Update XP under grub

[triplemaya]

Hi. I have a pc with XP and fedora 5 and grub. I need to update the XP installation to SP2 in order to use some essential software.
When I boot the pc from the XP installation disk, it hangs after the first line - inspecting hardware configuration ...
I have also had this problem when installing XP on a hard drive where just linux has been installed, I am thinking it is presumably something to do with the mbr. I always had to use a 98 disk and start the pc with dos and format the drive before the XP install disk would work. This time this is not an option!
I would be very grateful if anyone can give me the solution to this.

[budman7]

Just curious, why are you trying to boot with the XP installation disc to upgrade to SP2?
To upggrade, just go to microsoft.com and and do a search for sp2.

[bigtomrodney]

To install service pack 2 you can just run your normal Windows Updater, or alternatively download the ISO for SP2 seperately, which will install while Windows is running.

[triplemaya]

Thanks for the posts.

Thanks for the tip about upgrading from within windows, I had not thought of that. Soooo simple! However. It didn't work. Now XP will not start. I have tried last known good configuration. no good. I have tried safe mode. Neither of them work. So, now I have a computer which does not work. I appear to have only the option of formatting the disk and starting again. If any of you know a way forwards, I would be extremely grateful at this point because I am about to lose several hours of essential time on this.

Why don't I do online updates? The computer I'm using does not now and never will go on the internet, so online updates are not an option. I have some important stuff on that computer!

[triplemaya]

I am now in desperate and urgent need of help.

Pc inoperative

Using win me disk I can boot into dos, but this boot does not recognise any of the drives.

I have the hdd partitioned into three partitions, first for xp, cos it has to be at the beginning, next for linux, because it can't be too far from the beginning, and the last major partition for xp where I keep all my stuff.

I was expecting to be able to format just the first partition with the dos utilities, but it can't see any of the partions. I have no idea why. If I run fdisk it just reports on big partitoin. I have no idea what is going on. If I have to format my whole hard drive just to get my cmoptuoer back I'm going to lose eveyhign. Yes, it is all backed up, well, up to a few days ago, but it is ahuge underataking, and I'll lose the last few days work.

Help most urgently neeed.

[devils casper]

hi triplemaya !!!

if DOS utilities are not working then you can use GParted...
download and burn .iso to disc (its only 30 MB).. you will get bootable disk... boot from GParted CD and Format first partition.....
dont change anything in other partitions...... your data will be safe there......
install windows in first partition and re-install GRUB for dual boot......

<=== { casper } ===>

[triplemaya]

Thanks for that devils-casper. I've downloaded the software from source forge gparted-0.2.5.tar.gz, but I can't find the iso. The README and the INSTALL files aren't telling!

I'm wading through the docs on sourcforge, but they are all about compiling code and formating floppies, and I'm sure I'm in the wrong place if this is supposed to be as simple as you say.

Please can you tell me exaclty what to do.

Many thanks

[triplemaya]

No problem. I've found live cd, which is I presume what you meant.

thanks

[triplemaya]

Hi
I've burned the live iso cd, but it doesn't boot.
Please help

[triplemaya]

ok, I'm there
second attempt at writing disk worked better
I'm about to format the first partition.
Before I do this, and have to spend the rest of the day installing software, is there no way to do something else which will make it so that the windows xp disk will be able to see the disk, and just do a repair install. That's what I really want.