Vista Service Pack update is junk

[scorpionleather]

I have come across two computers in my family that fail to update to Vista
SP2 with totally different error codes, and leading to different discussions
on the community forums. One is a desktop and the other is a new Dell
laptop. The latter gets error code 80070490.

Wow this Microsoft quality control reminds me of the constant bugs I had
when I was using Windows 3.0 back in the early 1990s, or the first Windows
95 release.

I hope it's better in Windows 7!

 

[housetrained]

I have come across two computers in my family that fail to update to Vista
SP2 with totally different error codes, and leading to different
discussions on the community forums. One is a desktop and the other is a
new Dell laptop. The latter gets error code 80070490.

Wow this Microsoft quality control reminds me of the constant bugs I had
when I was using Windows 3.0 back in the early 1990s, or the first Windows
95 release.

I hope it's better in Windows 7!

It is probably you, doing something wrong. All my Vistas take SP2
effortlessly.

 

[Bill Yanaire]

I have come across two computers in my family that fail to update to
Vista SP2 with totally different error codes, and leading to different
discussions on the community forums. One is a desktop and the other is
a new Dell laptop. The latter gets error code 80070490.

Wow this Microsoft quality control reminds me of the constant bugs I had
when I was using Windows 3.0 back in the early 1990s, or the first
Windows 95 release.

I hope it's better in Windows 7!

Maybe you have serious issues with your current versions of Vista. I
know quite a few people who have upgraded to SP2 and have had no
problems in doing so.

Check your system for viruses.

 

[paula]

So because it worked for you then everyone else who it didn't work for must
be doing something wrong?
I couldn't get the piece of junk to install either.
Just an error code that leads me nowhere.

 

[housetrained]

Have you got other problems with your computer or is it JUST sp2?

 

[webster72n]

So because it worked for you then everyone else who it didn't work for
must be doing something wrong?

 

[scorpionleather]

I just tried to install Vista SP2 on another machine, this one belonging to
my father, and this is the THIRD machine (out of around 5 or 6 total) that
has a problem installing Vista SP2. The error code is 80072F78.

Wow there is a serious problem with the Vista SP2 installer.

On the discussion forums I noticed the only solution is to put in the CD and
to do a Vista Restore.

Why doesn't Microsoft release a high priority patch through Windows Update
that can fix the underlying issue and allow the SP2 installer to proceed
without error? A LOT of computers seem to be affected.

 

[scorpionleather]

Brit, did you read my message? I said that there are -three- different
computers that belong to different people in my family, that all have
problems with Vista SP2. I have applied SP2 to a total of around 5-6
computers so almost 50% of the computers I updated have problems installing
the service pack. Therefore, it is not because of anything unusual. In
fact all three of these computers have very standard, out-of-the-box setups.

One is my brother's new Dell laptop in the US. The other is my mother's
desktop computer also in the US. And the third computer is my father's Dell
laptop in Europe (I connected remotely to his machine).

You cannot possibly claim that 50% of the computers I updated have problems
because of unusual configuration. I don't touch these computers other than
making sure that my brother and parents do their regular Microsoft security
updates. They tend to keep their desktops very simple, with very little 3rd
party software installed.

I blame Microsoft for not issuing a patch or a product alert to deal with
this SP2 installer problem. They realled messed up on the Vista SP2
installer.

 

[scorpionleather]

I haven't tried Microsoft support myself, but I read a number of messages
written by Microsoft employees responding to other people having the same
problem. Typically the response is to run a system file check utility and a
number of other steps such as downloading old KB article updates (that were
already applied!), that in my opinion, are simply desiged to keep the user
busy without having any impact. The reason I say this is because these
"busy-work" steps do not solve the SP2 install problem. Then in these
discussions, after the user has spent hours running various diagnostics,
Microsoft finally suggests to put in the Vista CD and use the Restore
option. That's almost like re-installing Windows.. not a real solution but
it's the only thing that works for users. Someone at Microsoft knows about
this SP2 problem but they are keeping quiet about it and haven't issued a
patch for it.

 

[Bill Daggett]

Well I wish you luck and hope that someone comes along with some ideas.
All I know is that long ago I learned to turn off all protection
software before attempting service pack installations and louckily (I
suppose) I had no problems.

