Restoring Windows XP - We Need A Better Way

Microsoft:

For those users of Windows XP, over time it is common to 'repair the
installation' via a CD based system 'repair'. Since the issuance of XP SP2,
this has been all but impossible:

1. Installing from an XP2 CD will not find key files, particularly those
ending with .dl_
2. Installing from the Original XP will not work either.

Therefore, from eitherdan orginal XP or an XP SP2 CD:

1. There should be a way to either 'link' to a Microsoft site and download a
base set of compatible Dll's.
2. Alternatively, a user could download 'only those parts' of the Setup CD,
which are 'updated'.
3. At a minimum, there needs to be a way to get 'Microsoft Update' up and
running easily and quickly. Currently there are issues with the 'update
processes' and the 'background intelligent transfer services' process. Fixing
these processes are complicated and lenghly. They involve determining if the
process is started, modifiying the registry, and potentially reloading .dll's
What ultimately may be required is reloading the basic .dll's and
're-registering them'. At that point, update will detect 20-40 ADDITIONAL
updates to install.

The result IS OFTEN AN INSTALLATION THAT IS UNSTABLE. IT IS ONLY LATER THAT
YOU LEARN WHICH PROCESSES, OR PARTS OF THE XP PRODUCT ARE NOT WORKING.

This issue has to be addressed NOW.

At a minimum, a 'self installing update' service is required.

Ideally, like AOL, MSN, and similar products, the setup should determine
what is installed on the current computer, what needs updating, and download
those components directly from the Internet.

As long as Microsoft 'owns' 90% of all desktops, Windows/Explorer will be
the targets of increasing attacks, therefore more patches will be added.
However there has to be a way to manage, and to fully 'repair' this process,
WITHOUT loosing all installed applications.

Sincerely,

Norman A. Rich

If you've slipstreamed SP2 into your original CD it should work fine.

http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/u...ostreamer.html

--
Peter
Toronto, Canada
XP Home SP2 Fully Updated
P4 HT @ 3.0ghz, 360gb HDD, 2.0gb DDR
"Papillion" <> wrote in message
news:68F9E5CE-6CD1-43F7-B71D-...
> Microsoft:
>
> For those users of Windows XP, over time it is common to 'repair the
> installation' via a CD based system 'repair'. Since the issuance of XP
> SP2,
> this has been all but impossible:
>
> 1. Installing from an XP2 CD will not find key files, particularly those
> ending with .dl_
> 2. Installing from the Original XP will not work either.
>
> Therefore, from eitherdan orginal XP or an XP SP2 CD:
>
> 1. There should be a way to either 'link' to a Microsoft site and download
> a
> base set of compatible Dll's.
> 2. Alternatively, a user could download 'only those parts' of the Setup
> CD,
> which are 'updated'.
> 3. At a minimum, there needs to be a way to get 'Microsoft Update' up and
> running easily and quickly. Currently there are issues with the 'update
> processes' and the 'background intelligent transfer services' process.
> Fixing
> these processes are complicated and lenghly. They involve determining if
> the
> process is started, modifiying the registry, and potentially reloading
> .dll's
> What ultimately may be required is reloading the basic .dll's and
> 're-registering them'. At that point, update will detect 20-40 ADDITIONAL
> updates to install.
>
> The result IS OFTEN AN INSTALLATION THAT IS UNSTABLE. IT IS ONLY LATER
> THAT
> YOU LEARN WHICH PROCESSES, OR PARTS OF THE XP PRODUCT ARE NOT WORKING.
>
> This issue has to be addressed NOW.
>
> At a minimum, a 'self installing update' service is required.
>
> Ideally, like AOL, MSN, and similar products, the setup should determine
> what is installed on the current computer, what needs updating, and
> download
> those components directly from the Internet.
>
> As long as Microsoft 'owns' 90% of all desktops, Windows/Explorer will be
> the targets of increasing attacks, therefore more patches will be added.
> However there has to be a way to manage, and to fully 'repair' this
> process,
> WITHOUT loosing all installed applications.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Norman A. Rich

Peter,

That is terrific. It is almost a 'necessity' to create the updated CD. I
will try the process, and let you know the results.

Thanks for your help.

"Peter" wrote:

