Vista SP2 refuses to install

Hi, I just tried installing vista service pack 2, and I've tried 3 times now...every time it gets to the very last bit (step 3 of 3, 100% completed after rebooting) and then tells me service pack could not be installed, reverting all changes. any idea whats wrong? It says "Unspecified error: Error: E_FAIL (0x80004005)"

 

Two issues I've sene seem to cause this: dual booting with a grub boot loader and security/permission issues

For the latter, try
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313222

 

If it's a GRUB issue, take a look at this:

http://forums.techarena.in/vista-help/1188813.htm

 

I am not dualbooting. This is a fresh, clean install of winvista home premium. I just installed it and updated it, only a couple of apps installed (chrome/firefox/object dock/msn live and xchat)

 

and did you check my link?

Also, try downloading the IT standalone install
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...4A-55EC-4972-A0D7-B1A6FEDF51A7&displaylang=en

 

yes, I tried your first link and it did nothing, same result. I am already using the IT standalone install.

 

is the vista install disk a genuine microsoft product or something you've downloaded?

 

It is the recovery disk that came with my laptop. I also tried everything listed here:


http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947366


and no go.

 

Have you read this thread?

http://en.community.dell.com/forums/t/19278649.aspx

Yes, I know it's a Dell forum - just read the entire thread and you'll see two possible fixes that have helped at least one person.

When you said recovery disc, did you mean that it's an OEM installation disc, or did you mean it's an automated "go back to shipping configuration" disc that loads all of the bloatware, drivers, etc? Is this x64 or x86?

Do you have a recovery partition and/or additional partitions that you created on the drive?

 

It is a "go back to shipping configuration" disc, but the drivers+bloatware are on another CD. if you stop the install when it asks you for disc 2, its a clean install. (many others have done it with my model of laptop) and its x64. I do have a recovery partition, but no other partitions on the drive.

 

C:\Windows\windowsupdate.log

open in notepad....go to the end, search backward for the ERROR message. There should be a clue in there.

Usually, you need to look a little before the error sign for the answer to your problem.

Also, if you used the IT download, did you try the regular update function. Perhaps the download is corrupt

 

OK, this is the part where I pull a solution out of my hat.

I am looking at your computer configuration

HDD: 320GB 7200RPM+500GB 5400RPM -- that is an unconventional configuration. Did you add a harddrive to this ?

If so, pull the harddrive you added, then update.

 

that drive is actually currently in an external enclosure, and not was not plugged in while I was updating. also, windows update does not give me SP2 as an option, I had to seek it out. Note: it installed perfectly the first time I reinstalled the OS this way.

 

ahh, another piece of information....

what about the other post I made.

Also, download and run this....

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...4B-8D12-4028-9CB0-B2903257F1FD&displaylang=en

Are there any windows updates showing, and you are just trying to avoid using windows update?

 

Have you read this?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971204

Do you get those error messages?

 

I checked the logs, and I don't seem to be able to find the error message you're looking for, to me they al seem unrelated.

no, I don't have that error message in my CBS logs.

I've already run that, if you check a few posts back, I gave you the link to a page with I think 4 different solutions, all of which failed, that was one of them. I have 1 update that I have not installed (besides language packs) and thats a driver that windows says I already have a higher version of and refuses to go away. I will however, test the answers given on that dell website.

 

zip your update log and attach it to a post

 

here ya go.

 

Can you attach your CBS log? Also, I recommend buring the GParted ISO to disc and booting from it - take a look at the partitions and see if anything is out of place.

 

I already know nothing is out of place, you don't need to check from gparted or a linux live CD...just check computer management.

 

Did you check the link to the Dell forum I posted? Also, since you have a recovery partition, have you tried restoring from it, then installing SP2?

If it worked once, it should work again. The one time it did work, did you install any programs, drivers, etc, before installing SP2?

 

I found a thread that looks promising, and it may be a missing registry key that's causing the issue.

http://www.vistax64.com/windows-updates/239296-sp2-wont-install-2.html

You'll have to look in your CBS log for "SYSHIPER: Failed to open registry key for read" or something along those lines. Hopefully you'll have at least one entry in your logs like that. If you do, create the missing registry key. It worked for the guy in the thread I linked.

 

I checked every instance of failed in the cbs log and found nothing like that. and I have never used the recovery partition. the last time I Installed SP2 it was exactly as I am doing now, with the exception of me installing a few more games before I tried. *edit* neither of the solutions in the dell link worked, am going to that next link right now.

 

Perhaps one of the games caused the problem - maybe it/they modified some registry entries which caused the problem. Who knows? You could try installing Vista one more time, and then instead of installing the applications, just install SP2.