I've had zero problems with everything running as normal.

 

[scorpionleather]

That's what I observed. -Some- of the SP2 installs go smoothly, in my case
on 50% of the computers I tried. The other 3 computers fail with different
error codes. When I search each of these error codes, I find many many
discussion posts on the web from people who ran into the exact same problem.
So this is very widespread. If your install of Vista SP2 went smoothly then
wonderful. But for those affected.. not so great.

 

[Bill Daggett]

This discussion belongs in microsoft.public.windowsupdate.

I'm sending it there via crosspost.

 

[YoSeMitE_SaM]

See this: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/836941

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

If you cannot install any updates, Windows Update is an appropriate
newsgroup. If you're having problems installing Vista SP2 only...

Free unlimited installation and compatibility support is available for
Windows Vista, but only for Service Pack 2 (SP2). This support for Windows
Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) is valid until November 26, 2009. Availability of
chat or e-mail support differs depending on your geographic location. Go to
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?prid=13014&gprid=582034 &
select appropriate category (i.e., Download issue; Installation issue;
Issues after you install a service pack).

You'll find additional support for Vista SP2 issues in
microsoft.public.windows.vista.general newsgroup and in these forums:

. http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistawu/threads/

. http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistainstall/threads

. http://social.technet.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/itprovistasp/threads/

How to troubleshoot Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 service pack
installation issues
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947366

Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 service pack installation fails with
error 0x80004005:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971204

Error message when you try to install Windows Vista Service Pack 2 or
Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2: "An internal error occurred while
installing the service pack":
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/967818

Description of the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 installation
software feature update released April 28, 2009:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955430 [Has KB955430 been installed yet?]

The update is not installed successfully, you receive a message, and the
computer restarts when you try to install an update in Windows Vista (3
Resolution Methods)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949358

============

Vista SP2 Installation Tips:

.. Your computer will restart several times during the installation process:
Make certain you've saved your work and closed all open applications before
beginning the install.

.. Disable (1) your anti-virus application, (2) any real-time system
protections afforded by any anti-spyware applications (except Defender), &
(3) your third-party firewall (if any) and then (4) enable the Windows
Firewall _before installing or uninstalling_ Vista SP2.

.. The installation process can take an hour or more: If you're installing
SP2 on a portable computer, make sure that you plug-in the power cord and
have the battery inserted into its bay.

.. Vista SP1 is a prerequisite for installing SP2. If you use Windows Update
or the Automatic Update feature in Windows Vista, you will not be offered
the option to install SP2 until you first install SP1.

=============================

HOW TO install Vista SP2 manually

<QP>
Generally, these errors can occur if the system files are corrupted.

To make clear the current situation, I recommend downloading Windows Vista
Service Pack 2] in Normal Mode and installing it in Clean Boot Mode. Please
follow the steps below.

Note: This SP2 installation can be affected by certain third party programs
running in the background. If you are running any third party applications
such as Spyblocker, Internet or web accelerators (programs designed to boost
the speed of the Internet connection), security or anti-virus programs
(McAfee, Norton, etc.), I recommend we temporarily disable or shut them down
during our troubleshooting process. Please be sure to enable them again when
the update process has been completed.

Step 1: Download Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Standalone Installer
===================================================
1. Download Windows Vista SP2 from the link below according to your System
Type:

....Windows Vista Service Pack 2 - Five Language Standalone for x32-based
systems (Size: 348.3 MB)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...FamilyID=a4dd31d5-f907-4406-9012-a5c3199ea2b3

....Windows Vista Service Pack 2 - Five Language Standalone for x64-based
systems (Size: 577.4MB)
http://download.microsoft.com/downl...c1f58727b8b/Windows6.0-KB936330-X64-wave0.exe

2. Save the download to your desktop, do not Run it!

Step 2: Install Windows Vista SP2 in Clean Boot mode
========================================
Please disable all startup items and third party services when booting to
avoid conflict when installing Vista SP1:

1. Click "Start", type: MSCONFIG in the search box and press Enter.

Note: Please click "Continue" if the "User Account Control" window pops up.

2. Click "Services", check the "Hide All Microsoft Services" box and click
"Disable All" (if it is not gray).
3. Click "Startup", click "Disable All" and click "OK".

