can't open Panther log

This seems related to a whole slew of problems that occurred after a forced upgrade to 2004. C:\Windows\Panther\setupact.log won't open, I "don't have permission" even though I am the only user account (called Main), and have always been and admin on the computer. (I also can't start Device Mgr and Disk Mgr or Update Troubleshooter or do updates.)

Starting off with File Explorer, I got to Advanced Security settings for setupact.log. That showed that I'm not allowed to view the owner. I followed instructions and have changed the owner of the file to my Main account, but still the file won't open for me.

I'm asking this on the upgrade forum because I suspect that just maybe permissions getting fouled up by the upgrade may be causing most or all of my problems. True? And how to fix? Thanks.

Thanks, Steve. Notepad still won't open the copy, but Notepad++ will.

setuperr.log from the day of the update from hell has 130 entries. It seems futile to try to handle them individually.

Hello @Bob1212

May I ask what the problem is?

Did you want to update to 2004 and the process failed?

Or did you want to perform an in-place upgrade?


Friendly greetings
Sorry for any mistakes. English is not my native language.

Tekkie Boy said:

Or did you want to perform an in-place upgrade?

Yes. However, since doing the forced upgrade on March 10th from 1909 to 2004, there are problems:
- all updates, even from the catalog, now fail
- Update Troubleshooter fails to start
- UAC wrongly blocks me, the admin account, from Device Mgr and Disk Mgr and other things
- Crypto Service regularly takes over the HDD 100% and won't let other processes run
- and other problems, as with file ownership. I've run sfc and DISM many times, and had to download a 2004ISO to use as the source for DISM.

Therefore, I think that doing a repair-install might not only fail, but also might possibly wipe out all my data. I would then try to restore the System Image that I've made with Macrium, but that image was only made after the March 10th problems.

Or, I could start by reverting to 1909 (I still have time since I've set the expiration out to 60 days, and have also renamed Windows.old just in case). Then I'd upgrade with my 2004ISO, and that might have a better chance of success - since hopefully if I revert to 1909 then the problems that came from the March 10th 2004 upgrade would be gone. Or maybe reverting might wipe out all my data, or even prevent Windows from starting. So then back to Macrium for the System Image

I looked into the tutorial here for a repair-install from a bootable USB using my 2004ISO, that might have been ideal but Windows has removed that ability.

What do you think, Tekkie? :)

[Edit: and with my 1Mbps connection, downloading the 2004 5GB ISO took about 12 hours, so I am reluctant to do more large downloads just for a small possibility of success. My goal is to get 2004 running properly for now.]

If the option still exists, roll back to 1909.

With the hope that this will work without any problems.

If this is successful, check whether the base from 1909 is error free.

Did you run a third-party antivirus program before upgrading to 2004 and did not uninstall it for the upgrade?

Tekkie Boy said:

Did you run a third-party antivirus program before upgrading to 2004 and did not uninstall it for the upgrade?

Yes, as I have done for over twenty years with no such problems ever. However, no more.

>> check whether the base from 1909 is error free.

Which base do you mean?And also, ty for the replies.

I have lately leaning to going back to 1909, though the mounted 2004.ISO repair-install would be much quicker.

Hey btw, can I uninstall the 3rd party AV and then later put in back in place without having to download all the signature files again? Or maybe just rename the exe for it so it cannot start.

[Edit: my guess on the the source of the problems is that WU bundled everything together, the 5GB upgrade with several big updates - some of which failed right then.]

As a basis, I mean the installation itself.

Perform rollback and then check the files with Dism and sfc / scanow.

Completely uninstall the third-party antivirus program and also use the removal tool from the respective manufacturer.

So that the program's filter drivers are removed.

Tekkie Boy said:

So that the program's filter drivers are removed.

Got it.

Have you tried the rollback yet?