Vista SP1 install failing again and again

Hi...here goes...
Can download Vista Home Prem Service Pack1, but after an hour plus of installing, it fails...

I had a guy from MS's online chat-room taking control of my PC for two hours and he still didnt get it installed.

I read the forums here, and followed some instrictions emailed by another MS tech helper... which then l;ead me into hours more messing around because they said I had to rename a file, but Vista says I don't have permission (so I then spent another two hours following various "take ownership" instructions, and that didnt work, so I rebooted into safe mode and did it again and I still can't rename the file, so can't complete the instructions...

WHAT IS GOING ON... please can someone explain to me WHY Vista SP1 is just not working for me!!!

Phil

Hello philandsuek.

Have a look at this ...

Take Ownership of file



Keep us informed!






Later Ted

Philandsuek,
I also had a problem installing SP1 it turned out it was because i had an earlier failed update, i traced it and found the update i needed downloaded and installed the update then after that SP1 installed fine. I would probably be a little more helpful if you could post the error number you got when it failed. If you didnt get an error number then i doubt to many can be of help to you.
Good luck
JRockZ

Hi ... ok..
1- Thanks for the link to "take ownership" instructions.. those are the ones I have already been trying to use.. but I STILL can't rename the catroot2 file. I've followed the ownership instructions, and when it didn't work, I rebootedin safe mode and did it again.. each time, the CMD window said I had been successful in taking ownershiop, but when I went back to the system32 folder, it still would not let me rename catroot2. Is this important...I read in one explanation here You cannot install some updates or programs
that catroot might only be releveant to XP and Win2003 ??:

2- error number ??? Not at all.. no error number. The PC just reaches a point at the end of the SP1 install, where it's rebooting and then says on screen something like "SP1 install failed - reverting changes" and spends the next hour rebooting and undoing all the changes it made.

Phil

Hmm... MS Vista IT support hasve at last got back to me, and say if I can't rename catroot2 file, ignore that step and do all therest... I'm gonna give that a go and report back later

P

Thats the very same thing that happens to me. I've got signed drivers and all updates installed. What file do you have to rename? That one I haven't heard of. I need help to! Any help would be so appreciated. no error number. The PC just reaches a point at the end of the SP1 install, where it's rebooting and then says on screen something like "SP1 install failed - reverting changes" and spends the next hour rebooting and undoing all the changes it made.
Darell

You might want to uninstall the latest drivers and let SP1 install and then re-install drivers.

Ok here's an update on how Vista SP 1 has REALLY messed my PC...

I calledMS Vista's helpline and they do have free phone help for instaling Vista Service Pack One.. so they talked me through and I finally got to a point whre the SP1 was installing.. then it crashed my PC to a point where it would NOT LOAD windows at all. No recovery, no restore point, no possibility of repairing Windows.

Fan-goddam-tastic.

I call MS helpline again.. they say I have to format the drive and re-install windows.

I used to have Windows 2000 pro, and installed an upgrade version of Vista on it.. MS now say that could be the problem, and I stould forget the Windows 2000, and install Vista WITHOUT entering the Product Key, and then do an "in-place upgrade" by installing Vista over itself...

Well SURPRISE SURPRISE.. that still doesn't work, and it wont install over itself.. grrrrr

So OK when I have the time I'll call back to MS phone support.. but I've already spent about 8 hours talking to them... jeeezuzzz

Can anyone tell me... why would Vista SP1 have a problem with Win2k??

(maybe I should go linux??)

Phil

Hi Phil,

Although the Vista upgrade has been designed to install over earlier incarnations of Windows, I don't recommend that Vista is installed in this way - I advise that you perform a clean install which, with the upgrade version, actually means installing twice, once WITHOUT the product key (make sure you select the correct version when prompted) and then an upgrade installation on top of itself WITH the product key. See the Tutorial for full details. Problems can occur when upgrading to Vista from earlier versions of Windows if you don't follow this method. These are usually driver and other configuration problems. Even if you have no problems initially, that doesn't mean to say that you won't have any in the future because of this method of installation - as you have found out when trying to install SP1. Unfortunately, you have provided no hardware details so we cannot help you if the problem is a hardware matter. As well as that, you have not specified whether you are running the 32-bit or 64-bit edition of Vista (I suspect 32-bit, since you have upgraded from Win2000). I provide links to the standalone versions of SP1, both 32 and 64-bit. As a bonus, I also provide a link to the Office2007 SP1 download. You can place both the Office2007 SP1 and Vista SP1 on a single disk for convenience. For the 32-bit version of Vista SP1 you can use a standard 700MB CD, but for the 64-bit version you will need a DVD.

Clean Install From Upgrade Vista

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

Download details: Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Five Language Standalone for x64-based Systems (KB936330)

Download details: The 2007 Microsoft Office Suite Service Pack 1 (SP1)

After installing Vista according to the above Tutorial, immediately install SP1. This is really the best way to do it because by doing it this way you are minimising any potential problems caused by erroneous registry entries, which, on a clean installation, should be non-existant. This is actually the closest that we can get to installing SP1 at the same time as Vista, bar, of course, using the versions of Vista now available with SP1 slip-streamed in. Should you wish to create a slip-streamed version of Vista with SP1 built in, the link to the appropriate Tutorial is available from the Tutorial link that I provided above.
When you have successfully installed SP1, you can install your anti-malware programs, connect to the Internet and use your PC as before.
Dwarf

Hi thanks for that detailed info. Yes it's 32-bit.

Yes I was trying to install Vista without the product key and then perform an upgrade installon top, but it was still giving error codes and failing to upgrade.

I got back through to MS phone support and they ended up giving me a NEW product key which turns my Vista Home Premium "upgrade" into a stand-alone version of Vista.

Hurrahhhh !!!

I've entered the new product code on the clean-installed version of Vista, and it seems to have taken.

Happily I have a full-time job.. so I do NOT have time to do all this.. I will try again installing SP1 tonight - they reccommend booting the PC into safemode, and removing all periferal hardware to perform the install.

I will post the outcome on here later.

My major question is.. how can MS have a mainstream product like Windows 2000 which works fine with software and hardware, but the new product Vista has conflicts??

I know nothing of the complexity of programming - but it seems like a lack of backward compatibility.

Enough grumbling - I have spend HOURS on the phone to MS tech support, and at least they keep trying.

Phil