Cannot install SP2

[Gary Williams]

HP Pavilion 3 years old. 80 gig HD free; 1 Gig RAM

For obvious reasons, I had to reformat my HD and reinstall XP pro. Installed
all drivers etc. Downloaded SP2 but can't install it. Installation process
begins and freezes at 'Checking product key'.

Tried to install it from both CD and HD with the same result. I even waited
overnight to see if I was rushing but no luck either. It just stays stuck at
'Checking product key' and there is no hard drive movement.

Prior to last reformatting, I have done this before at least 2 times in last
three years - that is, reformatted, reinstalled OS, installed updates and
SP2 without any problem.

XP Pro is legit and so are other programs like MS Office 2003. They all
activate over the internet fine. So what's the deal with getting stuck at
'checking product key'?

Please clue me in.

Thanks in advance,

Gary

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

'reformatted an HP' in that you used the HP XP setup reinstall software? or
something else? The HP product key is associated with the HP software. Do
you have the product key for the install software you used?

 

[TaurArian]

Posted by another user who got a response from MS Support:-

<quote>

There are 3 steps which we have to do to get the SP2 installed.

Steps are:

1) Please go into the CMD prompt (Start/Run --> cmd.exe )

2) Then type cd /d %windir%\inf and make sure we are in that directory.

3) Then type ren oem*.inf oem*.old, it will go back to the prompt after giving you some
error (Do not worry about it)

4) Then type ren oem*.pnf oem*.old1, it will go back to the prompt after giving you some
error (Do not worry about it)

5) Then goto start - run - type "%windir%\inf" and you will see the files in the folder.

6) Then find the file by name INFCACHE.1 and take a backup of it to desktop (by copying it
to desktop) and delete the INFCACHE.1 from c:\windows\inf.

7) Close all windows and reboot the computer to safe mode and start the installation of
SP2 and it should go fine.

<quote>

--
====================================
TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2008 - Australia
====================================
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
http://taurarian.mvps.org/index.htm
Emails will not be acknowledged - please post to the newsgroup so all may benefit.


| HP Pavilion 3 years old. 80 gig HD free; 1 Gig RAM
|
| For obvious reasons, I had to reformat my HD and reinstall XP pro. Installed
| all drivers etc. Downloaded SP2 but can't install it. Installation process
| begins and freezes at 'Checking product key'.
|
| Tried to install it from both CD and HD with the same result. I even waited
| overnight to see if I was rushing but no luck either. It just stays stuck at
| 'Checking product key' and there is no hard drive movement.
|
| Prior to last reformatting, I have done this before at least 2 times in last
| three years - that is, reformatted, reinstalled OS, installed updates and
| SP2 without any problem.
|
| XP Pro is legit and so are other programs like MS Office 2003. They all
| activate over the internet fine. So what's the deal with getting stuck at
| 'checking product key'?
|
| Please clue me in.
|
| Thanks in advance,
|
| Gary
|

 

[Gary Williams]

Awesome! Worked like a charm. I did not get the error message as suggested
in the solution but everything went smoothly. Not only I was able to install
SP2, it also detected a device driver that I had no idea what it was about.

All is fine now.

Thanks to all.

(to Mark: After purchasing the laptop, I immediately wiped off the hard
drive that came with XP Home and installed the retail version of XP Pro and
also its Product Key number. So that was not the issue. Nonetheless, thanks
for your help, Mark)

Gary