Note: Temporarily disabling the Startup Group only prevents the startup
programs from loading at startup. This shouldn't affect the system or other
programs. We can manually run these programs later. Go ahead and reboot your
system when prompted as you are exiting MsConfig.

4. After rebooting, right-click on the downloaded Windows Vista Service Pack
2 Standalone Installer, select "Run as Administrator" (if necessary) and
follow the instructions to install Windows Vista SP2.

To restore the computer to use a Normal Startup, repeat step 1 above. Then
click "Normal Startup" on the General tab, click "OK", and then restart the
computer.
</QP>
Modified from original MS Support source as quoted in
http://social.technet.microsoft.com.../thread/4491fe25-be44-430e-a384-fb58c5da5ad0/

 

[scorpionleather]

See this: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/836941

Thanks but that's not the issue. The Internet connections were fine. In
fact I tried to install the standalone version of Vista SP2 (download the
huge file from the Microsoft website and then run it). That resulted also
in failed installation and an error code.

 

[Bitewolf]

I agree Vista SP is junk. Have tried several times to install SP 2. It always
ends up with "Reverting changes" for approx 5 hours.
By the way just look at the advice given to install SP on Vista. The
complexity of fixing this issue speaks for itself, try this and try that. How
Microsoft think people would dare to jump on a new OS. if they even cannot
make updates to a mature OS work is a mystery to me.

If you cannot install any updates, Windows Update is an appropriate
newsgroup. If you're having problems installing Vista SP2 only...

Free unlimited installation and compatibility support is available for
Windows Vista, but only for Service Pack 2 (SP2). This support for Windows
Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) is valid until November 26, 2009. Availability of
chat or e-mail support differs depending on your geographic location. Go to
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?prid=13014&gprid=582034 &
select appropriate category (i.e., Download issue; Installation issue;
Issues after you install a service pack).

You'll find additional support for Vista SP2 issues in
microsoft.public.windows.vista.general newsgroup and in these forums:

. http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistawu/threads/

. http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistainstall/threads

. http://social.technet.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/itprovistasp/threads/

How to troubleshoot Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 service pack
installation issues
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947366

Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 service pack installation fails with
error 0x80004005:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971204

Error message when you try to install Windows Vista Service Pack 2 or
Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2: "An internal error occurred while
installing the service pack":
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/967818

Description of the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 installation
software feature update released April 28, 2009:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955430 [Has KB955430 been installed yet?]

The update is not installed successfully, you receive a message, and the
computer restarts when you try to install an update in Windows Vista (3
Resolution Methods)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949358

============

Vista SP2 Installation Tips:

.. Your computer will restart several times during the installation process:
Make certain you've saved your work and closed all open applications before
beginning the install.

.. Disable (1) your anti-virus application, (2) any real-time system
protections afforded by any anti-spyware applications (except Defender), &
(3) your third-party firewall (if any) and then (4) enable the Windows
Firewall _before installing or uninstalling_ Vista SP2.

.. The installation process can take an hour or more: If you're installing
SP2 on a portable computer, make sure that you plug-in the power cord and
have the battery inserted into its bay.

.. Vista SP1 is a prerequisite for installing SP2. If you use Windows Update
or the Automatic Update feature in Windows Vista, you will not be offered
the option to install SP2 until you first install SP1.

=============================

HOW TO install Vista SP2 manually

<QP>
Generally, these errors can occur if the system files are corrupted.

To make clear the current situation, I recommend downloading Windows Vista
Service Pack 2] in Normal Mode and installing it in Clean Boot Mode. Please
follow the steps below.

Note: This SP2 installation can be affected by certain third party programs
running in the background. If you are running any third party applications
such as Spyblocker, Internet or web accelerators (programs designed to boost
the speed of the Internet connection), security or anti-virus programs
(McAfee, Norton, etc.), I recommend we temporarily disable or shut them down
during our troubleshooting process. Please be sure to enable them again when
the update process has been completed.

