Windows Vista Update Crash

TheOverLord · 11 Feb 2010 at 14:45

Hey guys,

Computer runs fine for the last 18 months and then today big stuff happens...

If you want to skip right ahead to the problem, scroll down, its the big bold text, but here ill provide the background info.

~2am:

About to switch off computer, noticed there were windows updates available, 8 Important updates. Tried installing them and it got to about 4/8 before the whole computer crashed. Not wanting to sleep with a dodgey computer, I let it boot back into windows and then see what windows update says. Still says 8 important updates available, I try installing them again, this time it doesnt crash but gives 4 failures (other 4 updates seem to install fine) and it says to restart.

At this point I shut down the computer.

~11am:

I wake up, do other stuff, and turn the computer on. It boots fine. I remember about last nights problems and so I look at windows update. 4 Important updates (presumably the failed ones). Tried installing them again, again they fail.

Actually opened up the list of important updates (I know I should do this always, but they're important updates, you're going to install them anyway) noticed there's a 5th update on the list not ticked called, "System Update Readiness Tool" which supposedly fixes problems with failed updates; great I say, just what I need. Download, install (takes about 5min to install) and finishes, this seems to run a onetime scan when installing and fixes the problems then and there (or so the microsoft site says). Tried to install the remaining 4 updates, 3 fail, 1 seems to work and the restart now box comes up.

Thinking I can get that 1 successful update out of the way, then try to fix the others, I click it.

Now, windows will simply not boot, it gives this error:

File: \Windows\System32\drivers\tcpip.sys
Status: 0xc0000098
Info: Windows failed to load because a critical system driver is missing, or corupt.

Tried then booting normally again, same error, tried booting in safe mode, again the same error.

Then I notice when the error appears that it says to fix this problem: insert your windows disk and select repair.

I rummage around for the windows disk, slot it in and try the repair option, no deal, it says it cannot fix the problem (oh dear).

And now i'm stuck.

The options I can see, listed in preference:

1 (prefered): Some magical fix :rolleyes:

2: Somehow boot into windows in safe mode, and fix/repair/replace that tcpip.sys file
3: Using a spare partition on my drive (created to use Win7 RC, never got around to it) install Vista on there, and fix the problem with my original installation.
4 (least prefered): Similar to 3, but if the problem can't be fixed, move all files I want to keep from the original OS partition (will take AGES) and reinstall Vista.

I'm also wondering, if anyone else has received the same or similar error today (if it being the updates fault) or in the past (the updater itself).

If you got this far, thanks, and sorry for the wall of text, but i'm not sure what to do.

Cheers

Admiral Huddy · 11 Feb 2010 at 14:48

Grab a copy of PE Builder Use CHKDSK to repair. .. or any live boot CD.

then follow these instructions

http://www.huddysworld.co.uk/index....-wrong&catid=41:techiw-talk-windows&Itemid=73

TheOverLord · 11 Feb 2010 at 15:46

Thanks for the quick response,

I wasnt sure how to use PE Builder, so I just used my Vista install disk (hope thats ok) and loaded the command prompt, I ran chkdsk (on the c: drive, couldnt figure how to point it to the windows\system32 folder so I just let it run over the whole drive) but it encountered no errors.

Sorry if I missed a step or didnt do something right, but I'm not the most tech savy guy around.

edit: To be exact, the command i used was:

chkdsk C: /f /r

Admiral Huddy · 11 Feb 2010 at 16:42

CHKDSK /r (implies /f) so that's fine, can you boot into Windows now? it should have done 5 checks including rebuilding the boot files.

try the following (from a command line if required):

reset your FTp: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/299357

navigate to C:\Windows\System32\ and rename the “Catroot2” folder to “Catroot2old”. This folder contains the Windows update processes which may have become corrupt. By renaming it you’ve effectively deleted it. The next time the system attempt to to a windows update it will think there’s nothing there, and create a new folder and the process is tricked into starting again.

Reboot and hopefully, Windows update will resume as normal.

If all works navigate back to the folder above and delete “Catroot2old” folder.

TheOverLord · 11 Feb 2010 at 19:16

CHKDSK did the 5 checks, I don't remeber seeing any info on rebuilding the boot files. I ran it again, to see if there was something I missed, didnt see it then either, so either it's not doing it, or its an automatic hidden thing?

I tried rebooting, unfortunately, same error as before.

Tried the "reset TCP/IP" method in your second link, comes up with the following:

Reseting Echo Request, failed
Access is denied

I think this might be cause the command resets some registry settings (or so the link says), and since I'm not running it off that installation, its not letting me do it. The cmd running from the Vista boot disk is automatically administrator access however.

I haven't tried renaming the Catroot2 folder yet, but wouldnt that solve windows update failing (which I intend to fix asap) and not solve this failing to boot error?

edit: Do you think its worth contacting microsoft support? Or will they give the usual drivel? (make sure the computer is turned on... :rolleyes:

)

edit2: looking through another website, found something interesting: http://www.computerhope.com/fixboot.htm and http://www.computerhope.com/bootcfg.htm, tempted to try it but I know better than to enter commands willy nilly if I dont know exactly what they do

TheOverLord · 11 Feb 2010 at 22:02

Progress!!

Installed a new Vista install on a seperate partition, started that up, fiddled for awhile on the permissions of the old tcpip.sys in my old install, eventually managed to be able to backup and delete it, then copied across a clean version of the file. End result:

I can actually boot my old partition again!

I'll proceed to do what you suggested Huddy and rename the catroot2 folder to hopefully sort out windows update, and hopefully this whole fiasco is behind me.

However, I'm still concerned about having effectively an "old" tcpip.sys file from the boot disk (old as in not having the same updates the rest of my computer has had), I'm running a sfc /scannow to check if its ok, but will this cause any problems? has tcpip.sys been updated in the last few years? if so, will windows recognise that my file is not up to date and proceed to update it?

After searching for awhile on the internet about people having similar problems, where the repair facility on the windows boot disk didnt correct the situation, I never found an example of someone being able to correct this (or at least no example of someone posting that they've fixed it), so I hope that if someone has a similar problem in the future, they can see this thread for ideas.

Thanks again for your timely help Huddy.