SP2 causes a C0000218 on restart

I felt it was about time to instal SP2 in case new updates require it, so
ordered the CD from Microsoft. The SP2 update appears to go well but when
the machine restarts the Windows start screen appears then a few seconds
later I get a BSOD with C0000218 Software hive corrupt/missing/unwritable.
After a quick system reload with DriveImage my machine is working OK again.
I've run CHKDSK on all drives and got a clean bill of health, checked for
virus/trojans and got all clear, disabled virus checking, firewall, and all
non-essential processes and tried again, but same result. I tried the
online update, in case there was a problem with my CD, and after 112Mb of
download the update again seemed to go well, but yet again the dreaded
C0000218 appeared on restart. I even checked the registry after the
update, and before a restart, and although it was ok a restart again threw
up a C0000218....aaargh!!!?

My machine spec is:-
Pentium IV 3Ghz(running Windows XP pro) with
1Gb of memory
Two 120Gb Dasd(WDC WD1200JB)
ATI Pro 9800 with 256Mb graphics card
16x/48x Goldstar DVD-ROM
Plextor PX-708A/T3B DVD-RW
Netgear WG311 Wireless network card

Anyone got any ideas as I'm seriously questioning if SP2 is worth all this
hassle.

Krokr

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Michael Stevens]

After performing a "Repair Install", reinstall SP2.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/secu...t/default.aspx

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Krokr" wrote:

| I felt it was about time to instal SP2 in case new updates require it, so
| ordered the CD from Microsoft. The SP2 update appears to go well but when
| the machine restarts the Windows start screen appears then a few seconds
| later I get a BSOD with C0000218 Software hive corrupt/missing/unwritable.
| After a quick system reload with DriveImage my machine is working OK again.
| I've run CHKDSK on all drives and got a clean bill of health, checked for
| virus/trojans and got all clear, disabled virus checking, firewall, and all
| non-essential processes and tried again, but same result. I tried the
| online update, in case there was a problem with my CD, and after 112Mb of
| download the update again seemed to go well, but yet again the dreaded
| C0000218 appeared on restart. I even checked the registry after the
| update, and before a restart, and although it was ok a restart again threw
| up a C0000218....aaargh!!!?
|
| My machine spec is:-
| Pentium IV 3Ghz(running Windows XP pro) with
| 1Gb of memory
| Two 120Gb Dasd(WDC WD1200JB)
| ATI Pro 9800 with 256Mb graphics card
| 16x/48x Goldstar DVD-ROM
| Plextor PX-708A/T3B DVD-RW
| Netgear WG311 Wireless network card
|
| Anyone got any ideas as I'm seriously questioning if SP2 is worth all this
| hassle.
|
| Krokr

"Carey Frisch [MVP]" wrote in news:OzeBd
:

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Michael Stevens]

After performing a "Repair Install", reinstall SP2.


Thanks for the advice.... I've just restored my system(good old
DriveImage) after the repair gave me all sorts of problems. Firstly, the
instal stalled installing drivers, sat saying 34mins left for almost an
hour before I restarted the machine. After the restart it continued the
install very quickly asking me to approve/not the Netgear WG311 driver
and then proceeded to go well until around 13/14 mins left when it threw
up an error message about unregmp2.exe - "entry point not found, the
procedure entry point GetIUMS could not be located in the dynamic link
library MSDART.DLL" and when I clicked on OK the message stayed there and
nothing happened until eventually restarted again.... this time it
completed with no error messages. However, when the machine restarted I
got a BSOD with UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME !! Attempts to safe boot didn't
help, not that they should, and after wasting so many hours I restored
with DriveImage. One unusual thing I noticed was that my swap partition
had been corrupted and I had to recreate it..... that's never happened
before, despite the numerous restores I've done since trying SP2.

My machine has been so incredibly stable, no BDSOD's or freezes for over
18mths, and I've applied the MS updates religiously until SP2 without
problem. Every CHKDSK gives my drives a clean bill of health, I've not
seen any virus or trojan, my machine runs 7x24hrs and until I started
trying SP2 it hadn't been rebooted for several months.

Any ideas that I could try short of re-installing Windows from scratch
would be appreciated - I can't face all that software installation and
customisation so if that's what's needed I'll live without SP2 until it
becomes necessary.

Krokr