[Robbie108]

I have a Dell with Windows SP1 installed as an OEM -- it came installed. I have been unable to put SP2 on this machine without the PC completely failing to work and causing me to have to restore back to SP1 -- with over the phone help doing that from Dell.

Anyone know what's up with this issue and why it should be so difficult? Any workarounds that don't involve stripping my PC down to nothing and starting over? or having to disable System Restore and get into the registry... neither of these options is something I want to do. Nor do I want to remove all my installed programs and files and start from scratch.

Any suggestions would help. Thanks,
Robbie

[tias2001]

Hi there,

Could you clarrify what you mean by "PC completely failing to work"?.. As in did it
a) Freeze on the windows xp logo at startup?
b) Freeze while loading windows at the desktop?
c) Fail to start at all?
d) Freeze whilst you were using it for a while?

All of the above or somewhere in between?

Regards
Mathias

[Robbie108]

It has been quite some time, but if I recall, Windows failed to start and I had a Dell tech walk me through getting into system restore. Are you familiar with this problem of the Dell installation of SP1 being considered an OEM and not being easily updated to SP2?

Robbie

[AphJN]

how many changes were made to the system between original purchase and the attempt to update to SP2?

I currently have a new E510 with Media Center Edition and found that its almost impossible to keep the system working unless I use the "Dell Std" Load. The more I change, the harder it is for the OS to stay viable. This is a fact with the newer Dell systems that are not geared toward the "Knowledgeable" PC User. Those of us who know how to make very explicit changes to our setups will need to take the system back to its original, aka when you first received the system, setup to update on service packs or other major changes that MS Comes up with.