I’m preparing to record one in a series of video tutorials for SitePoint, for which I’ll need a copy of Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS), the web server that comes with Windows XP Professional, installed on my home computer for the first time since I installed Windows.
The usual way to do this is to launch Add or Remove Programs from the Control Panel, click Add/Remove Windows Components, pick IIS from the list and then go from there. But if, like me, you’re working with a copy of Windows that has been updated to Service Pack 2, you’ll just get this error:
Microsoft helpfully offers a solution to this in its online knowledge base. Problem is, the solution (which will most often require “Method 2″ in that article) requires you to have a Service Pack 2 CD on hand, and Microsoft’s web site does everything it can to talk you out of getting a copy of that CD.
After searching all over the site for a way to get the CD without having to pay (and wait) for Microsoft to ship it to me, I finally gave up and submitted a support request to Microsoft explaining my dilemma (you get two such requests for free).
In the end, I was able to find the answer myself. Via Paul Thurrott, I was able to find the full download of Service Pack 2, labelled “Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers” to scare off the plebs.
I had even found that download while scouring Microsoft’s site on my own, but the many messages on the page (all of which amount to “you don’t want this!”) drove me away.
I’d provide feedback on the knowledge base article, but it looks like Microsoft took away the feedback solicitation feature of its knowledge base. I’m kinda wishing I hadn’t wasted one of my free support requests…
59 Responses to “Installing IIS after Service Pack 2”
- 1 Pingback on May 9th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Hi — the information you have up is extraordinarily useful, but I am unable to fix the very same problem that I have because I started out with WinXP Service Pack 1a, so the attempt to integrate with SP2 fails miserably. And I’m stuck then not being able to put a working version of IIS on my machine — an install does happen, but it’s weird, won’t let me get to my localhost etc. (my own computer!!)
Here’s what I was wondering — do you know of anywhere I can obtain a WINXP disk so that the slipstream does work and I can move on to install? Or even better, an integrated boot disk that (my hope is) will allow a smooth IIS install?
I hope I’m making sense. Any pointers would be more than welcome.
& btw, I’m Canadian, too
Deepa
Unfortunately, I’m still not able to get past the error message. I’m properly merging XP Pro with the SP2 build, but it won’t work. I remain extremely frustrated.
Love the site!
Greetings, I think I found a solution on another site. I did this:
Exited the entire add or remove programs panel. Then opened a command window and entered: esentutl /p %windir%\security\database\secedit.sdb
After doing this I attempted to add the IIS component and it worked perfectly.
Thanks so much Howl! That worked perfectly for me too – I’ve been trying all day to get this installation to work and yours was the only way that did.
It also helped me. And I’m not canadian
Though I have a friend there 
Thank you
Hi there, I have sp2 via windows update. When in Add Components, I clicked IIS, I got the message to load CD with SP2.
I’ve attempted:
esentutl/C:\Windows\security|Database\secedit.sdb
and I get illegal mode message .
Can someone, please help. Thank you. Regards Renato
Hi there,
I too have sp2 installed and have the same trouble with IIS.
I tried entering the command:
esentutl /p %windir%\security\database\secedit.sdb
on a command prompt which gave me a message saying it was successful but when I tried to install the IIS component it still fails as before.
Anyone have any other advice on a fix?
Thanks,
G
Hi there!
I already tried it but I had no success.
What I actually did was downloading the file, uncompressing it and then I copied the folder some place else – since the temp one is deleted once you cancel the installation.
Afterwards, I expanded the files:
for %i in (*.??_) do expand -r %i
Didn’t work pointing it the folder where the whole SP2 was already unpacked and expanded.
As my last hope was going away, I used virtual CD to generated it just another unit letter – just in case. In the end, didn’t work out as well
Maybe I should burn a CD with SP2 though I guess it makes NO difference at all!
Still no answer guys.
ok i have the same famous problem
i tried the first fix:
esentutl /p %windir%\security\database\secedit.sdb
it didnt help
i turned to the second solution – but here i am stuck !!
i downloaded the sp2 file and extracted it however the second solution instracts to run a command named xpsp2.exe however this file is no where to be found in the sp2 package or xpsp2 cd – i am quite surprised that i am the only one with this specific problem since i tried lots of diffrent sources !!!
any idea anyone ??? or am i all alone with this issue ???
i got it !! i got it !!
all the fixes solutions and articles didnt help me – so i fixed it myself with just a tiny little thinking !!
everybody is talking about the following folder:
%windir%\security\Database
so i just deleted the 2 files in this folder and copied them back there from a paralel windows xp sp2 working ok system !! that’s all !! it worked !!
