Repairing an installation after SP2 Applied

[Scott]

Here's the scenario:
Customers machine reboots, blue screens, reboots (so fast i cant see the
error in the blue screen) and keeps it going in a cycle.
Decided to try and repair the installation. Gets almost all the way then
gave me an error that SP cant read the entry in the XX.cat file (where
xx=name). Following instructions to rename the system32/rootcat2 so it will
do a "fake" new install, everything seems to come up fine.

Go to windows update. BAM! "windows updated encountered an error and was
unable to update your system". um. ok. 2 or 3 times tried, wont even go into
custom so i can try some of the older ones.

Ok, 5 hours later, clean wipe, reinstall as it was a brand new off the
techbench computer. Update = Success. SP2 install = Success.

When you do a repair of a SP2 applied system(causing SP2 to no longer be
installed), is there a catalog file that doesnt get updated, so if you try
and go to the windowsupdate site, it thinks SP2 is installed when infact it
isnt?

Has anyone else encountered this error? i've had this happen in our office
in 2 instances on 2 totally independent computers. one home and the other pro.

thanks for any suggestions for the future.

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

Scott wrote:

> Here's the scenario:
> Customers machine reboots, blue screens, reboots (so fast i cant see the
> error in the blue screen) and keeps it going in a cycle.
> Decided to try and repair the installation. Gets almost all the way then
> gave me an error that SP cant read the entry in the XX.cat file (where
> xx=name). Following instructions to rename the system32/rootcat2 so it will
> do a "fake" new install, everything seems to come up fine.
>
> Go to windows update. BAM! "windows updated encountered an error and was
> unable to update your system". um. ok. 2 or 3 times tried, wont even go into
> custom so i can try some of the older ones.
>
> Ok, 5 hours later, clean wipe, reinstall as it was a brand new off the
> techbench computer. Update = Success. SP2 install = Success.
>
> When you do a repair of a SP2 applied system(causing SP2 to no longer be
> installed), is there a catalog file that doesnt get updated, so if you try
> and go to the windowsupdate site, it thinks SP2 is installed when infact it
> isnt?
Hi

I suggest you use the full SP2 installer instead of Windows Update
to install SP2.

SP2 is available at the Microsoft Download Center
(standalone "network" version, 266 MB):

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=049c9dbe-3b8e-4f30-8245-9e368d3cdb5a

E.g. burn it to a CD and have it available when you are visiting customers.


--
torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/default.mspx

[r]

How to successfully install Windows XP Service Pack 2:
http://www.fixyourwindows.com/winxpsp2install.htm

Good Luck!
---
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http://www.fixyourwindows.com/windowsxpsolutions.htm
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How to optimize Windows XP, 2000, ME
for the best performance (Step-by-step Visual Guide):
http://www.fixyourwindows.com