Win 7 Service Pack 1 installation fails - AND messes up drive letters!

chrisnd · 28 Sep 2014

I have been getting 'nag' messages from windows asking me to install SP1 almost ever since I got this laptop. The problem is, each time I try and run the installation, everything goes fine until the reboot (ie just after the 'configuring the service pack - do not switch off - 30% configured message' appears).

Then all I get is a black screen - nomatter how long I leave it. Indulging in the 'system repair' menus allows me to look at the command prompt and see what drives there are. Instead of c: (windows), D: (DVD drive), E: (data) and Q: (system) I get D:, F:, E:, C: respectively plus a new letter X: which appears to have an older version of windows and possibly some recovery stuff?

In all previous attempts, the only way out of this is to choose the system 'restore' option - which has always worked promptly - until today!

Looking around the internet, I have found a variety of suggestions and tried them nearly all. These include the following - with the results indicated:
1. Microsoft's own 'pre-update install' tools and hotfixes - no effect
2. Using 'diskpart' to assign the 'correct' drive letters when the first reboot fails - the letters fail to 'stick' and revert to the 'wrong' ones.
3. Using bootrec.exe to repair/replace/examin the MBR - no effect
4. Try 'startup/repair' at least three times - no effect
5. Microsoft support article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392 - no obvious change
6. Going via 'safe mode' - I get a 'failure configuring service pack - reverting changes - do not turn off computer message' - which then fails to 'revert the changes'!

After going through all these, today my computer didn't want to restore to its pre-sp1 update and reported errors. I ran chkdsk /r (as advised somewhere) - no dice. No 'safe mode'. :-( Finally I tried the 'last known good' option and things seem to be back to normal - except of course for that pesky 'service pack installation failed' message!

The only suggestions I haven't tried so far are:
a) detach card reader slot (there is a suggestion that this can mess up the disk letters) - interesting one this, but its not easy on a laptop. I used to repair these things and I know how easy it is to damage stuff just by taking the back off!
b) a couple of registry hacks involving the drive letters - reluctant to go this way cos I am not convinced it is necessary

So, dear readers, any more ideas?
I haven't actually found anyone anywhere reporting this same combination of service pack failure and drive letter mix up. Everyone else seems to have these as different problems. Mine however is reproducible - I must have gone round this loop half a dozen or more times over the last three years!

Shall I just abandon any hope of SP1?

TIA, Chris D

NoelDP · 28 Sep 2014

Have you moved critical system files/folders off the Windows partition? How many HD's are involved?

Please follow the Windows Update Posting Instructions and post the requested data
If the file is too large (8MB compressed), remove the older CBSPersist cab files until the final file is below the limit - you can always post them separately after zipping them. (the forum doesn't allow the upload of bare CAB files, for a number of reasons)

chrisnd · 28 Sep 2014

Thanks for the response. I haven't personally moved any system files. I believe they start out on Q: (ie with everything working) but end up on C: (where they don't work).

Everything is on one HDD (ie normally three partitions, C:, E:, & Q: - but these end up as D:, E: and C: respectively - plus the new X: ). These changes are always identical. The error on SP1 failure is 'Unspecified error 0x80070057'

Chris
PS Were you wanting a log file - or does the forum automatically add that request? I'm very new here and not yet quite up to speed with procedure!

NoelDP · 28 Sep 2014

Yes please - it'll help show us the exact point of failure (maybe) or at least tell us if three's anything grossly wrong with the OS itself.

I'm thinking that the Q: partition is normally actually a virtual one created by one of the Office variants (Starter?) - but it's definitely not normal for drive letters to change at all during an SP1 install.

What Anti-Virus are you using? What other AV's have ever been installed.?

chrisnd · 28 Sep 2014

Most recently I am using Avira AV. Until about 2 months ago I was using Microsoft Security Essentials.

Will attach CBS when it finishes uploading....

Chris D

chrisnd · 28 Sep 2014

CBS at last - I had to remove the older files to get it to fit..
Attachment 334947

I should add that the error code I reported previously was the one when in stem repair.
The actual one in windows (once restored) for the SP1 installation failure was:
ERROR_INSTALL_FAILURE(0x80070643)

Cheers

Chris D

NoelDP · 28 Sep 2014

CheckSUR shows the following problems...

Code:

Checking Component Store
(f) CSI Payload File Missing 0x00000000 netevbdx.inf_loc x86_netevbdx.inf.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_en-us_079d2141c9af8496 
(f) CSI Payload File Missing 0x00000000 nete1g32.inf_loc x86_nete1g32.inf.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_en-us_27217cf89691df5f 
(f) CSI Payload File Missing 0x00000000 prnrc002.inf_loc x86_prnrc002.inf.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_en-us_ce39d74138300d4b 
(f) CSI Payload File Missing 0x00000000 netefe32.inf_loc x86_netefe32.inf.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_en-us_cfc1e506cb539fc6 
(f) CSI Payload File Missing 0x00000000 prnso002.inf_loc x86_prnso002.inf.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_en-us_b2dd01978431faae 
(f) CSI Payload File Missing 0x00000000 prnsv004.inf_loc x86_prnsv004.inf.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_en-us_68eb6f144cace647 
(f) CSI Payload File Missing 0x00000000 prnsv003.inf_loc x86_prnsv003.inf.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_en-us_25335b2123384e5e 
(f) CSI Payload File Missing 0x00000000 netgb6.inf_loc x86_netgb6.inf.resources_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_en-us_5f5ce7a7ec5475b2

There don't appear to be any SFC results present - despite having logs back to 12th Sept.
This may mean that SFC failed to run at all... did you get any error messages?

I can't see any of the errors that CheckSUR found causing this problem with SFC - but Isuppose it's possible.

I'll post a fix protocol for then anyhow, and we'll see where it gets us.

Back soon.

NoelDP · 28 Sep 2014

I've uploaded a file - cndaa.zip - to my OneDrive at Noel's OneDrive
Please download and save it.

Right-click on the saved file and select Extract all...
Change the target to C:\ and click on Extract
Close all windows (it would be a good idea to print these instructions!)

Now reboot to the Repair Environment - as soon as the machine restarts, start tapping F8 - this should bring up the Advanced Boot Menu, at the top of which should be the option 'Repair my Computer'
Pick that
You'll have to log in with your username and password.

Pick the option to use a Command Prompt
At the prompt type
DIR C:\cndaa
hit the enter key - if you get a 'Not Found' error try
DIR D:\cndaa
or
DIR E:\cndaa

The drive letter in use when you find the folder will need to be substituted (for<drive>) into the following command...

XCOPY <drive>:\cndaa <drive>:\windows\winsxs /y /i /s /v /h

(e.g. XCOPY P:\wfire P:\windows\winsxs /y /i /s /v /h )

run the command (it should take almost no time) and when the prompt returns, type
EXIT
and hit the Enter key to exit Command Prompt - reboot to Normal Mode Windows.

Now run SFC /SCANNOW in an Elevated Command Prompt
then reboot and upload the new CBS.log file to your reply

chrisnd · 28 Sep 2014

Thanks. Will do and report back tomow. Chris D

chrisnd · 29 Sep 2014

Attachment 335031

Ok. here it is. I ran the procedure as you said.

Regarding the original sfc /scannow operation - this reported successful completion in the blink of an eye - whereas this latest one took about 1/2 hour and reported "Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them".

Most surprising to me was that the drive letters during the 'repair environment' command prompt session were mixed up in 'exactly' the same way as they become when the SP1 installation fails. In other words, the successful XCOPY part was performed on D:. Very interesting!

Chris D