Windows XP Service Pack 2 installation has failed. Access Denied.

G

Guest

Currently WinXP Pro. Want to install SP2 . Computer was, until yesterday,
riddled with Malware, Adware and various viruses. To name a few:
Wintools/Huntbar ( which I found was a new variant.) 180solutions, Ibis,
Clearsearch, Websearch and many more.

I typically follow the same steps when cleaning a computer. Dump System
restore, Use AdAware and Spybot to clean up what I can, then Run Windows
Updates to patch what I can so I'm not re-infected during the cleaning
process. Then Clean some more.

Well, SP2 is very important and the first thing I wanted to load. About 95%
through the install ( 1.5 hrs later), it errors out. " Windows XP Service
Pack 2 Installation has Failed. Access Denied"

So I figure it has to be file corruption somewhere, since the user is
already an Admin of the computer. There is no Domain, by the way. I have
never gotten an ACCESS DENIED error like this, let alone on an SP2 install.

I used Adaware, Spybot, Pest Patrol, Spysweeper, The Online Spysweeper and
Pest Patrol and Symantec's Online Virus Scan. I ran the 4 Suites in Safe
mode as well. All Spyware was removed except "Huntbar" that Spybot kept
detecting. I could only remove the Wintools/Huntbar Registry key after I gave
the user sufficient rights under the registry editor.

Now I have a spyware clean computer and still can't install SP2. I have
even tried doing some of the other Windows updates available in hopes they
would fix something. The precached installation from Automatic updates
didn't work 3 times. So now I am running SP2 setup again from the 252mb
download. This didnt work twice already, but I have only just now run Norton
Utilities and fixed 186 objects. Invalid filenames and the such.

Has anyone else had this problem? I can't help but think I'm trying to hard.
 
C

Carey Frisch [MVP]

You receive an "Access is denied" error message
when you try to install Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/873148

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| Currently WinXP Pro. Want to install SP2 . Computer was, until yesterday,
| riddled with Malware, Adware and various viruses. To name a few:
| Wintools/Huntbar ( which I found was a new variant.) 180solutions, Ibis,
| Clearsearch, Websearch and many more.
|
| I typically follow the same steps when cleaning a computer. Dump System
| restore, Use AdAware and Spybot to clean up what I can, then Run Windows
| Updates to patch what I can so I'm not re-infected during the cleaning
| process. Then Clean some more.
|
| Well, SP2 is very important and the first thing I wanted to load. About 95%
| through the install ( 1.5 hrs later), it errors out. " Windows XP Service
| Pack 2 Installation has Failed. Access Denied"
|
| So I figure it has to be file corruption somewhere, since the user is
| already an Admin of the computer. There is no Domain, by the way. I have
| never gotten an ACCESS DENIED error like this, let alone on an SP2 install.
|
| I used Adaware, Spybot, Pest Patrol, Spysweeper, The Online Spysweeper and
| Pest Patrol and Symantec's Online Virus Scan. I ran the 4 Suites in Safe
| mode as well. All Spyware was removed except "Huntbar" that Spybot kept
| detecting. I could only remove the Wintools/Huntbar Registry key after I gave
| the user sufficient rights under the registry editor.
|
| Now I have a spyware clean computer and still can't install SP2. I have
| even tried doing some of the other Windows updates available in hopes they
| would fix something. The precached installation from Automatic updates
| didn't work 3 times. So now I am running SP2 setup again from the 252mb
| download. This didnt work twice already, but I have only just now run Norton
| Utilities and fixed 186 objects. Invalid filenames and the such.
|
| Has anyone else had this problem? I can't help but think I'm trying to hard.
 
G

Guest

This document was Dead-on in terms of symptoms. After turning on Verbose
logging, I saw the exact error listed in the document. I fixed:

HKCR\ Vnd.ms.radio , .AudioCD , Vnd.ms.radio ( again) , .DVD

After 4 attempts Verbose logging turned itself off for some unknown reason.

I turned Verbose logging back on and after another attempt at SP2 Setup
there were no more errors. I am sure Logging was on as the Log file was quite
large.

I havent given up yet.

Thanks
 
G

Guest

I tried installing SP2 in safe mode, under the admin account. During the
install, in the registry backup phase, it hung on 5 different registry keys,
saying it couldnt not back them up to (insert path here). I choose to ignore
them. Point is, it said Access was denied again near the end of the install.

I havent tried the utility yet. Going to do that now. I just wanted to post
my progress.

Thanks!
 
G

Guest

Well, I used the utility. For others that use this, keep in mind it takes a
while to complete, so hang in there. In Regular windows mode, I ran the
utility, then SP2 Setup and it failed again. I Booted to safe mode and ran
the utility and then SP2 Setup and it COMPLETED! It took much longer then
the other times. Also, on reboot, the computer Hung on the Windows XP Splash
screen. I gave it an hour to be sure. Restarted and it booted nicely into
Windows.

Now I have a new problem, I can not access the Windows Update Website.
Automatic Updates works, but I still like the option to see the Website.

Thanks Again.
 
G

Guest

Well, after following the directions Carey Frisch left me (refer to that
reply), I have successfully installed Service pack 2. But now I can not
access the Windows Update Website. Ican browse to the site, but the page is
completely blank. Lower Left, it says "DONE". I have cleaned out all the
temp folders under the user's profile in Local Settings and under windows
folder. Dowloaded program files, Temp and Temp IE folders too. I even
installed Windows Installer 3.1.

Still can't access the Windows Update Website.

Any other thoughts?
 
G

Guest

I added them all under Trusted and they didnt work. I wonder if there is an
update to IE6 I can run that may fix it. I tried to run the IE 6 SP1 and it
said there was already a newer version installed.

Also, I KNOW there are other updates available, optional and otherwise, but
the Automatic Updates doesnt seem to be downloading them. Unfortunately, I
know of no way to monitor it.
 

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