Vista Home Basic SP1 no luck

All updates are installed, but SP1 won't. I spent hours and hours on the
phone with India, having the nice gentleman take control of my machine, but
no luck, even with cleaning the system in multiple ways, necessitating
reinstalling AV, antimalware etc programs.

His best suggestion was to somehow get an original Vista DVD, but this is a
cheap Acer (368-0-2633), and it came not with an install DVD, but with
backup/image/restore software on the HD. I did generate all the backup
DVDs, including a drivers and programs (or something like that), and I have
system backups/images.

Windows update does not remind me anymore to install SP1, but the history
does show multiple fails. Will it start to remind me to do that sometime
again, or not? Is MS at any time going to fix what Acer might have
"misdone", or am I SOOL, and will I have to reinstall everything from
scratch, or try XP?

I appreciate all the feedback here. However, my feeling is that I have
really been stupid to get a Vista machine. Mea culpa, though.

--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid

Han wrote:
> All updates are installed, but SP1 won't. I spent hours and hours
> on the phone with India, having the nice gentleman take control of
> my machine, but no luck, even with cleaning the system in multiple
> ways, necessitating reinstalling AV, antimalware etc programs.
>
> His best suggestion was to somehow get an original Vista DVD, but
> this is a cheap Acer (368-0-2633), and it came not with an install
> DVD, but with backup/image/restore software on the HD. I did
> generate all the backup DVDs, including a drivers and programs (or
> something like that), and I have system backups/images.
>
> Windows update does not remind me anymore to install SP1, but the
> history does show multiple fails. Will it start to remind me to do
> that sometime again, or not? Is MS at any time going to fix what
> Acer might have "misdone", or am I SOOL, and will I have to
> reinstall everything from scratch, or try XP?
>
> I appreciate all the feedback here. However, my feeling is that I
> have really been stupid to get a Vista machine. Mea culpa, though.

It's not that you were stupid to get a Vista machine - it's how you went
about it. You purchased a computer whose only method of restoration was
some sort of restoration image on the hard drive itself. That has to be one
of the worst practices *ever* by any computer manufacturer. Don't get me
wrong - in theory - it's great, as you get an easy restoration process with
minimal extra things to lose. However - if that hard disk drive physically
fails - you are fubar.

Even you know it was not your choice in OSes - but your choice of machine
and recovery methods (ultimately) that has put you in the current
predicament... My favorite quote from you, "Is MS at any time going to fix
what Acer might have "misdone", or am I SOOL, and will I have to reinstall
everything from scratch, or try XP?" <-- given that, I think you know your
best course of action. Call Acer and demand a true installation DVD set.
Your argument can be whatever - but one logical one is 'what happens if the
hard disk drive dies after the warranty expires? I cannot restore my system
if the drive is dead and that is the only method to restore...' <- beyond
that - be prepared to pay money to get what you want and correct the mistake
you made by not doing the proper/enough research to begin with and get
yourself and actual installable OEM copy of Windows Vista (not a
restorations DVD, not a recovery DVD - the actual installable version.)

Learn from this mistake and teach others - never buy a computer without the
actual installation media. Recovery/Restoration partitions/media is all but
worthless. Easy, yes. Easy does not always equal good and the money you
save will seem far from worth it when the need arises.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

"Shenan Stanley" <> wrote in
news::

