Installing Windows XP SP3 on XP SP2 system

[blackguyza]

I have just messed up my PC. I have installed an XP SP3 on a system with XP SP2. Now my computer is running to operating system. How can I resolve the problem without losing my installed programs as well as documents?

 

[Dark Avenger]

What do you mean your computer is running to operating system?

 

[TowerGuru]

yeah.....clarify

 

[rudirautenbach]

T(w)o operating systems perhaps?

 

[TowerGuru]

how is it possible to stuff up installing SP3 though? you click the installer and you disappear for an hour and come back...

 

[blackguyza]

Yeah, sorry. I meant to say TWO operating systems.

 

[blackguyza]

I get an option when the computer starts to select one OS.

 

[TowerGuru]

never ever heard of that happening before...goodluck!

 

[Park@82]

I get an option when the computer starts to select one OS.

you booted from the cd and then installed? you are now dual booting xp and xp .


Edit: Do you have two disks or partitions in your pc? you should be able to modify the boot.ini file to only give you one xp on start up.

 

[blackguyza]

you booted from the cd and then installed? you are now dual booting xp and xp .

Unfortunately that is correct.

 

[LazyLion]

oops

 

[Park@82]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/289022

Removing an Operating System
At the command prompt, type:
bootcfg /delete /ID#
Where # specifies the boot entry ID that you want to be deleted from the operating systems section of the BOOT.INI file (e.g. 2 for the second Operating system that is listed.

 

[Park@82]

make double sure you don't remove the wrong windows from the boot ini

 

[blackguyza]

you booted from the cd and then installed? you are now dual booting xp and xp .


Edit: Do you have two disks or partitions in your pc? you should be able to modify the boot.ini file to only give you one xp on start up.

I only have one partition.

 

[Park@82]

I only have one partition.

two disks then? it is impossible (to my knowledge) to install windows twice on one partition.

 

[blackguyza]

It's not impossible. I have one disk and one partition. Check my boot.ini file that I just edited to differentiate SP2 from SP3.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS.0
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS.0="Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP3" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP2" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

 

[Park@82]

anywho in future I would suggest you use a stand alone installer of sp3 not a full blown os with sp3. http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en

 

[DJNgoma]

From what I can see XP SP2 was installed in the Windows folder and XP SP3 in the Windows.0(Why?) folder on the same drive. So the answer is that you screwed yourself by installing two OS on the same drive without partitions, and from what I can understand you can only boot up in XP SP3. But if that's not the case, just remove the XP SP3 option from the boot.ini and make the default boot up OS the Windows folder.

 

[blackguyza]

Thank you guys, I have done as you requested however I want to upgrade to SP3 and I tried the standalone SP3 installer to try to upgrade but I get an error about the file that is missing or corrupted. The error message goes like this:

An error occurred while trying to copy the file aogtqajk.sys to C:/$WIN_NT&.~BT/aogtqajk.sys

The file is missing. Contact your system administrator.

You may chose retry, skip, or exit, bla-bla-bla

 

[Park@82]

are you sure you have the whole 316.4MB file ?