Windows Update crash

[Anthony Speiser]

My wife was updating her WindowsXP from sp1A to sp3. A message box came up
denying access to a "beethoven9.wma" file. When prompted, she chose to skip
the file, at which point the update stated it could not continue and began
to undo whatever it had done. When the computer restarted, a screen came up
with the message "Autochk not found", it hung there for 10 seconds or so
until a blue screen came up stating there was a fatal error.

I am not an expert on this stuff (obviously), but i have tried starting in
safe mode with same results, tried to repair Windows and reinstall Windows
from the original CD, both of which generate the message that setup cannot
find a hard disk.

Obviously, i would like to get this fixed, but if we have to buy a new hard
drive, will her data be recoverable from the old one?

thanks for any help


tony

 

[Alias]

My wife was updating her WindowsXP from sp1A to sp3. A message box came up
denying access to a "beethoven9.wma" file. When prompted, she chose to skip
the file, at which point the update stated it could not continue and began
to undo whatever it had done. When the computer restarted, a screen came up
with the message "Autochk not found", it hung there for 10 seconds or so
until a blue screen came up stating there was a fatal error.

I am not an expert on this stuff (obviously), but i have tried starting in
safe mode with same results, tried to repair Windows and reinstall Windows
from the original CD, both of which generate the message that setup cannot
find a hard disk.

Obviously, i would like to get this fixed, but if we have to buy a new hard
drive, will her data be recoverable from the old one?

thanks for any help


tony

Don't do anything else to the computer. Take her hard drive out and
reset the jumpers to Slave and mount it in your computer and see if your
computer sees the drive. If so, copy all her data and buy a new hard
drive for her, reinstall XP and restore her data putting the old hard
drive in her computer as a slave and copy the data. If the hard drive is
so borked that your computer can't see it as a slave, you're pretty much
out of luck.

Remember, back up is a computer user's best friend.

Alias

 

[Anthony Speiser]

Don't do anything else to the computer. Take her hard drive out and reset
the jumpers to Slave and mount it in your computer and see if your
computer sees the drive. If so, copy all her data and buy a new hard drive
for her, reinstall XP and restore her data putting the old hard drive in
her computer as a slave and copy the data. If the hard drive is so borked
that your computer can't see it as a slave, you're pretty much out of
luck.

Remember, back up is a computer user's best friend.

Alias

thanks - i was afraid of that - is this an issue with SP3 update? I saw a
few problems reported on Microsoft site about the "beethoven**" files -
something about access/permissions but i didn't see anything about it
crashing the system.


i'll pass along your thoughts about backup to my wife - maybe she'll listen
to you



tony

 

[Alias]

thanks - i was afraid of that - is this an issue with SP3 update? I saw a
few problems reported on Microsoft site about the "beethoven**" files -
something about access/permissions but i didn't see anything about it
crashing the system.


i'll pass along your thoughts about backup to my wife - maybe she'll listen
to you



tony

I doubt it has anything to do with SP3 as I have installed it on dozens
of computers without problems. It's more likely that the hard drive is
dying, being as trying to install XP gives you the "no hard drive"
message. The easiest way to back up is to have an external hard drive. I
like doing that with a normal hard drive and an external enclosure so
that if the external hard drive goes bad, I can just replace it with a
new one. Also, it's cheaper than the external hard drives that are "all
in one" and if they die, you have to get another one.

Alias

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

See
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsupdate/msg/6cabe77f372924ae

How to troubleshoot an unsuccessful installation of WinXP SP3
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950718

WinXP SP3 - Read all prerequisites for a successful installation
http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldro...requisites-for-a-successful-installation.aspx

Free unlimited installation and compatibility support is available for
Windows XP, but only for Service Pack 3 (SP3), until 14 Apr-09. Chat and
e-mail support is available only in the United States and Canada. Go to
http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?gprid=1173 | select "Windows
XP" then select "Windows XP Service Pack 3"

 

[sgopus]

is your hd a SATA hd or a PATA? if sata and windows crashes you lose the
drivers to see the drive, only way to get it back, is see if BIOS sees the
HD, and perform a reinstall of the OS