> Han wrote:
>> All updates are installed, but SP1 won't. I spent hours and hours
>> on the phone with India, having the nice gentleman take control of
>> my machine, but no luck, even with cleaning the system in multiple
>> ways, necessitating reinstalling AV, antimalware etc programs.
>>
>> His best suggestion was to somehow get an original Vista DVD, but
>> this is a cheap Acer (368-0-2633), and it came not with an install
>> DVD, but with backup/image/restore software on the HD. I did
>> generate all the backup DVDs, including a drivers and programs (or
>> something like that), and I have system backups/images.
>>
>> Windows update does not remind me anymore to install SP1, but the
>> history does show multiple fails. Will it start to remind me to do
>> that sometime again, or not? Is MS at any time going to fix what
>> Acer might have "misdone", or am I SOOL, and will I have to
>> reinstall everything from scratch, or try XP?
>>
>> I appreciate all the feedback here. However, my feeling is that I
>> have really been stupid to get a Vista machine. Mea culpa, though.
>
> It's not that you were stupid to get a Vista machine - it's how you
> went about it. You purchased a computer whose only method of
> restoration was some sort of restoration image on the hard drive
> itself. That has to be one of the worst practices *ever* by any
> computer manufacturer. Don't get me wrong - in theory - it's great,
> as you get an easy restoration process with minimal extra things to
> lose. However - if that hard disk drive physically fails - you are
> fubar.
>
> Even you know it was not your choice in OSes - but your choice of
> machine and recovery methods (ultimately) that has put you in the
> current predicament... My favorite quote from you, "Is MS at any time
> going to fix what Acer might have "misdone", or am I SOOL, and will I
> have to reinstall everything from scratch, or try XP?" <-- given
> that, I think you know your best course of action. Call Acer and
> demand a true installation DVD set. Your argument can be whatever -
> but one logical one is 'what happens if the hard disk drive dies after
> the warranty expires? I cannot restore my system if the drive is dead
> and that is the only method to restore...' <- beyond that - be
> prepared to pay money to get what you want and correct the mistake you
> made by not doing the proper/enough research to begin with and get
> yourself and actual installable OEM copy of Windows Vista (not a
> restorations DVD, not a recovery DVD - the actual installable
> version.)
>
> Learn from this mistake and teach others - never buy a computer
> without the actual installation media. Recovery/Restoration
> partitions/media is all but worthless. Easy, yes. Easy does not
> always equal good and the money you save will seem far from worth it
> when the need arises.
>
I agree with most of your reasoning, but it is incomplete.
If you use, and I did, the recomended ways of burning backup DVDs (easy
but time consuming, and I needed to replace the CDRW/DVDROM with a
DVDwriter) that is the way to resurrect the system (but I haven't tried -
too skittish).

In addition, I bought a new, bigger HD from drivesolutions.com, with
their Apricorn EZGig II imaging software, so when I really get fed up, I
can make an image of the current HD on the old one, and then play to my
heart's content to try to resurrect Vista. But you probably do know what
a pain it is to reinstall all your software.

Of course, one should have HD images between all software installations,
but who has the time and tracking system to keep track of all that?
--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid

Han, it's always best to stay with your original thread about an issue:
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...88dcde2fd410c5
(30 Mar-08)

Other threads about 800B0100 errors when attempting to install Vista SP1:
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...coring=d&hl=en

> His best suggestion was to somehow get an original Vista DVD, but this is
> a
> cheap Acer (368-0-2633), and it came not with an install DVD, but with
> backup/image/restore software on the HD. I did generate all the backup
> DVDs, including a drivers and programs (or something like that), and I
> have
> system backups/images.

Then it would probably be best to use the hidden Recovery partition to
restore the machine to OOBE (like new) state and then run Windows Update
manually to install Vista SP1 and any other updates offered, *in the order
that they're offered*.

References:

Information about Windows Vista Service Pack 1:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936330

How to obtain the latest Windows Vista service pack
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935791

Windows Vista SP1 FAQ:
http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/wi...a-sp1-faq.aspx
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/w.../bb972745.aspx

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 - Things to Know Before You Download:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/w.../bb968859.aspx

Windows Vista Help: Learn how to install Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1):
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/win...6f2021033.mspx

Release Notes for Windows Vista Service Pack 1:
http://technet2.microsoft.com/Window...ac8a41033.mspx

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 [may not be] available for installation from
Windows Update and is not offered by Automatic Updates:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948343

NB: Once you restore the machine to OOBE state, you will have to uninstall
any/all free-trialware (e.g., anti-virus) and then (re)install your chosen
anti-virus application, as well as your Office, Acrobat, Eudora, etc.
software.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

Han wrote:
> All updates are installed, but SP1 won't. I spent hours and hours on the
> phone with India, having the nice gentleman take control of my machine,
> but
> no luck, even with cleaning the system in multiple ways, necessitating
> reinstalling AV, antimalware etc programs.
>
> His best suggestion was to somehow get an original Vista DVD, but this is
> a
> cheap Acer (368-0-2633), and it came not with an install DVD, but with
> backup/image/restore software on the HD. I did generate all the backup
> DVDs, including a drivers and programs (or something like that), and I
> have
> system backups/images.
>
> Windows update does not remind me anymore to install SP1, but the history
> does show multiple fails. Will it start to remind me to do that sometime
> again, or not? Is MS at any time going to fix what Acer might have
> "misdone", or am I SOOL, and will I have to reinstall everything from
> scratch, or try XP?
>
> I appreciate all the feedback here. However, my feeling is that I have
> really been stupid to get a Vista machine. Mea culpa, though.

"PA Bear [MS MVP]" <> wrote in
news::

> NB: Once you restore the machine to OOBE state, you will have to
> uninstall any/all free-trialware (e.g., anti-virus) and then
> (re)install your chosen anti-virus application, as well as your
> Office, Acrobat, Eudora, etc. software.
>
That's my "problem". I am not really willing to go through all that.
Especially since SP1 gives me no real idea as to what it is choking on.
I understand that you PA Bear, and all you other MVPs are doing the best
you can to help, but, IMNSHO, MS should have the install package say what
it is that it is choking on. Since it knows to stop, and returns the
machine to a perfectly usable state, it should be able to do what I am
asking.

