Laptop is stuck at Windows Screen after update (sp2?)

I had reformatted my hard drive and I was doing the Windows Updates. It
mentioned a security update (might have been sp2) and I did that one. It had
finished downloading and the status was listed as installing. I lost my
internet connection and it froze. I restarted my computer and it is stuck at
the windows screen it has been stuck for about 9 hours now. I also tried
restarting it in safe mode but it was a black screen with a whole lot of file
names and it stuck there, too. Is there anything I can do without
reformatting again???

tiffany,

See if this MS KB article helps :

How to use the Automatic Recovery feature to recover your computer or
your Tablet PC if the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Setup program is not
completed successfully
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/875355

MowGreen [MVP 2003-2006]
===============
*-343-* FDNY
Never Forgotten
===============


tiffany wrote:

> I had reformatted my hard drive and I was doing the Windows Updates. It
> mentioned a security update (might have been sp2) and I did that one. It had
> finished downloading and the status was listed as installing. I lost my
> internet connection and it froze. I restarted my computer and it is stuck at
> the windows screen it has been stuck for about 9 hours now. I also tried
> restarting it in safe mode but it was a black screen with a whole lot of file
> names and it stuck there, too. Is there anything I can do without
> reformatting again???

Oops! its 'a bugger when that happens.
Happened to me and it turned out to be a USB clash with the bios which
the SP2 update decided it wanted working (the USB didn't work
beforehand, but I didn't have any USB devices that I wanted to stick
into that computer so it didn't matter - until the update!)

Microsoft have a fix which uses the recovery console on the XP CD.

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;885626 It's
looks pretty horrendous whenyou first go into it, sorry to say, I
didn't use the microsoft support page as I'm a clever b*gg*r and did it
myself ( I know, blow your own trumpet why don't you).

The BIOS upgrade can be got from - at a
price ($30) if you can't get it from the company who made the laptop.

flashupgrades do a little BIOS checker
Hopefully it should be attached...

1. Download and unzip BOOTDET.ZIP
2. Run BOOTDET.
3. Insert blank formatted diskette in A: diskette drive.
4. Click OK button to make self-booting diskette of BIOS Agent for DOS.

5. Insert this diskette in the system where you need BIOS information
and boot the system.
6. When booted, BIOS Agent for DOS will write BIOS informtion to text
file BIOS.TXT on the diskette.


+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Filename: bootdet.zip |
|Download: http://forums.yourdomain.com.au/atta...tachmentid=13|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

--
Fitch
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fitch's Profile: http://www.digitalport.co.uk/digital....php?userid=24
View this thread: http://www.digitalport.co.uk/digital...ad.php?t=70058

I ended up going to F8 and then clicking debugging. I uninstalled the service
pack. Then, I downloaded service pack 2 (didn't use windows update) and
installed it and it wouldn't work again so I uninstalled it. I have
downloaded the bios update for my laptop and I will burn it, boot it, and
upgrade it eventually and then maybe try service pack 2 again. I just really
don't have the hours to devote to doing this right now. I kept some updates
on there and my computer is really really slow now. I'm thinking about
ditching it all and downloading Linux. I just have to see if the software I
currently use is compatible.

Oh, and I don't think I can do the recovery thing. My laptop came with XP
and everything is on one DVD. When I put it in when my computer was messed
up, nothing happened. When I booted from it, my only option was to reformat.
Oh well. Thanks for the help!

"Fitch" wrote:

>
> Oops! its 'a bugger when that happens.
> Happened to me and it turned out to be a USB clash with the bios which
> the SP2 update decided it wanted working (the USB didn't work
> beforehand, but I didn't have any USB devices that I wanted to stick
> into that computer so it didn't matter - until the update!)
>
> Microsoft have a fix which uses the recovery console on the XP CD.
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;885626 It's
> looks pretty horrendous whenyou first go into it, sorry to say, I
> didn't use the microsoft support page as I'm a clever b*gg*r and did it
> myself ( I know, blow your own trumpet why don't you).
>
> The BIOS upgrade can be got from - at a
> price ($30) if you can't get it from the company who made the laptop.
>
> flashupgrades do a little BIOS checker
> Hopefully it should be attached...
>
> 1. Download and unzip BOOTDET.ZIP
> 2. Run BOOTDET.
> 3. Insert blank formatted diskette in A: diskette drive.
> 4. Click OK button to make self-booting diskette of BIOS Agent for DOS.
>
> 5. Insert this diskette in the system where you need BIOS information
> and boot the system.
> 6. When booted, BIOS Agent for DOS will write BIOS informtion to text
> file BIOS.TXT on the diskette.
>
>
> +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
> |Filename: bootdet.zip |
> |Download: http://forums.yourdomain.com.au/atta...tachmentid=13|
> +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
>
> --
> Fitch
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Fitch's Profile: http://www.digitalport.co.uk/digital....php?userid=24
> View this thread: http://www.digitalport.co.uk/digital...ad.php?t=70058
>
>