> If you've slipstreamed SP2 into your original CD it should work fine.
>
> http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/u...ostreamer.html
>
> --
> Peter
> Toronto, Canada
> XP Home SP2 Fully Updated
> P4 HT @ 3.0ghz, 360gb HDD, 2.0gb DDR
> "Papillion" <> wrote in message
> news:68F9E5CE-6CD1-43F7-B71D-...
> > Microsoft:
> >
> > For those users of Windows XP, over time it is common to 'repair the
> > installation' via a CD based system 'repair'. Since the issuance of XP
> > SP2,
> > this has been all but impossible:
> >
> > 1. Installing from an XP2 CD will not find key files, particularly those
> > ending with .dl_
> > 2. Installing from the Original XP will not work either.
> >
> > Therefore, from eitherdan orginal XP or an XP SP2 CD:
> >
> > 1. There should be a way to either 'link' to a Microsoft site and download
> > a
> > base set of compatible Dll's.
> > 2. Alternatively, a user could download 'only those parts' of the Setup
> > CD,
> > which are 'updated'.
> > 3. At a minimum, there needs to be a way to get 'Microsoft Update' up and
> > running easily and quickly. Currently there are issues with the 'update
> > processes' and the 'background intelligent transfer services' process.
> > Fixing
> > these processes are complicated and lenghly. They involve determining if
> > the
> > process is started, modifiying the registry, and potentially reloading
> > .dll's
> > What ultimately may be required is reloading the basic .dll's and
> > 're-registering them'. At that point, update will detect 20-40 ADDITIONAL
> > updates to install.
> >
> > The result IS OFTEN AN INSTALLATION THAT IS UNSTABLE. IT IS ONLY LATER
> > THAT
> > YOU LEARN WHICH PROCESSES, OR PARTS OF THE XP PRODUCT ARE NOT WORKING.
> >
> > This issue has to be addressed NOW.
> >
> > At a minimum, a 'self installing update' service is required.
> >
> > Ideally, like AOL, MSN, and similar products, the setup should determine
> > what is installed on the current computer, what needs updating, and
> > download
> > those components directly from the Internet.
> >
> > As long as Microsoft 'owns' 90% of all desktops, Windows/Explorer will be
> > the targets of increasing attacks, therefore more patches will be added.
> > However there has to be a way to manage, and to fully 'repair' this
> > process,
> > WITHOUT loosing all installed applications.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> > Norman A. Rich
>
>
>

You are welcome. As I say, it works fine here even though my original CD is
OEM. I guess we'll have to start all over again when SP3 comes out,
rumoured around the same time as Vista.

--
Peter
Toronto, Canada
XP Home SP2 Fully Updated
P4 HT @ 3.0ghz, 360gb HDD, 2.0gb DDR
"Papillion" <> wrote in message
news:318C0D77-72DF-442B-982F-...
> Peter,
>
> That is terrific. It is almost a 'necessity' to create the updated CD. I
> will try the process, and let you know the results.
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> "Peter" wrote:
>
>> If you've slipstreamed SP2 into your original CD it should work fine.
>>
>> http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/u...ostreamer.html
>>
>> --
>> Peter
>> Toronto, Canada
>> XP Home SP2 Fully Updated
>> P4 HT @ 3.0ghz, 360gb HDD, 2.0gb DDR
>> "Papillion" <> wrote in message
>> news:68F9E5CE-6CD1-43F7-B71D-...
>> > Microsoft:
>> >
>> > For those users of Windows XP, over time it is common to 'repair the
>> > installation' via a CD based system 'repair'. Since the issuance of XP
>> > SP2,
>> > this has been all but impossible:
>> >
>> > 1. Installing from an XP2 CD will not find key files, particularly
>> > those
>> > ending with .dl_
>> > 2. Installing from the Original XP will not work either.
>> >
>> > Therefore, from eitherdan orginal XP or an XP SP2 CD:
>> >
>> > 1. There should be a way to either 'link' to a Microsoft site and
>> > download
>> > a
>> > base set of compatible Dll's.
>> > 2. Alternatively, a user could download 'only those parts' of the Setup
>> > CD,
>> > which are 'updated'.
>> > 3. At a minimum, there needs to be a way to get 'Microsoft Update' up
>> > and
>> > running easily and quickly. Currently there are issues with the 'update
>> > processes' and the 'background intelligent transfer services' process.
>> > Fixing
>> > these processes are complicated and lenghly. They involve determining
>> > if
>> > the
>> > process is started, modifiying the registry, and potentially reloading
>> > .dll's
>> > What ultimately may be required is reloading the basic .dll's and
>> > 're-registering them'. At that point, update will detect 20-40
>> > ADDITIONAL
>> > updates to install.
>> >
>> > The result IS OFTEN AN INSTALLATION THAT IS UNSTABLE. IT IS ONLY LATER
>> > THAT
>> > YOU LEARN WHICH PROCESSES, OR PARTS OF THE XP PRODUCT ARE NOT WORKING.
>> >
>> > This issue has to be addressed NOW.
>> >
>> > At a minimum, a 'self installing update' service is required.
>> >
>> > Ideally, like AOL, MSN, and similar products, the setup should
>> > determine
>> > what is installed on the current computer, what needs updating, and
>> > download
>> > those components directly from the Internet.
>> >
>> > As long as Microsoft 'owns' 90% of all desktops, Windows/Explorer will
>> > be
>> > the targets of increasing attacks, therefore more patches will be
>> > added.
>> > However there has to be a way to manage, and to fully 'repair' this
>> > process,
>> > WITHOUT loosing all installed applications.
>> >
>> > Sincerely,
>> >
>> > Norman A. Rich
>>
>>
>>

In my experience, "repairing" an XP installation via a "repair
install" does not ever work unless the CD is from the same
vendor as the original machine, period.