Step 1: Download Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Standalone Installer
===================================================
1. Download Windows Vista SP2 from the link below according to your System
Type:

....Windows Vista Service Pack 2 - Five Language Standalone for x32-based
systems (Size: 348.3 MB)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...FamilyID=a4dd31d5-f907-4406-9012-a5c3199ea2b3

....Windows Vista Service Pack 2 - Five Language Standalone for x64-based
systems (Size: 577.4MB)
http://download.microsoft.com/downl...c1f58727b8b/Windows6.0-KB936330-X64-wave0.exe

2. Save the download to your desktop, do not Run it!

Step 2: Install Windows Vista SP2 in Clean Boot mode
========================================
Please disable all startup items and third party services when booting to
avoid conflict when installing Vista SP1:

1. Click "Start", type: MSCONFIG in the search box and press Enter.

Note: Please click "Continue" if the "User Account Control" window pops up.

2. Click "Services", check the "Hide All Microsoft Services" box and click
"Disable All" (if it is not gray).
3. Click "Startup", click "Disable All" and click "OK".

Note: Temporarily disabling the Startup Group only prevents the startup
programs from loading at startup. This shouldn't affect the system or other
programs. We can manually run these programs later. Go ahead and reboot your
system when prompted as you are exiting MsConfig.

4. After rebooting, right-click on the downloaded Windows Vista Service Pack
2 Standalone Installer, select "Run as Administrator" (if necessary) and
follow the instructions to install Windows Vista SP2.

To restore the computer to use a Normal Startup, repeat step 1 above. Then
click "Normal Startup" on the General tab, click "OK", and then restart the
computer.
</QP>
Modified from original MS Support source as quoted in
http://social.technet.microsoft.com.../thread/4491fe25-be44-430e-a384-fb58c5da5ad0/
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
www.banthecheck.com

This discussion belongs in microsoft.public.windowsupdate.

I'm sending it there via crosspost.

 

[scorpionleather]

The first thing right off preferred here is to wait for the
redistributable full download usually loaded up with all the other
updates explaining the larger size once a system restore point has been
created manually. While the installer will create one itself I like to a
little better prepared.

The next step is a good look over on processes and since you are seeing
problems on more then one machine did you burn the downloaded service
pack's iso image to disk? If that's the case you may have had a bad burn
since MS provided the iso for SP2 when multiple systems are to be
updated.

On all the systems I first used Windows Update, and then I tried the full
download from the web. I'm not using a CD or anything that would introduce
anything in common to make them fail.

The interesting thing is the totally different way that the 3 systems failed
during install.

The first one, my mother's computer, would quickly say "successfully
installed" in the Windows Update status screen - in fact too quick, within a
split second after clicking to update to SP2. But then Control Panel System
Info still shows SP1, and then SP2 keeps showing up in Windows Update as an
important update that has not been installed yet. So then I try the full
download and it fails with an error code with no reported solution on
discussion forums other than to do a Restore from the Vista CD.

The second one, my brother's computer, would seem to go ok but then after
reboot I see a screen that says "Rolling back service pack" due to some
error encountered.

The third one, my father's computer, says that the install failed with an
error in Windows Update. This is a different error number than the others.

So there is something severely wrong with Vista SP2. Microsoft should fix
this and then issue SP v2.01 which actually installs on more systems...

By the way the thing that irritates me about Microsoft is that they will
never admit to a major bug while it's happening. Instead a year later they
will admit it, only after they have some next version of the operating
system. This is how it's always been, since I started using MS-DOS and
Windows in the late 1980s.. this is permanent in the Microsoft culture. But
I don't like it because a lot of people end up wasting their time trying to
troubleshoot something that can only be fixed by programmers. I mean when
there is a programming defect how often is it that you can solve it just by
disabling processes etc?

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Your computer's OEM install of Vista SP1 may be junk, BW.

Attempting a manual install per my previous reply should be a last resort.
Most users won't have to resort such a complex method to install it manually
or via Automatic/Windows Update.

In any event, free support's available so why not take advantage of it?

I agree Vista SP is junk. Have tried several times to install SP 2. It
always ends up with "Reverting changes" for approx 5 hours.
By the way just look at the advice given to install SP on Vista. The
complexity of fixing this issue speaks for itself, try this and try that.
How Microsoft think people would dare to jump on a new OS. if they even
cannot make updates to a mature OS work is a mystery to me.

If you cannot install any updates, Windows Update is an appropriate
newsgroup. If you're having problems installing Vista SP2 only...

