Question: Win XP SERVICE PACK 2 Nightmare

[dvk1]

I just re-installed my Win XP Home Ed. (upgrade disk from Win 98) to my freshly formated hard drive - Now I need to reinstall VB Express 2008 for my class - BUT first I have to install XP Service Pack 2!!! This is crazy - I have downloaded SP2 twice (from 2 different websites), signed up for this crazy auto Updates, signed up for this crazy Windows Installer 3, and both times I downloaded the SP2 it was 266 MBs! took over an hour each time - THEN when I go to set it up from my desktop, SetUp runs for a few minutes then it encounters "a missing file" one at a time - and prompts me to press 'retry' without the file and then I 'll get the same message for another file and over and over and over again - This is ridiculous - then I end up cancelling SETUP. Why is this not working?? Why can't SetUp find these files? anybody know?? this should not be this hard!!! THANK YOU for any suggestions. I hate these service packs and update crapola!!!

 

[Freestone]

It sounds like either the downloaded files are being corrupted or you have a hardware issue. Can you have someone else download and burn the SP2 file to a CD? Try running a memory test on the PC in question:

http://www.memtest.org/

http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

 

[linney]

See some of the solutions discussed here. Consider some of the basics like disabling Anti Virus and other security type programs. Make sure you are running as an Administrator.

Windows XP Service Pack 2/3 Problem Solver

http://winhlp.com/

Is your XP Home at SP1, if it is you could jump to SP3 and bypass SP2 altogether?

http://www.mvps.org/marksxp/WindowsXP/SP2/common.php

SP2 - Microsoft Support is Free for SP2 Issues
thread779-923312

Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3 (All Languages)

http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-us&prid=11273&gprid=522131