SP2 'niggles'

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Paul Unger · #1 Post by **Paul Unger** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 12:10 am

Maybe I'm too fussy, but I just installed SP2 (2373-3UU, 1.7GHz, 1GB, SXGA+, etc.) and things just aren't the same. "Well, what did you expect?!" Not this . . . I've got a few files on my desktop--MS Word and Adobe Reader (6.0)--that have lost their proper icons. The files still open and are readable, but the usual icons have been replaced with generic ones (this is true in Windows Explorer, Outlook attachments--in short, anywhere a file is identified by an icon). So what's up? Any clues? Has anyone else experienced this?

Another 'niggle' is that I'm now presented with a password dialogue box at start-up, CTRL+ALT+DEL splashes up a 6 option dialogue box (Lock Computer; Log Off; Shut Down; Change Password; Task Manager; Cancel) instead of taking me straight to Task Manager (as before), and when I shut down I get a dialogue box with a drop down menu rather than the Log Off/Shut Down/Restart box. In short, things are clunky whereas before they were somewhat smooth (it's still Windows

Rather than an 'unattended' start up I now have to hit the enter button; rather than going directly to Task Manager I now have to select it from six options; and rather than just shutting down I now have to select and option and hit enter again. Again, has this happened to anyone else? Can I get back my 'old' Windows? Or do I have to roll back to SP1? Any help would be wonderful!

Paul

mattfromomaha · #2 Post by **mattfromomaha** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 10:11 am

Weird. I had nothing like this happen when I upgraded. You can change your icons for the file types. In My Computer, Tools, Folder Options, File Types. Find the file type, click Advanced, Change Icon...

The Task Manager thing you speak of confuses me. In Control Panel, User Accounts, you can "change the way users log on or off."

Paul Unger · #3 Post by **Paul Unger** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:26 pm

Yeah, I know it's weird--might have something to do with being south of the equator

I've tried all the password/log on/start up settings I can find, but this seems to be a "version" type of thing--it doesn't have the 'new' XP feel; it seems more ME than anything . . . I did a clean install of XP soon after delivery of the computer, and it was fine until the first time it hibernated. Then, when I started it up, I was greeted with the password prompt and when I shut down I was given the drop-down menu box (rather than the 3 simple icons: Log Off/Shut Down/Restart). Oh well, might have to live with it . . . Thanks

ian · #4 Post by **ian** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:57 pm

Paul
Don't take this wrongly, but what made you feel it was necessary to do a 'clean' XP install when you got the machine?

I don't work for IBM but it seems to me that there are some guys who do that spend a lot of time and effort fine tuning their software so that Windows et al can actually work on a Thinkpad and as I understand a 'clean' install, this usually means you've reformatted and re-loaded what was there in the first place, but possibly without the backup of all the little odds and sodds that IBM load to make things work...

I restored my machine (from the factory CDs) just to see what happened (my machine is personal and as such I have the possibility to f*** it up if I want to !) and it works fine - aside from little glitches like it loses the quick launch icons from time to time (but this happened pre-SP2 too).

Can't offer any sensible reason as to why these things happen (but try to keep away from nail-varnish remover...)

Paul Unger · #5 Post by **Paul Unger** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 8:18 pm

No offense taken, Ian! What made me do it? Well, the short answer is I wanted to reclaim my hard drive . . . I wanted space (I was left w/ 26GB of a "40GB" drive) and my own partitions (w/o paying for a 3rd party utility). I didn't know how to do either of the above w/o a clean install; and the clean install did both well (and improved my system performance, to boot!) I have the Recovery CDs, but using them I was unable to create my own partitions; and believe me, I've experienced the value of separate partitions! I have a lot of data that I don't necessarily want hanging out on the XP/"System" partition--XP has left me in the lurch before, and I'm fairly sure that having my data and a lot of my work software in a different partition saved me much time (reloading software) and grief (lost data) when I had to relaod XP. I followed instructions on this forum for a clean install to the letter (including reinstalling the IBM goodies), and, like I said, it was working quite well. It just seems that SP2 has interfered w/ icon associations . . . If you know of a better way to 'reclaim' my HD please let me know!

ian · #6 Post by **ian** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 12:53 am

Not at all - you've done exactly what I would have done had I needed the space - this is certainly the advantage of having (originally) an 80Gb hard drive !