Free unlimited installation and compatibility support is available for
Windows Vista, but only for Service Pack 2 (SP2). This support for
Windows
Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) is valid until November 26, 2009. Availability
of chat or e-mail support differs depending on your geographic location.
Go to
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?prid=13014&gprid=582034 &
select appropriate category (i.e., Download issue; Installation issue;
Issues after you install a service pack).

You'll find additional support for Vista SP2 issues in
microsoft.public.windows.vista.general newsgroup and in these forums:

. http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistawu/threads/

. http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistainstall/threads

.
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/itprovistasp/threads/

How to troubleshoot Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 service pack
installation issues
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947366

Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 service pack installation fails
with
error 0x80004005:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971204

Error message when you try to install Windows Vista Service Pack 2 or
Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2: "An internal error occurred while
installing the service pack":
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/967818

I blame Microsoft for not issuing a patch... to deal with
this SP2 installer problem.

Description of the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 installation
software feature update released April 28, 2009:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955430 [Has KB955430 been installed
yet?]

The update is not installed successfully, you receive a message, and the
computer restarts when you try to install an update in Windows Vista (3
Resolution Methods)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949358

============

Vista SP2 Installation Tips:

.. Your computer will restart several times during the installation
process: Make certain you've saved your work and closed all open
applications before beginning the install.

.. Disable (1) your anti-virus application, (2) any real-time system
protections afforded by any anti-spyware applications (except Defender),
&
(3) your third-party firewall (if any) and then (4) enable the Windows
Firewall _before installing or uninstalling_ Vista SP2.

.. The installation process can take an hour or more: If you're
installing
SP2 on a portable computer, make sure that you plug-in the power cord and
have the battery inserted into its bay.

.. Vista SP1 is a prerequisite for installing SP2. If you use Windows
Update or the Automatic Update feature in Windows Vista, you will not be
offered the option to install SP2 until you first install SP1.

=============================

HOW TO install Vista SP2 manually

<QP>
Generally, these errors can occur if the system files are corrupted.

To make clear the current situation, I recommend downloading Windows
Vista
Service Pack 2] in Normal Mode and installing it in Clean Boot Mode.
Please
follow the steps below.

Note: This SP2 installation can be affected by certain third party
programs
running in the background. If you are running any third party
applications
such as Spyblocker, Internet or web accelerators (programs designed to
boost the speed of the Internet connection), security or anti-virus
programs (McAfee, Norton, etc.), I recommend we temporarily disable or
shut them down during our troubleshooting process. Please be sure to
enable them again when the update process has been completed.

Step 1: Download Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Standalone Installer
===================================================
1. Download Windows Vista SP2 from the link below according to your
System
Type:

....Windows Vista Service Pack 2 - Five Language Standalone for x32-based
systems (Size: 348.3 MB)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...FamilyID=a4dd31d5-f907-4406-9012-a5c3199ea2b3

....Windows Vista Service Pack 2 - Five Language Standalone for x64-based
systems (Size: 577.4MB)
http://download.microsoft.com/downl...c1f58727b8b/Windows6.0-KB936330-X64-wave0.exe

2. Save the download to your desktop, do not Run it!

Step 2: Install Windows Vista SP2 in Clean Boot mode
========================================
Please disable all startup items and third party services when booting to
avoid conflict when installing Vista SP1:

1. Click "Start", type: MSCONFIG in the search box and press Enter.

Note: Please click "Continue" if the "User Account Control" window pops
up.

2. Click "Services", check the "Hide All Microsoft Services" box and
click
"Disable All" (if it is not gray).
3. Click "Startup", click "Disable All" and click "OK".

Note: Temporarily disabling the Startup Group only prevents the startup
programs from loading at startup. This shouldn't affect the system or
other
programs. We can manually run these programs later. Go ahead and reboot
your system when prompted as you are exiting MsConfig.

4. After rebooting, right-click on the downloaded Windows Vista Service
Pack 2 Standalone Installer, select "Run as Administrator" (if necessary)
and follow the instructions to install Windows Vista SP2.

To restore the computer to use a Normal Startup, repeat step 1 above.
Then
click "Normal Startup" on the General tab, click "OK", and then restart
the
computer.
</QP>
Modified from original MS Support source as quoted in
http://social.technet.microsoft.com.../thread/4491fe25-be44-430e-a384-fb58c5da5ad0/
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
www.banthecheck.com

This discussion belongs in microsoft.public.windowsupdate.

