SP2 Installation Problem

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From: Barry Watzman (WatzmanNOSPAM_at_neo.rr.com)
Date: 08/21/04 

Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2004 14:47:14 -0400

A friend has a Dell Dimension 8300 and I'm trying to help her install
SP2. She's 500 miles away, so we are using remote assistance, but we
shut it down during the install.

The install is being done from the full 270 MB Gold installation file.
The system is running XP Home, Dell's OEM edition.

Each time we install (tried it twice so far), about 70% of the way
through the install, we get a yellow alert in the system tray with a
popup saying that a file is corrupt and can't be read. The file is
given as "C:\$MFT". The installation ends up saying that it encountered
an error and could not be completeted successfully. But, on restart,
SP2 SEEMS to be installed completely (no way to verify the "completely"
part, really, but it says SP2 in Control Panel / System and the firewall
and other SP2 features are present and operating).

The warning says to run Chkdsk, which we have done (multiple times)
during startup. No errors are reported.

What's odd is that as far as I can tell, there is no file C:\$MFT. Yet
the warning box about this file keeps coming up even after we reboot,
and it continues to come up from time to time during routine operation
of the system.

We redownloaded SP2 itself (the 270 MB file), but FC (file compare --
old command line utility) says that it's the same as the original file.

Anyone have any ideas?

Also, the Dell system has a 36MB hidden FAT partition, it's the 1st
partition on the drive (C: and D: take up the rest of the 80 gig drive,
both NTFS). Anyone know what it is, and if there's an easy way to
access it and see what's in it?

We are thinking of blowing everything away and starting over with a
generic installation, but I'd rather not do that if we can get
completely comfortable with the current installation.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: SP2 download?
    ... > needed, install everything, before exposing the PC to the wild. ... Slipstream SP2 into the XP CD and then install from it. ... Once you make your new CD and use it to clean install the machine - clean it ... using Windows XP "prettifications". ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.basics)
  • Re: Do i need SP2?
    ... > I am running XP pro with all updates EXCEPT SP2. ... many patches will begin requiring SP2 to install.. ... and some you can only download if you are registered - but it is best ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: Just venting (totally OT)
    ... needs SP2 if it's ever going to be connected to the internet. ... There are very very few security ... manually download it and install it yourself. ... That's how the hackers get in these days - they get in by persuading ...
    (uk.people.support.depression)
  • Re: svchost
    ... Well after doing another clean install with the computer all by itself...the ... SP2 installed, ZONE ALARM ... remaing 33% by internet explorer (which I need to connect to windows update) ... Hopefully since Automatic Updates ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: SP2 on MCE - An MVPs real life experience (some solutions)
    ... the initial install. ... I installed SP2, found the problems... ... MS-MVP - Windows XP Media Center Edition ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.mediacenter)