 

I don't have the games this time- the "a few more games" was the previous installation. I'd really rather NOT go through the entire process of reinstalling my OS again.

 

Well, I'll keep trying to find a solution - hopefully it won't come to doing another Vista install. It would help if you attach the CBS log to your next post so I can take a look at it.

 

Well, after doing two reboots and then attemping a final time, sp2 installed. I still don't have hibernation enabled, but thats a simple fix.

 

I didn't know you had an issue with hibernation.

 

I hate threads like this--people parse out information one piece at a time making the process tedious and difficult.

I see one mapping problem in your windows update log that could be partition related but probably is not.

Let's back up--this is a new PC. It is running SP1? When you opened the box, it came pre-installed, but I get the impression you wiped it out and started from scratch?(could be wrong on that).

Why don't you start by telling us more about the system and the environment--several of your errors in your update log don't make sense unless you are in a corporate environment with a WSUS server.

Is the OS you are trying to get to update the same one that ORIGINALLY came on the PC?

 

erm,....did you read my previous post? it installed just fine. The system is a G51VX-X1A laptop, I used the system recovery disk that came with the laptop to reinstall the OS, I have said all of this in previous posts. Yes, the OS I -was- trying to get to update was the same one that was ORIGINALLY on the PC, as previously stated.

 

Take a look bub, I help dozens of people a day, and the idea of hanging on every single word you write just gets less and less attractive with each ungracious post you make.

We are now on page 3 of a thread you started where you only share tiny pieces of information after repeated questions from people trying to help you....I till think you have left something important out that will only reveal itself if we play another 30 games of twenty questions.

Sometimes, when you sit down, rethink it, and go through everything from the start in a slow, measured manner, that thing comes out. We have no idea why you reinstalled a brand new laptop. What was the reason for that?

The problem here is that the people who are trying to help you are working harder at it than you are at helping the people to help you...this is a recipe for failure.

If you want to take the easy way out, assume your reinstall went bad and do it again and stop wasting our time.

I mean this, I really do--good luck with your problem.

I'm done.

 

I agree with gerryf19.

Theads serve as a knowledge base for the particular problem that you have experienced, so that others can solve their problems easier.

Knowing full information from the start, and knowing the final resolution, is important.

 

All I did was ask a question, I gave information I felt was relevant in my initial post, I then attempted to answer all the questions that were given to me, if I missed a few, I apologize, it was unintended. It could've been because I'd been up all night (and morning) trying to get this working properly. Also, most of my time was spent doing a fix, rebooting, attempting to reinstall, doing another fix, rebooting, attempting another reinstall etc, as was perscribed in the original microsoft error page that I linked to early on in the thread, as well as with the links you kept tossing me to try. I reinstalled the OS to get rid of all of the bloatware that came with my machine, as has been a common practice with me in the past. *edit* I am -finally- off to bed, 2:30PM PST...thanks to all that helped, and I apologize for any inconvenience. if there is anything I can post that will help others figure out this issue in the future, please ask and I will try to gather what I can.

 

So, I had a couple days to think about this and have a few more questions.

You are trying to update SP1 to Sp2, correct?

Was the original installation from the restore disk sp1 or rtm?

Have you tried this in safe mode?

Do you have any antivirus or anti-malware programs on this?

I've never had an Asus, but do they have a restore partition, or just a restore dvd? (I know I keep coming back to this partition, thing but that is kind of what it points at).

You had an installation and wanted to get rid of the bloatware--OK--you used a DVD supplied by Asus to do this--what did you do to the previous installation? Overwrite? Wipe clean? How did you wipe it clean?

 

Yes, I am trying to update from SP1 to SP2. The Original restore disk was SP1. I did not try in safe mode, and I had not installed any AV software yet. Asus has a Restore Partition as well as recovery DVDs. I wiped it clean by doing a format via gparted, and then used the recovery DVD disk 1 to install. After having seen others with the same make/model laptop do this, I stopped the installation after disk 1 had been in stalled, as disk 2 contains drivers/bloatware. Once inside windows, I installed all the drivers- without installing the bloatware.

 

You formatted the recovery partition, but did you delete the partition, too?

I'm sure you are trying to install from safemode as I write this--I do not think it will work but it is worth a shot.

I still have a bug up my butt about the partitions, I am afraid.

I have never had an Asus, but different OEMs do different things with recovery partitions. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing what you had done without taking the drive always down to no partitions, no format.

I don't know exactly what an asus restore disc does...do you have a screen shot of disk manager we could see?

 

Yes, I formatted the entire drive as NTFS with Gparted. screenshot:

I'll try safe mode right now.