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For a reason not to be mentioned here, I needed to install Windows XP (legal license) on my Macbook. Easily done, Boot Camp Assistant, install windows, install drivers, the works.

Then I wanted to update to Boot Camp 2.1, to be able to update windows to SP3.

Big nono. Didn’t want to install. Update constantly failed, no matter what.

After some googling, I ran across this post on the MacRumors Forums, which basically says that to install it, you need to open up your registry editor (start -> run -> regedit.exe), do a search for “Boot Camp Services” and locate the key which reads “Language”. Modify it, and change the Decimal value to 1033 (hex 409).

Restart the installer after this, and it’ll install. Go figure.

I’m wondering if anyone out there can help me with this one…

On one server, running Windows server 2003 R2 Enterprise x64 Edition, service pack 1, I’m encountering this problem:

The machine often grinds to a halt, responding very slowly, and the event log is filled with:

Application log:

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: PerfOS
Event Category: None
Event ID: 2012
Date: 9/04/2008
Time: 7:41:53
User: N/A
Computer: XXX
Description:
Unable to get system process information from system. The status code
returned is in the first DWORD in the Data section.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Data:
0000: a1 00 00 c0 ¡..À

System log:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Application Popup
Event Category: None
Event ID: 333
Date: 16/04/2008
Time: 10:36:36
User: N/A
Computer: XXX
Description:
An I/O operation initiated by the Registry failed unrecoverably. The
Registry could not read in, or write out, or flush, one of the files that
contain the system’s image of the Registry.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Data:
0000: 00 00 00 00 01 00 6c 00 ……l.
0008: 00 00 00 00 4d 01 00 c0 ….M..À
0010: 00 00 00 00 4d 01 00 c0 ….M..À
0018: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ……..
0020: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ……..

The only thing this machine is running is Platform Symphony, GRID computing software. This setup is identical on 4 other machines, which don’t show any problems.

After numerous googles I still haven’t found a reason or a solution. I’ve tried:

• reinstalling machine – problem comes back (it’s not clear before or after installing the GRID software…
• increasing pagefile size
• checked main drive
• tried UHCleaner – doesn’t seem to work on 64bit
• checked registry settings – all are identical
• …

In case you’re using Windows (or Microsoft) Update, you’ll probably have noticed that your PC sometimes grinds to a halt after bootup. Checking with task manager usually reveals that svchost.exe is abusing your CPU, pegging it at 100%.

This thread specifies several solutions that you can try, and for me what helped was:

• installing KB927891
• installing Windows Update Agent 3.0 (x86 / x64)
• cleaning of the SoftwareDistribution folder:
  1. Open a command prompt
  2. net stop wuauserv
  3. Rename Windows\SoftwareDistribution folder to SoftwareDistribution.old
  4. net start wuauserv
  5. Reboot

Doing the combination of these fixes (in this order) finally made svchost behave like it should. Look in the thread for more possible fixes ;)

Interesting readup.

http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.html

Should make you think twice about that OS…