I have XP installation CDs with slipstreamed SP1, and with
slipstreamed SP2. It doesn't matter which I use: if I do a
"repair install" on a PC with a malfunctioning Windows XP,
it just renders the PC unusable, because midway through
the "repair install" it stops and asks for the product key, and
it will not accept the product key from the sticker on the box.

That's just Microsoft abusing its customers. Even if there is
a "business reason" for disabling the repair of malfunctioning
OEM-installed copies of Windows, there can't possibly be
a good reason for their "repair install" not getting around to
checking the product keys until AFTER it has trashed the
existing installation -- no reason except sadism, that is. For
some unfathomable reason, Bill Gates must hate us all.

What's more, each version of XP gets more fragile than the
one before. In spite of Microsoft's intentional crippling of the
repair console, it is still sometimes useful. But on many
machines, an installation CD for XP w/ slipstreamed SP2
won't even get to a repair console without crashing, because
XP finds some imperfection in what is already on the PC,
and chokes, and dies. XP w/ slipstreamed SP1 sometimes
works in those cases, but sometimes it doesn't work, either.

As Windows gets worse and worse, Linux gets better and
better. If this trend continues, Microsoft is going to lose the
OS wars, after all.

-Dave


"Peter" <ex-brit AT rogers DOT com> wrote in message
news:%...
> If you've slipstreamed SP2 into your original CD it should work fine.
>
>
http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/u...ostreamer.html
>
> --
> Peter
> Toronto, Canada
> XP Home SP2 Fully Updated
> P4 HT @ 3.0ghz, 360gb HDD, 2.0gb DDR
> "Papillion" <> wrote in message
> news:68F9E5CE-6CD1-43F7-B71D-...
> > Microsoft:
> >
> > For those users of Windows XP, over time it is common to 'repair the
> > installation' via a CD based system 'repair'. Since the issuance of XP
> > SP2, this has been all but impossible:
....
> > However there has to be a way to manage, and to fully 'repair' this
> > process, WITHOUT loosing all installed applications.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> > Norman A. Rich

Obviously you've had problems. None at all here and with many people I know
and have read about on these and other groups.

--
Peter
Toronto, Canada
XP Home SP2 Fully Updated
P4 HT @ 3.0ghz, 360gb HDD, 2.0gb DDR
"Dave Burton" <> wrote in message
news:...
> In my experience, "repairing" an XP installation via a "repair
> install" does not ever work unless the CD is from the same
> vendor as the original machine, period.
>
> I have XP installation CDs with slipstreamed SP1, and with
> slipstreamed SP2. It doesn't matter which I use: if I do a
> "repair install" on a PC with a malfunctioning Windows XP,
> it just renders the PC unusable, because midway through
> the "repair install" it stops and asks for the product key, and
> it will not accept the product key from the sticker on the box.
>
> That's just Microsoft abusing its customers. Even if there is
> a "business reason" for disabling the repair of malfunctioning
> OEM-installed copies of Windows, there can't possibly be
> a good reason for their "repair install" not getting around to
> checking the product keys until AFTER it has trashed the
> existing installation -- no reason except sadism, that is. For
> some unfathomable reason, Bill Gates must hate us all.
>
> What's more, each version of XP gets more fragile than the
> one before. In spite of Microsoft's intentional crippling of the
> repair console, it is still sometimes useful. But on many
> machines, an installation CD for XP w/ slipstreamed SP2
> won't even get to a repair console without crashing, because
> XP finds some imperfection in what is already on the PC,
> and chokes, and dies. XP w/ slipstreamed SP1 sometimes
> works in those cases, but sometimes it doesn't work, either.
>
> As Windows gets worse and worse, Linux gets better and
> better. If this trend continues, Microsoft is going to lose the
> OS wars, after all.
>
> -Dave
>
>
> "Peter" <ex-brit AT rogers DOT com> wrote in message
> news:%...
>> If you've slipstreamed SP2 into your original CD it should work fine.
>>
>>
> http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/u...ostreamer.html
>>
>> --
>> Peter
>> Toronto, Canada
>> XP Home SP2 Fully Updated
>> P4 HT @ 3.0ghz, 360gb HDD, 2.0gb DDR
>> "Papillion" <> wrote in message
>> news:68F9E5CE-6CD1-43F7-B71D-...
>> > Microsoft:
>> >
>> > For those users of Windows XP, over time it is common to 'repair the
>> > installation' via a CD based system 'repair'. Since the issuance of XP
>> > SP2, this has been all but impossible:
> ...
>> > However there has to be a way to manage, and to fully 'repair' this
>> > process, WITHOUT loosing all installed applications.
>> >
>> > Sincerely,
>> >
>> > Norman A. Rich
>
>