pc won't boot after installing sp2

[Guest]

I installed sp2 yesterday and my computer won't boot into winxp anymore. I
checked the Prescott issue, but my system doesn't match the codes for the
affected systems. I have also tried using the recovery console to rollback to
my previous setup but that doesn't work either. I tried renaming
/windows/system32/drivers/update.sys, and it still does this. I get as far as
the Windows XP screen with the bar and then the screen goes black and just
sits there. If I try safe mode it stops at mup.sys and then reboots. I found
a site that suggested removing the L1 and L2 cache in CMOS but I can't figure
out how to do that, it doesn't look like my bios gives me that option. I am
at my wits end and really do not want to format c:. Help!

Thanks in advance

 

[John]

Do none of the things you suggested for now.

Try

Create a boot floppy disk with the following files: You will need a copy of
these files as they were before you applied SP2. If you do not have a copy
of the pre SP2 files, you could try copying them from another pre SP2 XP
machine.

ntldr
ntdetect.com

and possibly

boot.ini

Format the floppy in XP before copying the files.
Place the boot floppy into your machine and restart your computer.
If it boots successfully, copy the three files to the correct folders in
your windows folder.

It would be prudent to take copies of your 3 post SP2 files when you do
this.

If this gives no joy, open you boot.ini and make sure it matches the one
copied from the other machine and try again.

I had a similar problem to yours, only I have a multipoint machine and could
not boot into Windows 2000 Server, which was installed on an adjacent hard
disk to XP Home and XP Professional.

The boot floppy enabled me to successfully boot into Server 2000.

I guess this will be a common bug as more people install the new Service
Pack 2, so I would be interested to know if you are successful.

John Noonan

 

[Rock]

I installed sp2 yesterday and my computer won't boot into winxp anymore. I
checked the Prescott issue, but my system doesn't match the codes for the
affected systems. I have also tried using the recovery console to rollback to
my previous setup but that doesn't work either. I tried renaming
/windows/system32/drivers/update.sys, and it still does this. I get as far as
the Windows XP screen with the bar and then the screen goes black and just
sits there. If I try safe mode it stops at mup.sys and then reboots. I found
a site that suggested removing the L1 and L2 cache in CMOS but I can't figure
out how to do that, it doesn't look like my bios gives me that option. I am
at my wits end and really do not want to format c:. Help!

Thanks in advance

I don't know if you tried all these items but here are several references:

How to use the Automatic Recovery feature to recover your computer if
the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Setup program is not completed successfully
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=875355

How to remove Windows XP Service Pack 2 from your computer
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=875350

 

[Guest]

I don't know if you tried all these items but here are several references:

How to use the Automatic Recovery feature to recover your computer if
the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Setup program is not completed successfully
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=875355

How to remove Windows XP Service Pack 2 from your computer
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=875350

Hi Rock & John,

I've tried all your suggestions and none of them has worked. I've been
hunting for two days now and tried everything I could find but I still have
the same behavior of the Windows XP screen appears and then after it goes
blank nothing happens. I have to hard-reset the computer to get anywhere.....

 

[Rock]

Hi Rock & John,

I've tried all your suggestions and none of them has worked. I've been
hunting for two days now and tried everything I could find but I still have
the same behavior of the Windows XP screen appears and then after it goes
blank nothing happens. I have to hard-reset the computer to get anywhere.....

Sorry to hear that. Maybe someone else will come up with a solution.
Otherwise you might be looking at a clean install. You can apply SP2
right then or make a slipstreamed installation CD incorporating SP2 with
the original install CD. Hopefully you have a backup of important
files. Do you have a Prescott CPU by any chance? They came out in
2/04. There are problems SP2 and some prescott CPUs.

