Install Of SP2 Freezes/Hangs Part Way Though The Install!

[Guest]

After formatting the HD and clean installing XP w/ SP1a on a Dell Dimension
4600, all updates up to and before SP2 go off without a hitch. But this
computer is being stubborn about taking SP2! Each time I've tried, no matter
what combination of updates, firewall, antispy, et cetera, it hangs or
freezes at the same point in the install and I'm forced to abort by powering
down. After powering up again, Windows attempts to restore the old files,
then Windows will reboot, but says it is in a very unstable state and I have
to start all over again. After at least 8 attempts at installing SP2
(including reformatting and clean installing each time), I just gave up on it
and stuck with a very updated SP1a version on XP. After reading the posts on
the thread, I've noticed I'm not the only one that has an issue with this.
Although all the attempts at answers are well meaning, they don't really
answer the question at hand, which is "Why does this !@#$%^ update not take"?
It doesn't seem to be a BIOS issue, as a few of the folks with this issue
said that they are up to date with it. I myself have tried with a few
differant releases of my particular BIOS, both old and new. It doesn't
appear to be a software issue, because my experiences are with a clean
install, attempted both with and without firewall, antispy, et al installed.
It doesn't appear to be an issue with the Windows Update website, as I have
installed SP2 on many a system through it without problems, and a couple of
folks have said they have even tried with the CD as well as the website with
the same results. Are there possibly just certain combinations of CPUs,
chipsets, motherboards, and/or PCI based gadgetry that don't play well with
SP2? A comprehensive listing of such is nowhere to be found in any fashion
on any website. Anybody in the know have any kind of scoop on this matter?
We the frustrated would be very grateful for such right now.......

 

[Guest]

No finite response here, one would expect that the answer should be available
from Dell or be on their website.

There is another possibility that you could explore.

Look to other advice as to how to 'slipstream' SP2 into an installation CD,
and then attempt that method.

Another suggestions would be to reduce the hardware environment to the bare
minimum. That is to say:
Minimal Memory
Remove any but the most mandatory plug in adapter from the Mobo [leave only
the AGP Card]
Unplug all but one Optical Drive
Unplug all but one HDD
Unplug the Floppy Drive
Unplug all peripherals [printer, scanner etc] leave only keyboard and mouse

Thus get down to a System Unit with, 1 X HDD, 1 X Optical Drive, I X Mouse,
1 X Keyboard, 1 X Display Adapter Card [unless you have an onboard adapter].

Clean install XP and then Activate. Now attempt the SP2 upgrade.

Only when completed, should you attach other devices - one at a time

 

[Guest]

Here is a helpful bit of knowledge I saw in the Windows Update portion of the
ExpertZone by one Torgeir Bakken, MVP...hope it helps for you as well...

"Windows Update XP SP2 hands on download", dated 9/13/04...

When downloading SP2 through Windows Update, it has
stopped at 33%. It has been there for almost a week.
When I try to start update again (even though it's
already running), it hangs too. Is it stuck or should I
let it go for a while?

Hi

I suggest you use the full SP2 installer instead of Windows Update
to install SP2.

SP2 is available at the Microsoft Download Center
(standalone "network" version, 266 MB):

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=049c9dbe-3b8e-4f30-8245-9e368d3cdb5a

(disregard the "intended for IT professionals and developers" and the "DO
NOT CLICK DOWNLOAD IF YOU ARE UPDATING JUST ONE COMPUTER" statements, as
this can be used on a single computer as well)


If you do not have broadband at home, but you have at work or you have
friends that have it, you can download it there and burn it to a CD.

If you think that the download is to large, you can get the same
file on a CD from Microsoft.

The Windows XP SP2 CD order point:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default.mspx


To reset the pending download you now have, clean out the Download
folder (WU5's temporary download folder) located here:

%windir%\SoftwareDistribution\

(%windir% is typically C:\Windows)

You can use the procedure described here:

http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/v5consumer/showarticle.aspx?articleid=11&ln=en

You might need to delete the DataStore folder mentioned in the link
above, as well as the Download folder.

Note that a side effect of deleting the DataStore folder is that you
lose your WU v5 History listing (not critical).


For folders you can consider deleting and other disk cleanup tips
after a successful SP2 installation, take a look here:

http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=#[email protected]


Before installing SP2, you should take a look at the
following sites:

What to Know Before You Download and Install Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/sp2_whattoknow.mspx

How to successfully install Windows XP Service Pack 2.
http://www.fixyourwindows.com/winxpsp2install.htm

Service Pack Installation Checklist
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spackins.htm


Please take a look at this Microsoft knowledge base article as well:

Windows XP Service Pack 2 is not available to install from Windows
Update and is not offered by Automatic Updates
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=885627

*Important* part from the link above:

If you have T.V. Media from Total Velocity Corporation installed, or
your processor is a Intel P4 Prescott with C-0 stepping, you should
not install SP2.

Intel P4 Prescott processors came out February 2004, so if your
computer is older than that, this is not an issue for you. Also, if
you have a Dell, IBM or HP, this is not an issue.

If you suspect/know you have an Intel P4 Prescott processor, take a
look at the two following Web sites for what you need to do/have to
be able to install SP2 on the computer:

http://forum.aumha.org/viewtopic.php?t=7447
http://cquirke.mvps.org/sp2intel.htm


Also, if you have a Dell Dell Inspiron 1150 or 2650, you might get a
slow running system after installing SP2, take a look at this thread
for more on this:
http://groups.google.com/[email protected]

 

[Rodney Kelp]

I guess I won't buy a dell.