I'm sending it there via crosspost.

Brit, did you read my message? I said that there are -three- different
computers that belong to different people in my family, that all have
problems with Vista SP2. I have applied SP2 to a total of around 5-6
computers so almost 50% of the computers I updated have problems
installing
the service pack. Therefore, it is not because of anything unusual.
In
fact all three of these computers have very standard, out-of-the-box
setups.

One is my brother's new Dell laptop in the US. The other is my
mother's
desktop computer also in the US. And the third computer is my father's
Dell laptop in Europe (I connected remotely to his machine).

You cannot possibly claim that 50% of the computers I updated have
problems
because of unusual configuration. I don't touch these computers other
than
making sure that my brother and parents do their regular Microsoft
security
updates. They tend to keep their desktops very simple, with very
little
3rd party software installed.

I blame Microsoft for not issuing a patch or a product alert to deal
with
this SP2 installer problem. They realled messed up on the Vista SP2
installer.

 

[Bitewolf]

Yes it is possible the OEM installation is the problem, since I have the
files prepacked on my VAIO. Sony seems to have problems with their hardware
similar to Microsofts problem with software.
But the issue is that MS soon only supports Vista SP2 installations. Since I
cannot upgrade from SP1 soon this will not be a in issue for MS. Magnificent
solution.

Your computer's OEM install of Vista SP1 may be junk, BW.

Attempting a manual install per my previous reply should be a last resort.
Most users won't have to resort such a complex method to install it manually
or via Automatic/Windows Update.

In any event, free support's available so why not take advantage of it?

I agree Vista SP is junk. Have tried several times to install SP 2. It
always ends up with "Reverting changes" for approx 5 hours.
By the way just look at the advice given to install SP on Vista. The
complexity of fixing this issue speaks for itself, try this and try that.
How Microsoft think people would dare to jump on a new OS. if they even
cannot make updates to a mature OS work is a mystery to me.

If you cannot install any updates, Windows Update is an appropriate
newsgroup. If you're having problems installing Vista SP2 only...

Free unlimited installation and compatibility support is available for
Windows Vista, but only for Service Pack 2 (SP2). This support for
Windows
Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) is valid until November 26, 2009. Availability
of chat or e-mail support differs depending on your geographic location.
Go to
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?prid=13014&gprid=582034 &
select appropriate category (i.e., Download issue; Installation issue;
Issues after you install a service pack).

You'll find additional support for Vista SP2 issues in
microsoft.public.windows.vista.general newsgroup and in these forums:

. http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistawu/threads/

. http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vistainstall/threads

.
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/itprovistasp/threads/

How to troubleshoot Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 service pack
installation issues
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947366

Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 service pack installation fails
with
error 0x80004005:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971204

Error message when you try to install Windows Vista Service Pack 2 or
Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2: "An internal error occurred while
installing the service pack":
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/967818

I blame Microsoft for not issuing a patch... to deal with
this SP2 installer problem.

Description of the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 installation
software feature update released April 28, 2009:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955430 [Has KB955430 been installed
yet?]

The update is not installed successfully, you receive a message, and the
computer restarts when you try to install an update in Windows Vista (3
Resolution Methods)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949358

============

Vista SP2 Installation Tips:

.. Your computer will restart several times during the installation
process: Make certain you've saved your work and closed all open
applications before beginning the install.

.. Disable (1) your anti-virus application, (2) any real-time system
protections afforded by any anti-spyware applications (except Defender),
&
(3) your third-party firewall (if any) and then (4) enable the Windows
Firewall _before installing or uninstalling_ Vista SP2.

.. The installation process can take an hour or more: If you're
installing
SP2 on a portable computer, make sure that you plug-in the power cord and
have the battery inserted into its bay.

.. Vista SP1 is a prerequisite for installing SP2. If you use Windows
Update or the Automatic Update feature in Windows Vista, you will not be
offered the option to install SP2 until you first install SP1.

=============================

HOW TO install Vista SP2 manually

<QP>
Generally, these errors can occur if the system files are corrupted.

To make clear the current situation, I recommend downloading Windows
Vista
Service Pack 2] in Normal Mode and installing it in Clean Boot Mode.
Please
follow the steps below.

