I'm Giving Up: I Can't Get Vista SP1 Installed on my Laptop

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947366' target='_blank'>http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947366</a><br /><br /></div><img vspace="0" hspace="5" align="left" alt="" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1211817664.usr1.jpg" />Windows Vista with SP1 installed is a smoother ride than without SP1 installed - I particularly like being able to see accurate progress indications when I'm moving or copying files. SP1 doesn't add any new features to Windows Vista, but it improves the overall experience of using the OS. I have it running on all five desktop PCs in my home, but I've completely struck out trying to get it installed on my Dell XPS M1330 laptop. When SP1 first came out there were some issues with it not being compatible with certain hardware configurations, so when my first attempt to install it failed, I thought my M1330 might have had one of those particular hardware configurations that were affected.<br /><br />When it started showing up in Windows Update for me on the M1330, I gave it a shot - and it still failed. This past week I decided to dig deeper into the problem and really figure out why it wasn't installing. Since the Windows Update mechanism wasn't installing it properly, I downloaded the big 400+ MB offline installer and gave that a try. It also failed on me, giving me the following error:<br /><br /><img border="0" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//dht/auto/1211822651.usr1.png" alt="" /><br /><br /><MORE /> I investigated the <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947366" target="_blank">page referred to</a> in that error message (irritatingly, it wasn't a hyperlink, I had to manually type out that entire URL) and tried everything listed there. The full hard drive scan produced no improved results, nor did rebooting and shutting down running programs. I got a little excited when I saw that the system file checker found a problem, but it found a problem it couldn't fix! The exact error message seems like it's designed to frustrate:<br /><br /><em>&quot;Verification 100% Complete. Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them. Details are included in the CBS.log...&quot;</em><br /><br />I took a look at the CBS.log file, and it's 35 MB of non-user friendly text. There's no easy way to see what the problem is...and that's why I'm giving up on getting SP1 installed. I don't particularly feel motivated to format and re-install everything on this laptop because it would be a huge pain to do, so until SP2 comes out, I'll be leaving things as is. Unless someone has a cure for this problem that is...

[EscapePod]

I had similar issues trying to install SP1 on my main PC (desktop). I (and MS SP1 Support) finally gave up after a multitude of traded emails and "try this" efforts. I knew it wasn't a hardware issue since I substituted a new, virgin drive and SP1 loaded fine.

I finally re-imaged the C: drive (OS and Apps only) with a backup image I had made in August of last year. It was missing a little over a half-year of additional apps, but that really wasn't too many. I was very fortunate that all my data, and email backups, was located on my mirrored D: drive.

Now Vista is running fine on the main PC. Three other Vista PCs in the household updated without any issues.

[Darius Wey]

Ah, Vista SP1 - it's unfortunate to still see quite a few people running into installation issues. :(

Jason, have you tried reinstalling Windows with a slipstreamed copy? Just on top of your existing installation, not a complete format and re-install.

[Dave Beauvais]

Between deployment testing at work and "real-world" installations on my own systems and those of friends and family members, I've installed SP1 on twenty-three different systems with varying combinations of hardware and software. So far I've run into only two failures: one was similar to what you've encountered, and the other was due to a failing hard drive, so I can't actually blame Microsoft.

The failure which was similar to yours -- my error code was 0x800B0100 -- was resolved by reinstalling Vista over itself, then installing SP1. After that ridiculously time-consuming process was completed, the system has worked fine. That system is a Dell Latitude D610 (on-board Intel 915 graphics, 2 GB RAM, 100 GB drive) and runs Windows Vista Business from the "Power Together" promo that Microsoft offered in 2007.

I now have slipstreamed media at my disposal, so any new builds include SP1 out of the box.

[if42]

Hi,

I have a Dell M1330 bought last November. It has the optional nvida gfx, and optional fingerprint reader. It is running Vista 32 bit ultimate.

I upgraded *all* drivers and then installed vista sp1 and all went smoothly. I think the sigmatel (sound) and fingerprint reader software that shipped with my 1330 originally both have problems with vista sp1.

(unrelated to vista - unfortunately the M1330 died last Monday with either motherboard or gfx card failure. Dell has so far missed one appointment, without any notice in advance, to fix it)

Good luck,
Ian

[Jason Dunn]

Jason, have you tried reinstalling Windows with a slipstreamed copy? Just on top of your existing installation, not a complete format and re-install.

Installing Windows on top of itself is something I haven't had to do on any of my systems for a very long time - I'm not at all confident it wouldn't make a huge mess, so I have no desire to do that. I'll attempt more surgical solutions, but I'd sooner re-install everything from scratch than plaster an install of Vista over another install.

[Jason Dunn]

I upgraded *all* drivers and then installed vista sp1 and all went smoothly. I think the sigmatel (sound) and fingerprint reader software that shipped with my 1330 originally both have problems with vista sp1.

Yeah, drivers were the first thing I looked at - when I called Dell I specifically asked them if there were any known issues with the hardware or drivers on the M1330 that interfered with the install of SP1. The tech I spoke with said there were no known issues. I'll take another look at the driver situation - it's kind of ridiculous that Dell has such a crude driver updating system...having to go to a Web page and peer at dates and wonder if it's newer than yours or not. :rolleyes:

[Dave Beauvais]

... I'm not at all confident it wouldn't make a huge mess, so I have no desire to do that. ...

My install-Windows-over-itself attempt was the first time I'd done that since Windows 98. I didn't want to do it that way, but as I didn't have an image of the system, and the number of applications on the system made a complete rebuild an unattractive option, I figured what did I have to lose? It was a gamble that paid off in this case, though as with all computers, your mileage may vary.

[Andy Dixon]

We sometimes get a similar problem to this when it comes to applying Microsoft updates and service packs on our servers at work. What we do is a kind of 'reset' of Windows Update which makes things go again.

You can try it and see if it works for this:

1. Stop the Automatic Update service
2. Go to C:\Windows and rename the SoftwareDistribution folder to SoftwareDistribution.old or some backup name.
3. Restart the Automatic Update service again
4. Go back to Windows Update and get it to search for any updates you need. Hopefully it will spot you need SP1 and download and install it successfully.

Fingers crossed this works.

[onlydarksets]

I had the same problem with our VMC PC. It's a real pain, since SP1 fixes the abysmal file transfer time problem. I'm going to wipe it out at some point. I might even go back to XP MCE, since I'm 99% certain we're going to go with Sage.