Windows XP Repair Installation Hangs

[anoyed]

Recently, a Windows file became corrupt and my computer stopped booting. So I
decided to do a repair installation of Windows XP. However, when the install
finished and the splash screen came up with the words: Please Wait, the
process began to hang. So I restarted the installation, but now it hangs at
the first install screen after the first reboot. How can I fix this. I have
tried several times to complete the repair installation process but have had
no success.

My install disc contains Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2. Before the
repair install, my computer was running Service Pack 3.

Also, I have a thread discussing this issue here:
http://www.maximumpc.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=95965

Please help me fix this issue. Thanks!

 

[Leonard Grey]

I would ask for the name of the Windows file that allegedly became
corrupt, but that's a moot point, since you tried to install Windows XP
with SP 2 over Windows XP with SP 3. Now your system is buggered up and
you need to do a clean install. (That means erasing your hard disk and
starting over.)

 

[anoyed]

Ah, sorry, it appeared that the file was vgaoem.fon. Also, I have repaired
Windowws XP Service Pack 3 with a Service Pack 2 disc before, so thats
probably not why it is now hanging.

Are you sure a reformat/reinstall is the only solution. I would have liked
to get back into Windows to deactivate iTunes (this particular physical
machine is registered 3 times due to reinstalls).

 

[JS]

Before you go to the extreme of re-installing Windows,
try the Repair Install one more time. Just follow the instructions
below carefully and see if you are able to get Windows back.
Keep in mind that if the repair works, you will need to re-install
XP SP3 all over again.

Using your original Windows Setup CD,
boot from the CD and follow all the instructions until you get to the point
where Setup finds your current Windows installation.

Just follow the instructions posted at one of the web sites below,
read each of the steps carefully so you understand what you will be doing a
step by step before you actually start the repair process.
Windows will keep your previous settings, including applications and
device drivers.

See: http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
and: Windows XP Repair Install - How extreme can you go
http://www.pagestart.com/repairinstall.html

Note: IE7 and IE8 users read this before you start:
"How to perform a repair installation of Windows XP if a later version of
Internet Explorer is installed"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917964

If the PC boots and you are able to logon, then check 'Device Manager' and
look for any Yellow ?
You may need to re-install the device drivers or if you are moving to a new
computer then
have your drive disk ready as you will need to install the Chipset drivers,
LAN, Sound any possibly
others.

Finally go to Windows Update site and install all the updates as they will
need to be reinstalled.

Also read:
Non Destructive Repair of XP by Fred Langa:
http://www.informationweek.com/windows/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=189400897

How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341
Fred Langa:
http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=189400897

 

[db]

you cannot initiate
a repair installation
when the versions
are different.

in order to use your
sp2 cd for a repair
installation,

you would need to
uninstall the sp3
update from the o.s.
first and via the a/r
programs.

however, what you can
do and try with "any" xp
cd is to initiate the
recovery console.

then you might try the
following commands at
the disk prompt>:

chkdsk /p
fixboot
fixmbr

then "exit", remove cd
and see how your
system boots.

-----------------

incidentally, the fixmbr
will provide some
warnings.

but ignore them and
proceed to fix the master
boot record, which may
have become corrupted
with the fail attempts to
boot the repair
installation.

------------------

if still you cannot access
your system then an alternative
is to make a slip stream sp3.

by merging the sp3 update
with the sp2 system files, you
can make a bootable sp3
cd that can be used for a
repair install

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces
- Microsoft Partner
- @hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen

 

[db]

you may have used the
repair option to initiate
the recovery console
from an sp2 cd to repair
a sp3 system.

but other than the above
it is not feasible to
initiate a "repair installation"
between differing versions.

the repair installation via
the sp2 cd will replace
missing or corrupted sp2
version system files.

but if the system has sp3
version system files, there
is "no way" an sp2 cd can
replace missing or corrupted
sp3 system files.

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces
- Microsoft Partner
- @hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen

 

[anoyed]

The instructions given by those websites are the procedures I have been
trying to follow. I have done the reapir install before, but this is the
first time that it hanged (hung?) during it.

 

[anoyed]

You can do a repair installation on a version of Windows newer than the
install CD. I have done it before and it works because it carefully deletes
Windows and reinstalls everything.

Also, I cannot boot into the Recovery Console because I don't remember the
Administrator Password. I tried using the utility found here:
http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/ to blank it, but that didn't work, so
the Recovery Console won't let me log on to Windows. If you know of any
alternatives, I would be interested in them. Thanks!

 

[anoyed]

It won't try to replace the SP3 files, it will replace the entire install
with SP2. I have done this before, but for some reason it won't work this
time.

 

[db]

"because it carefully deletes
Windows and reinstalls everything."


actually, the above wouldn't
be a "repair installation"

but what you are describing is a
"re" installation of the o.s.


whereas, the operating
system with all the accumulated
updates was deleted and

what was installed was the
original operating system
from the cd which would
then need to have all the
updates from microsoft
re-installed as well.

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces
- Microsoft Partner
- @hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen

You can do a repair installation on a version of Windows newer than the
install CD. I have done it before and it works because it carefully deletes
Windows and reinstalls everything.

Also, I cannot boot into the Recovery Console because I don't remember the
Administrator Password. I tried using the utility found here:
http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/ to blank it, but that didn't work, so
the Recovery Console won't let me log on to Windows. If you know of any
alternatives, I would be interested in them. Thanks!

 

[db]

ok, then you need
to format the disk
to remove the o.s.
with sp3

then you can install
the original o.s. from
your sp2 cd.

the reason you need
to format first is because
you cannot downgrade a
system, only upgrade.

