BIG PROBLEM w/ "Service Pack 2 BETA" CD

[stevland]

One of my computers is running XP that was installed with a slipstreamed version of Service Pack 2 BETA . The CD also included my own silent installs, Hotfixes, registry tweaks, etc., and has been running great up until now.

Automatic Updates installed one or more updates yesterday, and now Explorer.exe keeps crashing. It has rendered the computer pretty much inoperable. I can't run anything, including System Restore, even from "Safe Mode with Command Prompt."

Is anyone else having a similar issue?

[CoffeeFiend]

Not much people here probably run an old beta. It's been a while that all my puters run the final SP2...

[urie]

Have you acually shut the machine down after installing the updates i don't mean a reset but switch it off, a m8 of mine had the same problem with explorer and iexplore crashing but didn't notice that you have to shut the machine down after installing the updates.

[stevland]

I created a simple fix for this, btw... just in case that anyone else has fallen into this trap.

Using a functional computer, burn this registry file and Service Pack 2 Final onto a CD.

Boot into "Safe Mode with Command Prompt".

(Assuming that your CD drive is D:)

D: import reg SP2BETAFIX.reg

(This tricks Windows into thinking that it only has SP1 installed; otherwise, you will not be allowed to install SP2).

Now you can run the SP2 installer off of the CD. When you reboot your system will rock the casbah once again and this will never happen to you as long as you call your mother at least once a week and be kind to strangers.

@urie and crahak

Thanks for your replies.

Stevland.