Internet Connection Failure with XP SP2

I have found and read all of this topic because I am having the same problem. I lose IE, Outlook, Outlook express, and at one installation System Restore when I install SP2. I consider myself very knowledgeable in computer troubleshooting but this one has driving me NUTS. I installed SP2 on 25 machines I oversee at work with NO problems, but MY home computer? No such luck.

I am bit confused by the couple of posts. Was AutoStreamer used, or AutoPatcher XP? I am downloading both now and will look at them, but some explanation of what was done to fix the problem would be appreciated. I have a "clone" of my hard drive but I don't want to have to resort to using it!

AutoPatcherXP is the "one-stop-shop" I used to install all of the Hotfixes and underlying programs necessary to prepare for successful installation of SP2 from the Windows Update site itself.

AutoPatcher, as you know, is one of the resources found on the AutoStreamer website. The other resources are tailored towards other operating systems like 2000, NT4, Me, 98, etc. They even have some for Mac users that operate the new Microsoft versions for MacIntosh computers! My understanding of it is that AutoPatcherXP installs all of the items that make SP2 work at one time, unmollested by other regular software programs many of us use that inadvertently can cause problems.

This is what cured my ills:

I went to AutoStreamer as Bob directed and read enough to learn AutoPatcherXP was the specific program I needed to use for my problem with installation of SP2. I then downloaded AutoPatcherXP.

I went to Start>Control Panel>Add or Remove Programs. I identified and removed all Hotfixes associated with SP2 (they're labeled as such) and SP2 itself. I then ran a McAfee antivirus scan, an AVG antivirus scan, the free TrendMicro antivirus scan and Spybot Search and Destroy and Adaware SE Professional to try to ensure my system was as free of maliscious code as I could get it.

I rebooted my system and repeated the scans again, probably out of paranoia. Once I was convinced my system was clean I installed AutoPatcherXP and ran it. It analyzed my system and found 251 things it needed to install to get my system ready for SP2. I let it start the process and watched carefully. At one point it said it had not been able to install one of the programs, and instructed me to rerun AutoPatcherXP again after it had finished the first run. It did the same thing once more before it finished. After it completed it automatically rebooted my system. When it came back up I started it again as directed. This time it only selected the things it hadn't installed the first time. I was surprised that it said it needed to intall 93 things! I ran it again. It again got to a point where it said it could not install one of the programs and to rerun it upon completion. It finished and rebooted again. I reran it and it found only a few things that needed to be installed the third time. I started the installation process and it stopped in the middle and the "Display" screen popped up beside the AutoPatcherXP window. You know the one, it's the window that you reach via Start>Control Panel>Appearance and Themes>Display used to adjust your destop appearance. Another window popped up beside that one which said I needed to install Windows Media Player in order for whatever it was installing to work, and guided me to the Windows Media Player download site. I downloaded Windows Media Player 10 and it continued on its merry way! It finished that time without further incident, and it had not said I needed to rerun it again due to inability to install any of the components. It rebooted my system upon completion.

I reran all of the malware scans again out of paranoia, and the system was clean. I then went to Windows Update and it said I needed SP2 and two more Hotfixes. I allowed it to proceed and it installed them without any problems. It gave me the completion window that said installation had completed successfully and I needed to reboot my system for the changes to take effect. I was SCARED TO DEATH! That had been the point in all of my previous attempts when everything went haywire. I pressed the button to "reboot now" and went outside to smoke a cigarette!

When I returned, my computer was up and running with the Windows XP Security Center configuration screen up. I configured the security center to work with my McAfee Internet Security Suite without any problems. When I tried my internet connections and email it worked fine! I started putting my computer throught its paces, trying everything to see if it worked properly. So far it has been running perfectly!!! Better than ever before! I am SO HAPPY!!!!

I hope this explanation of what I did helps you. I can't say that it will fix your system, but if I were you I'd certainly try it! All I can say for sure is it worked for me. I hope from the bottom of my heart (and the rest of my heart for that matter!) that AutoPatcherXP works for you as well. Please let us all know how it goes for you.

Eldon

You'll notice when you download both AutoStreamer and AutoPatcherXP that AutoStreamer is contained within AutoPatcherXP as a subsystem it uses to get its job done.

Yeah, that stumped me at first. I looked around on the AutoStreamer site and found the answer you just gave. The "original share" refers to having the OS installed.

I'm SO VERY GLAD it worked, too!

Thanks for your time.

Eldon

See recent messages above. AutoPatcherXP WORKS! Or at least it worked for me, after trying everything else under the sun without success. Maybe it will work for you, too. I sure hope so!

