Microsoft Expert needed

Briefly: I'm running XP Home service pack 1. This afternoon I enabled the automatic updates to run at 8 pm, so I could get service pack 3. Automatic updates had previously been turned off. At 8pm, nothing happened. So, I try to download it manually from microsoft.com. Microsoft won't let me download it unless I'm using Explorer 5 or later. So I tried to download the newest explorer, and it extracts. Then I get the error message:

"The procedure entry point SHRegGetValueW could not be located in the dynamic link library SHLWAPI.dll"

So... because I am running on service pack 1, I can't download AVG, Avira, Chrome, etc. So I try to get service pack 3, and I can't because auto-update doesn't work and my Explorer is outdated. I can't update Explorer because the procedure entry point blah blah blah.

What now? I'm all out of ideas. I've never had a problem with my service pack. It seems, suddenly, as of this afternoon, I can't download anything without #3.

Sigh.

The only other piece of info that might be relevant is that I tried to clean explorer off my computer a couple of years ago because of it's vulnerabilities, every time I'd get some malware, it would always try to play hacky-sack with Explorer so I used firefox exclusively and used C:Cleaner to remove Explorer.

The first person who says "Get a Mac!" will be reported to the administrators for smartaccness. I don't have $1200 laying around right now to spend on a facebook toy with an 8 inch screen.

Looks like your registry has conflicting Service pack info in it from maybe a failed auto update. Not trying to be a smart aleck but an update to Windows 7 is not to expensive and the benefits are well worth it! If that is not an option I found this on the web -

1. Follow these instructions at your own risk!

2. When you receive the error message, press CTRL+SHIFT+ESC to open Task Manager. You can safely ignore any additional error messages that may appear.

3. On the File menu, click New Task (Run...).
4. In the Open box, type control appwiz.cpl, and then click OK. You can safely ignore any additional error messages that may appear.

Note If the Add or Remove Programs tool (Appwiz.cpl) does not open, type the following line in the New Task (Run...) box to remove the Internet Explorer fix, and then go to step 5:

%windir%$NtUninstallKB834707$spuninstspuninst.exe

5. In the Add or Remove Programs window, click Windows XP Hotfix � KB834707, click Remove, and then follow the instructions.

6. When the Finish button becomes available, click Finish, and then let your computer to restart, even if it seems that the removal process is not complete. You can safely ignore any messages about additional software or hotfixes that are installed during this process.

Warning Although your computer may successfully start without error messages, your computer is still in an incomplete Windows XP SP2 state. You must complete the remaining steps and reinstall Windows XP SP2.

7. After your computer restarts, click Start, and then click Control Panel.

8. Click Add or Remove Programs, click Windows XP Service Pack 2, click Remove, and then follow the instructions. If you receive a message about software that you may have installed after you installed Windows XP SP2, make a note of the titles. You may have to reinstall these products after you reinstall Windows XP SP2.

Note If you cannot access Add or Remove Programs, use Task Manager as described in steps 1, 2, and 3. Remove Windows XP Service Pack 2 by typing the following in the New Task (Run...) box:

%windir%$NtServicePackUninstall$spuninstspuninst.exe


9. After your computer restarts, visit the Windows Update Web site. http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us

Reinstall Windows XP SP2.

For information about how to install Windows XP SP2, and for steps that you can take to help make sure that Windows XP installs successfully, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/sp2install/

10. After Windows XP SP2 has successfully installed, visit the Windows Update Web site and install any critical updates.
If this procedure does not work, you can perform an in-place reinstallation.

No validation issues, this is the factory OS on the Dell box from Dell, I've got the disk still in cellophane as well. I'll try to get SP2 and report back... thanks....

Ok.. the link from SP2 takes me to SP3. This is familiar. I googled for SP2 earlier, and same problem, takes me to SP3. I thought I'd try the link above with nothing to lose. Straight to SP3.

Cadcom, this box is an old diminsion 2400 with a celeron processor and I just got it running fast with a 1G stick. And it's a 30 gig hard drive. Before I buy a new OS, I will exhaust all options. As it is now, it works, I just can't download new software. Which is odd, because less than a month ago I downloaded a new copy of Avast and Malwarebytes, no issues. Also, a new extractor. and the newest Open Office suite. Like I said, I've never had an issue with the service pack version. Then, suddenly, the 3 pieces of software I tried to download today (AVG, Avira, and Chrome) won't work! So worst case scenario, this box will just continue to operate as is, with no new software. I can live with that. But I'd rather just update the service pack! It should be an easy thing! When microsoft isn't compatible with microsoft, it is just irritating.

