New XP install and most of the services not running

[qaz]

I have installed Windows XP Pro in Dual-boot mode in my Vaio laptop having Windows 7 pre-installed.
After installing XP, I see that the appearance of the Desktop is dull, so when I check the Services console, most of the services are in Automatic mode but they are not running.

Also other things I noticed :
It takes a long time to load Windows XP everytime I boot up,
Msconfig tool is not directly accessible from the Start>Run, or in the Program>Accessories>SystemTools, even though it is there inside the Windows folder

The XP drivers are provided in the Sony website, but initially was unable to install them. Then manually started all the services and installed the drivers and restarted but still nothing.

Also have tried uninstalling the Network Adapter in the Device Manager and restart. This solution was provided in one of the older quests in the tomshardware forum. But hasn't worked for me.

Also have tried re-install and repair of XP.

Can anyone suggest any other solutions

 

[qaz]

Also I want to add that I made the CD for Windows install using Nlite. As I had to slipstream the SATA drivers. Not sure if this had anything to do with the problem.

One more thing I noticed - is that the Search function is not working - getting error that - "A file that is required to run Search Companion cannot be found"

 

[aford10]

It sounds like there is some registry corruption, and maybe some damaged windows files.

Since this is a fresh install, this may not work, but it's worth a shot. Download ccleaner, and run the registry tool. You may need to run it several times to resolve all the issues.

Insert the XP disc. Go to start-->run-->type sfc /scannow and press enter. This will scan your system files for errors, and replace any damaged files.

 

[qaz]

Thanks for the solution. But nothing happened after running sfc /scannow.


But I did get Search to work by this method in the microsoft site :
Click Start, click Run, type %systemroot%\inf, and then click OK.
# Locate the Srchasst.inf file.
Right-click the Srchasst.inf file, and then click Install.

Also have performed all the Windows updates.

Now I am starting the services each time by using a batch file in which the net start service commands are written.
Even though all services after this keep running and I can run programs, something still feels very wrong.

The total start up time of the OS - with really long log-in time, plus the long time taken by the script to complete - Is really making this a frustrating Windows XPerience.

 

[aford10]

Try running through the malware guide in my signature.

Check the BIOS to make sure quickboot is enabled. Look to see if there is a hard drive delay set. Check the boot order, to make sure the hard drive is the first boot device.

If there isn't any infections, you should run the windows repair. I see that you tried it already. Was there an error or something?

 

[qaz]

I highly doubt it is any virus problem. As this is new XP install, and these problems showing up right after install. I earlier had used the same cd to install XP on my desktop also, without problems.

But do note that I still havent installed any anti-virus, only the drivers and Windows updates.


aford10, the windows repair just performed a repair install of XP, didn't show any errors.

 

[aford10]

A repair install isn't supposed to show any errors. All it does, is replace your windows files. Since the services are part of windows, a repair should fix the broken services.

You may need to manually check the properties of each service, and make sure it's pointed to the right spot in the registry, has the right user permissions, and startup type.

 

[qaz]

Checked the regsitry entries for the services, and tried a lot of other things by searching on the net. Nothing works.

Also unable to see any errors in the Event Viewer as it is not initially started.

Also want to know, which service is associated with the error "rpc server is unavailable". Because many of the times I came across this error.
Though after starting all the services using the batch file, it no longer comes.

Its not the "Remote Procedure Call" service as it is allready started, then whic is it ?
Any idea

 

[qaz]

Also I noticed while searching for a solution for the msconfig command not accesible from Start> Run, that
there several entries missing in the registry under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths

So is this may be registry problem. ??
Is there any utility that will scan and fix the registry for missing entries.

But note that all the services related entries under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\EventSystem
are all proper

Also noticed that the following service does not run :
DCOM Service Process Launcher
"Could not start the DCOM Service Process Launcher service on local computer Error 1053: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion"
After this the service will be shown continuously in "starting" state.

