XP SP2 Install Nightmare
airbornflght
Houston, TX Icrontian
Ok, where to begin, this is driving me nuts.
I am working on my buddies computer, which was infested with spyware/virus's; and god knows what else, anyway, I feel that I have cleared >98% of the stuff, and am running a few checks to make sure I have it all, and also, a lot of thanks is due to the SVT team, because they caught about 10 things I didn't.
This all arose out of him using IE, letting everyone use the computer and going everywhere, and him going to different sites, and being conned into downloading 'free' software. When I got the computer, he had attempted to run Windows update, and install Norton '06. He had '04 on there, and had been out of date for more than a year with no AV or firewall. He gave it to me, and it would barely run without crashing, or freezing, now I have it running as it should, and all cleaned up. I have also tried to get it current on M$ updates, which he didnt bother to do either. I have everything installed, except for SP2, which will not install for some reason.
He said that he tried to install it (with all the crap present) and it ran for like 5 minutes and crashed. So here is the deal, it was listed in the Add/Remove programs list, but under the system info, it said it was just SP1, fine, I booted into safemode and removed it as it would bluescreen if I tried to remove it booted normally.
So now I was left with a computer with supposedly no SP2 remnants, I go to windows update site, try and run SP2, and within 1 minute, it says that the install has failed, ok, I try to two or three times. Still no luck, then I just download the service pack. I am running it now, but it has no GUI, it appears to be just running, which I believed at first, when the hdd activity light was going like a madman, and the process was actually active, but now both processes are sitting idle, and so is the hdd activity light, this is turning into a living hell just to get SP2 installed. I have tried to get this installed over and over.
Are there any solutions or anything, this is driving me nuts:banghead:
I am working on my buddies computer, which was infested with spyware/virus's; and god knows what else, anyway, I feel that I have cleared >98% of the stuff, and am running a few checks to make sure I have it all, and also, a lot of thanks is due to the SVT team, because they caught about 10 things I didn't.
This all arose out of him using IE, letting everyone use the computer and going everywhere, and him going to different sites, and being conned into downloading 'free' software. When I got the computer, he had attempted to run Windows update, and install Norton '06. He had '04 on there, and had been out of date for more than a year with no AV or firewall. He gave it to me, and it would barely run without crashing, or freezing, now I have it running as it should, and all cleaned up. I have also tried to get it current on M$ updates, which he didnt bother to do either. I have everything installed, except for SP2, which will not install for some reason.
He said that he tried to install it (with all the crap present) and it ran for like 5 minutes and crashed. So here is the deal, it was listed in the Add/Remove programs list, but under the system info, it said it was just SP1, fine, I booted into safemode and removed it as it would bluescreen if I tried to remove it booted normally.
So now I was left with a computer with supposedly no SP2 remnants, I go to windows update site, try and run SP2, and within 1 minute, it says that the install has failed, ok, I try to two or three times. Still no luck, then I just download the service pack. I am running it now, but it has no GUI, it appears to be just running, which I believed at first, when the hdd activity light was going like a madman, and the process was actually active, but now both processes are sitting idle, and so is the hdd activity light, this is turning into a living hell just to get SP2 installed. I have tried to get this installed over and over.
Are there any solutions or anything, this is driving me nuts:banghead:
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I just dont want to loose any of his data, because he is the assistant youth pastor at my church, and all of the pictures/powerpoints are on their, not to mention he personal stuff. I will give it a try though, will report back in a few.
Got any data recovery tools?
I tried the repair install and about half way through...bork bork bork...it said something was missing, and now wont boot into windows, it says restarting installation, so I have it turned off now to minimize hdd usage/writing:sad2:.
And I talked to him about 2 hours ago telling him I would have it to him tomorrow morning...
Edit, actually, how the hell would I do this, I dont even have a flash drive to put the files on, and its a laptop, so I just cant plug the hdd into my computer can I? Any ideas on how to do this, I feel like I just ****ing sunk my ship.
I was almost ready to backup all the data about an hour ago or so, my damned luck.
actually, I just need a distro that can read an ntfs partition, I see a lot that linux can read it but has difficulty writing it, which is fine for me, I just want to make a new partition, install a small linux, get the data, format, and be done. its been a while since I have tinkered in linux, and have never burned a disc with it, does anyone know of a distro that will:
read a ntfs partition, and has a disc burning app, or one that is easily installable.
Good luck.
Im gonna need it...I am hoping that I can just get the pictures, if I can get those, I will be happy, the power points can be remade, although, the powerpoints are the smallest and easiest to get, I wish his laptop had a dvd burner, I could get away with one disc, but there is 2.18GB of pictures, I know that cause I was about to burn them