XP SP2 Problem

Hi guys,

I downloaded and installed XP SP2 retail onto my Windows XP Home yesterday, and after a faultless install, Windows refused to boot and kept getting stuck on the loading screen.

After an hour of messing about and backing up my files onto my other HD, i reinstalled Windows and then installed XP SP2 straight away before anything else, and the SAME PROBLEMS OCCURS!

I observed that during my NORMAL Windows loading process, the screen flickers half way through, this indicates to me, it's loading something to do with the graphics card.

By coincidence, after SP2 is installed, the loading screen freezes at exactly the same time the screen is suppose to flicker.

I'm currently updating the mother board bios to see if that's causing the problem, but i doubt it, also, i installed Windows XP Home 5x yesterday, testing everything.

My last test was to simply ignore SP2, so i just installed Windows which already has SP1 included, and then downloaded all the latest updates from Windows updates.

Guess what?

Same problem as SP2!

Freezes on loading screen, so wtf? Obviously an update that is available on Windows updates, which is included in SP2 is ****ing my computer up, and since there are SO many updates, i don't know which one it is, and i can't afford to try to update anymore!

So i have an operating system i cannot update, thank you microsoft!

If it is my graphics, my graphics card is a MSI MS-Starforce GeForce 4 MX 4000.

My motherboard is a ASUS A7V600-X, with an Athlon 'Barton' 3000 XP.

Has anyone else had problems like this with SP2?

Thanks for any input that you can give! :)

man sorry gimmie I haven't a clue. that gpu should be compatible its not like its a rage fury.

Try booting into safe mode. That would just load basic graphics support. Now, you also said that after a clean install of the OS and SP1 only, it did the same thing...so that would indicate to me that something more than SP2 was causing the system to phreak out.

SP1 works fine, it's just SP2.

One or so of the updates in SP2 is conflicting with my hardware, whether that's my motherboard, graphics card or t.v card, i have no idea.

Is there an official forum to post my problem and screw at Microsoft? :)

Just read this on Microsofts site:

SP2 Download

"DO NOT CLICK DOWNLOAD IF YOU ARE UPDATING JUST ONE COMPUTER!"

Apparently, the file i downloaded, which i assume everyone else has downloaded since it's the only official file Microsoft has released is attended ONLY for multiple computers.

If i am to update only one pc, i should go through Windows Updates, done that already, again, it screwed my pc up :(

When i'm finished putting all my software in again, i'm going to do a Nortons Ghost backup, and then go about Windows updating until i find the problem update.

I doubt anyone can help me on this matter, except Microsoft, i'll just e-mail bill gates :D

yeah gimie go here

Just to let you guys know i got down to the bottom of my problem and had to buy a new copy of Windows :(

My copy of Windows came with my Laptop, it was bundled software crap, so i suspected that because of their ****ing about, SP2 would never be compatible, and i was right.

I installed a copy of my friends XP Home, and SP2 went in like a dream, no problems what so ever.

I called my Laptop support, and they said it was the first they have heard of it, and they will look into it, (yeah, right) and i was told if there was an update to come out to fix this problem, it would take 4 months!

I can't be assed to wait that long, so i just bought a really cheap (Original) copy of Windows XP Home (off the back of a lorry i bet) :p.

Everythings fine now, and XP SP2 is the best Windows patch ever released, the security centre is pathetic for experienced PC users, but long overdue for the families that should of benifited from that kind of security advice YEARS ago!

SP2 is also twice as fast at loading up and shutting down, speeds near what Windows 98 use to be, now that's progress!

Haven't had any problems with any programs i already use, and no incompatibilities as of yet, and i've had it installed for about 4 days now, so things are good.

Thanks for all the help guys :)

Great to hear Gimie!

Good to see you around again old fella ;)

Win 98 boots fater than XP? How can that be? According to the Windows Tour and the crazy messages during installation, it boots faster.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by joshsiao

Win 98 boots fater than XP? How can that be? According to the Windows Tour and the crazy messages during installation, it boots faster.

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Windows XP does provide a faster boot unless you let every program load at startup.

Here is a good source to improve boot times.
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1590

I had the exact same problem. I just build a new system and installed a fresh copy of Windows XP Pro (not a vendor disk Microsoft disk). I hadn't got a chance to install any software on it yet. It was booting and running fine. Then I downloaded and installed SP2 and it rebooted and froze at the Windows status bar. If I try to boot into safe mode it locks while booting. So I insert the Windows disk to try to do a fresh install or repair and it restarts itself while initializing the setup. I don't know what I'm gonna do now other than formatting from a startup disk and then booting to the CD. I also had my share of cussing out Bill Gates last night. I'm gonna keep fighting it but any input would be appreciated.

Pentium 4 2.8E 800 MHz FSB Prescott
Soyo P4I875P DRAGON 2 v1.0 Black Label
Ultra 512MB DDR RAM
Mad Dog 128MB Video card.

Can you clarify what type of Windows Disc you're using, a retail copy of XP you say?

As for your problem, the only thing i could do was boot to cd through bios, i'm sure i could of used a Windows 98 boot disk, but i couldn't be assed.

If you are using a retail copy of Windows XP, then i have no idea why you have this problem.

Because i purchased a retail copy of XP Home, and everythings fine now.

Hope you find a solution, mine was a nightmare, keep us posted.