19th September 2002
Question: I tried to remove the Windows XP Service Pack 1 by starting it using the "Start Windows Using Last Known Good Configuration" feature, but that didn't work. Why didn't it work and how do I remove the Service Pack?
Answer: Using the Last Known Good Configuration feature didn't work because Service Pack 1 removes files from the Windows\LastGood folder to prevent problems that may occur if you tried to remove the Service Pack this way. The proper way to remove the Service Pack is to go to Start | Control Panel | Add or Remove Programs and in the list of currently installed programs you will see Windows XP Service Pack 1. To remove this Service Pack, simply click on it and choose Remove. You may not have this option if you choose not to archive the files. If that is the case then I have no way for you to rollback those files without doing a system rebuild. If you did archive the files and still don't see Windows XP Service Pack 1 as an installed option then it is probably because you installed an update to Internet Explorer after Service Pack 1 was installed. Simply remove the Internet Explorer update and you will then see Windows XP Service Pack 1 listed in the currently installed programs window.