XP and SP2

[Guest]

I recently had to rebuild my hard drive -- repartition, format (NTFS) and
reinstall Windows XP Home. In the process of updating after the
installation, I downloaded and installed SP2. Everything seemed to go
fine...until I rebooted. When the message box came up to reboot, I clicked
the button to reboot. When Win tried to start, I got to a screen that is
dark blue on top and bottom, large band of medium blue in the middle, with
the messag "please wait" followed by several periods. After waiting about 20
minutes, I restarted the machine...and it froze. I can start in safe
mode...but in no other way. I uninstalled SP2 and it worked just fine again.
Thinking I had a bad install of Windows causing this, I again repartitioned,
reformatted and installed. Got to SP2 -- same results.

Additionally, when I installe the drivers for my monitor, they have no
effect on the display -- that is, I can set the refresh rate to a supported
value (such as 75 or 85) and I get no change -- loads of flicker. Before the
rebuild, this was not an issue.

The reason I had to rebuild/reinstall is because I started getting the error
NTLDR not found. Somehow, my drive designations had gotten switched...D hard
drive became C (with no Windows loaded on it, of course, which is why I got
the error) and my C drive was all of a sudden my D drive. No clue how it
happened, as I'm the only one in my family who ever works on the computers.
At this point, I'm thinking 'gremlins.'

Any help/suggestions are greatly appreciated!

-----
System:
XP Home, new install -- SP2 downloaded and installed, but not functioning
c: = 30 gig hard drive; d: = 10 gig hard drive
CD
CD/RW
New motherboard, AMD processor, not sure what -- 1GHz speed
(not much help here, sorry)

 

[NewScience]

Did you check and download/install any update/patches for you video card
drivers?
Do not use MS Video Card Drivers ... they are normally out-of-date. Go to
the manufacturer's web-site for you card and check for support drivers.

Install them prior to SP2 update.
Also, do the same for any other patches/updates for drivers (network cards,
usb devices, ....).

 

[Guest]

Yep ... did that. All drivers were updated from mfr websites prior to the
d/l and install of SP2.

 

[C A Upsdell]

I recently had to rebuild my hard drive -- repartition, format (NTFS) and
reinstall Windows XP Home. In the process of updating after the
installation, I downloaded and installed SP2. Everything seemed to go
fine...until I rebooted. When the message box came up to reboot, I clicked
the button to reboot. When Win tried to start, I got to a screen that is
dark blue on top and bottom, large band of medium blue in the middle, with
the messag "please wait" followed by several periods.

I think this happens when Windows finds a HD problem, e.g. using CHKDSK,
and tries to fix a damaged file structure. Did you hear the HD doing
anything afterwards? If you did, perhaps you should have waited longer.