[dsenette]

if it's not on a domain it may be in a local setting...let me look around for a sec

[dsenette]

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...&DisplayLang=en <--download that...it will give you the gpmc (group policy management console) once installed do run > gpmc and let me know when you're there

[dsenette]

i make no promises what so ever

[dsenette]

might need the admin pak first...hold on (i've never touched xp home...)

[dsenette]

nope...that won't work on xp home...have you tried uninstalling sp2 and reinstallilng it?

[david_s]

I have tried uninstalling SP2, but when it gets to the services section I get an "access denied' error (which might come from the firewall I just managed to "sort of" turn on).

What do you think about me deleting the registry keys I just added (to hopefully turn off the firewall again), then uninstalling SP2 and installing SP2?

[dsenette]

maybe.....also...are you logged on as a true administrator?...to do this..when you get to the logon screen where you pick your user when you boot up...press ctrl alt delete and it will bring up the logon screen where you put in administrator as the user...then the password...which hopefully you have...

[david_s]

Yep, I'm logged in as true "administrator" in safe mode. I've also tried removing SP2 as a user with admin privileges booted normally.

[david_s]

What do you guys think of this procedure?

Go to <http://win-xp-sp.blogspot.com/2004_08_01_win-xp-sp_archive.html> and scroll down to
"Uninstalling Windows XP SP 2 using Recovery Console".

Basically you boot the system off your XP install disk, then run "C:\WINDOWS\$NtServicePackUninstall$\spuninst".

[dsenette]

right tony...

i say try removing the sp2 with that method dave

[david_s]

Well, because I needed to get this system back in a hurry, I ended up copying everything off, reinstalling XP, copying stuff back on.

Thanks for the help.