SP2 Install Hangs at 'Finishing Installation'

Hi,

I've got a weird problem with a XP SP2 install.
I'm using the CD version (came free with a magazine) on my Alienware Area-51
(Just over a year old).
Everything appears to be working fine, the install process copies files etc.
and the progress bar moves across slowly on the install, but it reaches a
point, not quite halfway through, and just stops at 'Finishing
Installation'.
In the end the only way out is to Shutdown and reboot the PC, at which point
it helpfully informs me that SP2 failed to install properly, it rolls back
some of the install and then suggests I run Add/Remove programs to remove it
completely (which I do) and eventually I get back to a working PC.

Last time I tried to install SP2 I left the machine on whilst I went out
shopping and upon returning 2 hours later it was still stuck at exactly the
same point. How long should SP2 take to install (roughly) on a 3GHz Pentium
4 PC?

I've checked the eventlog and there's no messages in there giving me any
pointers at all.

What I have noticed is that on the first reboot after the install locks up,
a message pops up about Windows Media Player and not being able to find a
'Migrate.exe'. Could this be a clue?

Any help would be appreciated. I've google'd all kinds of queries and can't
find any information on anyone having a similar problem.

Cheers, Richard

Troubleshooting your SP2 installation: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;[ln];xpsp2insttshoot


--

Mark L. Ferguson (NOT an MS-MVP)
FAQ for MS AntiSpy http://www.geocities.com/marfer_mvp/FAQ_MSantispy.txt
marfers notes for windows xp http://www.geocities.com/marfer_mvp/chatNotes.htm
..
"Richard Boatfield" wrote in message ...
Hi,

I've got a weird problem with a XP SP2 install.
I'm using the CD version (came free with a magazine) on my Alienware Area-51
(Just over a year old).
Everything appears to be working fine, the install process copies files etc.
and the progress bar moves across slowly on the install, but it reaches a
point, not quite halfway through, and just stops at 'Finishing
Installation'.
In the end the only way out is to Shutdown and reboot the PC, at which point
it helpfully informs me that SP2 failed to install properly, it rolls back
some of the install and then suggests I run Add/Remove programs to remove it
completely (which I do) and eventually I get back to a working PC.

Last time I tried to install SP2 I left the machine on whilst I went out
shopping and upon returning 2 hours later it was still stuck at exactly the
same point. How long should SP2 take to install (roughly) on a 3GHz Pentium
4 PC?

I've checked the eventlog and there's no messages in there giving me any
pointers at all.

What I have noticed is that on the first reboot after the install locks up,
a message pops up about Windows Media Player and not being able to find a
'Migrate.exe'. Could this be a clue?

Any help would be appreciated. I've google'd all kinds of queries and can't
find any information on anyone having a similar problem.

Cheers, Richard

Thanks for the link Mark.

I've had a look at the various log files and the only thing I can find that
might shed light on this problem was in the svcpack.log file.
Following this line:
760.531: Starting process: C:\WINDOWS\system32\spupdsvc.exe /install
"Enables Windows XP Service Pack Installer to complete its scheduled
post-reboot tasks"

Is this last line which is immediately followed by the start of the
uninstall process and recovery:
761.078: Starting process: C:\WINDOWS\system32\smbinst.exe
C:\WINDOWS\inf\machine.inf

It appears that the Service Pack install hangs when running smbinst.exe.

Cheers, Richard

"Mark L. Ferguson" wrote in message
...
Troubleshooting your SP2 installation:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;[ln];xpsp2insttshoot


--

Mark L. Ferguson (NOT an MS-MVP)
FAQ for MS AntiSpy http://www.geocities.com/marfer_mvp/FAQ_MSantispy.txt
marfers notes for windows xp
http://www.geocities.com/marfer_mvp/chatNotes.htm
.
"Richard Boatfield" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I've got a weird problem with a XP SP2 install.
I'm using the CD version (came free with a magazine) on my Alienware
Area-51
(Just over a year old).
Everything appears to be working fine, the install process copies files
etc.
and the progress bar moves across slowly on the install, but it reaches
a
point, not quite halfway through, and just stops at 'Finishing
Installation'.
In the end the only way out is to Shutdown and reboot the PC, at which
point
it helpfully informs me that SP2 failed to install properly, it rolls
back
some of the install and then suggests I run Add/Remove programs to
remove it
completely (which I do) and eventually I get back to a working PC.

Last time I tried to install SP2 I left the machine on whilst I went out
shopping and upon returning 2 hours later it was still stuck at exactly
the
same point. How long should SP2 take to install (roughly) on a 3GHz
Pentium
4 PC?

I've checked the eventlog and there's no messages in there giving me any
pointers at all.

What I have noticed is that on the first reboot after the install locks
up,
a message pops up about Windows Media Player and not being able to find
a
'Migrate.exe'. Could this be a clue?

Any help would be appreciated. I've google'd all kinds of queries and
can't
find any information on anyone having a similar problem.

Cheers, Richard