XP Pro Upgrade crash

[Mike]

I have run into a problem upgrading from XP HE to XP Pro + SP2.

For about a year I have tried to update XP HE to SP2 using the download
files but on each occasion the PC has crashed on re-booting and I have
had to delete SP2 and restore in safe mode.

So I have purchased the Upgrade disc to take XP HE to XP Pro + SP2.

When I put in the upgrade CD, I get to a point where it asks
me if I'd like to get a dynamic update of files. When I clicked yes,
it
began a download process and then rebooted my machine. The PC then
goes through the boot routine with the Windows logo and blue
'travelling dots' before promptly restarting again !

Now it asks me if I want to boot from the CD and if I say yes it
informs me that I am part way through the upgrade and do I want to
continue. If I say yes it checks/transfers more files then reboots
into the same Windows logo before shutting down again and restarting!
If I choose no (to reboot from the CD) it asks me if I wish to continue
with the upgrade !! Either way I'm stuffed.

Further checks into the BIOS settings tell me that the BIOS now does
not recognise the Primary or slave hard disc and only 'sees' the CD/DVD
writers even though there appears to be plenty of hard disc activity.
Help !!

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have run into a problem upgrading from XP HE to XP Pro + SP2.

For about a year I have tried to update XP HE to SP2 using the
download files but on each occasion the PC has crashed on
re-booting and I have had to delete SP2 and restore in safe mode.

So I have purchased the Upgrade disc to take XP HE to XP Pro + SP2.

When I put in the upgrade CD, I get to a point where it asks
me if I'd like to get a dynamic update of files. When I clicked
yes, it
began a download process and then rebooted my machine. The PC then
goes through the boot routine with the Windows logo and blue
'travelling dots' before promptly restarting again !

Now it asks me if I want to boot from the CD and if I say yes it
informs me that I am part way through the upgrade and do I want to
continue. If I say yes it checks/transfers more files then reboots
into the same Windows logo before shutting down again and
restarting! If I choose no (to reboot from the CD) it asks me if I
wish to continue with the upgrade !! Either way I'm stuffed.

Further checks into the BIOS settings tell me that the BIOS now does
not recognise the Primary or slave hard disc and only 'sees' the
CD/DVD writers even though there appears to be plenty of hard disc
activity. Help !!

Upgrading from Windows XP Home Edition to Windows XP Professional edition is
not a solution to a "cannot install SP2" problem - in my opinion. Unless
you somehow had a bogus CD key for Windows XP Home (unusual) - all you are
doing is tryinfg to add more features (that you obviously have not used in
the past) to your system.

Your BIOS not seeing your hard disk drives.. that is a hardware issue -
unrelated to the Windows installation.
What type of hard disk drives are they and how are they connected to the
system? (IDE/SATA and directly to the motherboard or through an add-on
card?)

You mean you saw the "Press any key to boot from CD.." prompt after
rebooting.. Or something else?

 

[Mike]

Shenan - thanks for your prompt reply.

The purpose of including the previous failed experience re, SP2 for XP
HE was perhaps to provide some additional clues.

As that route did not appear to work I (logically?) thought that
upgrading to a new OS that came complete with SP2 would be the best
solution.

I appreciate the BIOS may be a hardware issue BUT it has only been
triggered,, in my view by the upgrade process which when it has caused
the machine to reboot is clearly unable to do so.

Yes the message "Press any key to boot from CD.." prompt appears after
the rebooting process because the XP Pro upgrade disc is still in the
disc drive.

The hard disk is a Maxtor 250 Gb connected I believe directly to the
motherboard.

Rgds

Mike

 

[compsalvage_cscs]

Unplug your network cable.
Insert the Upgrade CD.
Boot the machine from the "Press any key to boot from CD.." prompt.
Continue as if you were installing a new OS.
Eventually you will get to a screen that says "Searching for preveously
installed versions of windows".
Following this it will ask you if you wish to repair this installation.
Press "R"
After your network settings have been configured, durring the
installation, plug the network cable back in.
Complete the installation. "Do not Dynamically Update the Installation
files."
Activate and Register.
Reboot your machine.

 

[Mike]

Thanks for the replies.

Still getting the message that no hard drive can be detected.

Back to the shop tomorrow but hope the data can be recovered off the
disk.

Rgds

Mike