DescentBB

SP2 caused crash

A friend installed the SP2 patch for Windows XP and when it rebooted it only goes to the splash screen.

He can get a menu by using F8 as follows:
safe mode
safe mode with the network
safe mode command prompt
enable boot logging
enable VGA mode
last known good configuration
director services restore mode (Windows domain controller only)
debugging mode
disable automatic restart on systems failures

Using safe mode only gets back to the splash screen.
Last known good configuration doesn't do anything.

Can he use his Windows XP CD to repair problems or install over itself?

Can he use someone else's restore backup disk, he doesn't have one of his own?

What say you?

I say tell him to get licensed copy of Microsoft XP

I like that "What say you"

BTW : you have too many friends that have problems... I think they are all you!

you would need to reinstal XP.

and, yeah, what bubba said.

I guess that's why buisineses are not installing SP2, including the place I work. You could always boot a linux live cd and then copy the stuff you don't want to lose off the hard drive before you reinstall your OS.

xamindar wrote:I guess that's why buisineses are not installing SP2, including the place I work. You could always boot a linux live cd and then copy the stuff you don't want to lose off the hard drive before you reinstall your OS.

You know, its just as amazing that you can do the same thing with Windows since NT. Its called the recovery console.

You can't use the recovery console if your Windows partition is trashed enough. Then again, booting off a Linux CD to try to rescue data from a drive with a wrecked partition table won't do you much good either, since you'll never be able to mount the partition(s).

Used the XP CD and he's "up & running" again.

Not sure what to do w/ updates that were erased by the re-install and before he tried SP2.

Does he need to install "critical updates" to get up to date before he tries SP2 or will SP2 update him with only SP1 installed.

SP2 includes all updates up to it's release.

matter of fact, thats probably the only thing you can get off windows update, currently.

my advice: nab the big administrative download and use that.

His XP CD was good. He bought his computer only about to months ago.

Thanks to those who actually tried to help.