Using Dell SP2 Restore CD

Question

I have a Dimension 4400 with SP1and BIOS A02.  I have tried to upgrade to SP2 but it always hangs up on re-boot.  I am thinking about creating an XP SP2 slipstream boot CD.  However, can I use instead a Dell XP restore CD that has SP2 on it?  I received that with our laptop.

mschraier · Answer

with regards to the BIOS, i saw in another forum that A02 is fine and the ones that followed did not refer to OS at all.  You mean that I should use the OS ID# that is on my tower and not the one on the laptop the CD came with?  I am concerned about SP2 because Micorosft is dropping SP1 support this October.  With regards to slipstream, I downloaded the slipstream software, I hav my original SP1 restore CD and an SP2 upgrade CD from Microsoft.  Those owuld work if the SP2 restore doesn't?

simpswr · Answer

It should work . . if asked, use the Product Code on the side of the tower ( bottom of a laptop)  Be sure you have the newest BIOS . . many of the Dells need a BIOS patch to work with SP2

simpswr · Answer

Yes . . use the Product on the machine you are installing on . . not the other one.   A slipstream should work ok as well.

mschraier · Answer

Rich

HELP!!!! I used the XP SP2 restore CD and couldn't get passed where I needed to put in the product ID#. Tried again with the original restore CD and the Microsoft SP2 upgrade CD. FAtal errors upon first reboot. It did work twice but after installing Norton Interent Security 2005 the task bar went from blue to tan and it told me that I needed to re-install Norton. Guess what, still no luck. I am totally down. Is there something I could do? I just want to put back in the original with SP1 as it was before I started. It workd well but I was concerned about Microsoft suspending SP! supporet in October.

simpswr · Answer

What does ' couldn't get passed where I needed to put in the product ID#' mean? . . what happened . . what did you do? Did it ask for the Product Key ( COA on the side of the pc)? . .

mschraier · Answer

yeah, i put in the Product Code from the side of the tower then click re-try.  it would not accept it.  so i re-formatted and tried this tiem with the original restore CD & an XP SP2 upgrade cd from micorosft.  each time it would give me a fatal error that a component could not be loaded.  or one time it actually did load ok, but when i installed norton internet security 2005 first the task bar went from blue to tan.  then i got errors from norton about having to re-install or run live update to get the lastest stuff.  either way it was no good including going to the symantec website to folow their directgions.  at this point i just want to reload just with sp1 from my original restore cd but that fatal error after the first reboot keeps coming up.

simpswr · Answer

I would download diagnostics from Dell and test the hard drive, the CD drive and memory . . something is not playing nice.

rickmktg · Answer

Message Edited by rickmktg on 06-05-200609:36 AM

mschraier · Answer

i just online chatted with tech support and they said the same thing.  so i guess we will part company.  you have been a great help.  i did find out something, the xp sp2 cd i got from dell for my laptop won't work on my tower.  he says the restore cd's are unit specific

simpswr · Answer

Good luck . . btw . . if the disc is a Dell Reinstallation Disc . . he was blowing smoke

mschraier · Answer

the issue is that we dd a clean install using my original install cd and the Microsoft supplied SP2 upgrade CD.  Shouldn't that have done it?  After the re-install I had only installed EZ Armour (from Computer Associates) firewall, virus protect, anti-spam and popup blocker and the Weatherbug software which I had very a few years now prior to this mess.

rickmktg · Answer

@mschraier wrote:

the issue is that we dd a clean install using my original install cd and the Microsoft supplied SP2 upgrade CD. Shouldn't that have done it? After the re-install I had only installed EZ Armour (from Computer Associates) firewall, virus protect, anti-spam and popup blocker and the Weatherbug software which I had very a few years now prior to this mess.

If you did a true clean install, then the system would not have had anything on it, true. However, if you were connected to the internet with a pre-SP1 version of XP and no firewall, your computer could have been infected in mere seconds. Even an SP1 version w/o a firewall has issues.

I'd stop wasting my time and use the Dell Windows XP SP2 Reinstallation CD and do a clean install all at once. The rep who told you that it would not work was not competent.

FYI, Weatherbug is identified by many programs as spyware. I suggest you research it carefully.

mschraier · Answer

I was not aware about that fact with regards to Weatherbug. YOu are right about my original install CD. It was a pre SP! and my cable modem was on and the cable connected at that time. During the install we formatted the partition that had the bad install in it and then proceeded after that with the upgrade cd. I assume that is a clean install.

You are a man with a lot of patience and for that I thank you very much. if I might, just one more thing, The other time I attempted to use the Restore CD with CD with SP2, it did not allow me to inout my PC's COA#. What do I do in that case?

rickmktg · Answer

@mschraier wrote:

Hey Rich

Dell got back to me ajnd we got SP2 installed. However, after i re-booted i got this: lsass.exe-system error an invalid parameter was passed to a system or function.

that error appears on the windows welcome screen with an "OK" button. When depressed the system reboots and the whole thing starts again.

Any clues? I am waiting for a call back from the Dell team

You likely have a virus or spyware, the #1 reason why SP2 upgrades fail. People don't read the instructions that MS provides suggesting a full virus scan and spyware scan.

I would recommend that you do a CLEAN install of Windows with SP2 from the other CD you have that includes SP2. That will erase everything and start you off clean.

mschraier · Answer

Hey Rich

Dell got back to me ajnd we got SP2 installed. However, after i re-booted i got this: lsass.exe-system error an invalid parameter was passed to a system or function.

that error appears on the windows welcome screen with an "OK" button. When depressed the system reboots and the whole thing starts again.

Any clues? I am waiting for a call back from the Dell team

Windows General

Using Dell SP2 Restore CD

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