I’m lost. I tried the esentutl /p %windir%\security\database\secedit.sdb idea but it did not work. Same thing as before, asking for an SP2 CD I don’t have.
The post right above mine sounds like it has a solution – but I’m not understanding it. What exactly is a “paralel windows xp sp2 working ok system”?
man mos that was common sense dunno why i didnt think of it.. thanks!
citixzenZed helped me… shot bra
hey CitizenZed – what i ment is just go to a diffrent machine running windows xp sp2 were iis was installed with no problem.
in that system go to %windir%\security\Database – copy the files from that folder to the same folder on the problematic machine – and thats it.
you can also keep these 2 files in a share on the network and next time you have this problem just copy them from there to the problematic machine at the same location: %windir%\security\Database.
I’m not canadian either but thanks heaps it worked!
Hello my name is dave hall and i really need your help, i’ve recently installed IIS 5.1 on my computer but whenever i attempt to connect to the server i am faced with a ‘HTTP 500 internal server error’ how can i fix this problem? thank you in advanced,
Yours Hopefully,
Dave Hall
Same thing happened to me, useful tip thanks a lot
hi!
i found a solution to the same problem.
i phoned microsoft support center and this is what they said: you cannot install IIS from original WINXP install CD, unless it allready has SP2 on it. since i have original WINXPpro CD (with SP1) and i have installed SP2 lately (friend brought it on CD), i cannot use my original CD for updating windows components (installing IIS).
solution is as follows: you have to make install CD for XP that contains SP2. you can do that by this steps:
1. copy contents of your original WINXP CD to some folder on your hard drive
. than you’ll be prompted to browse to SP2 exe file… and that’s it. you can burn compilation directly onto cd, or make .iso image.
2. copy SP2 exe file to some other folder
3. download cool program needed for this purpose: http://www.nliteos.com/download.html
4. install it, run it, and follow onscreen instructions. you’ll be prompted to browse for win xp folder (where you copied winxp cd). liteos can be used for many purposes, but for this one just choose ‘integrate service pack’ on one of later menus (next, next…
now use the new compiled CD to install IIS!
during the install, it asked mi twice to locate some file, but that file was on compiled CD (why it asked?) so i just choose it, and it will go on.
hope this will help someone!
respect
doobd
doobd, you’re advice is right on the money. IIS installed without hesitation once I directed it to the folder where the newly compiled installed CD was residing.
Dear Howl
thanks allot .. it works
I tried before Microsoft web site but it dosn’t work
Amazing… I used the cmd line esentutl /p %windir%\security\database\secedit.sdb
Then used the sp2 made cd by the last post and everything worked.
Thanks Howl – that’s amazing. I had tried unsuccessfully to install IIS for about 3 hours ! ! Found no help on the official sites. You supplied the answer above. Very grateful.
Thanks for this thread!!!
I did exactly as doobd described, and it worked perfectly!
Plus that nlite software is super slick!
Great job! Saved me hours of searching!
Hei,
Thx a lot howl.
Its working like what u said
esentutl /p %windir%\security\database\secedit.sdb
I was trying this for many days and at last i searched google for this problem.
thk u once again.
Thank you for sharing your experience here. I personally have benefited from your article. It has saved me hours of troubleshooting.
Cheers.
doobd solution work well, I have MCE that ships with SP 2 yet I still got a message asking for the SP2 CD!!! So I used the nLite software and all is well.
Maybe Microsoft should invest some more money into fixing the bugs in it’s software.
I didn’t have a secedit.sdb in the security folder. After all else failed, I copied that file from another XP box and IIS installed without a problem.
No idea out that was deleted.
Thanks for the nlite solution, works like a charm.
Thanks to you, Howl.
You are better informed than MS
)
Worked a treat.
…
Here is a link to the MS Knowledge base article that talks about the fix to this problem. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894351
thanks for the good info here.
Good job
help me as well. Thanks keep this page here.
so i just deleted the 2 files in this folder and copied them back there from a paralel windows xp sp2 working ok system !! that’s all !! it worked !!
