HEEEEEEEEEEELP....Cannot install SP2 - "Access is Denied" - to What ??

  • Thread starter Thread starter Charles Simon
  • Start date Start date
C

Charles Simon

I have XP Home Edition on a modern Compaq notebook.
All works fine so far, but I cannot install the SP2
update and do not know why.
I have downloaded the file from microsoft.com without
problems, all 200 MB of it.
When I try to install it, the process carries on okay for
about 15 mins, then at the final stage I get a small
window which just says "Access is denied" and an OK
button.
Well, it certainly is not OK, but when I push it, then
the uninstall takes over and after another 15 minutes, it
is back at the beginning.
Another small window appears which says "Install is
unsuccessful, Windows XP has been partially updated and
may not work properly."

However, it seems to be no worse than before and I
haven't found any problems to date.

I have done this procedure 3 times with exactly the same
result. I have even downloaded XP Pro and tried that, but
it also does the same.

Can anyone suggest what is wrong ?

If not, I shall just remain happy without XP2 and use
Netscape and Firefox browsers instead of IE, which I
shall never use again until Microsoft gets its act sorted
out.....

Come on Apple, let's have OS X on the Wintel platform...
 
You'll need also the KB article on Access Denied which is unavailable at the moment


You receive an "Access is denied" error message when you try to install Windows XP
Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=873148
See also:
http://www.michna.com/kb/WxSP2.htm#Cannot_install_Service_Pack_2
Cannot install Service Pack 2

If KB 873148 is not available

"You receive an "Access is denied" error message when you try to install Windows XP
Service Pack 2



Important This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you
modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to
restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up,
restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the
article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS
When you try to install Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), you may experience
the following issues:

You cannot install the service pack.

You receive the following error message:

Service Pack setup has failed. Access Denied

The Setupapi.log file contains references that indicate that one or more
registry keys could not be deleted while the Setup program was running.

CAUSE
These issues may occur when permissions on one or more registry keys are restricted
in a way that prevents the administrator who installs the update from updating the
registry keys. Failure to update a registry key causes the Setup program to fail.

WORKAROUND
Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that
may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that
you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use
Registry Editor at your own risk.To work around this issue, examine the Svcpack.log
file to find the registry keys that are causing this issue, and then modify the
registry permissions to give access to the user who is trying to install the service
pack. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Make sure that the user who is trying to install the service
pack is a member of the Administrators security group.

2. Open the Svcpack.log file. By default, this file is located in
the C:\Windows folder.

3. Search the log file for references to registry permissions
issues. Make a note of the registry keys that are referenced.

4. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK to start
Registry Editor.

5. Locate and right-click the registry keys that you noted in step
3 of this procedure, and then click Permissions.

6. Examine the permissions that are configured for each user or
group. Identify the restricted permissions that are affecting the user who is trying
to install the service pack. Make sure the Administrators group has full access
configured.

7. Quit Registry Editor.

After you follow these steps, try again to install the service pack.

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 (SP2)

Microsoft Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 (SP2)"
 
Thanks to DMG and Taurarian for your comments and helpful
suggestions.
I was reading today the comments too on zdnet.com about
the way MS is neglecting the browser.
Can't help feeling that MS is just taking the customer
for a ride and laughing all the way to the bank, as usual.
Now there are patches for the patches. SP2 has a patch
issued for it ? Is that true ?
And where is the KB article on microsoft.com specifically
dealing with my "Access is Denied" problem ?
Ms took it down.
MS now seems to be using this present situation to try
and stop us all using any Windows OS before XP, by
refusing to issue any patches for non-XP products - is
that true ?
I read the Chinese government is working on a Windows
competitor secretly, and will issue it as open-source in
the not too distant future. Well, good luck to them.
They already own over 50% of the world's pc manufacturing
resources, so I am sure they have the resources to do
software too.
Look where monopoly capitalism has got us all...
Maybe only China can get us out of this mess and bring
fun back to computing..




-----Original Message-----
You'll need also the KB article on Access Denied which is unavailable at the moment


You receive an "Access is denied" error message when you try to install Windows XP
Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=873148
See also:
http://www.michna.com/kb/WxSP2.htm#Cannot_install_Service _Pack_2
Cannot install Service Pack 2

If KB 873148 is not available

"You receive an "Access is denied" error message when you try to install Windows XP
Service Pack 2



Important This article contains information about
Click to expand...
modifying the registry. Before you
modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make
Click to expand...
sure that you understand how to
restore the registry if a problem occurs. For
Click to expand...
information about how to back up,
restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the
article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS
When you try to install Microsoft Windows XP Service
Click to expand...
Pack 2 (SP2), you may experience
the following issues:

You cannot install the service pack.

You receive the following error message:

Service Pack setup has failed. Access Denied

The Setupapi.log file contains references that indicate that one or more
registry keys could not be deleted while the Setup program was running.

CAUSE
These issues may occur when permissions on one or more registry keys are restricted
in a way that prevents the administrator who installs the update from updating the
registry keys. Failure to update a registry key causes the Setup program to fail.

WORKAROUND
Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that
may require you to reinstall your operating system.
Click to expand...
Microsoft cannot guarantee that
you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use
Registry Editor at your own risk.To work around this issue, examine the Svcpack.log
file to find the registry keys that are causing this issue, and then modify the
registry permissions to give access to the user who is trying to install the service
pack. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Make sure that the user who is trying to install the service
pack is a member of the Administrators security group.

2. Open the Svcpack.log file. By
Click to expand...
default, this file is located in
the C:\Windows folder.

3. Search the log file for references to registry permissions
issues. Make a note of the registry keys that are referenced.

4. Click Start, click Run, type
Click to expand...
regedit, and then click OK to start
Registry Editor.

5. Locate and right-click the registry keys that you noted in step
3 of this procedure, and then click Permissions.

6. Examine the permissions that are configured for each user or
group. Identify the restricted permissions that are
Click to expand...
affecting the user who is trying
to install the service pack. Make sure the
Click to expand...
Administrators group has full access
 
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