

The below message was written in July 2003 and it promised a followup if
SP-4 didn't get installed.
This is that followup - it still didn't work.
I downloaded the entire SP-4 package, 132 MB but have procrastinated to
install following the "If it aint broke dont fix it". Having successfully
restored to SP-3, I was able to get email and access internet web sites and
run my favorite app, Filemaker Pro for which I support several clients. But
I have ignored several "broke" problems - like, I can't install or update
any software that uses Windows Installer 2 and Windows Explorer crashes when
viewing Properties of my FAT32 C drive or any FAT32 foramtted disk like
floppies or CD's. Word doesn't work right - rarely use it anyway - Word is
to Email like Telephone is to email, dead issues. Most other Office stuff
does work but FileMaker obviates the need for it.

But I keep getting "An update is available" messages from 3rd party vendors
like Adobe to get Reader 6.0.
And I cant install MSDN Library, nor do much with Visual Studio .Net, so I
have to do something.
Anyway, tonight I turned off everything I could think of and tried to
install SP-4 from the full download - which was the instruction from
Microsoft Tech Support after having gotten me back to SP-3.
Part way through the installation, the installer slowed to less than a
crawl, just as had the prior install.
I had previously attributed the hang to using the SP-4 Express version and
internet/firewall problems.
Before I thought it had hung, but in fact per today it was still running but
at like a 1/1000 operating rate.
I tried opening the start menu and waited for it to appear. It took like 2
minutes to draw one menu item.
It became obvious to me that the system had been brought to a state like the
processor was running at 1/1000 of normal.

Task Manager responded at the 1/1000 speed, but their were no tasks to abort
except the SP-4 install Wizard.
After two hours passed with a dialog saying it was installing the same DLL
file, I cut the power.
I rebooted on a second drive and restored the registry hive files from the
SP-3 version that worked before:
C:\WINNT\System32\config.
Rebooting resulted in the same blue screen halt with the same message I had
on first try in July:
"Stop: c0000135 {unable to locateDLL}
The dynamic link library winsrv could not be found in the specified path
Default Load Path..."

I think in trying to get back to SP-3 I missed a step to uninstall the new
SP-4 files.
I searched MS Knowledge base but found no new info on "Stop" problems.

I presume at this point, based on lack of any significant support from
Microsoft Knowledge Base, I have no choice but to reinit the drive and
reinstall the OS. Of course, MS would like me to go to XP.
I am reluctant to go to XP even though M$ has sent me two free copies based
on prior complaints.
I have an ASUS M/B that is not listed on the Windows Catalog - replacing the
old HCL because apparently MS no longer tests hardware, depending instead on
vendors to self-certify themselves as "Designed for
Windows XP". Basically this says if it is not current production at time of
system release, it may not work, because vendors can only certify "Designed
for Windows XP" if XP is available at design time.

Microsoft says they have 4 million upgrades to SP-4 with only 2% failures.
All that says to me is that only 2% of Windows users are actually trying to
do something.
I have probably 100 apps installed and Windows 2000 is hard pressed to keep
up.
Hopefully Microsoft will follow the Unix lead and totally separate system
and apps in the Registry.
Non-system software should never be allowed to muck around with OS stuff
like the Registry.
Each app should kept its own Registry. And I hope they find a way to resolve
the installer problems.

Skillman Hunter
Mission Viejo, CA