system failure after automatic update on 8/15/07

My automatic update ran at 3am as scheduled built a checkpoint and downloaded
some type of microsoft update. My system will no longer boot in normal mode
only safe mode with network. There is an error that flashes by quickly when I
try to use normal mode but I cannot catch the error screen. I cannot find any
support from microsoft on their web site and restoring to a previous
checkpoint did not work. Anyone with information on how to get some support
from microsoft on this issue would be greatly appreciated. I cannot run my
business until this get corrected.

This sounds very much like what I saw with a problem that I experienced
yesterday, about which I have just posted. I found that update KB921503 was
the cause. I fixed the problem (after some minor panic) by going into safe
mode (F8 on most machines) and doing a rollback to the previous day or
nearest pre-update save (click "No" when the appropriate screen comes up in
SM to access rollback). Once your system is fixed (assuming this works), try
reinstalling all the updates but KB921503. If this works, then KB921503 is
the issue. If not, then the conflict may be with another update, but I'm
betting on this one. Please let the list (and I) know if that's indeed the
case.

Ted.

"Marvin" wrote:

> My automatic update ran at 3am as scheduled built a checkpoint and downloaded
> some type of microsoft update. My system will no longer boot in normal mode
> only safe mode with network. There is an error that flashes by quickly when I
> try to use normal mode but I cannot catch the error screen. I cannot find any
> support from microsoft on their web site and restoring to a previous
> checkpoint did not work. Anyone with information on how to get some support
> from microsoft on this issue would be greatly appreciated. I cannot run my
> business until this get corrected.

"Edward Ripley-Duggan" wrote:

> This sounds very much like what I saw with a problem that I experienced
> yesterday, about which I have just posted. I found that update KB921503 was
> the cause. I fixed the problem (after some minor panic) by going into safe
> mode (F8 on most machines) and doing a rollback to the previous day or
> nearest pre-update save (click "No" when the appropriate screen comes up in
> SM to access rollback). Once your system is fixed (assuming this works), try
> reinstalling all the updates but KB921503. If this works, then KB921503 is
> the issue. If not, then the conflict may be with another update, but I'm
> betting on this one. Please let the list (and I) know if that's indeed the
> case.
>
> Ted.
>
> "Marvin" wrote:
>
> > My automatic update ran at 3am as scheduled built a checkpoint and downloaded
> > some type of microsoft update. My system will no longer boot in normal mode
> > only safe mode with network. There is an error that flashes by quickly when I
> > try to use normal mode but I cannot catch the error screen. I cannot find any
> > support from microsoft on their web site and restoring to a previous
> > checkpoint did not work. Anyone with information on how to get some support
> > from microsoft on this issue would be greatly appreciated. I cannot run my
> > business until this get corrected.

I too have the same problem with two pc's. the first one was an xp home
machine i restored and recovered all but my pst files. but the second one is
an xp pro machine and i cannot risk loosing any data

how do i fix this problem.

use the f8 and choose last good config i get the message
"/windows/system32/config/system file missing"

"Edward Ripley-Duggan" wrote:

> This sounds very much like what I saw with a problem that I experienced
> yesterday, about which I have just posted. I found that update KB921503 was
> the cause. I fixed the problem (after some minor panic) by going into safe
> mode (F8 on most machines) and doing a rollback to the previous day or
> nearest pre-update save (click "No" when the appropriate screen comes up in
> SM to access rollback). Once your system is fixed (assuming this works), try
> reinstalling all the updates but KB921503. If this works, then KB921503 is
> the issue. If not, then the conflict may be with another update, but I'm
> betting on this one. Please let the list (and I) know if that's indeed the
> case.
>
> Ted.
>
> "Marvin" wrote:
>
> > My automatic update ran at 3am as scheduled built a checkpoint and downloaded
> > some type of microsoft update. My system will no longer boot in normal mode
> > only safe mode with network. There is an error that flashes by quickly when I
> > try to use normal mode but I cannot catch the error screen. I cannot find any
> > support from microsoft on their web site and restoring to a previous
> > checkpoint did not work. Anyone with information on how to get some support
> > from microsoft on this issue would be greatly appreciated. I cannot run my
> > business until this get corrected.

"Thomas Kerby" <> schrieb:

> use the f8 and choose last good config i get the message
> "/windows/system32/config/system file missing"

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/spuninst.htm

You may want to share with us, which applications are permanently
running in the background after recovering and while installing
updates.

Bye,
Freudi

Thanks for the help but this did not work. i followed the instructions to
remove the hotfix files and removed all that were installed on the day of
this failure. but unfortunately this did not fix the problem.

"Ottmar Freudenberger" wrote:

> "Thomas Kerby" <> schrieb:
>
> > use the f8 and choose last good config i get the message
> > "/windows/system32/config/system file missing"
>
> http://windowsxp.mvps.org/spuninst.htm
>
> You may want to share with us, which applications are permanently
> running in the background after recovering and while installing
> updates.
>
> Bye,
> Freudi
>

is it possible to copy the \windows\system32\config\system file from the xp
pro cd and reinstall?

"Thomas Kerby" wrote:

> Thanks for the help but this did not work. i followed the instructions to
> remove the hotfix files and removed all that were installed on the day of
> this failure. but unfortunately this did not fix the problem.
>
> "Ottmar Freudenberger" wrote:
>
> > "Thomas Kerby" <> schrieb:
> >
> > > use the f8 and choose last good config i get the message
> > > "/windows/system32/config/system file missing"
> >
> > http://windowsxp.mvps.org/spuninst.htm
> >
> > You may want to share with us, which applications are permanently
> > running in the background after recovering and while installing
> > updates.
> >
> > Bye,
> > Freudi
> >

"Thomas Kerby" <> schrieb:

> Thanks for the help but this did not work. i followed the instructions to
> remove the hotfix files and removed all that were installed on the day of
> this failure. but unfortunately this did not fix the problem.

Than at least the cause of your problem isn't related to the
Windows updates. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/en-us
may be worth a try.

Bye,
Freudi

Thats strange, I initially uninstalled all of the 08-14 updates, and the
problem was still there, but when I restored prior to the updates in safe
mode the problem went away, but, of course the updates were gone, even though
windows update showed them as being installed on 08-14. I disabled auto
update and checked for available updates and all 10 of the 08-14 updates were
available. I turned off my Norton AV(don't know if that helped or not) and
installed and re-booted the updates one at a time, and all now appears to be
ok. No problems in connecting to the internet now.

"Ottmar Freudenberger" wrote:

> "Thomas Kerby" <> schrieb:
>
> > Thanks for the help but this did not work. i followed the instructions to
> > remove the hotfix files and removed all that were installed on the day of
> > this failure. but unfortunately this did not fix the problem.
>
> Than at least the cause of your problem isn't related to the
> Windows updates. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/en-us
> may be worth a try.
>
> Bye,
> Freudi
>

"marv6" <> schrieb:

> I turned off my Norton AV(don't know if that helped or not) and
> installed and re-booted the updates one at a time, and all now appears to be
> ok. No problems in connecting to the internet now.

Disableing *any* programs running in the background while installing
updates is a good idea anyhow. That's especially true for any "Security"
application. Make sure, the Windows Firewall is enabled instead of any
third-party Personal Firewall application at least in the meantime.

Bye,
Freudi