Windows XP Service Pack 2 Halts on “Checking Product Key”
If you’re installing Windows XP Service Pack 2 and it halts or hangs on you while it is allegedly “Checking Product Key”, you can fix it like so:
1) Please go into the CMD prompt (Start/Run –> cmd.exe )
2) Then type cd /d %windir%\inf and make sure we are in that
directory.3) Then type ren oem*.inf oem*.old, it will go back to the prompt
after giving you some error (Do not worry about it)4) Then type ren oem*.pnf oem*.old1, it will go back to the prompt
after giving you some error (Do not worry about it)5) Then goto start - run - type “%windir%\inf” and you will see
the files in the folder.6) Then find the file by name INFCACHE.1 and take a backup of it
to desktop (by copying it to desktop) and delete the INFCACHE.1
from c:\windows\inf.7) Close all windows and reboot the computer to safe mode and
start the installation of SP2 and it should go fine.
This solution is dotted all around the internet, but I can’t find it’s original source. If you know the source, let me know and I’ll credit it correctly.
ankit soni said,
19 November, 2007 at 9:40 am
sir i have a windows service pack 2 but when i install this sofwhere the computer genrets the eaorr that the product key is not valid and i chacke the key is sme as write on the cd what can i do sir
Phil Wiffen said,
22 November, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Ankit, it sounds like you need to call Microsoft to verify that your Windows key is authentic.
Hafiz Pussah said,
23 November, 2007 at 11:15 am
Hi Sir, I want to install window service pack 2 but i misplace the product key. how can are retrieve the product?
Phil Wiffen said,
29 November, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Hafiz, please see my post, Retrieving your Windows Licence Key
Andy said,
9 February, 2008 at 10:56 pm
works like a charm…any reason to keep the “INFCACHE.1″ file that was copied to the desktop?
Phil Wiffen said,
13 February, 2008 at 11:27 pm
Hi Andy! It’s just a backup in case things go awry, so you’re free to delete it once SP2 installs properly