Vista SP1 and Express card problems

Two questions

1. Vista did not successfully install SP1 via update, and so it reverted changes. Is it suppose to be normal? Then again it's asking me to update again (that same update), when it apparently failed the first time. If it's not normal, how can I fix it?

2. Vista couldn't detect my express card (both the external hdd and external dvd drives were not detected). It does not need drivers as there are no drivers for this. How can I get it working?

Man Windows Vista is the worst OS ever, I have Windows 7 and Ubuntu and they blow Vista out of the water.

 

Hmm it probably didnt complete the installation because one of your drivers wasnt compatible with SP1.

What you can do is download the standalone installer from MS.

As for the expresscard, do the service pack updates first.

 

Your best bet is to reformat the computer with Windows 7. Otherwise try doing a factory restore from your dell recovery partition.

At the IT Help Center where I work, we recommend customers reload computers that can't install new service packs. While you could probably search around the internet for a couple days and eventually find a fix, in the end you would still be better off reloading to your factory state. Then immediately run Windows updates to get SP1 and then SP2 after that.

When service packs fail, it means something is wrong with Windows. When you are still running Vista without Service Pack 1 (or Service Pack 2 for that matter), you are a giant target running around the internet just waiting to get infected.

If you are really bent on getting SP1 (and please, also install SP2) installed without a reload, here are some steps that might help.

1. Uninstall all Antivirus from the computer (hopefully it is free so you can reinstall when you are done).
2. Run Chkdsk. (Click Start Button > Type cmd > right click on cmd and "Run as Administrator" > when cmd comes up, type chkdsk /r > when it gives you the Y/N option, type Y and then press enter > reboot)
3. Step two will take 1-3 hours, after it is finished, get into cmd again using the instructions above, but this time, instead of chkdsk /r, type sfc /scannow
4. After that is complete (will take about 30-50 minutes), reboot.
5. Now run the windows update readiness tool: here for 32 bit version or here for 64 bit version.
(You can tell what version of windows you have by clicking the start button > right click on computer > click properties > next to "system type" it will say either 32-bit or 64-bit)
(Alternatively: Go into computer, double click on your C: drive, if there is a program files folder AND a program files (x86) folder then you have 64-bit Windows, if it is JUST program files, it is 32-bit)
6. The Windows Update Readiness Tool will take from 30 minutes to 2 or 3 hours to complete. It will prompt you a few times to install certain files, just accept or press yes. Reboot when the process is complete (it will probably ask you to reboot anyway).
7. Try running Windows Update again, hopefully installing the service pack works this time.


There are easily 5 or 6 other steps I could have you run through, but like I said, installing service packs on even marginally broken windows installations is usually an exercise in futility. And in the time you spend trying to fix it, you would be done installing a fresh copy with hours to spare.

 

I have had better luck using the standalone SP1 installer.

Download details: Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Five Language Standalone (KB936330)

If there's any problem with that then try using the standalone immediately after the Vista install, before installing any drivers or software or anything.