Whenever you ask about Windows, it's important to state what version
you have, including the service pack.
If you can do the following procedure in Safe Mode it will be easier.
In Safe Mode or in 'normal' mode: Control Panel > System > Advanced tab
> Startup and Recovery Settings button > Advanced tab > remove the
check mark from 'Automatically restart.'
Now restart your computer. When your computer freezes at a blue screen,
read the message. At the bottom of the message, copy the number (it
begins with 0x000...) and the name of the error (LOOKS_LIKE_THIS.)
Post again with your complete version of Windows, any clues you might
have to explain your problem, and the number and name of the error you saw.
-=-
Maybe others can suggest ways to help with that.
Phil
Do a manual visit to Windows Update with Internet Explorer.
[ Start > Windows Update or open IE, click Tools, Windows Update ]
When the installations fail, close IE.
Now go to Start > Run > type in
%windir%\windowsupdate.log
Click OK or press Enter
In windowsupdate.log scroll to the very end of this log file, and then
work back to the beginning of that last update attempt.
Cut and paste just that tail end of the log file to a response in this
thread.
Let's see if we can tell what is hªppening.
Please post the last 50 or so lines of the WindowsUpdate.log
-=-
Phil wrote:
> I have win xp home and ibelieve service pack 1. It is the restore disk
> from
> hp that came with the laptop. As far as the error code, it happens so fast
> that i do not have time to read it.It just recycles thru start up. Further
> things I tried today. After restoring with the HP disks I then took a win
> xp
> with sp2 and put on as an upgrade. All seamed to be well until it told me
> I
> had 56 updates. I downloaded them and the same thing happened. Sorry but i
> can not read the error,
>
thank you, phil
> .
>
Was this pre-Repair Install "crash" in any way related to a "hijackware"
infection or other security-related problems (e.g., Automatic Updates had
stopped working; misdirected search results; "scareware" pop-ups)?
What anti-virus application or security suite was installed and was your
subscription current when this pre-Repair Install "crash" happened?
Did a Norton or McAfee free-trial come preinstalled on the computer when you
bought it?
Phil wrote:
> no, did not format. I assumed ( and i shouldn't have) That using the
> restore
> disk would put everything back to factory. I could not find any info on
> hard
> drive used in system either so i have no other disks but the restore
> disks.
> I took a movie using a camera so i could pause for error meesage. It
> wasn't
> very clear but what i could see is
> Fata system error
> process system (process) terminated.
> 0x00000000
>
> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" wrote:
>> Did you format the HDD before using the restore disks? [yes/no]
>>
> .
>
How to perform a repair installation of Windows XP if a later version of
Internet Explorer is installed:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917964
Doing the Repair Install without having first uninstalled IE7 and/or IE8
caused the problem. The clean install you just did was the ONLY way to
correct it after doing so.
If the clean install left you with WinXP SP1, you could have skipped SP2 and
gone straight to SP3.
Now that you have SP2 installed, get the computer fully patched per these
instructions, Phil:
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/msg/a066ae41add7dd2b
Do NOT install IE7 or IE8 just yet!
> .
>
Back-up any personal data (none of which should be considered 100%
trustworthy at this point) then do a format & clean install of Windows.
Please note that a Repair Install (AKA in-place upgrade) will NOT fix this!
cf. http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html#steps
NB: After the clean install, you'll have the equivalent of a "new computer"
so take care of everything on the following page before otherwise connecting
the machine to the internet (IMPORTANT) or a network (EVEN MORE IMPORTANT)
and before using a USB key that isn't brand-new or hasn't been freshly
formatted (MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL):
5 steps to help protect your new computer before you go online
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/advanced/xppc.mspx
Other helpful references include:
HOW TO get a computer running WinXP Gold (no Service Packs) fully patched
(after a clean install)
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsupdate/msg/3f5afa8ed33e121c
HOW TO get a computer running WinXP SP1(a) or SP2 fully patched (after a
clean install)
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/msg/a066ae41add7dd2b
> .
>
> .
>
> ...downloaded the sp3 using a known good computer.
How did you determine it was a "known good computer"? Are both computers on
the same home network and visible/accessibile to each other?
> On extraction it said file corupt.
From where did you download this "sp3" and why did you have to "extract"
anything? The proper download would have been an EXE file (i.e.,
WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe), not a compressed (or ZIP) file.
Phil wrote:
> i should also note the restore disks are win xp sp1
<paste>
> back to the drawing board after the holidays. I formatted the HD,
> Installed
> the HP restore disks, deleted nortons 2003 using add/remove programs.
> Purchased a new thumb drive. downloaded the sp3 using a known good
> computer.
> On extraction it said file corupt. Connected to internet on laptop i'm
> working on and downloaded to desktop. When extracting it said file corupt.
> That is where i stand at this point.
> Thanks again, Phil
</paste>
> .
>
> .
>
After you uninstall the Norton free-trial this time around, download/run the
Norton Removal Tool & reboot BEFORE installing a replacement anti-virus
application:
1. Download the Norton Removal Tool, saving it to your desktop:
ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/removal_tools/Norton_Removal_Tool.exe
2. Close all open applications (i.e., anything with an icon on the taskbar).
3. Double-click on the file you saved in #1 above to run the utility. Don't
TOUCH your keyboard until the run completes, then reboot.