I'm glad I didn't settle for sticking with SP1a, even though I have a good Firewall installed! Now I have SP2 thanks to Bob, and it works GREAT.

I did the download for Autopatcher as well as a thorough system shakedown beforehand, antivirus, spyware check, defrag the works. Autopatcher still didn't get it done. I had one error message saying that Q839643 - Vulnerability in Direct Play patch couldn't install (error2 unable to save temporary file), but that was all. I went to Microsoft and downloaded what was supposed to be a patch for that and installed it beforehand.

I STILL get the inoperability of IE, Outlook, Outlook Express, etc. Fortunately I was able to uninstall SP2 and the system works fine. By the way Mozilla worked fine with SP2 installed. I have high speed cable, and the programs in question still come up, they just close after a few seconds. Checked the settings in Security and everywhere else I could look.

I know this thread is wearing thin but if anyone has nay ideas please let me know. I'll keep trying everything I can think of and post if I get any results!

"Autopatcher still didn't get it done. I had one error message saying that Q839643 - Vulnerability in Direct Play patch couldn't install (error2 unable to save temporary file), but that was all. I went to Microsoft and downloaded what was supposed to be a patch for that and installed it beforehand."

I may not understand what you meant to say in your message. When you got your error message in AutoPatcherXP, didn't it tell you to run itself again a second time so it could install the thing(s) it failed to install the first time?

You said you went to Microsoft and "downloaded what was supposed to be a patch for that and installed it beforehand": Beforehand to what? Do you mean before you tried to install SP2 AFTER running AutoPatcherXP withour error to completion or that you had gone to Microsoft and installed what was supposed to be a patch for what AutoPatcherXP had given you an error message for prior to running AutoPatcherXP in the first place?

When I ran AutoPatcherXP each time it gave me an error message it instructed me to run AutoPatcher again upon completion so it could try to install the program it had not been able to install in the previous run. Did you run AutoPatcherXP a second time to install the program it failed to install on the first run? And if so, did it run the second time to completion without error? And if you were following the exact method I used you would had to have run Windows Update after the final error-free run of AutoPatcherXP allowing it to install everything it deemed necessary.

I also didn't understand exactly what you meant by a "thorough system shakedown" prior to running AutoPatcherXP. I understood that you ran antivirus scans and degragmented your HD, but did you remove all Hotfixes associated with SP2 and any previous installations of SP2 itself before you ran AutoPatcherXP?

Let me know the answers to my questions above. Please don't take my questioning the wrong way. I'm just trying to see if you followed exactly the same steps which were successful for me or not. Any deviation could be one reason for failure, along with the fact that everyone's system is somewhat different. From your last posting it doesn't sound to me like you did everything I had done.

I sincerely want you to get SP2 installed on your system. I know how frustrating it is when SP2 doesn't work after you've tried to install it dozens and dozens of times.

Hi. I did not get a message from Autopatcher to run it again. I DID go to Microsft after I ran Autopatcer and downloaded a patch related to the message Autopatcher gave me, and installed it.

I did all of the system checks before, but when I went to uninstall a couple of items that SP2 by them I received a message about some things not working (should have written that down) if I uninstalled them and I was reluctant to do that. I suppose I'll have to make sure I still have a good backup and have the guts to uninstall them.

I'll try again tonight and let you know what happens. It's important for me to learn why because I work with Individuals with Disabilites for computer access and support and I'm likely to see this again! Cross your fingers for me!

Let's go back to the basics that got me success. Two things bother me about this post you sent:

#1 - You say that you went to Windows Update after AutoPatcherXP had finished, and installed the component it had failed to install. That is not what I did when I got success. After I had completely finished with AutoPatcherXP (referred to as APXP from now on!) I went to Windows Update, let it analyze my system, selected Custom Install (so I could see what it wanted to install), and then let it install EVERYTHING it had automatically determined needed to be downloaded and installed; NOT JUST WHAT I THOUGHT IT NEEDED. Windows Update had determined I needed SP2 itself and two other HotFixes. I allowed it to do it's thing and then rebooted when told to do so in order for the changes to take place. When my system came back up the Windows Security Center configuration page was the first thing up. I configured it to run with my McAfee Internet Security Suite without problems. Then I put my system through its paces. It ran fine and continues to run fine with one small exception I won't get into just yet.

#2 - I got the same messages about things possibly not working if I removed the SP2 HotFixes and SP2 itself. You must disregard those messages and remove everything that has to do with SP2 before you run APXP. It is CRUCIAL to remove all the pieces before you start. Something about those old pieces is the problem. Get rid of all of it. Unless you do, YOU ARE NOT STARTING FROM SCRATCH.

