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XP SP3 Cripples Some PCs With Endless Reboots
Gregg Keizer, Computerworld
Friday, May 09, 2008 8:00 AM PDT
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,145689/article.html?tk=nl_dnxnws
Installing Windows XP Service Pack 3 sends some PCs into an endless
series of reboots, according to posts to a Microsoft support forum.
Jesper Johansson, a former program manager for security policy at
Microsoft and a prominent Windows blogger, has worked with users to
tentatively identify the problem as involving only machines using
processors from Advanced Micro Devices .
Messages from frustrated users began accumulating on the XP SP3
support newsgroup Wednesday, just a day after Microsoft released the
update to the general public.
"I just installed Windows XP SP3 and after completing the processes
and when the system reboots, the system cannot proceed to load the
Windows," said a user labeled as "Olin" in a message that kicked off a
long thread . "It just displays the flash screen of Windows then after
it reboots again."
Most users who left messages on the forum said that they were unable
to boot into Windows Safe mode -- a last-ditch way to sidestep the
normal boot process for troubleshooting purposes -- or revert to a
previously saved System Restore point.
Some were understandably upset. "Way to go, Microsoft, releasing the
pile of dung called SP3 that hoses your system so bad even Safe Mode
isn't working!" said a user identified as Mike Voss. "Props to your QA
guys, they certainly have done their job."
Johansson, who watched one of his PCs repeatedly reboot after
installing XP SP3, traded accounts with several other users on the
newsgroup, and summarized the results on his blog.
According to Johansson, there appear to be two separate issues. One
affects only AMD-equipped PCs sold by Hewlett-Packard . "The problem
is that HP, apparently along with other OEMs, deploys the same image
to Intel -based computers that they do to AMD-based computers," said
Johansson. "Because the image for both Intel and AMD is the same all
have the intelppm.sys driver installed and running. That driver
provides power management on Intel-based computers. On an AMD-based
computer, amdk8.sys provides the same functionality."
Running the "intelppm.sys" driver on an AMD-powered PC isn't normally
an issue, but on the first reboot after a service pack installation,
it causes "a big problem," Johansson said. The machine either fails to
boot or crashes and immediately reboots.
The other problem, according to Johansson, also seems to affect only
AMD machines, and involves an error message indicating trouble with
the PC's BIOS. Johansson said that the ensuing recommendation to
update the BIOS is "most likely not your problem," but said that the
problem may be isolated to a specific motherboard. "Possibly, it is
related to computers with the ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe motherboard in
them," he said.
Johansson also spelled out workarounds for both problems on his blog.
The HP issue can be solved by disabling the intelppm.sys driver, while
the second fix requires the user to plug in a USB flash drive before
booting.
Microsoft was not immediately available for comment early Friday, but
someone identified as a Microsoft employee on the support forum had
asked users to e-mail him information such as the PC's system
configuration, tell him whether they were able to enter Safe mode, and
submit event viewer logs.
This isn't the first endless reboot problem Microsoft's faced in
relation to a service pack recently. In February, the company pulled a
Windows Vista SP1 prerequisite update from automatic delivery because
it was crippling some machines.
Gregg Keizer, Computerworld
Friday, May 09, 2008 8:00 AM PDT
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,145689/article.html?tk=nl_dnxnws
Installing Windows XP Service Pack 3 sends some PCs into an endless
series of reboots, according to posts to a Microsoft support forum.
Jesper Johansson, a former program manager for security policy at
Microsoft and a prominent Windows blogger, has worked with users to
tentatively identify the problem as involving only machines using
processors from Advanced Micro Devices .
Messages from frustrated users began accumulating on the XP SP3
support newsgroup Wednesday, just a day after Microsoft released the
update to the general public.
"I just installed Windows XP SP3 and after completing the processes
and when the system reboots, the system cannot proceed to load the
Windows," said a user labeled as "Olin" in a message that kicked off a
long thread . "It just displays the flash screen of Windows then after
it reboots again."
Most users who left messages on the forum said that they were unable
to boot into Windows Safe mode -- a last-ditch way to sidestep the
normal boot process for troubleshooting purposes -- or revert to a
previously saved System Restore point.
Some were understandably upset. "Way to go, Microsoft, releasing the
pile of dung called SP3 that hoses your system so bad even Safe Mode
isn't working!" said a user identified as Mike Voss. "Props to your QA
guys, they certainly have done their job."
Johansson, who watched one of his PCs repeatedly reboot after
installing XP SP3, traded accounts with several other users on the
newsgroup, and summarized the results on his blog.
According to Johansson, there appear to be two separate issues. One
affects only AMD-equipped PCs sold by Hewlett-Packard . "The problem
is that HP, apparently along with other OEMs, deploys the same image
to Intel -based computers that they do to AMD-based computers," said
Johansson. "Because the image for both Intel and AMD is the same all
have the intelppm.sys driver installed and running. That driver
provides power management on Intel-based computers. On an AMD-based
computer, amdk8.sys provides the same functionality."
Running the "intelppm.sys" driver on an AMD-powered PC isn't normally
an issue, but on the first reboot after a service pack installation,
it causes "a big problem," Johansson said. The machine either fails to
boot or crashes and immediately reboots.
The other problem, according to Johansson, also seems to affect only
AMD machines, and involves an error message indicating trouble with
the PC's BIOS. Johansson said that the ensuing recommendation to
update the BIOS is "most likely not your problem," but said that the
problem may be isolated to a specific motherboard. "Possibly, it is
related to computers with the ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe motherboard in
them," he said.
Johansson also spelled out workarounds for both problems on his blog.
The HP issue can be solved by disabling the intelppm.sys driver, while
the second fix requires the user to plug in a USB flash drive before
booting.
Microsoft was not immediately available for comment early Friday, but
someone identified as a Microsoft employee on the support forum had
asked users to e-mail him information such as the PC's system
configuration, tell him whether they were able to enter Safe mode, and
submit event viewer logs.
This isn't the first endless reboot problem Microsoft's faced in
relation to a service pack recently. In February, the company pulled a
Windows Vista SP1 prerequisite update from automatic delivery because
it was crippling some machines.