Wally said:
Thank you Anna for the comprehensive reply.
As for answers:
Q1. Yes
Q2. Yes
Q4. Already done. I am taking daily incrimental and monthly full system
backups. I can restore to any recovery point that I have for the last 2
months. (entire images)
Q3. As for performing a repair installation of Windows, I haven't really
tried that. During such an installation, I have ended up in Repair
console,
which is no place to be as it's just a CD booted command prompt. The next
step is full install and I think that wipes out the entire registry
thereby
wiping out the essential entries to keep the existing programs (without
installation CD's) running. Am I missing something?
I purchased PC TOOLS Registry Magic and SP3 install is currently in it's 1
hour long install to the error (if I get it this time).
Thank you again for the reply, and if a repair install of Windows is
possible, I have an XP Pro CD with SP3 already on it. Unfortunately, I am
attempting the fix during off hours using remote control. I will have to
do
my 52 mile round trip to the office to load CDs and watch it work (which
is
OK), just can't do it today.
Wally:
Yes, re "Q3", you are "missing something".
I think that at this point it is desirable to run a Repair install of the OS
if that option is available. Please don't confuse the Repair install process
with the "repair" process that one can undertake via the Recovery Console
(what you referred to as the "Repair console". It's an entirely different
"kettle of fish".
I'm assuming that the XP OS installation CD you would be using to undertake
the Repair install will allow you to do just that. Obviously I suppose it's
safe to say the machine you're dealing with contains an XP Pro OS (matching
your installation CD - the SP installed is immaterial). Hopefully the
installed OS on that machine is not an OEM-branded system. If it is, the
likelihood is your OS installation CD (as well as theirs) won't permit a
Repair install. In any event, do not the owners of the machine have the XP
OS installation CD?
I take it you're unfamiliar with a Repair install of the OS. Undertaking a
Repair install of the OS is a relatively straightforward process. It would
be roughly akin to making a fresh install of the OS, but in nearly every
case the user's existing programs & user-created data would be retained.
Notice I said "nearly". While it would be a rather rare situation where data
would be lost or corrupted as a result of the Repair install, and as
unlikely as it may be, it *could* happen.
So if there are any programs and/or other data on the present drive that are
absolutely crucial to the owners of the machine and they could not tolerate
their loss, then I would strongly suggest that before undertaking this
Repair install operation that you first either make a "clone" of the
existing HDD (using a disk-imaging or disk-cloning program) or, if that's
not practical, pull off whatever data they want onto some removable media,
e.g., flash drive, USB external HDD, CD, etc.
Again, while it's a relatively rare event that a loss or corruption of data
will occur even when the Repair install is unsuccessful, it *can* happen. So
you should be aware of this.
Here are the basic steps to undertake a Repair install of the XP OS...
1. Boot to your XP installation CD.
2. At the "Welcome to Setup" screen, press your Enter key. Do *not* press
the "R" key.
3. Press the F8 key at the Licensing Agreement screen.
4. The next screen will (hopefully) list your existing XP OS installation
and an option to repair that installation by pressing the "R" key. Do so.
5. The Repair install will proceed. You will need the XP OS Product ID key
so have that handy.
There are a number of websites that contain detailed information on the
Repair install process. As you can see from the above basic steps, it's not
a difficult process and not terribly time-consuming. As I've indicated it's
roughly similar to making a fresh install of the XP OS. If you do a Google
search on "XP repair install", you'll be pointed to many of these websites
that contain step-by-step instructions for undertaking a Repair install.
Here are a few...
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm#RI
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=138
http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winxppro/installxpcdrepair/indexfullpage.htm
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341
Assuming the Repair install is successful, you should use an
A-V-anti-malware program to immediately check out the system for any virus
and/or other malware infestation. Also, you will need to download/install
*all* the MS critical updates since SP3. (I'm assuming that if you undertake
this Repair install of the XP OS and it's successful, you will be doing so
with a XP installation CD that contains SP3 (either yours or theirs).
Understand that even if the problem originates from a corrupted OS, i.e., no
hardware issue is involved, the Repair install is not always successful at
least in terms of correcting the existing problem you're experiencing.
But what I'm curious about is that you indicate that presently there is no
other problem with the system other than this inability to install SP3,
i.e., you've indicated the system properly functions in all respects without
any problems. (I'm assuming the system presently contains SP2).
While it would be desirable to install SP3, all things considered, as long
as the system is being kept up-to-date with MS's critical updates and
there's *absolutely* no other problems with the system and current backups
of the system are maintained, and assuming the Repair install as well as
other processes to install SP3 are unsuccessful, why consider a
fresh-install of the OS at this time? Could not the owners of the machine
live with the present system? Is it that you envision further problems down
the road?
Anna
