From: Mike '/m' 

XP ran fine.  XP SP1 ran fine.  XP SP2 hangs during the boot.  While Intel
and the BIOS writers may share some of the fault here, Microsoft is
releasing SP2 software that does not work on the hardware that ran XP and
XP SP1 without a problem.  Nowhere during the Windows Update SP2
download/install was I even warned about a possible problem.  SP2 was
presented to me and queued up as a critical update.  I clicked
"Install" and wound up with a non-functioning PC.

If the version of SP2/XP that my friend purchased may already have the
Prescott fixes, why didn't the version I downloaded from Windows Update
last night have those fixes?  What's going to happen to those people who
have chosen, upon Microsoft's rather strong advisement, to enable
AutoUpdates? Once SP2 downloads and installs automagically, their system
will be hosed.  I have to wonder if Microsoft is eating their own dogfood
on this one?  I'll definitely need to tell the IT manager at work that
there is yet another reason to be very cautious about the SP2 upgrade.  He
is going to be absolutely thrilled that he may have to go around and
upgrade the system BIOS on the PCs that are currently running XP SP1
without a problem.

btw, I just finished updating the BIOS on the motherboard, and XP/SP2 boots
fine.  I had to download and use FreeDOS to do the upgrade, as the system
didn't boot into Windows.  Once again, the Open Source folks have helped to
save my butt with a Redmond-induced problem.

 /m



On Sat, 2 Oct 2004 11:53:46 -0400, "Robert Comer"
 wrote:

>> How in the world can Microsoft release such a defective version of Windows
>> to
>> the general public?  One that won't even boot after a clean install?
>
>I think the bios writers and Intel are more to blame on this one, the
>Prescott is the weirdness here, and for most of the SP2 testing cycle, the
>Prescott's were pretty rare.
>
>And who knows, maybe that version of SP2/XP he has already has the Prescott
>fixes?
>
>As for defective installs, it's happened before and will happen again, and
>not just with Windows!  It's hard making good install routines and OS's for
>something like PC hardware that the only constant is that it's not constant.
>
>- Bob Comer
>
>
>"Mike '/m'"  wrote in message
>news:6ditl0pumlm5jeukmffm6tpqr1lidmbv85{at}4ax.com...
>> >Is it a Prescott processor?
>>
>> Yes, the Pentium 3.0E   3GHz Prescott.
>>
>>
>>>I don't think the fix is in SP2 for that yet.
>>
>> Well, that's wonderful.  My friend is (as I type) building a similar box.
>> The
>> version of XP that he bought says "includes SP2" on the
sticker.  He is
>> going
>> to be real happy when his efforts are rewarded by Windows not booting.
>>
>> How in the world can Microsoft release such a defective version of Windows
>> to
>> the general public?  One that won't even boot after a clean install?
>>
>> /m
>>
>>
>> On Sat, 2 Oct 2004 10:47:51 -0400, "Robert Comer"
>> 
>> wrote:
>>
>>>Is it a Prescott processor?  I don't think the fix is in SP2
for that yet.
>>>
>>>No need to reinstall, there are repair procedures...
>>>
>>>http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;885626
>>>
>>>- Bob Comer
>>>
>>>
>>>"Mike '/m'"  wrote in message
>>>news:m2ftl09to88rhcbnhdf3qcag3uefgam9cu{at}4ax.com...
>>>> I'm building a PC for my nephew.  Yesterday I did a clean
install of XP,
>>>> followed by an install of SP2 via Windows Update.  After
the SP2 install
>>>> completed, the system will not finish the boot process.
>>>>
>>>> When I boot into safe mode, the last driver to appear on the screen
>>>> before
>>>> everyting locks up is agp440.sys (or something very close
to that name,
>>>> I
>>>> am
>>>> going from last night's memory here).
>>>>
>>>> The last time I went through this install (a week or two
ago) Windows
>>>> Update
>>>> wouldn't give me SP2 because I had a newer P4 (or so I
read here).  This
>>>> time
>>>> it decided to give it to me, so to speak.
>>>>
>>>> Am I looking at yet another Windows re-install weekend due to my
>>>> attempts
>>>> to
>>>> use Windows Update?  Or is there a another way out of this fiasco?
>>>>
>>>> /m
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>

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