Just die already!
I’m spending this afternoon very productively. I wanted to install Service Pack 1 on my Windows Server 2003. Installation went OK, but when it restarted, it came into graphics mode when it should show first dialog window - and the whole computer restarted.
I tried again, same happened.
I tried Safe Mode, same result. It’s broken Safe Mode, the mode that should be working no matter what! Piece of shit simply stops there. Since I can’t get it to start, there is no way to deinstall.
Up until this, I thought that with 2003 Microsoft finally made an OS that works properly. I never had any instability with it. And then I install SP1, something that’s supposed to increase the stability and security and it renders the entire OS useless.
I swear, if it wasn’t for the Total Commander and TopStylePro, I would this instant sell all this junk and buy myself a Mac.
After numerous tries to repair it, I gave up. I used ERD Commander 2005 to uninstall SP1, but it still didn’t do the trick, as ERD only transfers the files back, registry stays screwed. With this, computer started, I was able to login, but that was it. It hangs in there, indefinitelly.
Thus I did the only thing possible - insert installation DVD, repair from setup console. This, to my big surprise, did the entire setup again, but keeping everythiong I had installed in place. I have never seen this - it usually overwrites with new install or just replaces corrupted files, if it detects them as such (which would not help me in this case). Now, that is an improvement.