Problems with SP2

Hello wildepad,
Sounds like you went by the book on this one. This may sound dumb
but did you check ?Microsoft for the min, system requirments? Do you have
enough RAM for XP, SP2, and, your programs? Hey it is a start. Users like
you make it so much easier to trouble shoot. Best of luck to you'
Ron J

"Wildepad" wrote:

Since it was time for a good disk cleaning, I figured I might as well
install SP2 (all other attempts corrupted the computer).

So, after removing the trackball, printer, etc. (so it was back to all
original equipment):

1) Complete disk recovery (including formatting) to return to only
factory programs and factory settings.

2) Deleted Weatherbug and Softex software using "add/remove programs"
(I know from experience that these will crash a Windows Update).

3) Used the set-up wizard for my dial-up.

4) Went to Windows Update and downloaded and installed the DirectX
update.

5) Went to HP website and downloaded and installed all hardware and
software updates.

6) Went to Windows Update and downloaded and installed all available
updates.

7) Repeated #6 (the first time through, it located 20 critical
updates, this time it located 9 more).

8) Checked that there are no BIOS updates.

9) Went to HP website and found no other updates (just double
checking).

10) Went to Window Update, checked and found no more updates.

11) Downloaded and installed SP2.

12) Used Windows Update to download and install another 6 updates that
weren't there before.

13) Checked Windows Update -- nothing new there.


Now up to this point, the _only_ things that I changed were deleting
two programs and setting up the dial-up -- _everything_ else was at
factory settings and as the updates changed it, and I had not opened
any e-mail or visited any site except HP and MS.

Problems:

A) I installed my word processor from the original CD. It seemed to
work fine until I ran the spell-check -- it ran, but crashed the
program when I tried to return to the document.

I tired every possible setting in the 'program compatibility wizard',
but they all had the same effect: the program will run fine until I do
a spell-check, at which time the program crashes (doing it _before_
the spell-check runs, while it crashes it _after_ when running
straight XP).

B) I installed my CAD program from the original CD. It seemed to work
fine until I went into 3-D mode. It imediately crashed the program.

Again, the 'program compatibility wizard' didn't help.

C) I installed my graphics program from the original CD. It seemed to
work fine until I went into the 'save file', at which time it crashed
(but it had been doing timed backups fine).

Again, the 'program compatibility wizard' didn't help.

NONE of these programs have any internet functions except a link to
their websites in the 'about' window (and the phone line is
disconnected whenever I'm not using it).

ALSO --

D) When the computer hibernates, the only way to get it out is to
unplug it, wait a minute, and plug it back in.

E) At boot, it has the 'password' window. I just hit 'enter', and it
goes away. I went into 'user accounts' in the 'control panel', set it
to use the welcome screen, and deleted a user account "ASD$$$" which
had come from nowhere.

At each reboot, it still wants a password, although one was never
entered, and no setting in 'user accounts' changes that.

F) .NET passport doesn't work, so I can't contact MS for tech support.


I've done the complete format drive to installing SP2 four times since
Tuesday (with slight variations in when I install the hardware updates
and optional updates from MS, and once from my original disks rather
than the recovery partition on the hard drive), and the results are
always exactly the same.

WHY?


Any help greatly appreciated!

True, wildepad said it ['in B/W' in par 1] -
" Since it was time for a good disk cleaning, I figured I might as well
install SP2 - "all other attempts [Past tense] corrupted the computer"

Surely back then that would have been a warning signal that there was a
problem in the OS somewhere, rather than waffling on later with steps 1-5
[Current Sense].
(something about shutting the barn door....? - & probably learning how to do
a system clean-up first & homework on installing SP2?)

--

johnf

Hello wildepad,
Sounds like you went by the book on this one. This may sound dumb
but did you check ?Microsoft for the min, system requirments? Do you
have enough RAM for XP, SP2, and, your programs? Hey it is a start.
Users like you make it so much easier to trouble shoot. Best of luck
to you' Ron J

"Wildepad" wrote:

Since it was time for a good disk cleaning, I figured I might as well
install SP2 (all other attempts corrupted the computer).

