Recovering from a failed XP SP2 update possible?

DaveyD · 8 Sep 2006 at 18:54

Hi,

I decided that my brothers PC needed to be updated finally to Windows XP SP2 from SP1 today, so downloaded the update for it, and left it to install.

When I got back to the PC, it had frozen up totally on the 'Finalising installation' part, so I left it another 30 minutes, just in case, and it was still like that, so I guessed it had just crashed.

No, I can't get the PC to get any further than the XP splash screen, and I'm not sure what action to take next. I do have the choice of backing up his stuff from his HDD and then just reformatting freshly, but I'd rather not do that at the moment.

Can anything be done at all? I can't get into safe mode either.

Cheers,

Dave

DaveyD · 8 Sep 2006 at 19:02

Stuck my XP SP2 disk in, seems to want to fix it for me, so hopefully all should be good, so ignore post for now

PsiFox · 8 Sep 2006 at 19:05

Repair the installation (This is NOT the recovery console). It will take xp back to the version on the disc but files, apps and other settings will remain intact.

Then you can patch again.

Info here

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17604267&highlight=windows+repair

bledd · 8 Sep 2006 at 19:06

good luck is all i can say

the restore feature is a good idea, but since it replaces will old file types (compared to the ones on windows update) its likely to be a buggy install after restoring

SP1 to SP2 replaces LOADS of files too, might be better off just using your sp2 disc to format, this is what i've found in the past anyway

DaveyD · 8 Sep 2006 at 19:29

Cheers,

Will see how the recovery goes, if I can get it all to just boot, I can easily back up his files and format quickly enough, else if windows still decides to not play nicely, I'll have to take the HDD out and back the files up via my PC.