I had a serious error in XP recently and my comp wouldnt boot but just reboot. Safe mode wouldn't work. I repaired with windows CD and got it booting, but it freezes up when attempting to re-install security updates and SP2 from windowsupdate. So I'm trying to backup my drive using DriveImage which utilizes VSS. But it won't work because my service MS Software Shadow Copy Provider won't start. I was attempting to take suggestions from this thread: http://www.computing.net/windows200... "Possible Solution (these instructions are for XP) Open Control Panel, Administrative Tools, COMPONENT Services Inside the Console Root folder, goto COMPONENT Services -> Computers -> My Computer -> Com+ Applications. On the top toolbar, click on View, Status (or click the Status button on the toolbar)." But when I click on COM+ Applications I get this error: An error occurred whiel processing the last operation. Error code 80040154 - Class not registered Any ideas?

I always run my Drive Image backups/restores from the floppies. I have no idea what you mean by VSS, but I don't believe it's necessary for Drive Image to do it's job. What version are you using?

You lost me. it won't work because my service MS Software Shadow Copy Provider won't start. For info regarding above service, look HERE. VSS is the abbreviation for Volume Shadow Copy Service. i_Xp/VistaUser

When DriveImage could not use VSS it recommended that check the services: Volume Shadow Copy & MS Software Shadow Copy Provider I can stop and start Volume Shadow Copy, however MS Software Shadow Copy Provider will not start, I get this error: Could not start the MS Software Shadow Copy Copy Provider server on Local Computer. Error 1053: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion. So, in the thread I linked above somebody suggested the path to executable for the service could be wrong, and suggested checking Com+ Applications to find the correct GUID. However I can't even get Com+ Applications to come up. My system is so fubared =/

The thread you linked is for Windows Server 2003. You shouldn't use it to fix XP because Win2k3 & XP are two different animal. BTW M$ have uploaded VSS update package for Windows Server 2003 in the following link (again it's not for XP). http://support.microsoft.com/kb/833... i_Xp/VistaUser

OK. I'm pretty sure I've got a damaged Com+ catalog. I tried doing another repair from my XP CD and got this error: COM+ Setup Error Sub-component COM+ raised an exception while processing the OC_COMPLETE_INSTALLATION setup message. D:\nt\com1\src\complussetup\comsetup\csetptuil.cpp (line 3406) Error Code = 0*8007007f The specified procedure could not be found. Failed to load the library ‘C:\WINDOWS\System32\catsrv.dll’. Tried a fix from www.jsifaq.com/sf/tips/tip.apsx?id=6951 but got the same error as above. It just occured to me I could try replacing clbcatq.dll in this fix with catsrv.dll.

The above fix worked eventually. I had to do it for clbcatex.dll, catsrv.dll, comuid.dll, comsvcs.dll, comrepl.dll, colbact.dll, clbcatex.dll, and catsrvut.dll. Then I got Com+ re-install. However, I still cannot get MS Software Shadow Copy Provider to start (same errors as previously mentioned), so I still cannot backup my drive. Also, I still cannot get SP2 to install through windowsupdate or through the downloaded IT version. And now when I try to run windowsupdate through the website I get: error number 0x8024D00C. I tried starting the 3 services that microsoft says to in order to correct this erorr number, but just get the same result.