Can't update, and other problems

[llewellyndg]

I also have the auto update problem after a repair from the Win XP Pro SP2 cd. But I have other problems as well. I should start by saying that my system is a French one (French version of Win XP and mainly French versions of major programs like office). Dial-a-Fix did not fix the update problem, and in fact hung the system when trying to carry out 'DllInstalling shell32.dll' in the Registration Center.

My problems started when I added a new 500 Go Sata2 hard disk to my system and had trouble initialising it. Up to this time, my system had given no trouble for many months, and has been used primarily for development of a data base application under Access and for web site develompent. So auto updates (and all other services) were activated.

When I tried to initialise the new disl, the system hung (did nothing, with the cursor as an hour-glass). I had to turn off the power to restart. I tried this several times, then took the machine to the people who supplied the disk. They initialised it and created a partition on another machine, then put it back into mine. I thought evertything was ok and that I had made an manipulation error during the initialisation.

However, when I tried to create a folder on the new disk, my file manager hung and would not terminate, even with task manager. I could start a new copy of the file manager and access other disks with no problem, but not the new one. The file manager I use, which replaces Windows Explorer, is Directory Opus from GPSoftware. I thought that the new version of this that I had just installed could be causing the problem, so I deinstalled it, but with no change in the situation. Windows Explorer did exactly the same. In addition, after switching the power off and restarting, the system hung on exit, on the very last screen 'fermeture de Windows'.

At this point, I did a repair from the Win XP Pro cd. But the problems were still there. I found IE6 was installed instead of IE7.

Then I went to msconfig and switched everything off, then progressively back on. The result was that the system seems to work fine provided that the auto update service is deactivated in msconfig. With this service switched off and everything else on, everything works, and I can access the new disk with no problem. The only thing I cannot do is update the system.

But when the auto update service is switched on:

- I cannot access the new disk without the file manager hanging, although I can start other copies of the file manager to access other disks.

- The system hangs at exit, on the last screen.

Then I tried Dial-a-Fix, but no luck. DAF hung when trying to register system32.dll. The problem was now worse, because after DAF, IE6 no longer worked. So I installed IE7 from a downloaded copy on my disk. This works fine.

I found on ZDNet an article on the auto update problem with a description of a manual fix to register the dll's. This executed ok but has not solved the problem.

Is the fact that I have a French version the reason that DAF and the other fixes do not work? I think that a few dll's in the French version have different names, but I do not know which ones.

Where do I go from here? Restore the partition from a previous Drive Image backup? Do a clean reinstall, and reinstall everything (this I am trying to avoid, but as time goes on ....). Will either of these approaches work? For me this is the big question. I e-mailed Microsoft with a description of my problems and got a rather short reply suggesting I get in touch with Microsoft France, but without giving any e-mail address or phone number. Not very helpful.

Sorry to have been so long-winded, but I think often the answer lies in the little details.