The big lock-up after Service Pack 2 install...

[Reverend]

SYMPTOMS
When you try to restart your computer to complete the installation of Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005, your computer stops responding (hangs).

You experience this issue when you select any one of the following options when you restart the computer:• Normal
• Last Known Good Configuration
• Safe Mode
• Safe Mode with Command Prompt

CAUSE
This issue may occur if the following conditions are true:• Your computer uses an Intel Pentium 4 or Intel Celeron D processor that is based on Prescott C-0 processor stepping.
• Your computer has a BIOS version that is out of specification.

Note A BIOS version that is out of specification does not provide support for the processor that is installed on your computer.

More info here

[Island_Boy_77]

Thanks to you all for your advice and info. Since I last posted, I tried working on getting the BIOS to update. What I found is that the 2 x HDDs, the Prescott CPU and the 9800 video card are drawing so much current, that there was nothing left to power the floppy. In desperation, I unplugged the power to the 2 hard disks and 1 case fan. After that, the floppy drive worked and I was able to use the diskette I already had (a Win 98SE boot disk): it worked a treat, and I was able to update the BIOS successfully.

Next, I am going to Ghost the drive, and try SP2 - after I've investigated the various linkls / info you've all kindly posted.

I did note that the BIOS was very out of date - almost 9 months - and that the CPU was not reading the correct speed: the multiplier was stuck on 14x, and I needed 16x to get 3200. The BIOS update has corrected that.

I did get a boot CD created using Nero before reading all of your posts. It worked up until I ran the AWDFLASH exe - when I entered the BIOS file name, the program terminated with "Out of memory". I took that as a sign that Nero had created too much stuff to load into the first 640kb of memory, and so it was falling over. As I've mentioned above, I finally got the floppy working, so that's all good.

A note for anyone following / researching this thread: make sure you have a power supply that is up to the job! This is the 2nd time I have been caught with a PSU that is too "small" for the job. It is only recently as CPUs and video cards have become so much more demanding (say, the last 2 years especially) that having a really good PSU has made a noticable difference. Gone are the days when a 300 or 350W PSU is able to do all and more. I thoroughly recommend a good TRUE 400W PSU for any of you out there putting together a reasonably well-spec'd machine. I thought I was being clever getting away with a 350W by not having a floppy. I hate to think what would happen if I had tried this stunt on an LGA-flavour CPU!

Thanks again to all who've helped - I'll post the final results of the SP2 install once I've had a go...

Peter