Most Virus and Spyware scans are likely to work better in Windows Safe-Mode. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950... Steps to take before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3

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Already read all of that Chuck2, but thanks. Found it while looking at your last link. Oh, and as far as the whole Sp2, vs SP3 thing... I tried it long before I became a member here, and made my post... SP3 will not load if you do not have at minimum SP1 installed. There is a difference between SP1, and the original Windows XP. I have the original Windows XP. It popped up an error saying that it will not be able to load SP3 because I don't have a minimum of SP1 installed.. I even searched on line for the SP1 download, thinking I may have better luck.... and it redirects you to SP2 at every site I checked. I finally got (almost) SP2 to load. It installed all the way to the point at the end where it is cleaning up temp files... Then it froze. I manually rebooted thinking it should be ok at that point... Nope. Wouldn't even boot to safe mode. Also, I have run the scanners in safe mode,a nd regular mode. They don't find anything. Also, can't remember if I mentioned this above or not. I have attempted to install this both manually, and through windows update. EDIT: I should probably mention at some point that this is the second time I had to do this in the past 4 days or so. The first time I took 2 attempts to get SP2 to load, but once it loaded, the freeze ups were gone, and SP3 loaded like a dream. I have approximately 32 programs running on this PC at any given time, and had 25 of them installed when my little virus friend popped back up. So, I reformatted again, and this is what I got. I am doing my 5th reformat since that point yesterday, and I have attempted to update to SP2 about 8 times. EDIT#2: I found SP1 online. I am trying to install that right now. If it works, I am going straight to SP3.

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Froze during the SP1 install as well.... I give up. Unless someone else has a suggestion....

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Slipstream it all in one package that way you dont have to go through all of this when you do another clean install. Use the link below and slipstream SP2 and SP3 using your original xp cd/dvd making a windows xp sp3 cd. Use the below link will show you how. http://www.nliteos.com/download.html SP2 Big download http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/... SP3 big download http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...

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Autostreamer might be easier than nlite http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/... Tweak/Autostreamer.shtml UK MP's are thieving scumbags. EU members are worse.

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Thanks guys. I will look into that. I did finally get SP1 to install, but I am getting SP2 (already have SP3 installer saved) right now so I can archive them on CD-R. Idiot me reformatted without backing them up, and now I am re-downloading them... Anyway, once I get them I have a few things some tech savy buddies of mine suggested I try as well. Anyway, since I have SP1 installed, I will likely try to go straight to SP3 this time.

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For what it's worth, i finally got Sp1 installed, and then SP3 worked first time. The only thing I did different was disable the screensaver. I suppose it could have been freezing when that was starting to pop up... If so, that's pretty bad that so little can cause so much issue, but whatever. If I end up having issues again, I am going to wipe the drive clean, instead of just formatting, and make sure EVERYTHING is gone first. Plus I will probably use nlite to make a new install cd, and hopefully get rid of the issues I had with trying to install all of this crap last night.

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