In fact it's quite easy to create further partitions, or indeed resize existing ones - you simply have to 'expose' or 'uncover' the hidden IBM partition (in the BIOS, Security) and then you can get on with creating further partitions etc. (ok, so I used Partition Magic)

I fully agree with your idea - and admit I create a LARGE system partition and other LARGE data partitions when I prepare new machines - at least then I'm only re-installing Windows when there's a crash...

skanky · #7 Post by **skanky** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 11:41 am

Paul Unger wrote:Another 'niggle' is that I'm now presented with a password dialogue box at start-up, CTRL+ALT+DEL splashes up a 6 option dialogue box (Lock Computer; Log Off; Shut Down; Change Password; Task Manager; Cancel) instead of taking me straight to Task Manager (as before), and when I shut down I get a dialogue box with a drop down menu rather than the Log Off/Shut Down/Restart box. In short, things are clunky whereas before they were somewhat smooth (it's still Windows Rather than an 'unattended' start up I now have to hit the enter button; rather than going directly to Task Manager I now have to select it from six options; and rather than just shutting down I now have to select and option and hit enter again. Again, has this happened to anyone else? Can I get back my 'old' Windows? Or do I have to roll back to SP1? Any help would be wonderful!

Paul

i *think* this is you're using the old style username/password log in, right? if you goto control panel, users and change the login to "fast user switching" or thereabouts, you'll have the icon login and CTRL+ALT+DEL will open task manager.

i think.

selvan777 · #8 Post by **selvan777** » Fri Oct 22, 2004 1:14 pm

Not much help here but fortunately, no, I did not have the same experience. In fact, I had no noticeable side effects at all.

As for rolling back, if that's what you decide to do, I think your best bet would be to use xp's sys restore.

If you still want sp2, do a full backup and try again.

akhavan · #9 Post by **akhavan** » Sun Oct 24, 2004 6:43 am

Hi Paul,

Did you solve your problem. beacuse a friend of mine has the same problem as you do. We checked the user account and there is no option as fast switcher or "change the way users log on or off."

in my T41P sp1 I have thoes options but my friend in her SP2 doesn't.

Sepehr

RoadHazard · #10 Post by **RoadHazard** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:35 am

That's a weird problem alright. Anyway I think something would help. There's a nice little utility from Microsoft called TweakUI. This is a part of the MS Powertoys package for XP. There's an option to rebuild/repair your icons. That may help. You can download it for free from Microsoft website. Just do a seach on their site.

skanky · #11 Post by **skanky** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 12:29 pm

sorry right im looking at my SP2 machine now.

its start/settings/control panel/user accounts/change the way users log on or off (under "pick a task")/use welcome screen

and make sure the "use welcome screen" is unchecked.

skanky · #12 Post by **skanky** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 12:30 pm

akhavan wrote:in my T41P sp1 I have thoes options but my friend in her SP2 doesn't.

is your friend using XP Pro or XP Home?

akhavan · #13 Post by **akhavan** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:00 pm

She is using Pro, but her computer is Dell. Although I do not think that should make a difference.

doctor_faustus · #14 Post by **doctor_faustus** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:11 pm

I think at least some of problems are "security" related, which seems to be the main point of SP2.

1) Use TweakUI for XP (from Microsoft.com) do bypass the logon. I am doing this since Win 2000. XP SP2 probably turns off all these (non-standard) settings which make life easier. TweakUI is a tool to manipulate the user interface related settings in the registry. I am not sure if you can still bypass the ctrl-alt-del dialogue, I have never done that.

2) I had (different) troubles with Adobe Acrobat 5 after installing SP2. Uninstall and reinstall helped. Maybe this cures the icon problems for Acrobat 6 (and other problems that have not yet surfaced). I would do the same with Word and all other programs that make troubles, but only if you are using recent versions (office xp at least). Reinstalling old versions could make things even worse I guess. I am not an expert but SP2 probably replaces some old system files, which were still in use by these programs. Personally, I am using mostly Win 2000 software plus a few XP upgrades and except Adobe Acrobat everything works fine after the SP2 upgrade.

SP2 'niggles'

SP2 'niggles'

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