PhilipYip

Hi I thought I would introduce myself. I'm new to these forums and wanted to join to say thanks for the unofficial Windows XP Service Pack 4. I am a Dell Community Rockstar and Dell Techcenter Rockstar so have quite a bit of experience with Dell systems and Windows. I am the sole author of the unofficial DellWindowsReinstallationGuide. Philip

Sounds like you have several issues with the install. If its an OEM license (preinstalled by Acer) you can use a program called ABR to backup your OEM System Locked Preinstallation activation. After that you can download a Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 .iso and use it to create a bootable USB. Together with the ABR program, backed up ABR files and Windows 7 .iso you have more up to date media to clean install. You should also download WSUS Offline Update, which will allow you to download all the important for Windows 7 Updates and apply them offline on the clean install before you connect to the internet. In addition you will need to download the system drivers from Acer. Assuming you have an infection, its recommended to securely wipe your system with Darik's Boot and Nuke before Windows installation which will cleanse your system of any Malware. You can then install Windows 7 from the bootable USB without a product key. Next use the ABR program to reapply your OEM SLP activation. Then use WSUS Offline Update to update Windows fully. After that you can install the system drivers (making sure to install Chipset drivers first). This will give you a clean install with far superior performance. I have explained this entire procedure in my guide DellWindowsReinstallationGuide / A Clean Install of Windows. The guide is Dell based but all the steps will work on an Acer except you may need to press a different key to F12 to select to boot from USB and the ABR files must be obtained from your existing install (if OEM) because I don't have any backup certs from OEMs other than Dell and HP.

Thanks for the unofficial service pack, I have recommended it in my legacy Windows XP Reinstallation Guide and on the Dell Community Forums for those who wish to stick with Windows XP for now or have a system which can't handle Windows 7. I will at some point write a guide installing XP in a VM using VMware player and will also integrate it into that guide. One thing I tried however was to add this update to an nLite install with a Dell Windows XP Professional OEM Reinstallation CD. I lost the Dell System Locked Preinstallation mechanism for Windows XP and was prompted to input a product key, I aborted the install at this screen. I don't know if you have done any testing with OEM SLP keys so thought its worth a mention. On the other hand installation of the Unofficial Service Pack 4 after installation of Dell Windows XP Professional OEM with Service Pack 3 (nLite slipstreamed and Rufus USB), Dell Windows XP MCE OEM with Service Pack 2 (Rufus USB) and Dell Windows XP Home OEM with Service Pack 3 (nLite slipstreamed and Rufus USB) has worked without any issues.