Update to SP2

[Guest]

I left my computer running overnight while updating to SP2 on Windows XP Pro,
then when I got up in the morning and clicked on the "Restart Now" button
after it had finished updating, and when booting up it and reaches the
Windows XP loading screen just before reaching the log in it stops there, the
blue loading bar continues to move like its loading, but it does nothing but
sits at that loading screen, Ive had it sitting there for about an hour now
and still isnt doing anything. Is there anything I can do to fix it without
reinstalling XP and without losing any data? Im also currently downloading
UBCD to see if theres anything that I can do with that as well as back up
everything important onto DVD's.

 

[Rock]

I left my computer running overnight while updating to SP2 on Windows XP
Pro,
then when I got up in the morning and clicked on the "Restart Now" button
after it had finished updating, and when booting up it and reaches the
Windows XP loading screen just before reaching the log in it stops there,
the
blue loading bar continues to move like its loading, but it does nothing
but
sits at that loading screen, Ive had it sitting there for about an hour
now
and still isnt doing anything. Is there anything I can do to fix it
without
reinstalling XP and without losing any data? Im also currently downloading
UBCD to see if theres anything that I can do with that as well as back up
everything important onto DVD's.

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

Download Windows Service Pack 2 Standalone Version
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en

Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default810.mspx

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

The hard disk space requirements for Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=837783

 

[Plato]

http://www.bootdisk.com/xptop20.htm#1

 

[Guest]

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

I used the XP disc to access the recovery console and am now able to log on,
but now Ive been trying to uninstall SP2 and its been at the first step of
"Inspecting Current Configuration" for hours, then finally it finished with
that step and a confirmation came up asking me to confirm about removing SP2,
I pressed yes then it began going through the steps upto "Restoring Catalogs"
where it then came up with an error that it could not find the specified file
and cancelled itself, so now Im going to try a final time before reinstalling
Windows XP and Ive been waiting for a couple hours again for the first step,
how long should it take to uninstall SP2?

 

[Rock]

I used the XP disc to access the recovery console and am now able to log
on,
but now Ive been trying to uninstall SP2 and its been at the first step of
"Inspecting Current Configuration" for hours, then finally it finished
with
that step and a confirmation came up asking me to confirm about removing
SP2,
I pressed yes then it began going through the steps upto "Restoring
Catalogs"
where it then came up with an error that it could not find the specified
file
and cancelled itself, so now Im going to try a final time before
reinstalling
Windows XP and Ive been waiting for a couple hours again for the first
step,
how long should it take to uninstall SP2?

Not as long as you've been waiting. I'm not sure what method you used to
install SP2, but I would suggest you create an XP installation CD that has
SP2 integrated on it. The process of creating such a CD is called
slipstreaming. Here are some links for how to do it. Autostreamer makes it
easier. Also I have included links for downloading the SP2 installation
file and ordering the SP2 CD.

Slipstream
http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm
http://unattended.msfn.org/beginner/slipstream.htm

Autostreamer
http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/1092632287/1
http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/using_autostreamer/using_autostreamer.html
http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=223562

Download Windows Service Pack 2 Standalone Version
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en

Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default810.mspx

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

The hard disk space requirements for Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=837783

 

[Rock]

I just ended up reinstalling Windows XP and luckily lost no data except
drivers. I installed SP2 through automatic updates, my system is perfectly
capable of handling SP2 though so I dont know why it stopped the system
from
booting then took hours to try uninstalling SP2, my system has a 320GB
Seagate Barracuda, a Core 2 Duo E6600 with a total of 3.6GHz from both
cores,
2GB Corsair RAM, and a GeForce 7600GT with 256MB

That's a big update to do through automatic updates. I personally would not
do it that way. Download the full installation package and burn it to CD,
then update with the CD, or order the CD, or install clean with the
slipstreamed installation CD with SP2.

But I'm glad you didn't loose any data. Of course if you follow the
essential practice of always having a full and complete backup of important
data then that's never a concern.

I recommend using a drive imaging program such as Acronis True Image to save
a compressed image of the drive to external USB hard drive, and burn a copy
to DVD for redundancy. Then if you imaged the system right before trying to
install SP2, and it hung up, just restore the image, and in a matter of
minutes and your running again.

I think in terms of computing it's like what Karl Malden said about American
Express..."Don't Leave Home Without It".