I tried multiple XP re-installs over the top. I always got "could not find" many files during the re-installs. I tried fixing profiles. nothing worked. This works:
Short version:
default settings
To reset your operating system back to original installation default security settings, follow these steps:
Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then press ENTER.
Type secedit /configure /cfg %windir%\repair\secsetup.inf /db secsetup.sdb /verbose, and then press ENTER.
Reboot
Re-install Windows XP SP2
Long Version:
When you try to install Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1), you may experience any one of the following issues:
You cannot install the service pack.
You receive the following error message:
Service Pack setup has failed. Access is denied
The Svcpack.log file contains the following error message:
DoRegistryUpdates failed
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CAUSEThese issues may occur when permissions for one or more registry keys are restri...
These issues may occur when permissions for one or more registry keys are restricted in a way
that prevents the update of those registry keys. A failure to update a registry key may cause
the Setup program to fail. To verify that there is a failure to update the registry, see the
"More Information" section.
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WORKAROUNDAdvanced usersThese methods are intended for advanced computer users. If you are...Advanced users
These methods are intended for advanced computer users. If you are not comfortable with advanced
workarounds, you might want to ask someone for help or contact support. For information about how
to contact support, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/ (http://support.microsoft.com/contactus)
Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry.
However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure
that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify
it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back
up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:
322756 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/ ) How to back up and restore the registry in Windows
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Method 1: Locate the registry key and reset the registry permissions
After you follow these steps, reinstall the service pack. You may have to follow these steps multiple
times to resolve the issue.
Note You must be a member of the Administrators security group to complete these steps.
Step 1: Locate the specific registry key
To locate the correct registry key to change the permissions and enable Windows XP SP2 or Windows Server
2003 SP1 to install successfully, follow these steps:
Include registry information in the Setupapi.log file by enabling verbose logging. For more information
about how to enable verbose logging, click the following article number to view the article in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:
906485 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/906485/ ) How to enable verbose logging on a Windows XP-based
computer
Note By default, registry keys are not recorded in the Setupapi.log file.
After you enable verbose logging, install Windows XP SP2 or Windows Server 2003 SP1 again to capture the
registry key.
Open the Setupapi.log file. By default, this file is located in the C:\Windows folder. To open the
Setupapi.log file, click Start, click Run, type %windir%\setupapi.log, and then click OK.
Press CTRL+END to scroll to the end of the Setupapi.log file.
On the Edit menu, click Find.
In the Find what box, type Error 5: Access is denied under Direction, click Up, and then click Find Next.
The found entry in the Setupapi.log file should resemble the following example:
#-007 Deleting registry key HKCR\vnd.ms.radio
#E033 Error 5: Access is denied.
Note The line before the "Access is denied" entry indicates the registry key in question. In this case,
HKCR represents the registry hive that is labeled "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT." "vnd.ms.radio" is one subkey that
is located under that registry hive.
Step 2: Reset the registry permissions
As soon as you have found the registry subkey that has the incorrect permissions, update the permissions
for that subkey.
To update the permissions of the registry subkey, follow these steps:
Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK to start Registry Editor.
Locate and right-click the registry subkey that you noted in Step 2d, and then click Permissions.
Under Group or user names, click Administrators.
Under Permissions for Administrators, make sure that the Allow check box for the following entries is
selected:
Full Control
Read
Click Apply, and then click OK.
On the File menu, click Exit to exit Registry Editor.
The permissions issue for the registry subkey should now be resolved, and Windows XP SP2 or Windows Server
2003 SP1 should install successfully. If you experience additional problems when you try to install Windows
XP SP2 or Windows Server 2003 SP1, repeat these steps as needed.
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Method 2: Reset your operating system back to the default settings
To reset your operating system back to original installation default security settings, follow these steps:
Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then press ENTER.
Type secedit /configure /cfg %windir%\repair\secsetup.inf /db secsetup.sdb /verbose, and then press ENTER.
You receive a "Task is completed" message, and a warning message that something could not be done. You can
safely ignore this message. For more information about this message, view the %windir%\Security\Logs\Scesrv.log
file.
For more information about how to reset security settings back to the defaults, click the following article
number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
313222 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313222/ ) How to reset security settings back to the defaults