And, yes, it is better to stay with the original thread, such as which I
had a few weeks ago, but I thought my question was different enough to
warrant a new thread:

Windows Update has stopped nagging me about SP1, presumably having choked
on it often enough. Will I get nagged again in a week or two after the
May hotfixes come out?

--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid

So Han, what are you prepared to do?

Are you prepared to continue pursuing MS?
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (All Languages)
Unlimited installation and compatibility support is available at no charge
until March 18, 2009.
https://support.microsoft.com/oas/de...4&gprid=500921

Are you prepared to contact the OEM and obtain disks?

Yes, it's a pain reformating and starting again. It's a pain doing regular
backups but it's more painful if something goes wrong and you don't have a
backup.

It's your choice what you decide to do and how you decide to do it and if
you decide to do it.

Your other alternative is to take it to the shop and get them to do it all
for you.

K
"Han" wrote:

> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" <> wrote in
> news::
>
> > NB: Once you restore the machine to OOBE state, you will have to
> > uninstall any/all free-trialware (e.g., anti-virus) and then
> > (re)install your chosen anti-virus application, as well as your
> > Office, Acrobat, Eudora, etc. software.
> >
> That's my "problem". I am not really willing to go through all that.
> Especially since SP1 gives me no real idea as to what it is choking on.
> I understand that you PA Bear, and all you other MVPs are doing the best
> you can to help, but, IMNSHO, MS should have the install package say what
> it is that it is choking on. Since it knows to stop, and returns the
> machine to a perfectly usable state, it should be able to do what I am
> asking.
>
> And, yes, it is better to stay with the original thread, such as which I
> had a few weeks ago, but I thought my question was different enough to
> warrant a new thread:
>
> Windows Update has stopped nagging me about SP1, presumably having choked
> on it often enough. Will I get nagged again in a week or two after the
> May hotfixes come out?
>
> --
> Best regards
> Han
> email address is invalid
>

=?Utf-8?B?VGF1ckFyaWFu?= <> wrote in
news:2063D532-7BE9-4979-85D4-:

> So Han, what are you prepared to do?
>
> Are you prepared to continue pursuing MS?
> Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (All Languages)
> Unlimited installation and compatibility support is available at no
> charge until March 18, 2009.
> https://support.microsoft.com/oas/de...=8&y=7&prid=11
> 274&gprid=500921
>
> Are you prepared to contact the OEM and obtain disks?
>
> Yes, it's a pain reformating and starting again. It's a pain doing
> regular backups but it's more painful if something goes wrong and you
> don't have a backup.
>
> It's your choice what you decide to do and how you decide to do it and
> if you decide to do it.
>
> Your other alternative is to take it to the shop and get them to do it
> all for you.
>
> K
> "Han" wrote:
>
>> "PA Bear [MS MVP]" <> wrote in
>> news::
>>
>> > NB: Once you restore the machine to OOBE state, you will have to
>> > uninstall any/all free-trialware (e.g., anti-virus) and then
>> > (re)install your chosen anti-virus application, as well as your
>> > Office, Acrobat, Eudora, etc. software.
>> >
>> That's my "problem". I am not really willing to go through all that.
>> Especially since SP1 gives me no real idea as to what it is choking
>> on. I understand that you PA Bear, and all you other MVPs are doing
>> the best you can to help, but, IMNSHO, MS should have the install
>> package say what it is that it is choking on. Since it knows to
>> stop, and returns the machine to a perfectly usable state, it should
>> be able to do what I am asking.
>>
>> And, yes, it is better to stay with the original thread, such as
>> which I had a few weeks ago, but I thought my question was different
>> enough to warrant a new thread:
>>
>> Windows Update has stopped nagging me about SP1, presumably having
>> choked on it often enough. Will I get nagged again in a week or two
>> after the May hotfixes come out?

Because the MS tech said that with a Vista install DVD from Acer I should
(haha) be able to "repair" my Vista installation, I contacted Acer.
Since I have 2 hard drives that each fit (one at a time) in the laptop, I
will first experiment on the old 80 GB HD which didn't want to accept the
restore after I (apparently) had futsed it up.

I don't know how long I will be able to run Vista Home Basic without SP1.
It seems to work fine at the moment on the 120 GB HD. I have all updates
that could possibly pertain, including Silverlight.

Thanks for your help!

--
Best regards
Han
email address is invalid