I want to Remove Windows XP SP2

[Eddie]

Historically "even" numbered service packs have been a
problem. Way back when NT 4.0 came out, there was
service pack 1 to fix problems - but in doing so,
enhancements were lost.

Then along came service pack 2 to re-apply the
enhancement lost by using SP1... Then there was SP3 to
fix the problems of SP2.

Then Microsoft got brave and released SP4 and soon there
after SP5 to fix the issues created by SP4. In an effort
to break the cycle there was SP6 soon followed by SP6a...

See an even numbered service pack does work!?!?!

I am waiting for SP3 for XP...

Cheers,
Eddie

 

[Guest]

A simple question deserves a simple answer...

Yes use the restore CD('s) that came with your laptop.

However, please note that in doing so the restore script
will (usually) format your harddrive. Have worked at
HP's European Customer Care Center, in Amsterdam, The
Netherlands supporting their OmniBook laptops, I learned
that the usage of the restore CD is a wonderful option -
as long as you have external-backups of both installed
software and created documents.

Another great option (too late now) is to get Norton
Ghost 6.0 for DOS and create your own image before
installing *any* software. If it doesn't work, re-flash
your own image and in 2-7 minutes your machine will be
just as it was!!

Cheers,
Eddie
webmaster@REMOVE_CAPSenvk.com

 

[cquirke (MVP Win9x)]

On Sat, 28 Aug 2004 13:58:10 -0400, "Bill Crocker"

You must have crawled out from under a rock, if you were not aware that SP2
was one of the largest updates Microsoft ever released.

Blame the victim, eh?

Well, I read a lot of the stuff about how various apps might misbehave
because they do things that aren't really that safe, and they are no
longer allowed to do so unless special "holes" are made for them or
fixed versions of the apps are obtained from the vendors.

Fair enough. And there were reports of AMD's NX feature clashing with
some apps, and instructions to work around that.

But nothing prepared me for a PC that would not boot XP at all
(last-good, safe, command prompt only) after SP2 prompts to restart
the PC after its installation.

And I would not have expected a security fix to pick a fight at the
raw processor compatibility level, when the OS it was patching
appeared to be fine with that processor.

However, in case you missed all of that, there was the link, on the MS
Windows Update Page;

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx

Waiting for that to load, to see if it says anything about this...

http://cquirke.mvps.org/sp2intel.htm

....because when I looked a few days ago, nothing.

Now this is not a random issue that can't be predicted. Intel offers
a free tool for download here...

http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df/Product_Filter.asp?ProductID=441

....and with that info you can tell *exactly* whether your new Prescott
PC will be OK or become unbootable (perchance to be wiped by users or
techs who don't know to rename away Update.sys, or disable L1 and L2
cache so SP2 can be uninstalled).

But, you probably didn't pay any attention to that either. So now it's all
Microsoft's fault?

Well, if MS knows you can accurately predict which PCs are 100%
certain to crash into unbootability after installing SP2, and they
don't give you that specific info...?

But you are right - the original bug here is Intel's not MS's.

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The most accurate diagnostic instrument
in medicine is the Retrospectoscope

 

[cquirke (MVP Win9x)]

On Sat, 28 Aug 2004 12:53:40 -0700,

I don't want to have a philosophical discussion of
software provider service, I just want SP2 removed.

That worked perfectly for me (Add/Remove) but I did that straight
after I got back in via disable L1 and L2 cache.

One thing that would prevent you being able to uninstall it is if
you'd cleared the undo info that the install creates. In that case,
if soon enough, you might undo by doing a System Restore.

Perhaps the security orientation of the coverage has obscured that
this is more like installing a newer version OS over the old. There's
a new version of DirectX (version 9c), for starters.

I do see a lot of value in SP2, and what I aim to do is be aware of
predictors for failure so that I can avoid installing it on PCs that
are likely to fail - either for specific reasons (e.g. Prescott) or
general issues (e.g. system that is already unstable, or where active
traditional or commercial malware has not been excluded).

General tips:
- read up on specific issues and known-troublesome apps
- exclude / clean active malware
- disable "restart on system errors" (and keep it off!)
- make sure SP2 comes cleanly from trusted source
- disconnect from networks during install, so you can...
- ...disable antivirus and firewall dring the install process
- maintain an undo path
- make sure you have a maintenance OS to hand

On the last; that's easy if FATxx (use DOS mode) but rougher with
NTFS: http://cquirke.mvps.org/whatmos.htm refers. For example, with
no maintenance OS, I would not have been able to rename away
Update.sys and thus keep SP2 on my test PC.

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