Vista problems

Hello, I’ve been trying unsuccessfully for a long time to install SP2 for my Windows Vista machine which I bought from Mesh preinstalled with Windows Vista 64 bit SP1.

When I try to install SP2 I get 0x80070490, both if I use Windows update and if I download the update manually and run it.

According to the Microsoft help for 0x80070490 when trying to install an update, I should try to run the System Update Readiness tool, and if that fails I should perform a repair installation of Windows. As the System Update Readiness tool failed to resolve the problem, I unwrapped the Windows 64 bit Vista SP1 dvd that I received with my PC and attempted to run it. When this happened I got:

(Title) setup.exe - Bad Image
(Text) "D:/Sources\SPWIZENG.DLL is either not designed to run on Windows or it contains an error. Try installing the program again using the original installation media or contact your system administrator or the software vendor for support."

Followed by:
(Title) Install Windows
(Text) "The file autorun.dll could not be loaded or is corrupt. Setup cannot continue. Error code is [0xc1]"

This happened with both my dvd drives, and also when I booted with the dvd and attempted to install Windows from there.

I've been on the malware forum and found a couple of viruses, however I don't think they were actually causing my problems: two minute startup and shutdown times, (much slower than before), nearly continuous hard drive access, complains about illegal actions and won't let me log on if I have an internet connection when I logon, if I logon without an internet connection, every now and again it complains about illegal actions and sends me to "http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/validate/?OSV=6.0.6001.2.00010300.1.0.000.09.1033&RFM=2&LegitCheckError=C004D401", with the page stuck on "Windows validation in progress".

I really want to reinstall Vista and start again, however clearly I need to be able to use the recovery disk if I'm going to do that. Any help you can provide is much appreciated.

 

I just tried booting from the recovery disk again and it let me get as far as putting in my Product Code before giving me the error:

(Title) Install Windows
(Text) Windows cannot open the required file E:\Sources\Install.wim. The file may be corrupt or missing. Make sure all files required for installation are available and restart the installation. Error code: 0x80070570

 

A you have been to the Malware removal section, and want to re-install, I would consider first, the possibility that the boot.ini has been corrupted.
Withe the cd/dvd in your rom drive, I would restart, and follow this proceedure:
Boot Vista from CD drive; access repair mode - prompt; now use bootrec...
At the prompt, type in , as follows- note the space after bootrec, before the slash

bootrec /fixmbr (this will write a master boot record)
Pres enter

Then type bootrec /fixboot (this will create a new boot sector/loader)
press enter
Then Type EXIT, if it does not boot automatically
You should now re-boot, and ,If the boot was corrupted, then this usually fixes it to enable you to re-install.