So, after removing the trackball, printer, etc. (so it was back to all
original equipment):

1) Complete disk recovery (including formatting) to return to only
factory programs and factory settings.

2) Deleted Weatherbug and Softex software using "add/remove programs"
(I know from experience that these will crash a Windows Update).

3) Used the set-up wizard for my dial-up.

4) Went to Windows Update and downloaded and installed the DirectX
update.

5) Went to HP website and downloaded and installed all hardware and
software updates.

6) Went to Windows Update and downloaded and installed all available
updates.

7) Repeated #6 (the first time through, it located 20 critical
updates, this time it located 9 more).

8) Checked that there are no BIOS updates.

9) Went to HP website and found no other updates (just double
checking).

10) Went to Window Update, checked and found no more updates.

11) Downloaded and installed SP2.

12) Used Windows Update to download and install another 6 updates that
weren't there before.

13) Checked Windows Update -- nothing new there.


Now up to this point, the _only_ things that I changed were deleting
two programs and setting up the dial-up -- _everything_ else was at
factory settings and as the updates changed it, and I had not opened
any e-mail or visited any site except HP and MS.

Problems:

A) I installed my word processor from the original CD. It seemed to
work fine until I ran the spell-check -- it ran, but crashed the
program when I tried to return to the document.

I tired every possible setting in the 'program compatibility wizard',
but they all had the same effect: the program will run fine until I do
a spell-check, at which time the program crashes (doing it _before_
the spell-check runs, while it crashes it _after_ when running
straight XP).

B) I installed my CAD program from the original CD. It seemed to work
fine until I went into 3-D mode. It imediately crashed the program.

Again, the 'program compatibility wizard' didn't help.

C) I installed my graphics program from the original CD. It seemed to
work fine until I went into the 'save file', at which time it crashed
(but it had been doing timed backups fine).

Again, the 'program compatibility wizard' didn't help.

NONE of these programs have any internet functions except a link to
their websites in the 'about' window (and the phone line is
disconnected whenever I'm not using it).

ALSO --

D) When the computer hibernates, the only way to get it out is to
unplug it, wait a minute, and plug it back in.

E) At boot, it has the 'password' window. I just hit 'enter', and it
goes away. I went into 'user accounts' in the 'control panel', set it
to use the welcome screen, and deleted a user account "ASD$$$" which
had come from nowhere.

At each reboot, it still wants a password, although one was never
entered, and no setting in 'user accounts' changes that.

F) .NET passport doesn't work, so I can't contact MS for tech support.


I've done the complete format drive to installing SP2 four times since
Tuesday (with slight variations in when I install the hardware updates
and optional updates from MS, and once from my original disks rather
than the recovery partition on the hard drive), and the results are
always exactly the same.

WHY?


Any help greatly appreciated!

Hello Wild,
I read your steps at least 12 times. The things you describe all point to
spy\malware. I don't know how or where but it is the only thing that makes
sense.
Maybe some sort of code has ben placed in an update from HP or MS
..Microsoft will love me for that one. There is an epidemic of update problems
now. i recieve e-mail from ITTool Boxwindows XP Pro groups. These guys are
not rookies and most of them know security like you know your way home from
work. I installed 5 sets of sP2 yesterday with no trouble what so ever.
Wild I have an idea, there is one thing you might try different. Install
and go only to MS Update site. Don't go to HP or anywhere else. Havew you
been getting the bits transfer OK? It is the very first update after you
install.Thats how I do it but I work with software very different from yours.
You could be having a hardware issue with XP or SP2. The great thing is your
machine is still in good shape by now 50% of the users would have torn
everything up so bad it is not worth it to try and help. Hang in there wild.
Oh I almost forgot...... what dial-up provider are you using? When I used
dial-up it was an 24 hour fight with spyware. Maybe if we started keeping
a list of who is having problems\ the net. connect they use etc. we can stop
some of this The bad guys don't want the good guys patched up. They loose!
Ron J





