RE: Help please, Windows 2000 SP4 & Roll-up problems

I have dealt with the missing desktop in 2000 server as well. The only thing
that will fix it is reinstalling internet explorer 6. You need the full
version either downloaded or on CD. The typical instal on the MS website
that downloads about 500K first will not work. I assume you can still
access task manager in normal mode and you can install it using the run
command there. Updating to 2003 server will aslo fix the problem.

"alancello" wrote:

> I am writing with my Windows 2000 Professional system in protected mode as
> nothing else works just now. I foolishly downloaded and installed Windows
> 2000 SP4 and SP4 Roll-up on my 3 networked machines, shut them down and went
> on vacation for a week. On startup, (the first boot since installation of SP4
> & SP4 Roll-Up) the desktop on 1 of the machines failed to appear with the
> message: "Can't find file "null" (or one of its components). Make sure file
> name is correct and all required libraries are available."
>
> Desktops on the other 2 machines appeared but did not work correctly. In
> standard mode, clicking on start and then control panel did nothing. The
> applications that
> still worked were glacially slow.
>
> In protected mode, desktop appeared with some functionality problems. An
> icon appears in the lower left tray "Show Desktop" but it doesn't do anything
> obvious in either mode.
>
> I tried to check the history of downloaded updates on the MS Update site for
> a date and time associated with the updates to check to see if I had
> installed
> them in the correct sequence. (Control panel "Add/Remove Programs" does not
> show dates for these updates.) Got error 0X8007041D. There is a log file
> under C:\WINNT NTfor SP4 Roll-up but I can't find a similar file for SP4 to
> compare the dates and times. I don't understand the logs so they are not much
> help to me.
>
> Attempting to turn back the clock, in safe mode, "reboot with last known
> good configuration" made no obvious improvement. On one machine I
> un-installed SP4 Roll-Up but that made the desktop disappear in normal mode
> so I did not continue to un-install SP4 on the other 2 machines.
>
> My portable external backup drive does not seem to want to mount in safe
> mode so my belated backup attempt is stalled until that is sorted out.
>
> Suggestions will be very much appreciated. Thanks!
> --
> alancello
>
>
.

Relevant Pages

  • RE: Help please, Windows 2000 SP4 & Roll-up problems
    ... There have been updates. ... the install in "safe mode with networking". ... > that downloads about 500K first will not work. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsupdate)
  • Re: Time to update Windows 2000? - 37 updates
    ... > and then did install. ... The service pack download is just a couple of hundred k. ... Some of the updates will not be required if you put SP4 on 1st. ...
    (microsoft.public.win2000.security)
  • Re: Time to update Windows 2000? - 37 updates
    ... > and then did install. ... The service pack download is just a couple of hundred k. ... Some of the updates will not be required if you put SP4 on 1st. ...
    (microsoft.public.win2000.security)
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