Can't get past splash screen

[Guest John]

A friend's laptop recently went faulty so he decided, as it's 7 years old,

to treat himself to a new one. However, he needs a couple of things off the

old one if at all possible, so he brought it to me.

 

It boots, completes the POST OK and then shows the Windows ME splash

screen - but gets no further, no matter how long you leave it. Pressing the

"Esc" key to get rid of the splash screen and see what's going on reveals

the following text:

 

"Please wait while setup updates your config files. This may take a few

minutes".

 

After about two minutes, it shows:

 

"Windows could not upgrade the file %1 from %2

%1: %2"

 

and that message repeats at two minute intervals for as long as you leave

it. Any ideas what's wrong and how to get past it?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

John

[Guest SSJ04 Mewtwo]

Re: Can't get past splash screen

 

I think, and Mike can correct me on this, but if you've got a WinME boot

floppy you should be able to get to the A:\ prompt and that'll get you past

that. Further instructions will come later from those who know better.

 

John <replyingroup@notemail> wrote:

 

A friend's laptop recently went faulty so he decided, as it's 7 years old,

to treat himself to a new one. However, he needs a couple of things off the

old one if at all possible, so he brought it to me.

 

It boots, completes the POST OK and then shows the Windows ME splash

screen - but gets no further, no matter how long you leave it. Pressing the

"Esc" key to get rid of the splash screen and see what's going on reveals

the following text:

 

"Please wait while setup updates your config files. This may take a few

minutes".

 

After about two minutes, it shows:

 

"Windows could not upgrade the file %1 from %2

%1: %2"

 

and that message repeats at two minute intervals for as long as you leave

it. Any ideas what's wrong and how to get past it?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

John

[Guest Mike M]

Re: Can't get past splash screen

 

> "Windows could not upgrade the file %1 from %2

> %1: %2"

 

Don't you just love Norton, the most common cause of this problem.

 

The %1 %2 problem you saw is usually quite easy to fix and is often but

not exclusively the result of having Symantec's LiveUpdate installed.

 

First boot to DOS using a floppy and check whether you have a WININIT.INI

file in your C:\WINDOWS folder. If present rename it to something like

wininit.old and try booting again. It is also probable that you will have

to repeat the last software install or update that you made. See MS

KB283069 - "Error Message: Windows Could Not Upgrade the File %1 from %2

%1: %2 (http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=283069).

 

If you can't find a wininit.ini file then I suspect your problem is due to

the C:\_RESTORE\TEMP folder having around 64K files in it which is the

limit (2**16) for the number of files that can be located in a folder

using the FAT32 filing system. This then results in the "Cannot upgrade

file %1 from %2.." message when booting. I suggest you try deleting the

_RESTORE folder with the loss of any system restore checkpoints you might

have (not that I think they are now usable) and see if that solves the

problem. Delete the folder as follows:

a) Boot to DOS using a floppy. Do NOT choose "Minimal Boot" from the menu

when booting from a floppy but rather choose "Start computer with (or

without) CD-ROM support" otherwise the ATTRIB command will not be

available.

b) At the DOS A:\> prompt, type:

 

ATTRIB -H -S -R C:\_RESTORE

and then

REN C:\_RESTORE OLDREST

 

c) Remove the floppy

d) Reboot your PC

 

Another problem is that the install/update you were doing will not have

been completely installed so your system may still be unusable and the

install/update will need to be repeated.

 

e) Delete the folder C:\OLDREST

f) Check that an automatic system restore checkpoint was created.

g) Finally adjust the space allocated to the restore folder: System |

Performance | File System | Hard Disk and adjust the restore slider to

your preferred setting. A figure of 200MB is normally more than adequate

for day to day use allowing perhaps a week of checkpoints to be available

although increasing this to perhaps 400MB for a few days during periods of

large installs such Microsoft Office is advisable.