"johnf" wrote:

True, wildepad said it ['in B/W' in par 1] -
" Since it was time for a good disk cleaning, I figured I might as well
install SP2 - "all other attempts [Past tense] corrupted the computer"

Surely back then that would have been a warning signal that there was a
problem in the OS somewhere, rather than waffling on later with steps 1-5
[Current Sense].
(something about shutting the barn door....? - & probably learning how to do
a system clean-up first & homework on installing SP2?)

--

johnf

Hello wildepad,
Sounds like you went by the book on this one. This may sound dumb
but did you check ?Microsoft for the min, system requirments? Do you
have enough RAM for XP, SP2, and, your programs? Hey it is a start.
Users like you make it so much easier to trouble shoot. Best of luck
to you' Ron J

"Wildepad" wrote:

Since it was time for a good disk cleaning, I figured I might as well
install SP2 (all other attempts corrupted the computer).

So, after removing the trackball, printer, etc. (so it was back to all
original equipment):

1) Complete disk recovery (including formatting) to return to only
factory programs and factory settings.

2) Deleted Weatherbug and Softex software using "add/remove programs"
(I know from experience that these will crash a Windows Update).

3) Used the set-up wizard for my dial-up.

4) Went to Windows Update and downloaded and installed the DirectX
update.

5) Went to HP website and downloaded and installed all hardware and
software updates.

6) Went to Windows Update and downloaded and installed all available
updates.

7) Repeated #6 (the first time through, it located 20 critical
updates, this time it located 9 more).

8) Checked that there are no BIOS updates.

9) Went to HP website and found no other updates (just double
checking).

10) Went to Window Update, checked and found no more updates.

11) Downloaded and installed SP2.

12) Used Windows Update to download and install another 6 updates that
weren't there before.

13) Checked Windows Update -- nothing new there.


Now up to this point, the _only_ things that I changed were deleting
two programs and setting up the dial-up -- _everything_ else was at
factory settings and as the updates changed it, and I had not opened
any e-mail or visited any site except HP and MS.

Problems:

A) I installed my word processor from the original CD. It seemed to
work fine until I ran the spell-check -- it ran, but crashed the
program when I tried to return to the document.

I tired every possible setting in the 'program compatibility wizard',
but they all had the same effect: the program will run fine until I do
a spell-check, at which time the program crashes (doing it _before_
the spell-check runs, while it crashes it _after_ when running
straight XP).

B) I installed my CAD program from the original CD. It seemed to work
fine until I went into 3-D mode. It imediately crashed the program.

Again, the 'program compatibility wizard' didn't help.

C) I installed my graphics program from the original CD. It seemed to
work fine until I went into the 'save file', at which time it crashed
(but it had been doing timed backups fine).

Again, the 'program compatibility wizard' didn't help.

NONE of these programs have any internet functions except a link to
their websites in the 'about' window (and the phone line is
disconnected whenever I'm not using it).

ALSO --

D) When the computer hibernates, the only way to get it out is to
unplug it, wait a minute, and plug it back in.

E) At boot, it has the 'password' window. I just hit 'enter', and it
goes away. I went into 'user accounts' in the 'control panel', set it
to use the welcome screen, and deleted a user account "ASD$$$" which
had come from nowhere.

At each reboot, it still wants a password, although one was never
entered, and no setting in 'user accounts' changes that.

F) .NET passport doesn't work, so I can't contact MS for tech support.


I've done the complete format drive to installing SP2 four times since
Tuesday (with slight variations in when I install the hardware updates
and optional updates from MS, and once from my original disks rather
than the recovery partition on the hard drive), and the results are
always exactly the same.

WHY?


Any help greatly appreciated!