Windows XP Help

Fergie76

I have an old windows XP desktop that I no longer need. I am gonna give it to someone, so before I do, I took everything I needed from it then wiped it clean, doing a full system restore.

Now when I try and update to XP service pack 2, it seems to install fine (both from CD and online), however when system reboots, it seems to freeze and and will not boot.

I have had service pack 2 installed before wiping the machine.

Anybody got any suggestions on what may be causing it and how to get round it?

santer_2

Can you keep tapping the F8 key just after pressing the power button until you get the option to choose safe mode. If it loads use add and remove to uninstall SP2, you may need to tick show installed updates.

When SP2 is removed, does it boot normally? If so, does the restore version have SP1A included, if so, you can download SP3 and install that that.

If it does not have any service packs you can get SP1A here, then get SP3

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=19751

" Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Windows XP Service Pack 1a (SP1a) must be preinstalled before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3). To check which service pack is currently installed on your computer, "

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389

The_pc_tech

Does the restore CD say it is Service Pack 1

-TangleFoot-

A brand-new HDD and slipstreamed Service Pack 3? The only way to be sure of data security is to retain or destroy the original drive.

The_pc_tech

If the machine was new after August 2004 it is likely the CD already has SP2 integrated into it.

I'm assuming here you are using Windows Update to apply the patches?

TakeThis

Fergie76 wrote: »

I have an old windows XP desktop that I no longer need. I am gonna give it to someone, so before I do, I took everything I needed from it then wiped it clean, doing a full system restore.

Now when I try and update to XP service pack 2, it seems to install fine (both from CD and online), however when system reboots, it seems to freeze and and will not boot.

I have had service pack 2 installed before wiping the machine.

Anybody got any suggestions on what may be causing it and how to get round it?

Test it with an XP SP3 disc as suggested by Tanglefoot. Make and model?

LincolnshireYokel

You need a brand new hdd to be safe, otherwise you need to at least do a dos level format on, download Seatools and use that.

http://www.seagate.com/support/downloads/

Utlities section, dos version, download and burn a CD from the ISO image, then boot off it.

-TangleFoot-

LincolnshireYokel wrote: »

a dos level format

It's more accurately referred to as a zero-fill or initialization; the operating environment is irrelevant.

closed

Has (had) the machine got a factory restore partition?

ccleaner wipe free space option is the easy way of making sure none of your data is recoverable.

LincolnshireYokel

-TangleFoot- wrote: »

It's more accurately referred to as a zero-fill or initialization; the operating environment is irrelevant.

Not in the IT circles ive moved in for the last 30 years No one would have a clue what you were talking about, especially my mate who still has his shop. Even Seagate, the people who invented the 5.25" HDD in 1978, use the word 'DOS'

Ive never come acros that phrase you used " zero-fill or initialization" before in relation to hard drives, only arrays in C+.

-TangleFoot-

LincolnshireYokel wrote: »

Even Seagate, the people who invented the 5.25" HDD in 1978, use the word 'DOS'

One of my previous motherboards had an on-chip zero-fill routine in the SATA controller. Pretty sure that didn't run MS-DOS.