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Windows 2000 FAQ

We solve 20 of the most vexing problems with Windows 2000.

Gregg Keizer, special to PCWorld.com

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Can I Uninstall a Service Pack?

Q: Windows 2000 Service Pack 2 whacked my PC. Is there a way to uninstall a Service Pack and get the PC working properly again?

A: Windows 2000's Service Packs are substantially slicker than NT's. You can roll back either of the two existing packs (SP1, SP2) to the previous version or back to the original, unpatched installation of Windows 2000. Here's how:

  1. Select Start, Settings, Control Panel and open the Add/Remove Programs applet.

  2. Choose Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 or Windows 2000 Service Pack 2 from the list and click the Change/Remove button.

  3. Follow the Wizard's rollback instructions, then reboot the PC at the end of the process.

On another, associated topic, you can free up a ton of hard disk space by deleting the files necessary to do this kind of rollback. That assumes, of course, that you're certain you won't ever want to uninstall a service pack. Here's the scoop:

  1. The files are in a hidden folder that you first must make visible. Choose Start, Settings, Control Panel and open the Folder Options applet.

  2. Click the View tab, then select the "Show hidden files and folders" radio button before clicking OK.

  3. In Windows Explorer, locate and delete the $NtServicePackUninstall$ folder in the WINNT folder.

  4. You'll also want to eradicate the now-superfluous Add/Remove Programs entry. Choose Start, Settings, Control Panel and open Add/Remove Programs. Select "Service Pack" from the list and click the Change/Remove button. You'll see a message that reads "An error occurred while trying to remove Windows 2000 Service Pack X. It may already have been uninstalled. Would you like to remove Windows 2000 Service Pack X from the Add/Remove programs list?" Click Yes.

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