Here's the Reader's Digest condensed version of what I did again:

1. Download APXP
2. Run complete system scans for malware. I used McAfee Internet Security Suite 2004, AVG, TrendMicro free scan, Adaware SE Professional and Spybot Search and Destroy.
3. Go to Start>Control Panel>Add or Remove Programs. Identify and remove all HotFixes that have to do with SP2; they are all labeled with SP2 in the name. Then remove SP2 itself. Get out of Add or Remove Programs but then go back into it again to doublecheck for any HotFixes related to SP2 or SP2 itself. I had to remove SP2 TWICE.
4. Reboot your computer to start fresh. Run all malware scans again.
5. Run APXP. If it stops anywhere throughout its cycle and gives you an error message stating it could not install any part of the programs it had identified your computer needed, RUN IT AGAIN after it has finished. It should reboot your system automatically when it gets done. It rebooted mine upon completion every time, anyway.
6. If you had any error messages during the second run of APXP REPEAT IT AGAIN after it has finished. Keep on doing so until it runs all the way through without any messages stating it could not install something.
7. The last time I had to run APXP it stopped and put up the window used to configure your display and another that told me I had to install Windows Media Player in order for one of the programs it needed to install to work properly. A link to the Windows Media Player download page was provided. I went to the site and downloaded and installed Windows Media Player. When I finished that installation APXP continued to completion without a hitch and automatically rebooted my computer.
8. Run all malware scans AGAIN.
9. Select Start>All Programs>Windows Update. When it gets done analyzing your system select Custom Install. Regardless of what it says it needs to install let it install everything it says you need. When it finishes reboot your system when prompted.

If it works for you the same as it did for me on my Hewlett Packard Pavilion a530n you will be back in business with SP2 installed and all of your connections intact.

Now for that little problem I mentioned earlier. My computer will not restart properly on it's own now. When I select Start>Turn Off Computer>Restart it shuts down Windows, the monitor and all of the drives, but the power will not shut off completely. I have waited for hours to see if it was just taking a long time to do what it was supposed to do but it just sat there! I have to manually depress the power switch to shut it down completely. Naturally then I have to depress the power switch to get it to turn back on. It starts up fine without any error messages (like Windows failed to shut down properly or any like that) and runs fine.

If anyone knows how to fix that small inconvenience I would be grateful, but I can EASILY live with that! My machine finally has SP2 installed and everything else except "restart" works better than before. I'm HAPPY!

pgoodma, I hope this does you some good. I hope you follow the EXACT STEPS I DID and it works for you, too. I wish with my entire being that you can get your computer running GOOD with SP2 and all of the benefits it provides (WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY RUNNING PROPERLY!!!!). Please let me know how it goes this time.

I was scared myself when it gave me those messages that a bunch of my stuff might not work if I removed the HotFixes and SP2. But I figured what the heck! My system WASN'T working properly IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! And I knew I could always start from ground zero if necessary and do a destructive system restoration with hard drive format and OS reinstallation. What did I have to lose? Answer = NOTHING, and you have nothing to lose as well. Man I hope this works for you. I'll be pulling for you from my end!!!! Best of luck.

Eldon

Hey Med
Tried it all again from scratch with Autopatcher just as you described and had the same results. Microsoft products IE and Outlook Express still shutdown after a few seconds. This time Outlook kept running though!

I will keep trying and post anything I learn. I the mean time I hope to get POSITIVE replies from forum users. It seems some users have enough time to make trite comments and I am thinking about looking elsewhere for help.

Gee Cursor sorry to confuse you but I had to dig through a couple of hundred messages in these forums to even find what I was looking for, then I had to read about 50 in this forum to glean the information I was looking for.

No one is getting paid for going through the messages in these forums, or replying to them. Aside from that we take the information we get on faith and try it.

If I may be so bold please try to restrict your replies to HELPful information! Didn't mean to waste anyone's valuable time...

Thanks for the help, but FORTUNATELY you're TOO LATE! My computer is up and running VERY WELL with SP2 and is completely up to date according to Windows Update. I have all of the HotFixes and patches and everything Windows has to offer currently. I'm so glad to have the (supposed) extra security.

Thank you for your time.

The only problem I have is my computer now will not restart correctly. When I select "restart" from the computer shut-down menu it shuts down Windows, the monitor and all drives but the computer will not go completely off. I have to manually depress the power button to get it to go all the way off. Then, naturally, I have to manually restart it by depressing the power button. Then it restarts fine, I get no error messages (like Windows failed to shut down properly) at all and it runs fine from there.

I can put up with this minor inconvenience, but it sure would be nice if EVERYTHING ran the way it was supposed to run again.

Eldon,

do a search in Google for Problems shutting XP down. See if you can find anything there.

Mark