How to create a Slipstreamed Installation CD with SP2.
http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm

Other useful links:

Installing Service Packs
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/xpsp2.htm
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spackins.htm

Pre-Install, Install, Cleaning Up Afterwards
http://forum.aumha.org/viewforum.php?f=45

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

Get the Latest Updates and Information from Your PC Manufacturer Before
Installing Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/oemlinks.mspx

Using programs and hardware with Service Pack 2 (SP2)
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;ln;xpsp2swhw

Programs that may behave differently in Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=884130

If running Office 2003 make sure you have the latest Service Pack
http://office.microsoft.com/home/default.aspx

Changes to Functionality in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sp2chngs.mspx

Windows XP Service Pack 2: What's New for Internet Explorer and Outlook
Express
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/ieoeoverview.mspx

Windows XP Service Pack 2 Support Center
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;windowsxpsp2

Free Technical Support for SP2
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;en-us;Prodoffer80&sd=GN

 

[Guest]

Sorry to hear that. Maybe someone else will come up with a solution.
Otherwise you might be looking at a clean install. You can apply SP2
right then or make a slipstreamed installation CD incorporating SP2 with
the original install CD. Hopefully you have a backup of important
files. Do you have a Prescott CPU by any chance? They came out in
2/04. There are problems SP2 and some prescott CPUs.

Hi Rock,

Yes I checked that but my computer is two years old (at least) so it was a
long shot, but being desperate I ran the utility recommended but none of the
codes matched the flagged codes.

If I do a repair install of WinXP do you think that would fix this? I put in
a trouble ticket to MS but I haven't heard back yet. I may try to call them
tomorrow. It's really frustrating as I had no idea it would be this ugly. It
just popped up the box saying critical install ready so I clicked ok. I have
since done the registry mod that I came across on MS's site to prevent my
husband's pc and our spare pc from download that darn thing. But I'm worried
about what will happen in 240 days or whatever it was when the windows update
starts ignoring the reg mod. If the repair install and MS can't help me, if I
do that slipstream install, will it cause problems or is it supposed to avoid
all the problems? On a side note I checked my bios levels but I'm already
running the latest version from Gigabyte, so I guess that fix isn't possible
either.

 

[Guest]

Hi Rock,

Yes I checked that but my computer is two years old (at least) so it was a
long shot, but being desperate I ran the utility recommended but none of the
codes matched the flagged codes.

If I do a repair install of WinXP do you think that would fix this? I put in
a trouble ticket to MS but I haven't heard back yet. I may try to call them
tomorrow. It's really frustrating as I had no idea it would be this ugly. It
just popped up the box saying critical install ready so I clicked ok. I have
since done the registry mod that I came across on MS's site to prevent my
husband's pc and our spare pc from download that darn thing. But I'm worried
about what will happen in 240 days or whatever it was when the windows update
starts ignoring the reg mod. If the repair install and MS can't help me, if I
do that slipstream install, will it cause problems or is it supposed to avoid
all the problems? On a side note I checked my bios levels but I'm already
running the latest version from Gigabyte, so I guess that fix isn't possible
either.

Having just sent the above post, someone from Microsoft wrote back,
apologizing profusely and recommending that I do a repair install. We shall
see how this goes, If I learn something useful in the process I will post the
info here.

 

[Guest]

Ok, so far I tried the repair installation of Windows XP from cd, which did
not work. Next I was told to try a "parallel installation" which involved
installing WinXP on the same disk, in another directory. This, as it should
have, installed just fine, considering that it was the same exact cd and all
that I used to install the os on the computer in the first place. The tech
support person had me remove all hardware non-essential for booting from my
computer prior to doing the parallel installation and I guess tomorrow we
will start trying to figure out what device screwed up my computer. She is
pretty sure it is a hardware related issue. We shall see what happens and I
will post whatever results come out of this, in the hope that someone else
will be helped by this.

 

[Rock]

Ok, so far I tried the repair installation of Windows XP from cd, which did
not work. Next I was told to try a "parallel installation" which involved
installing WinXP on the same disk, in another directory. This, as it should
have, installed just fine, considering that it was the same exact cd and all
that I used to install the os on the computer in the first place. The tech
support person had me remove all hardware non-essential for booting from my
computer prior to doing the parallel installation and I guess tomorrow we
will start trying to figure out what device screwed up my computer. She is
pretty sure it is a hardware related issue. We shall see what happens and I
will post whatever results come out of this, in the hope that someone else
will be helped by this.

Ok, good luck.