Note: This SP2 installation can be affected by certain third party
programs
running in the background. If you are running any third party
applications
such as Spyblocker, Internet or web accelerators (programs designed to
boost the speed of the Internet connection), security or anti-virus
programs (McAfee, Norton, etc.), I recommend we temporarily disable or
shut them down during our troubleshooting process. Please be sure to
enable them again when the update process has been completed.

Step 1: Download Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Standalone Installer
===================================================
1. Download Windows Vista SP2 from the link below according to your
System
Type:

....Windows Vista Service Pack 2 - Five Language Standalone for x32-based
systems (Size: 348.3 MB)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...FamilyID=a4dd31d5-f907-4406-9012-a5c3199ea2b3

....Windows Vista Service Pack 2 - Five Language Standalone for x64-based
systems (Size: 577.4MB)
http://download.microsoft.com/downl...c1f58727b8b/Windows6.0-KB936330-X64-wave0.exe

2. Save the download to your desktop, do not Run it!

Step 2: Install Windows Vista SP2 in Clean Boot mode
========================================
Please disable all startup items and third party services when booting to
avoid conflict when installing Vista SP1:

1. Click "Start", type: MSCONFIG in the search box and press Enter.

Note: Please click "Continue" if the "User Account Control" window pops
up.

2. Click "Services", check the "Hide All Microsoft Services" box and
click
"Disable All" (if it is not gray).
3. Click "Startup", click "Disable All" and click "OK".

Note: Temporarily disabling the Startup Group only prevents the startup
programs from loading at startup. This shouldn't affect the system or
other
programs. We can manually run these programs later. Go ahead and reboot
your system when prompted as you are exiting MsConfig.

4. After rebooting, right-click on the downloaded Windows Vista Service
Pack 2 Standalone Installer, select "Run as Administrator" (if necessary)
and follow the instructions to install Windows Vista SP2.

To restore the computer to use a Normal Startup, repeat step 1 above.
Then
click "Normal Startup" on the General tab, click "OK", and then restart
the
computer.
</QP>
Modified from original MS Support source as quoted in
http://social.technet.microsoft.com.../thread/4491fe25-be44-430e-a384-fb58c5da5ad0/
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002
www.banthecheck.com



Bill Daggett wrote:
This discussion belongs in microsoft.public.windowsupdate.

I'm sending it there via crosspost.

Brit, did you read my message? I said that there are -three- different
computers that belong to different people in my family, that all have
problems with Vista SP2. I have applied SP2 to a total of around 5-6
computers so almost 50% of the computers I updated have problems
installing
the service pack. Therefore, it is not because of anything unusual.
In
fact all three of these computers have very standard, out-of-the-box
setups.

One is my brother's new Dell laptop in the US. The other is my
mother's
desktop computer also in the US. And the third computer is my father's
Dell laptop in Europe (I connected remotely to his machine).

You cannot possibly claim that 50% of the computers I updated have
problems
because of unusual configuration. I don't touch these computers other
than
making sure that my brother and parents do their regular Microsoft
security
updates. They tend to keep their desktops very simple, with very
little
3rd party software installed.

I blame Microsoft for not issuing a patch or a product alert to deal
with
this SP2 installer problem. They realled messed up on the Vista SP2
installer.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Brit, did you read my message? I said that there are -three-
different computers that belong to different people in my family,
that all have problems with Vista SP2. I have applied SP2 to a
total of around 5-6 computers so almost 50% of the computers I
updated have problems installing the service pack. Therefore, it
is not because of anything unusual. In fact all three of these
computers have very standard, out-of-the-box setups.

One is my brother's new Dell laptop in the US. The other is my
mother's desktop computer also in the US. And the third computer
is my father's Dell laptop in Europe (I connected remotely to his
machine).

You cannot possibly claim that 50% of the computers I updated have
problems because of unusual configuration. I don't touch these
computers other than making sure that my brother and parents do
their regular Microsoft security updates. They tend to keep their
desktops very simple, with very little 3rd party software
installed.

I blame Microsoft for not issuing a patch or a product alert to
deal with this SP2 installer problem. They realled messed up on
the Vista SP2 installer.