--

Mike Maltby

MS-MVP Windows

mike.maltby@gmail.com

 

 

 

John <replyingroup@notemail> wrote:

> A friend's laptop recently went faulty so he decided, as it's 7 years

> old, to treat himself to a new one. However, he needs a couple of

> things off the old one if at all possible, so he brought it to me.

>

> It boots, completes the POST OK and then shows the Windows ME splash

> screen - but gets no further, no matter how long you leave it.

> Pressing the "Esc" key to get rid of the splash screen and see what's

> going on reveals the following text:

>

> "Please wait while setup updates your config files. This may take a

> few minutes".

>

> After about two minutes, it shows:

>

> "Windows could not upgrade the file %1 from %2

> %1: %2"

>

> and that message repeats at two minute intervals for as long as you

> leave it. Any ideas what's wrong and how to get past it?

>

> Thanks in advance,

>

> John

[Guest Mart]

Re: Can't get past splash screen

 

It probably has Norton's System Works 2000 installed - because it doesn't

(work, that is!!)

 

See - You receive a "Windows could not upgrade the file %1 from %2 %1: %2"

error message after you install a new program or update a program on a

computer that is running Windows Millennium Edition.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283069/en-us

 

Read (and print a copy of the Resolutions) and follow the instructions

carefully - and be sure to never let Norton near the PC again. Norton and

WinMe don't mix.

 

Mart

 

 

"John" <replyingroup@notemail> wrote in message

news:SZCdnbBifbWfDIXVnZ2dnUVZ8smgnZ2d@bt.com...

>A friend's laptop recently went faulty so he decided, as it's 7 years old,

>to treat himself to a new one. However, he needs a couple of things off the

>old one if at all possible, so he brought it to me.

>

> It boots, completes the POST OK and then shows the Windows ME splash

> screen - but gets no further, no matter how long you leave it. Pressing

> the "Esc" key to get rid of the splash screen and see what's going on

> reveals the following text:

>

> "Please wait while setup updates your config files. This may take a few

> minutes".

>

> After about two minutes, it shows:

>

> "Windows could not upgrade the file %1 from %2

> %1: %2"

>

> and that message repeats at two minute intervals for as long as you leave

> it. Any ideas what's wrong and how to get past it?

>

> Thanks in advance,

>

> John

>

[Guest John]

Re: Can't get past splash screen

 

Mart wrote:

> It probably has Norton's System Works 2000 installed - because it

> doesn't (work, that is!!)

>

> See - You receive a "Windows could not upgrade the file %1 from %2

> %1: %2" error message after you install a new program or update a

> program on a computer that is running Windows Millennium Edition.

> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283069/en-us

>

> Read (and print a copy of the Resolutions) and follow the instructions

> carefully - and be sure to never let Norton near the PC again. Norton

> and WinMe don't mix.

>

> Mart

>

>

> "John" <replyingroup@notemail> wrote in message

> news:SZCdnbBifbWfDIXVnZ2dnUVZ8smgnZ2d@bt.com...

>> A friend's laptop recently went faulty so he decided, as it's 7

>> years old, to treat himself to a new one. However, he needs a couple

>> of things off the old one if at all possible, so he brought it to me.

>>

>> It boots, completes the POST OK and then shows the Windows ME splash

>> screen - but gets no further, no matter how long you leave it.

>> Pressing the "Esc" key to get rid of the splash screen and see

>> what's going on reveals the following text:

>>

>> "Please wait while setup updates your config files. This may take a

>> few minutes".

>>

>> After about two minutes, it shows:

>>

>> "Windows could not upgrade the file %1 from %2

>> %1: %2"

>>

>> and that message repeats at two minute intervals for as long as you

>> leave it. Any ideas what's wrong and how to get past it?

>>

>> Thanks in advance,

>>

>> John

 

Wow, that's brilliant. Thanks everyone for your replies, it's much

appreciated.

 

John

[Guest John]

Re: Can't get past splash screen

 

Mike M wrote:

>> "Windows could not upgrade the file %1 from %2

>> %1: %2"

>

> Don't you just love Norton, the most common cause of this problem.