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces
- Microsoft Partner
- @hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen

 

[anoyed]

Well, I've done it before, and the websites that JS mentioned seem to
indicate that repairing a Service Pack 3 install with an earlier version of
Windows XP is doable. I'm trying to avoid a clean install, as I need to
deactivate iTunes if I am going to reformat the drive.

I've done both clean and repair installs before and I have a pretty good
idea on how they work.

 

[db]

ok,

it's not my intent to refute
the logical soundness
of others.

however, you may have
already seen that the sp2
cd will be as forgiving.

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces
- Microsoft Partner
- @hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen

 

[anoyed]

Were you talking about the recovery console, because it that's what you were
referring to, I can use that because I forgot the computer's Administrator
password.

I'm trying to do an inplace reinstall of XP, which wipes out all of the
files that Service Pack 3 affects.

 

[db]

well, if you want to
re-install the o.s. then
you don't need the
"recovery console"

--------------------

in order to down grade
from sp3 to sp2 you must
format the disk first.

you must remove all
the newer files on the disk
that "supersedes" the
older files on the cd.

the only way to do this
is to format the disk.

then you can re-install
sp2 onto the hard drive
with your cd.

it is similar to wanting
to install win98 on a
computer that has
winxp.

it would require that
winxp be completely
removed from the hard
drive before win98
could be installed.

because unlike upgrading
whereas as old file will be
upgraded with newer versions,

you wouldn't need to format
the disk before upgrading the
operating system.

unfortunately, you cannot
downgrade as easily.

in order to downgrade,
i.e. install an older operating
system,

it requires that all the newer
files on the hard drive be
removed first.

----------------

there is however, a caveat
that involved sp2 and sp3,

if the computer was upgraded/
updated from sp2 to sp3,

then you can simply go to
add / remove programs and
uninstall the sp3 update.

by simply uninstalling the sp3
update, all the sp2 files the
computer once had
will be restored.

in affect it is like initiating
a restore point which will
revert your sp3 system back
to sp2.

the above is about as easy
as I can make it to be.

----------------------

however, the other problem
that you have is not knowing
what the administrator
password is.

not sure as to why you don't
know it because without it
you couldn't log into the
desktop as well.

but since you have a genuine
windows cd, then there is
probably no cause for alarm.

you can try out a program to
recover the administrator
password

by having the admin password,
you may be able to avoid formatting
the disk by simply uninstalling the
sp3 update via the add / remove
programs.

unfortunately, I have never
needed a program to recover
the administrator passwords.

but here is a list of them
if you want to try the easier
solution I mentioned using
the add / remove programs:

http://tinyurl.com/ny5ecu

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces
- Microsoft Partner
- @hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen

 

[anoyed]

I was able to log into the computer using my user account, which had admin
privileges. However, I have forgotten the password to the Administrator
account, which is apparently required to use the Recovery Console. I want to
try the fixboot and fixmbr commands in the Recovery Console, because a Google
search revealed that people with the same problem I am having (hanging
Windows install). So, if you know how to use the Recovery Console with a
different user account or another program that can run the same commands as
the Recovery Console, then I would like to know this, as it probably will
help me.

As for the reinstallation of Windows XP, the Repair reinstallation process
deletes most of Windows. It only leaves the Registry and user accounts, so it
has almost the same effect as a reformat if the problem is with Windows and
the install CD can find the old install.

 

[JS]

The default password for the account named 'Administrator'
is blank or no password, that is unless you password protected this account.

 

[db]

unfortunately, I have
little else to provide
other than a pat on the
gluteus maximus and
a "go getum".

-----------------------

the option to use the
recovery console with
the hope to repair the
disk system and allow
you to boot up again
is a reasonable one.

so you will have to use
a program to extract
the administrator
password.

so the plan at this time
is:

once you get the admin
password, then you can
log into the recovery console
to make your system bootable
again.

then once you boot into
windows you can try
uninstalling the sp3
update with the hopes
of avoiding a re installation.

go to the listing I provided
and review the selections
of software available for
extracting the needed
password.

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces
- Microsoft Partner
- @hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen

 

[anoyed]

Well, I did password protect it with a password that I forgot, but I used a
Linux tool to blank it but the Recovery Console still won't let me access it.
Is there no other program with the same functionality of the Recovery
Console?

 

[Leythos]

Unzip this and burn the iso to a disk. Boot to it and you will be able to
change the password.

You've exposed yourself as the PIRATE/THIEF we all have said you are.

The file you claim to have known about, claim to have submitted to anti-
virus sites, the file named "obatssrsghde.exe" was a marker inserted
into Stuarts batch file you stole from him, it was is a KEY that proves
you're a thief:

For those that don't know, Stuart inserted the obatssrsghde.exe marker
into his batch file to prove, to the community, that PCBUTTS1 / The Real
Truth MVP is actually a lying thief, and PCBUTTS admitted in his own
post that he created the marker and claimed to know what it was - even
claimed to have submitted the malware to anti-virus vendors, but the
joke was on him, Stuart told everyone in the community about it BEFORE
it appeared in PCBUTTS1 download.... There is no actual file named
obatssrsghde.exe in the malware community, it was a ruse.

The key is in the spelling:

obatssrsghde.exe
pcbuttsthief

If you change (add) 1 character to each letter you will see that
"obatssrsghde" is actually the marker "pcbuttsthief" - proving that
PCBUTTS1 is a thief.

Are there other markers - YES, does PCBUTTS1 know about them - know,
they've been there for a long time, but this is the most obvious one.

Face it Chris/PCBUTTS1/TRT, you've exposed yourself in public.