Jump to content

Troubleshooting failed XP install


laffinboy

Recommended Posts

Hi,

I just built an nLite install CD and used it to do a clean install of XP SP3 using a fresh HD on my HP NC6400 laptop. The install seemed to go well but the OS has strange behaviors that I can't isolate:

When using either IE8 or IE7 at some point i'll get a dialog window (for example "Internet Options") that's completely grayed out. If I "mouse over" the elements, buttons etc, they'll appear and then go away as I move the cursor. The problem is not limited to IE - any large app will, sooner or later, start acting strange and when that happens the entire OS gets weird & unresponsive - throwing up strange error messages that make no sense and I have to kill the entire system w/ the power button.

I realize that this is a very vague description that doesn't give you enough to go on but I don't know how to debug this. It hasn't bluescreened yet so I have no system error to track. It also has 2 other issues that may provide some clues:

-- PrintScrn function no longer works. (IE: keys work but nothing happens)

-- Sched Tasks won't run any tasks - I get "0x80070005: Access is denied" error even though i'm logged in as admin. One M$ doc that I read on this claimed that i'll get this error if I use a blank password - which I do - but I ran Scheduled tasks for yrs on this laptop using XP SP2 using a blank password.

I've attached my LAST SESSION.INI in hopes that there's a clue in there as far as something I need to do differently next time.

        ----------------------

       

I'm going to build a new nLite install CD and try again and I have a question about my user account which is now Administrator. (This is a single user machine) I think I understand how to create a new act w/ admin privileges and set it to autologin but is it possible to rename the default admin act to MyName so that i'm not adding another user act (where there too many now - default, network, etc)?

2 of my drivers didn't install - NIC & touchpad - although they installed w/o problem after the OS install from the Device Mgr by pointing to the same inf that nlite used. What can I look for in troubleshooting this?

LAST SESSION.INI

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Hi,

Only one answer I'm certain of: you can rename the inbuilt Administrator account and set it to autologon.

I didn't see any clue in your Last Session.ini why the problems happen. They shouldn't. Some very long shot guesses:

- the theme is leaking resources

- something wrong with the source/updates/addons

- try installing latest DirectX

GL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

laffinboy, I agree with GrofLuigi that is almost impossible to know for sure what is going on in your case. However, these are the symptoms of running nLite more than once against the same source. By symptoms, I mean strange, unexplainable things. If you started with a fresh copy of a clean, legal copy of windows and did all your work in one nLite session, then it is even more strange. Some things to try: start all the Disabled Services and see if that changes anything. I do no use Update Packs, so I do not know what the one you used has in it. Does it have updates to IE7, IE8 or neither? If it has IE8 updates and you did not install IE8, then that can be a real problem. Where did your source come from? Have you run an AV scan? Good luck, John.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Only one answer I'm certain of: you can rename the inbuilt Administrator account and set it to autologon.

Thanks for your reply.   Are you saying that I can edit the Admin name in nLite and change it to whatever?

 

 If you started with a fresh copy of a clean, legal copy of windows and did all your work in one nLite session, then it is even more strange.  

Thanks John. IIRC, I slipstreamed SP3 into my source - a M$ OEM XP+SP2 CD - in the 1st session and then did everything else in the 2nd session (using the newly slipstreamed SP3 source) Is this potentially a problem? 

I do not use Update Packs, so I do not know what the one you used has in it.

I used this one: xable updates   If you don't use update packs do you D/L each individual M$ update and add them all as addons?  If so why?

 Does it have updates to IE7, IE8 or neither?  If it has IE8 updates and you did not install IE8, then that can be a real problem.

From reading the list of updates it appears that the only one that does apply to both IE 7 or 8 is kb980182 - "Cumulative security update for Internet Explorer"  (which covers 6, 7 & 8)

 Have you run an AV scan?

Avast scan was negative.

I compared my services in the SP3 install w/ my existing SP2 install (on old HD) which works ok and every service that's started on SP2 is also started on SP3. I've attached my list of SP3 services, broken down 23 different ways, to this post.

Did some more expirimenting today and found a new symptom: the Performance tab on Win Task Mgr doesn't work. CPU / Mem Charts display nothing & don't update. 

laffin_boy

SP3 Services.txt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks John. IIRC, I slipstreamed SP3 into my source - a M$ OEM XP+SP2 CD - in the 1st session and then did everything else in the 2nd session (using the newly slipstreamed SP3 source) Is this potentially a problem?

No, it should not be a problem, if you closed nLite immediately after integrating SP3.

I used this one: xable updates If you don't use update packs do you D/L each individual M$ update and add them all as addons? If so why?

I use individual updates, mostly because I want to control what I add. At the same time, here's another example: KB923561 (I think) is an update to Wordpad, and I remove wordpad from my CD. Also, there was an update in February (or March) 2010 which addresses Movie Maker, which I also remove (as well as Outlook Express).

Did you try a virtual machine before you installed? Maybe you could try one now to see if the symptoms show there as well.

Edited by Sp0iLedBrAt
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks John. IIRC, I slipstreamed SP3 into my source - a M$ OEM XP+SP2 CD - in the 1st session and then did everything else in the 2nd session (using the newly slipstreamed SP3 source) Is this potentially a problem?
If this is really all you did, then you should be OK.
If you don't use update packs do you D/L each individual M$ update and add them all as addons? If so why?

I run XP x64 and follow Kurt_Aust's guide. He does all the work and I do DL all the updates - better control as Sp0iLedBrAt says. It seems you are OK also on the IE7/IE8 possible problem. I am also with Sp0iLedBrAt in suggesting that you try running a virtual system using your nLite ISO. VMware Server, VirtualPC and VirtualBox are all free. I would suggest you run your current ISO and make sure it behaves the same and then start with a fresh source and repeat your steps and see if you have problems. You can then build ISOs with various things removed to nail down the problem. Enjoy, John.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Only one answer I'm certain of: you can rename the inbuilt Administrator account and set it to autologon.

Thanks for your reply.   Are you saying that I can edit the Admin name in nLite and change it to whatever?

A big YES. :)

GL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...