Computer problems

[Jon Brakel]

I'm getting "You receive a 0x800A01AD error message while you access the Windows Update Web site" problem while trying to get to windows update. Using Win XP Pro. This all started on Sunday when trying to update to SP2. The update failed because it couldn't write netoc.dll. Had to abort the install. When I rebooted, I could not boot up. I did a fix install of Win XP Pro and now I can't even get to the windows update page. I found an MS page that had me register the msxml program files and install msxml 3.0 sp4. I did both of those, still no help.

A part of what I do at work is fix Windows problems. It always seems that I have much harder problems at home than I ever see at work!

Anyone have any ideas, please let me know.

Thanks,

Jon

[mirth]

When you repaired XP, was it using a SP1 CD or was it just a straight XP Pro install disc?

Maybe download the SP1a installer from Microsoft & reapply it, then try Windows Update again.

[Dan Michler]

What I would do Jon is throw things across the room and at the computer while swearing alot.  You might want to try this when your home alone.  If that doesn't work then I'm lost.

[Jon Brakel]

When you repaired XP, was it using a SP1 CD or was it just a straight XP Pro install disc?

Maybe download the SP1a installer from Microsoft & reapply it, then try Windows Update again.

DOH!!! That's probably it. It was just the Pro CD that happened to be at the bottom of my bag and I didn't even think about it not being SP1.

Thanks Mirth, I'll let you know if that worked, but I bet that it will.

[myndcraft]

This all started on Sunday when trying to update to SP2.

Why would you ever dream of doing such a thing?

[Jon Brakel]

This all started on Sunday when trying to update to SP2.

Why would you ever dream of doing such a thing?

Because keeping up with updates also helps keep a computer virus free.

[mirth]

So whats the verdict?

[Jon Brakel]

So whats the verdict?

I have SP1 on a CD at work. I'm going to bring it home tonight and run it. I was too tired last night to screw up the computer any more.    

[mirth]

You could download the installer.... ~125MB.

[Jon Brakel]

SP1 fixed some problems. Still have some weirdness going on. It got win updates to work though. I'm wondering now if I should try SP2 again and see if that fixes everything. I have SP2 saved on my hard drive now. I might try to run it this time in safe mode. Can't think of anything else to do.

[mirth]

be afraid, be very afraid.

[Jon Brakel]

be afraid, be very afraid.

I haven't had any trouble with SP2 at work. Have you had any trouble? I've never had to run updates in safe mode, but that's what a tech friend of mine suggested.

[Jon Brakel]

SP2 bombs everytime I try to load it. I'm at a dead end. Microsoft has a help feature in the update. I clicked on it and filled it out. I got a response saying that I'd hear back within 24 hours. That was last week and no response. I have no idea how to get SP2 to load. I'll probably have to reload the entire OS from scratch. Reminds me of my Mac days.    

[damonshort]

SP2 bombs everytime I try to load it. I'm at a dead end. Microsoft has a help feature in the update. I clicked on it and filled it out. I got a response saying that I'd hear back within 24 hours. That was last week and no response. I have no idea how to get SP2 to load. I'll probably have to reload the entire OS from scratch. Reminds me of my Mac days.  

Hey Jon, did you ever resolve this? I've avoided sp2 because I'm worried about screwing up home networking; had enough problems getting it going again after converting to xp the first time.

[Jon Brakel]

SP2 bombs everytime I try to load it. I'm at a dead end. Microsoft has a help feature in the update. I clicked on it and filled it out. I got a response saying that I'd hear back within 24 hours. That was last week and no response. I have no idea how to get SP2 to load. I'll probably have to reload the entire OS from scratch. Reminds me of my Mac days. 

Hey Jon, did you ever resolve this? I've avoided sp2 because I'm worried about screwing up home networking; had enough problems getting it going again after converting to xp the first time.

I've gotten Windows back to a stable state, but I still can't do any updates. Microsoft finally sent me a fix to try (after about two weeks when they said 24 hours) but I haven't been brave enough to try it yet. I need to back up a few things before I try.  

I'm not sure what to tell you about if you should do it or not. There is a risk with this update. I just don't know why it works with some computers and bombs with others. Make sure you have your data backed up if you decide to take the chance.

[Bruce Brakel]

Sort of off topic, we started developing this problem where the curser would suddenly start running around the screen clicking wildly and sometimes randomly but other times like it had a sinister purpose in mind.  Like one time it opened every document in my My Pictures like it was looking for something.  Very weird.  

We ran spyware detection and virus detection and trojan detection programs, and put in the McAfee Home Firewall, and it still kept happening.  We cleaned up some stuff too but it still kept happening.  

Finally I figured out what was causing it and could make it happen at will and turned it into a Uri Gellar mind over matter magic trick.  "O.k., girls, if you will all watch the computer screen together we can use the power of our cognitive electromagnetic energies to cause what is essentially a mechanical object to go haywire.  Cocentrate, concentrate, four seconds, three, two, one, now!"  Zoom, click, click, click.  

Remind me I need to steal a new mouse from work.  

[mirth]

Damon, I've put XPSP2 on *some* machines but I've been largely apprehensive about it. I tried it on my workstation at work and quickly discovered some rather unpleasant incompatibilities with some of our software.

I say give it a shot, but make sure you have any data you wouldn't want to lose backed up to CD or anywhere off that machine first. If the SP2 update goes haywire you *should* be able to uninstall it.

[myndcraft]

We are not deploying it at Columbia because of problems it has caused in our test envrionment. Just an FYI

[mirth]

Same thought behind why I'm not deploying it to my workstations at work... Too many problems created with our other software.

Good & recommended update for home machines and corporate boxen that are on a pure M$ network. If you have any kinda cross vendor integration, better have that Motrin handy.