This discussion belongs in microsoft.public.windowsupdate.

I'm sending it there via crosspost.

If you cannot install any updates, Windows Update is an appropriate
newsgroup. If you're having problems installing Vista SP2 only...

Free unlimited installation and compatibility support is available
for Windows Vista, but only for Service Pack 2 (SP2). This support
for Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) is valid until November 26,
2009. Availability of chat or e-mail support differs depending on
your geographic location. Go to
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?prid=13014&gprid=582034
& select appropriate category (i.e., Download issue; Installation
issue; Issues after you install a service pack).

<snipped>

I agree Vista SP is junk. Have tried several times to install SP 2.
It always ends up with "Reverting changes" for approx 5 hours.
By the way just look at the advice given to install SP on Vista. The
complexity of fixing this issue speaks for itself, try this and try
that. How Microsoft think people would dare to jump on a new OS. if
they even cannot make updates to a mature OS work is a mystery to
me.

Your computer's OEM install of Vista SP1 may be junk, BW.

Attempting a manual install per my previous reply should be a last
resort. Most users won't have to resort such a complex method to
install it manually or via Automatic/Windows Update.

In any event, free support's available so why not take advantage of
it?

Yes it is possible the OEM installation is the problem, since I
have the files prepacked on my VAIO. Sony seems to have problems
with their hardware similar to Microsofts problem with software.
But the issue is that MS soon only supports Vista SP2
installations. Since I cannot upgrade from SP1 soon this will not
be a in issue for MS. Magnificent solution.

PA Bear gave you a link where you can get assistance with Vista SP2
installation issues. You are having a Vista SP2 installation issue. You
might want to use that free assistance (by the method of your choice, email,
online chat, telephone depending on your location) if you need to get
assistance.

Repeating what PA Bear already gave to you:

Free unlimited installation and compatibility support is available for
Windows Vista, but only for Service Pack 2 (SP2). This support for Windows
Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) is valid until November 26, 2009. Availability of
chat or e-mail support differs depending on your geographic location. Go to
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?prid=13014&gprid=582034 &
select appropriate category (i.e., Download issue; Installation issue;
Issues after you install a service pack).

So get yourself some free support. Who knows - they might have just the
suggestion.

Now - let me warn you - the one and only time I had to use this support for
Windows Vista SP2 installation issues - Microsoft failed in my opinion. I
know of many others with much differing results than mine - after all - I
had probably exhausted most of the normal troubleshooting issues long before
I called (I essentially had, although I was avoiding some of the more
drastic on purpose) - so it is highly likely your situation is different
from mine enough so that your attempt might be more successful (or you may
be willing to go with the steps I was not willing to do.)

I had worked on it for hours and not been able to get SP2 installed. I
finally let go of my "I can do it" attitude/ego and called for the free
support. I talked to them for over an hour and in then end - they wanted me
to format and install from scratch.

I disconnected from the call politely, but thinking that solution was
horrible. They had been 'on-track', I thought, with the repair installation
path they had suggested near the end of the conversation, but they did not
carry it through. So I did. The problem had been my Windows Vista SP1
integrated DVD did not give me the proper options - my thought is that I had
leftovers from the failed SP2 attempts and it thought my SP1 integrated DVD
was a version below what it had installed. That was incorrect - but finding
everything that it might check for seemed out of the question. I downloaded
a MSDN copy of Windows Vista with SP2 integrated and use that to perform a
repair installation with my product key. Everything has been smooth sailing
ever since and the only thing I lost (noticable) was my Internet Explorer
home page setting.

Now - giving Microsoft their fair shake - I doubt they could have
recommended I download the MSDN copy of Windows Vista with SP2 integrated
and used it to perform the repair installation, but maybe they could have
just asked, "Do you have a copy of Windows Vista with SP2 intgrated you can
get your hands on?" - showing they at least thought of it. *grin*

In any case - it is the only time (knock on wood) I have had trouble with
SP2 for Windows Vista. I have not installed SP2 for Vista as extensively as
I have SP3 for Windows XP - but enough to make that statement and add that
is less than 1% of machines so far. It's actually to be expected. Who
knows how many millions/billions of hardware/software combinations exist and
to expect any one entity to be able to compensate for all the possible
dfferences would be ridiculous, IMO.