 

[aford10]

Ccleaner is a good registry cleaner. You may need to run it several times to resolve all the issues.
http://www.piriform.com/

 

[qaz]

ccleaner and other registry editors remove unwanted or incomplete enteries in the registry. As far as i know i dont think they add missing entries.
but will still give it a shot.

 

[aford10]

No, it won't write new registry entries. Good luck, let me know how it goes.

 

[qaz]

Nothing happened, after using the cleaner.

Have done one more reinstall of XP and drivers, has taken an entire day. dont know what else to do

 

[aford10]

How is it now, after the fresh install?

 

[qaz]

Its the same, no change from before. Thats the last XP install I am ever doing.


Though After using the batch script and starting all services , the system runs fine. Its just that the really long bootup and shut down is really annoying.

But have seen that after trying to start the "DCOM Service Process Launcher " service I get error as said before, but also noticed that this service is always shown as in "Starting" mode and never actually starts.

Also even if it doesn't actually start, if I dont at least try to start the service, then I seem to be getting a whole bunch of errors, like - RPC server unavailable, etc.

Some how get the feeling that the DCOM service may be the actual problem behind all this. like Windows couldn't start it while logging-on and thus was unable to start all other dependent services also. Or may this just a front for something even worse.

 

[aford10]

If it's that way right after the install, it's got to be the slipstreamed disc.

 

[qaz]

I though that too. So once I tried to do Windows repair with another XP cd from my friend. But havent tried reinstall though.
Also tried sfc /scannow with this other cd.

But still same problem.

 

[qaz]

I'll try to install XP on my desktop in dual boot, using this streamlined XP cd. Then can be sure whether or not its the cd problem.
Ill try this out in the evening and let u know how it turns out.

 

[Saga Lout]

If this slipstreamed disk successfully installed on to another machine, surely the problem with the Vaio has to be the fact that the slipstream wasn't made from a Sony version of XP.[/#000ff]

 

[qaz]

If this slipstreamed disk successfully installed on to another machine, surely the problem with the Vaio has to be the fact that the slipstream wasn't made from a Sony version of XP.[/#000ff]

What do you mean by Sony Version of XP. Can u elaborate on that

 

[qaz]

Yes its because of the slipstreamed cd.
I couldn't install directly on desktop as it would have taken a lot longer, so I created a virtual XP installation using Virtual Box, using the same cd.
Then I could see the same problems in the Virtual XP also.

I just now created another XP iso with sata drivers, and made another virtual install . But still same problem.
Why is nlite creating this type of scrwd-up XP installer ?

In nLite, I selected "Multiple driver folder" and choose Text-mode and then all the drivers. Is there anything different I need to do.

So close and yet so far. Well atleast now have narrowd down the source of the problem.

 

[Saga Lout]

What do you mean by Sony Version of XP. Can u elaborate on that

Original Equipment Manufacturers or OEMs brand and personalise their versions of Microsoft software to fit the systems with which they're shipped, including drivers for everything in the hardware list. When they ship a machine without a system disk, they always recommend that the buyer makes a DVD set of the setup as soon as possible because that's the only way to guarantee having a disk that fits that system precisely.[/#000ff]

 

[qaz]

Well I have finally got a proper XP installation.

NLite continued to create a bad installation of XP for me for some reason. Also while googling, somewhere I came across that Windows in certain cases does not accept the installtion created by nLite. Well with my luck I seemed to have been the only one affected with it.

I got it to work, by manually modifying Windows files to include the drivers. I found these resuorces helpful, I am posting them here, in case some other unlucky chap has the same problem -
http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=413
http://unattended.msfn.org/unattended.xp/view/web/36/

There a lot more on the net, its just difficult to find, because all the search results go to using nLite.

After changing the files, created Bootable ISO with nLite and tested on VirtualBox.
Thanks all for the help, aford10 thanks for pointing out something I had earlier dismissed as the cause.

 

[aford10]

Glad you got it to work. Thanks for the update! I will definitely point this out to others with this issue.

 

[Saga Lout]

It's certainly an eye-opener. Maybe I never suffered from it because I always used Paul Thurrot's methodology as described here http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sp2_slipstream.asp[/#000ff]