SP1 installed but MS update does not recognize it?

[John Doue]

I installed SP1 on my OEM Home XP machine by running the whole SP1.exe I
had downloaded and everything went well.

Problem is, Windows Update still offers me to install SP1. How can I
tell that SP1 is indeed installed, and how can I convince Update that it
is? How precise is the scanning Update does of my machine, can it be
trusted?

This is a second post, the first having been unanswered. This is not
trivial matter since it makes it makes it impossible to track the
updating of XP.

Thanks for taking the time to look into this.

 

[Colin Nash [MVP]]

If you go to Start ---> Run and type WINVER, does it recognize that SP1 is
installed?

I've found that if you plan on relying on Windows Update to keep track of
what you have installed, then do all your updates through there instead of
pulling them from somewhere else. Have you tried allowing Windows Update to
reinstall the Service Pack?

Are we talking about the Windows Update website, or the automatic updates
feature (where it pops up with "new updates are available..."??)

 

[John Doue]

If you go to Start ---> Run and type WINVER, does it recognize that SP1 is
installed?

I've found that if you plan on relying on Windows Update to keep track of
what you have installed, then do all your updates through there instead of
pulling them from somewhere else. Have you tried allowing Windows Update to
reinstall the Service Pack?

Are we talking about the Windows Update website, or the automatic updates
feature (where it pops up with "new updates are available..."??)

Colin,

Winver does not say anything about Sp1 being installed (Version 5.1,
build 2600). I have so far refused to let Windows Update reinstalled
Sp1, afraid of what the end result will be. Yes, I am talking about
Windows Update Website, automatic updates is disabled. What do you
advise me to do?

Regards

 

[Colin Nash [MVP]]

I would advise you to install SP1 since it looks like it was not installed.

Where did you get this "sp1.exe" file from? Microsoft's web site? If you
got it anywhere else, I would doubt its authenticity. For example, there
are email viruses/worms that send attachments pretending to be updates from
Microsoft. (Microsoft never sends out attachments like that.)


--
Colin Nash
Microsoft MVP
Windows Printing/Imaging/Hardware

 

[John Doue]

I would advise you to install SP1 since it looks like it was not installed.

Where did you get this "sp1.exe" file from? Microsoft's web site? If you
got it anywhere else, I would doubt its authenticity. For example, there
are email viruses/worms that send attachments pretending to be updates from
Microsoft. (Microsoft never sends out attachments like that.)

Colin,

The strange thing is, I downloaded this SP1a file from MS web site, and
after installation, checking the registry, I read this: CSDVersion :
ServicePack1. It does look like SP1 is correctly installed but that the
buildlab key incorrectly does not reflect it.

What values should it enter in those keys to correct the situation?

Regards

 

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

The strange thing is, I downloaded this SP1a file from MS web site, and
after installation, checking the registry, I read this: CSDVersion :
ServicePack1. It does look like SP1 is correctly installed but that the
buildlab key incorrectly does not reflect it.

What values should it enter in those keys to correct the situation?

Hi

The value data in CSDVersion and BuildLab is the same for
both SP1 ans SP1a.


From "Differences Between Windows XP SP1 and Windows XP SP1a"
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=813926

<quote>
# When you install Windows XP SP1a, the following changes are made to
the registry. These changes indicate that SP1a is installed:

* A string value is created in the following registry key and its
value data is set to "a":

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\
CurrentVersion\SubVersionNumber

* The value data for the Description string value in the following
registry key is updated to include "SP1a":

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP1\Q324720

# The title for the Windows XP Service Pack 1 entry in the Add or
Remove Programs tool in Control Panel is changed to "Windows XP
Service Pack 1a."
</quote>

 

[John Doue]

Hi

The value data in CSDVersion and BuildLab is the same for
both SP1 ans SP1a.


From "Differences Between Windows XP SP1 and Windows XP SP1a"
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=813926

<quote>
# When you install Windows XP SP1a, the following changes are made to
the registry. These changes indicate that SP1a is installed:

* A string value is created in the following registry key and its
value data is set to "a":

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\
CurrentVersion\SubVersionNumber

* The value data for the Description string value in the following
registry key is updated to include "SP1a":

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP1\Q324720

# The title for the Windows XP Service Pack 1 entry in the Add or
Remove Programs tool in Control Panel is changed to "Windows XP
Service Pack 1a."
</quote>

Thanks Torggeir for the Info, I'll check my registry.

Regards from Finland

 

[John Doue]

Hi

The value data in CSDVersion and BuildLab is the same for
both SP1 ans SP1a.


From "Differences Between Windows XP SP1 and Windows XP SP1a"
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=813926

<quote>
# When you install Windows XP SP1a, the following changes are made to
the registry. These changes indicate that SP1a is installed:

* A string value is created in the following registry key and its
value data is set to "a":

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\
CurrentVersion\SubVersionNumber

* The value data for the Description string value in the following
registry key is updated to include "SP1a":

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Windows XP\SP1\Q324720

# The title for the Windows XP Service Pack 1 entry in the Add or
Remove Programs tool in Control Panel is changed to "Windows XP
Service Pack 1a."
</quote>

Torgeir,

Here is the final situation; after checking the registry, I found that
the keys you mentionned were not there. I decided to reinstall SP1a
after (more) carefully closing all running applications. This time, SP1a
does show in My Computer, General and Windows Update recognizes SP1a as
installed. I guess something happening during the first installation,
although no error message popped-up. Thanks for helping me determine my
system was not the way it should have been.

Best regards