Help: Can't upgrade Vista to SP1 - it fail at part 3

[Dab]

I've been trying for 2 days now to upgrade from Vista Business edition to
SP1. The same thing keeps happening. I get through parts 1 and 2 ok, but
when the system reboots for part 3, it reboots several times giving me the
choice to boot normally or in safe mode, then eventually it stops rebooting
and just goes blank. I can reboot successfully in safe mode but the
installation of part 3 will ultimately fail (the error code points to not
being able to install particular components as a result of being in safe
mode) and the system has to regress to the original condition. I tried all
the suggestions on the MS Vista upgrade trouble shooting site (as well as
several other sites)- including checking for specific updates - none of
which apply to my machine - at least that what windows update tells me when
I try to install them, checked the disk for errors, and checked the memory
for problems. I also turned absolutely everything no- original MS off for
start up including antivirus and some other stuff that I have and the same
thing keeps happening. Each pass, from upgrade install to fail, and regress
back to original condition takes about 5 hours.

I'm running Vista on a quad core machine with 4G of onboard memory (even
though Vista 32 can only use about 3 gigs) and a smoking video card so I
doubt this is a hardware problem.



This problem appears to be similar to the original 'endless reboot' problem
that prompted the original halting of SP1 distribution back in the early
spring - I thought that problem was fixed!



I tried to get real time help from the MS site but got a message that there
was a problem with the site. - Good Greif! This is probably the most
frustrating MS experience of all time. With all due respect to the folks
at MS, if it was your intention to have people to switch from Windows PC's
to Apples or even Linux based PC's, I doubt you could have come up with a
better plan. I've already switched two of my home computers to Ubutu!



Anyone have any suggestions on how to get this darn service pack installed?

 

[Kos]

One advice for you. Install XP Pro and all your troubles will go
away. I had the same problem. Finally realized what a mistake Vista
was.

 

[mikeS]

Oddly enough I wrote this group 5/6/2008 with the same problem. You might
scan down to find my previous note. Worked for 3 weeks to get it to install
with the same results as you. Decided today to download the entire sp1
package and install that way. In preparation I uninstalled, not just shut
down the process, for several programs. Notably Nero 8, Genie Backup
Manager, AVG antivirus, and a Startup Manager. Tried installation one last
time of the update which I had previously downloaded and couldn't believe my
eyes. It installed.

This path to success may not help, but amazingly it worked for me. The
difference was clearly actually uninstalling the programs because all of
these would have been disabled or shut down in any of my previous attempts.
mikeS

 

[Nonny]

One advice for you. Install XP Pro and all your troubles will go
away. I had the same problem. Finally realized what a mistake Vista
was.

Don't like Vista? Find another sandbox to play in.

 

[LeonIloilo]

I've been trying for 2 days now to upgrade from Vista Business edition to
SP1. The same thing keeps happening. I get through parts 1 and 2 ok, but
when the system reboots for part 3, it reboots several times giving me the
choice to boot normally or in safe mode, then eventually it stops
rebooting and just goes blank. I can reboot successfully in safe mode but
the installation of part 3 will ultimately fail (the error code points to
not being able to install particular components as a result of being in
safe mode) and the system has to regress to the original condition. I
tried all the suggestions on the MS Vista upgrade trouble shooting site
(as well as several other sites)- including checking for specific
updates - none of which apply to my machine - at least that what windows
update tells me when I try to install them, checked the disk for errors,
and checked the memory for problems. I also turned absolutely everything
no- original MS off for start up including antivirus and some other stuff
that I have and the same thing keeps happening. Each pass, from upgrade
install to fail, and regress back to original condition takes about 5
hours.

I'm running Vista on a quad core machine with 4G of onboard memory (even
though Vista 32 can only use about 3 gigs) and a smoking video card so I
doubt this is a hardware problem.



This problem appears to be similar to the original 'endless reboot'
problem that prompted the original halting of SP1 distribution back in the
early spring - I thought that problem was fixed!



I tried to get real time help from the MS site but got a message that
there was a problem with the site. - Good Greif! This is probably the
most frustrating MS experience of all time. With all due respect to the
folks at MS, if it was your intention to have people to switch from
Windows PC's to Apples or even Linux based PC's, I doubt you could have
come up with a better plan. I've already switched two of my home
computers to Ubutu!



Anyone have any suggestions on how to get this darn service pack
installed?

Dab -

i had the same problem like you.
it turned out, that the cause was Daemon Tools,
the version i used was too old.

Pls check if you are running DT,
dl the latest version,
& try the update again.

Success,

Pierre

 

[Vulcan]

Thanks for the suggestions but no luck yet. I've tried 7 times now. At
about 5 hours per try, that's 35 hours and counting.

The last time, I uninstalled all non MS software (which took a couple of
hours - in addition to the 5 for the failed upgrade) Still no luck!

There was a question about what hardware I'm using, I'm not sure of the
motherboard, but I'm using a dell Precision workstation that's only about 6
months old.

The only thing I have left to try is to put a new HD in, Install vista from
scratch and try again. I don't think I'll be trying that for a while.