On Sat, 31 Dec 2005 21:37:02 -0800, "Shumandu"

>I know spyware is an issue but people tend to blame it for eveything that
>goes wrong on an OS and thier divorces and WMD's too. I have scanned with
>four different spyware tools. I do not have spyware on my system, if I do
>it's hidden so well it deserves to stay there.

Actually, no;if it's that well hidden, then you'dbe more intent on
removing it. Malware is common, and malware persistance through the
typical approaches to detect it ("I scanned using Norton AV" etc.) is
quite common too, and it can botch all sorts of upgrades.

>What other possible issues can cause the "Sorry for the
>inconvienience but Windows can not start .."

I'm jumping in late, and missed the start of this thread. There are
licensing issues that will prevent SP2 from installing, and other
technical issues that can stop the first and subsequent post-SP2
bootups from working. For example, a combination of
Prescott-generation Intel processor and insufficiently-aware BIOS can
lock the PC up on the black graphic loading screen, as per...

http://cquirke.mvps.org/sp2intel.htm

>"Shumandu" wrote:

>> Even though I'm still not convinced of the value, after much study and prep I
>> decided to install SP2. I followed all suggestions for a successful install.
>> Downloaded all current updates to SP1, disabled McAfee virus and firewall,
>> and ZeroSpyware spyware programs even removed them from startup after full
>> clean scans, removed all virtual drives i.e. Game Drive, I am the administrator.
>> I used the install disc and after indicating a successful install I
>> restarted the system.

OK; SF,SG...

>> I then got the "Sorry Windows was unable to start" screen.

More on that? Like, details??

>> I then started in safe mode and was able to access Windows.

OK, that's not the Prescott issue, as you'd not have been able to boot
Safe Mode, and wouldn't have seen any "Sorry..." except perhaps the
mandated F8 boot menu that follows a failed OS startup.

What is the difference between normal (which fails) and Safe (which
works)? Device drivers and startup axis.

So I'd use MSConfig to suppress all startup axis entries and then try
normal Windows again. If that works, test-to-break by adding back
those startup axis entries one by one. If that also fails, try normal
mode with plain VGA. If that fails too, then it's either some other
device driver issue, malware, or something that wasn't suppressed in
MSConfig such as an Explorer shell integration, BHO, etc.

>> I am running SATA Raid 0, and have a gig of memory even though Msinfo32
>> shows only 512M, the system is 2 year old assembled by ABS Computers.

Interesting to have 1G RAM and only 512M shown - suggests something
like a pair of 512M sticks that are incompatible with the way they are
installed on the mobo so that one "hides" the other, sor something.

Does BIOS POST show 1G RAM, or also 512M?

>> Here is my system info as per, Msinfo32:

>> OS Name Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
>> Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 1 Build 2600
>> Processor x86 Family 15 Model 4 Stepping 8 AuthenticAMD ~2210 Mhz

Another reason to scratch Prescott issue off the list :-)

But, reminds me; try the Boot.ini entry parameter to disable DEP, as
many apps and utils are incompatible with this (especially some av).
DEP is supported by recent AMD and more recent Intel CPUs, and is an
OS feature added by SP2. Quite likely to be your problem.

>> Total Physical Memory 512.00 MB
>> Available Physical Memory 539.01 MB
>> Total Virtual Memory 3.41 GB
>> Available Virtual Memory 2.63 GB
>> Page File Space 2.41 GB
>> Page File C:\pagefile.sys

Surprisingly large page file; are you using large error dumps and/or
fast user switching, or just large apps?

Is your HD bigger than 137G? If so, that's a reason to want SP2, and
to want an installation CD with SP2 slipstreamed into it. SP1 is
supposed to be OK over 137G, but in some contexts it is not (e.g. when
doing a crash dump) and can corrupt the HD in such cases.

Pre-SP1 XP can't install on > 137G, so you'd have to slipstream at
least SP1 to create a useable installation disk for such HDs.



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