Tried it Works perfect!!!
Tried SP2 download, got stuck.
I deleted the database and then get a copy of a XP pro machine with IIS.
doobd’s solution work great for me to after trying everything else!
Awesome… cheers.
million thanx to u for sharing u’r great solution to solve the problem,it’s simple but not everybody know
mos,
Man ( or lady) your delete and copy tip of those 2 files under the c:\windows\security\database … works like a dream.. THANK YOU!
Howl’s suggestion worked for me. Thanks!
Kevin: Your article was exceptionally well written and straight to the point. However, since I did not have the secedit.sdb file on my system at all, I proceeded to follow Mos’ suggestion. Thank you all the same.
Mos: Your suggestion was brilliant! I simply copied the secedit.sdb file from another Windows XP Pro SP2 machine and saved it in my “not working” XP machine. I then proceeded to Install IIS the normal way and it WORKED! Thank you so much!
doobd, your solution worked for me. Thanks!
Many thanks. The security fix did the trick!
Well while installing IIS just like that (without inserting the CD), it looked as though it is configuring with “configuring IIS”. Once >later, i tried running “http://localhost” and it returned a page which said
>that ‘hTTP 500 error’ or something similar. i found a folder called ‘inetpub’ which had folders like ‘wwwroot’ and some others. I saved a .asp page in the wwwroot folder and
>tried running it via ‘Run’ in start menu. but as usual it gave an >error(internet explorer) you know the ‘file not found thing’. It didnt show me any errors but still I am not able to go to ‘http://localhost’ stuff. I actually need this IIS to run asp files which is my small project. Please try to help me out on how to configure without a CD. When i check it says my PC is updated with SP 2. can someone explain in simple steps what to do thanx a zillion in advance for that…SR
Thanks all!
I had WinXP SP1, upgraded to SP2 and then tryied to install IIS, the solucion was:
esentutl /p %windir%\security\database\secedit.sdb
It worked!
Oliver
Dear Howl! Thank you very much for your help! My ISS problem is solved with your help.
I writed to command line “esentutl /p %windir%\security\database\secedit.sdb”. after ISS installation started properly.
thank you all, as per my observation, the steps given by Howl has resolved the issue of installing IIS by default installation, i mean with out selecting additional components. Where in by the steps given my MOS we can install IIS by selecting all additional components.
Hi everybody
I’ve been messing with the same problem for quite some time now
every time i try to run the
“esentutl /p c:windows\security\database\secedit.sdb”
I keep getting the same error
“accsess to source database c:windows\security\database\secedit.sdb failed with with jet error -1811″
I have no idea as to what to do next
anybody got an idea?
forget the last comment it all worked out just as Howl said
much obliged thank you
Thanks Howl,
I was messing with this problem for about an hour, you are a life saver!
Been trying for a solution to SP2 IIS install problem for HOURS now but sadly none of these solutions seem to work, it keeps asking for admxprox.dll which isnt on the XP CD or in the extracted i386 folder. Driving me NUTS! Grr!
well.i tried alot. still couldnt find the solution. i have got service pack2 alredy installed on ma computer. is it again required to reinstall it?
A big thank you to HOWL … your solution worked perfectly for my installation on Win XP Pro SP2
Howl’s suggestion worked for me. Also, the post itself was a god-send. Thanks a lot for sharing this information!
Thanks a lot to Howl. I’ve tried this solution and works perfectly! THAAAAAAANKS!!!!
Thanks a lot Howl. It is 100% workable.
thanks howl!! the cmd also work for me.. been trying to figure out how to install iss for 2hrs now!! it was frustrating.
hello
Thanks you
I am iranian.
I am Hmong and it also help me too. Many thanks.
The solution that mos proposed adout replacing the files from a working system works fine. Thanks a lot.
thank you very much
i was going to learn php coz i lost hope for a week
but finaly this is working
thank you again
Solution for SP3 IIS
If you have this problem with XP SP3 i managed to bypass it by downloading the “Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers” which I installed.
After rebooting the PC, I tried to install the IIS service and, at my surprise, it asked me the Windows XP Professional Edition, which i used to install XP, and not the “Service Pack 3 Windows Cd”.
I hope it will work for other people.