Hey there,

I am trying to install Win2003 build 1218 over build 1184 and am
getting an error that i have to uninstall previous build first.
checkecd the sp log:

0.781: C:\sp1\i386\update\update.exe (version 5.5.2.0)
0.781: Build to next build install blocked without uninstall
0.781: This Service Pack cannot be installed on top of the Windows
Server 2003 Service Pack 1 build currently installed on your computer.
Cancel this installation process, uninstall your current Windows
Server 2003 Service Pack 1 build, then re-install this Service Pack.
2.243: Message displayed to the user: This Service Pack cannot be
installed on top of the Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 build
currently installed on your computer. Cancel this installation
process, uninstall your current Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1
build
2.243: User Input: OK
2.243: Update.exe extended error code = 0xf0df
2.243: Update.exe return code was masked to 0x643 for MSI custom action compliance.

is there any way around this?

i have deleted the csbuild,csdversion,and a few other keys in the
rgeistry. still the same.

any help would be appriciated.

Installing one pre-release build of the service pack over another
pre-release build isn't supported for WS03 SP1.  The build number of
the service pack is either in the kernel itself, or in SP1.cat -- and
I wouldn't recommend messing around with either of those.  You can
uninstall the SP and then install the new build.  If you didn't
archive the SP install you can do an "upgrade" using your WS03 RTM CD
and that'll restore your files back to pre-SP1.

XPSP2 pre-release builds have the "build to build" update enabled for
a select group of builds (e.g. unless something changes you should be
able to install XPSP2 RTM on top of XPSP2 RC2 without uninstalling
first).  They'll probably port this functionality over to WS03 -- but
who knows if they'll include 1184 as a build that can be updated.

charlie,

thanks for your comment.

what i actually did was boot from a slipstreamed 1218 CD and chose the
repair function.

unfourtunately, it killed the system with BSOD of x7b wich is for
inaccesible boot device. (win2k3 is on partition 3, 1 being hidden
dell util,2 is winxp, 3 win2003).

on the bright side i did see a new feature (not that it helped me) in
the bootup menu called "disable automatic restart on errors" i think
it's a new feature that it stops the pc from restarting in a loop, in
Win2000 and XP it's very hard to disable the auto-restart if you can't
even boot safe mode.

Thanks again charlie. i appriciate your time.