xp pro won't boot after microsoft's wmf patch

[Benjamin Rutt]

Yesterday, XP informed me in the "system tray" that "There are updates
available for your computer." I clicked custom install, and read that
this update was to correct the WMF problem. I installed, rebooted,
and since then my PC won't boot. I get a screen asking me to choose
between:

safe mode
safe mode with net
safe mode cmd prompt
last known good config
start windows normally

none of these options (I've tried all 5) works...in all cases it
reboots after 5 seconds or so. What should I do now, any advice? I'm
not sure what my options are. Thanks,

 

[Rock]

Yesterday, XP informed me in the "system tray" that "There are updates
available for your computer." I clicked custom install, and read that
this update was to correct the WMF problem. I installed, rebooted,
and since then my PC won't boot. I get a screen asking me to choose
between:

safe mode
safe mode with net
safe mode cmd prompt
last known good config
start windows normally

none of these options (I've tried all 5) works...in all cases it
reboots after 5 seconds or so. What should I do now, any advice? I'm
not sure what my options are. Thanks,

Are you sure the system was clean of malware before installing the
update? You might want to slave the drive in another, clean, XP system
and do a thorough scan for malware and backup any essential data.

Then reinstall the drive in the host computer and do a repair install:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

 

[Unk]

Yesterday, XP informed me in the "system tray" that "There are updates
available for your computer." I clicked custom install, and read that
this update was to correct the WMF problem. I installed, rebooted,
and since then my PC won't boot. I get a screen asking me to choose
between:

safe mode
safe mode with net
safe mode cmd prompt
last known good config
start windows normally

none of these options (I've tried all 5) works...in all cases it
reboots after 5 seconds or so. What should I do now, any advice? I'm
not sure what my options are. Thanks,

It depends on how much time and money you want to spend.

The fact that the update seems to have caused the problem means you had some serious issues with
the OS to begin with and trying to fix them may take more time and effort that a clean install.
If there's not much you want to save, do a repair install, save your data somewhere & reinstall.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=315341

If there's a lot to save and you don't mind spending the $$$$, you could get Winternals ERD
Commander.... http://www.winternals.com/Products/ERDCommander/
This CD is pure gold for repairing dead systems. It will let you do a System Restore to before
the update.

 

[Weltini]

I just posted the same issue not having seen this. Anyhow, my
information is the same as Benjamin's. My system was spotless of
malware and other issues. I found it necessary to be obsessed if I
wanted my Windoze machine to work. Any new ideas??

 

[bmgoodmanva]

My sister's PC began to blue screen on Sunday morning, apprently
related to an issue with the video driver (nVidia). I talked her
though an upgrade to her video driver (in safe mode) which corrected
the blue screen "infinte loop". She said she had installed nothing in
weeks. However, in helping her clean out her temp folder, we found
temp files associated with this WMF patch. Any chance these events are
related? Her video driver had been stable for nearly 2 years up until
this weekend.

For those of you who installed the WMF patch and got a blue screen on
the reboot, I would call MS. From the bulletin for this patch:
Customers in the U.S. and Canada can receive technical support from
Microsoft Product Support Services at 1-866-PCSAFETY. There is no
charge for support calls that are associated with security updates.

I hope this helps.

For anyone else having blue screen issues, please post as much of the
blue screen text as you can.