My son's PC had WinXP with SP2.
He clicked on an ad and then got a popup his PC was infected (not a popup from our ad/spy/virus program. He clicked OK to fix- crashed PC and wouldn't restart in Windows anymore- stopped at desktop but no signon screen and not able click anything.
I resintalled Windows with a Windows disk form another PC. Installed ok, but when I try to update the original XP to newer updates, it says the updates are already there. I did not do a clean install from a wiped HD, as my kids didn't want to lose their games, histories, profiles, etc. I do not have problems with authentication, as a few of the updates do get installed.
So I am stuck at a point where the PC thinks it has the updates, but the new OLD Windows version is not seeing or using them.
Is there a Windows file that keeps track of the updates installed that I can either wipe out or delete the items so that they can be installed again?
Thanks for any help.

Ben

Hi there Ben518 , welcome to PCHF.

Give this a go:

Go to Start/Run/CMD and type in:
del /q "%SystemRoot%\System32\Catroot2\Edb.log , and press enter , then try to update again.

Hi Joe,
Thanks for the recommendation.

I did the delete, but updates only worked for 1 of 4 files.
I got the error message window, something like
The following updates were not installed:
Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1
Update for Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) 2.0 and WinHTTP 5.1 (KB842773)

When I went to Windows update, it scanned my computer and then had multiple pages of updates that either were successfully installed or not.
These included a lot of security updates and SP2.
According to my current install, it is only the original XP, and I indeed want to install all the updates.

Any other rec's?

Thanks.
Ben

Give this a try:

Start | Run | cmd | OK
At the command prompt, type/copy the following and press ENTER:
ren "%SystemRoot%\System32\Catroot2 oldcatroot2

Also install this one manually:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

Hi Joe,
I tried the ren command, but I kept getting a Syntax error (tried number of times, and I don't think I messed up getting it right).
I went manually to the system32 directory and then tried to rename the catroot, but it said it was in use.

I tried the manual install as you sent, and I think that the Windows Installer 3.1 install worked. But If I go back to install updates, I still get the others not unable to be installed, these: Update for Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) 2.0 and WinHTTP 5.1 (KB842773)

Any other rec's?

Thanks,
Ben

First download and run this fix:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/regs..._cryptofix.vbs

And see if the update works.

Or try it like this:
(one by one)

net stop cryptsvc
ren %systemroot%\system32\catroot2 oldcatroot2
net start cryptsvc

OK Joe,
I tried the kellys-korner-xp.com/regs... first, but didn't work.
I then did the individual commands you recommended.
Then I tried the Windows updates again. It said I needed files to automate updates as before, and I let it try. Still didn't install BITS.
I then went to the MS site where SP2 is, and manually installed, which it let me do. However, after install, PC properties still said I had SP1.
On next full power reboot, now I get NTLDR missing error.
Tried rebooting a couple of times with same results.
Before trying to fix my original problem, should I try to fix with solutions given for others with this error?
Nothing's easy....

Thanks,
Bennett