>

> The %1 %2 problem you saw is usually quite easy to fix and is often

> but not exclusively the result of having Symantec's LiveUpdate

> installed.

> First boot to DOS using a floppy and check whether you have a

> WININIT.INI file in your C:\WINDOWS folder. If present rename it to

> something like wininit.old and try booting again. It is also

> probable that you will have to repeat the last software install or

> update that you made. See MS KB283069 - "Error Message: Windows

> Could Not Upgrade the File %1 from %2 %1: %2

> (http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=283069).

> If you can't find a wininit.ini file then I suspect your problem is

> due to the C:\_RESTORE\TEMP folder having around 64K files in it

> which is the limit (2**16) for the number of files that can be

> located in a folder using the FAT32 filing system. This then results

> in the "Cannot upgrade file %1 from %2.." message when booting. I

> suggest you try deleting the _RESTORE folder with the loss of any

> system restore checkpoints you might have (not that I think they are

> now usable) and see if that solves the problem. Delete the folder as

> follows: a) Boot to DOS using a floppy. Do NOT choose "Minimal Boot" from

> the

> menu when booting from a floppy but rather choose "Start computer

> with (or without) CD-ROM support" otherwise the ATTRIB command will

> not be available.

> b) At the DOS A:\> prompt, type:

>

> ATTRIB -H -S -R C:\_RESTORE

> and then

> REN C:\_RESTORE OLDREST

>

> c) Remove the floppy

> d) Reboot your PC

>

> Another problem is that the install/update you were doing will not

> have been completely installed so your system may still be unusable

> and the install/update will need to be repeated.

>

> e) Delete the folder C:\OLDREST

> f) Check that an automatic system restore checkpoint was created.

> g) Finally adjust the space allocated to the restore folder: System |

> Performance | File System | Hard Disk and adjust the restore slider to

> your preferred setting. A figure of 200MB is normally more than

> adequate for day to day use allowing perhaps a week of checkpoints to

> be available although increasing this to perhaps 400MB for a few days

> during periods of large installs such Microsoft Office is advisable.

>

>> A friend's laptop recently went faulty so he decided, as it's 7 years

>> old, to treat himself to a new one. However, he needs a couple of

>> things off the old one if at all possible, so he brought it to me.

>>

>> It boots, completes the POST OK and then shows the Windows ME splash

>> screen - but gets no further, no matter how long you leave it.

>> Pressing the "Esc" key to get rid of the splash screen and see what's

>> going on reveals the following text:

>>

>> "Please wait while setup updates your config files. This may take a

>> few minutes".

>>

>> After about two minutes, it shows:

>>

>> "Windows could not upgrade the file %1 from %2

>> %1: %2"

>>

>> and that message repeats at two minute intervals for as long as you

>> leave it. Any ideas what's wrong and how to get past it?

>>

>> Thanks in advance,

>>

>> John

 

Renaming wininit.ini to wininit.old did the trick - and yes, once I got it

up and running one of the first dialog boxes to come up was Norton saying

that an update hadn't completed. Thanks ever so much,

 

John

[Guest Mike M]

Re: Can't get past splash screen

 

John,

 

I'm pleased to read that you managed to fix the problem. I would now very

strongly urge you to clear the C:\_RESTORE folder as explained in my

previous post otherwise you are likely to hit the same error next time the

wininit.ini mechanism is invoked by an update. I think you will find that

there are currently over 32,000 items in the C:\_RESTORE\TEMP folder,

perhaps even 64,000 (I can't remember the trigger number).

--

Mike Maltby

mike.maltby@gmail.com

 

 

 

John <replyingroup@notemail> wrote:

> Renaming wininit.ini to wininit.old did the trick - and yes, once I

> got it up and running one of the first dialog boxes to come up was

> Norton saying that an update hadn't completed. Thanks ever so much,