dcom and c++ errors help please

I am trying to help a freind who is having probelms with his compaq windows xp machine. He did not have any windows updates (yes I know, I have already given him the what for about this) and updated his adobe reader. Unfortunately, when he did the update adobe also loaded adobe photo album starter edition (which adobe had very nefariously included by default) This program requires xp sp2 which he did not have. I narrowed the issue to WIA drivers causing a dcom error and was able to unistall all the adobe programs. Now however I am getting visual c++ runtime library errors and the computer continues to be very slow, especially when accessing any type of windows explorer options.

Of course, my friend does not have his original Windows cd and I cannot get the computer to go online to get any updates. I have been able to download and burn a copy of sp2 to cd. I am wondering if I can install sp2 (although I do not think the cd drives are working either)

Any help would be apprciated.

Thanks

Jim

 

It sounds like a lot of the drivers are not working and I doubt SP2 would reset things. I think installing SP2 would be very risky (BTW, I have just tried installing SP2 on my friend's Compaq laptop and got the message that it was not a standard machine, in other words, we would need to get SP2 from Compaq).

Start backing up.

Try running System File Checker. If it asks for the Windows CD

Check for information regarding repairing or reinstalling Windows at the Compaq (HP) website. Look up the model at the Support page:
www.hp.com/support

Try reinstalling programs that may use C++ visual runtime...I know Internet Explorer does and maybe say, DirectX and Java (you can get Java from Sun Microsystems).

Last ditched effort. Reinstall the Adobe program, shutdown and boot into Safe Mode, uninstall it there.

Unfortunately, sooner or later he is going to have to find the Compaq installation disk(s) or buy new ones. The system sounds very flakey. BTW, the Compaq disks will probably only do a reinstall, not a repair.

Why didn't the Adobe program that requires SP2 check for SP2 before it installed?

Matt