New PCs are getting dirt cheap. If you have American Express points, you can get $$$ off certificates for dell computers, up to $350. Check any other credit card rewards/points you may have also. 1 Gb of ram and 30GB hard drive will not get you far with a new OS (Windows 7, I assume). You might try installing Linux Ubuntu operating system (free), and if everything work OK, just use that instead of XP. It is not anywhere near the memory hog that windows is.

dwhee87, thanks for the tip on Ubuntu. I will keep that under consideration.

You Gotta Have Internet Explorer...

Microsoft is kinda stuck on themselves...you gotta use IE to get updates

Download Internet Explorer 7 here:

http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/Internet-Explorer-7-Download-25028.html

Then follow the instructions here:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5855261_upgrade-windows-xp-sp1-sp2.html

I hear ya Fletch. It is kinda irritating when their own stuff doesn't play with their own stuff!
As dwhee said ubuntu is a good option is all you want to do is surf the web. I'd be glad to burn a ubuntu install disk and mail it to you if you need one. If MS office or gaming is involved (prob not on your celeron) then a reload of Xp may be the way to go. Usually the pc will feel "snappier" after a reload so that is one benefit.

I Ubuntu on my dual boot on my laptop. I used it to troubleshoot hardware vs. driver issues. If it doesn't work in XP and it does in Ubuntu then it's gotta be a driver issue

patch files for the regedit.

Microsoft has pretty much dropped support for Windows XP.You can try to load mozilla instead of IE 7,then download SP 3.The main issue is there are several patches from SP 2 that may need to be installed first....If all else fails look at Ebay you can get the reinstall disks for your dell 2400 there or from a company that sells replacement disks ( usually they are up to date w/ service packs)

one_shot_no_mor said:

Microsoft is kinda stuck on themselves...you gotta use IE to get updates

Download Internet Explorer 7 here:

http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/Internet-Explorer-7-Download-25028.html

Then follow the instructions here:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5855261_upgrade-windows-xp-sp1-sp2.html

Click to expand...

Gotta have SP2 to download IE7 from that link. I'm running SP1.

jmfauver said:

Microsoft has pretty much dropped support for Windows XP.You can try to load mozilla instead of IE 7,then download SP 3.The main issue is there are several patches from SP 2 that may need to be installed first....If all else fails look at Ebay you can get the reinstall disks for your dell 2400 there or from a company that sells replacement disks ( usually they are up to date w/ service packs)

Click to expand...

Mozilla was the first browser I tried to get the updates.

I've got the reinstall disk right here, still in the wrapper. But it's only going to have service pack 1, right? Will all my data still be here if I reinstall the operating system that came with the computer?

Why would microsoft be dropping support for the OS on this machine that I got brand new 5 years ago?


I'm heading off to work, I'll be back this afternoon to see any of your updates for me, thanks!

Fletch_W said:

Mozilla was the first browser I tried to get the updates.

I've got the reinstall disk right here, still in the wrapper. But it's only going to have service pack 1, right? Will all my data still be here if I reinstall the operating system that came with the computer?

Why would microsoft be dropping support for the OS on this machine that I got brand new 5 years ago?


I'm heading off to work, I'll be back this afternoon to see any of your updates for me, thanks!

Click to expand...

Microsoft has or is dropping support since windows Vista and Windows 7 were introduced,it is a way to keep people upgrading....I would see if you can get a copy of SP 2 first then get SP3....

from the Microsoft web site:
Support is ending for some versions of Windows


*

Support for Windows Vista without any service packs ended on April 13, 2010.
*

Support for Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2) will end on July 13, 2010.*

They still provide updates and support for XP SP3. Support for XP SP1 ended years ago and support for SP2 ends shortly.

You can try downloading SP3 from here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=5B33B5A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en

It is larger than the regular download, but you should be able to get it regardless of browser. Just save the file to your computer and run it from there.

You may also want to review the requirements before downloading: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950717/

SP2 coming down now.... using the "IT Professionals Only" version... after than gets installed, I'll head back to the trough for SP3.

Thanks for yall's help! I'll be back with any more issues.

Fletch_W said:

SP2 coming down now.... using the "IT Professionals Only" version... after than gets installed, I'll head back to the trough for SP3.

Thanks for yall's help! I'll be back with any more issues.

Click to expand...

Smart thinking...let us know how it goes

SP2 working, it took a while. Now I have IE 6, so I can download the regular SP3. Doing that now.

SP3 seems to be working alright, I just finished DL of newest firefox, and about to get chrome. One thing i noticed immediately was that Explorer opens GON forum pages just fine, but with firefox, the pages jump around alot while they load. That isn't new, firefox has always done that with GON, it was just nice to have explorer open for a while and not have the page jump around while loading. It's probably a dirty layer 4 in the TCP/IP model.