SP2 boot cycle problem also in KB840987

[Atsushi Nakagawa]

Hi all,

I had the problem where installing SP2 rendered Windows XP unable to
load up and I eventually gave up trying to install it. I have now
gotten the same problem--exact in all appearance of the
symptoms--after installing "Security Update for Windows XP
(KB840987)".

The problem with SP2 was as follows: The SP2 redist update package
installed fine the first time I installed it over the OS installation
I'd been using for years. This installation was stable and didn't
show hint of any problems.

The problem reared its ugly head only much later when I did a "repair
install" with a SP2 slipstreamed CD. The computer would spontaneously
reboot moments after the Windows XP logo/loading screen was shown.
Moreover, none of the safe-modes worked. The problem also occurred
after these attempts:
- After the first successful shutdown of a fresh (formatted HDD) SP2
install.
- After applying the SP2 update package over a fresh SP1a install.
- "repair install" of SP1a over an already affected SP2 install.
- "repair install" of SP2 over an SP2 install.

Now, KB840987 (available via Windows Update v5) seems to cause the
exact same problem. I recently had to perform a "repair install"
(with SP1a) because something ntfs.sys related on my system
broke--BSOD on startup. (Caused by my careless debugging--should be
unrelated.) The problem with KB840987 was experienced afterwards:
- After the reboot after applying the KB840987 patch over a SP1a
"repair install" system.

I tried many updates install order combinations to try work KB840987
in without getting the problem (resetting the ball each time it was
unsuccessful by performing another repair install). In the end, it
doesn't seem possible. All other updates in Windows Update install
fine but the problem reappears every time after the reboot after
KB840987 is installed. (I've no intention of wiping my system to try
it on a fresh install.)

With my limited knowledge, I'm guessing that the problem I experienced
with SP2 and the one with KB840987 are one and the same. This is due
to their similarity in behaviour, as well the timing of the KB840987
release and the fact that it's not required by SP2--suggesting it's a
component in SP2.

My search for information regarding KB840987 on Google Groups only
uncovered similar discussions regarding Windows 2000.

My system specs are as follows:
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-8SRX (BIOS F10C)
Memory: 3x 256MB DDR 266
Drives: 2x Lite-On DVD/-/+RW, 2x WD HDDs
Video: ATI Radeon card by HIS (Also tried with an nVidia card)

All my other PCI cards were removed during the testing.

Regards,

 

[Hans-Georg Michna]

My system specs are as follows:
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-8SRX (BIOS F10C)
Memory: 3x 256MB DDR 266
Drives: 2x Lite-On DVD/-/+RW, 2x WD HDDs
Video: ATI Radeon card by HIS (Also tried with an nVidia card)

Atsushi,

which processor?

Please check http://www.michna.com/kb/WxSP2.htm. It probably
contains the explanation and solution to your problem.

Hans-Georg

 

[Atsushi Nakagawa]

which processor?

Oops, it's an Intel P4 Northwood 1.6GHz (Family = 15,0, Model = 2,0,
Stepping ID = 4,, in WCPUID)

Please check http://www.michna.com/kb/WxSP2.htm. It probably
contains the explanation and solution to your problem.

I looked through your site. The only thing I found under "Boot or
shutdown problems after Service Pack 2 installation" that could apply
to "KB840987" over repair install was "incompatible drivers or
outdated BIOS". It could possibly be the drivers or the BIOS. (I
have Nero Burning ROM but it's patched to the newest version.) It
can't be DEP and my CPU isn't on the hotlist.

The reboot happens after "Mup.sys" is displayed (in safe mode). I
don't have SP2 so I can't suppress the automatic rebooting.

I've noticed that during a repair install, WinXP installs some drivers
that aren't available on its CD. Does it get these drivers out of
%systemroot%\system32\inf?

It'll be nice to get this problem (both the SP2 and KB840987 ones)
sorted out, but I don't particularly want to break my system again in
order to try. If I were to install SP2 into a different partition,
does anyone know if anything other than C:\boot.ini in C drive (my
current OS drive), as well as MBR or drive lettering, will change?

Regards,

 

[Hans-Georg Michna]

I looked through your site. The only thing I found under "Boot or
shutdown problems after Service Pack 2 installation" that could apply
to "KB840987" over repair install was "incompatible drivers or
outdated BIOS". It could possibly be the drivers or the BIOS.

Atsushi,

do you have the latest BIOS installed? If so, I strongly suspect
that a driver is the culprit.

Do you use any special disk controller drivers like SATA? Other
known troublemakers are Firewire (IEEE 1394) drivers and some
USB drivers.

The reboot happens after "Mup.sys" is displayed (in safe mode). I
don't have SP2 so I can't suppress the automatic rebooting.

It could be Mup.sys or it could be the next driver that you do
not see.

I've noticed that during a repair install, WinXP installs some drivers
that aren't available on its CD. Does it get these drivers out of
%systemroot%\system32\inf?

Not sure. It may get at least the information from
%systemroot%\inf, usually from the oemxx.inf and oemxx.pnf
files. You could try a clean boot by moving all of these out
temporarily (using the system repair console or a second Windows
installation).

It'll be nice to get this problem (both the SP2 and KB840987 ones)
sorted out, but I don't particularly want to break my system again in
order to try. If I were to install SP2 into a different partition,
does anyone know if anything other than C:\boot.ini in C drive (my
current OS drive), as well as MBR or drive lettering, will change?

If you install a second instance of Windows XP into a separate
partition, your original partition will remain unharmed. Even if
you get new versions of the boot files (NTLDR, NTDETECT.COM,
etc.), they will be compatible with earlier versions. Boot.ini
will get an additional line for the boot menu, pointing to the
new installation.

The MBR will not change. Drive letters may be different, but
they depend on the running system, i.e. when you boot into your
old system again, it will still have its drive letter scheme.

So no problem, you can do that. Of course there's always a
residual risk of things breaking, whatever you do.

Hans-Georg