Windows XP: Dangers or disadvantages to installing XP SP3?
Dangers or disadvantages to installing XP SP3?
by obsessed - 9/11/08 5:23 AMMy automatic updates just prompted me to install SP3. Before agreeing to this I wanted to come here and check if there is any reason not to. So should I do it?
Only if you never backup.
by R. Proffitt
- 9/11/08 5:26 AM
In reply to: Dangers or disadvantages to installing XP SP3? by obsessed
While I've yet to encounter a single failure at the office, lab or home there are issues in some machines (mostly HP, Dell AMD boxes) where you must install an update from that maker first.
There is an ever rarer issue with a very old (pre-2000) wifi card. The cheap fix is to replace that card.
Problem free? No. Dangerous? Only to the few and certainly to those that never thought about backups.
Bob
By AMD boxes you mean systems with an AMD processor?
by obsessed - 9/11/08 5:37 AM In reply to: Only if you never backup. by R. Proffitt
I have a machine put together by Cyberpowerpc.com and it has an AMD processor. Is there an update I must get directly from AMD before I install sp3?
You ask them.
by R. Proffitt - 9/11/08 5:46 AM
In reply to: By AMD boxes you mean systems with an AMD processor? by obsessed
The issue was with HP's tinkering and addons to the operating systems. We never saw the issue with plain installs from Microsoft issued CDs.
I won't duplicate this issue here. Use google about HP SP3 AMD to find it.
Bob
For the most part
by Jimmy Greystone - 9/11/08 7:49 AM In reply to: Dangers or disadvantages to installing XP SP3? by obsessedFor the most part, you should be considering the dangers and disadvantages of NOT installing SP3. Those include increased risk to known security vulnerabilities which can lead to malware infestation and worse.
All security updates, including service packs, should be considered MANDATORY. There's no "if" about it, it should only be a matter of, "How soon can I prepare my system?"
I suspect that SP3
by TONI H - 9/11/08 8:58 AM In reply to: Dangers or disadvantages to installing XP SP3? by obsessedis very hardware oriented regarding older hardware. I installed it on my older Gigabyte mobo system, and it wouldn't even boot up afterward. I had one heck of a time getting back to the desktop and it was only accomplished by doing a repair of XP via the cd at bootup, which overwrote many of the files that SP3 took over. My system works with one exception...the update center will tell me what updates I need, downloads them, and fails to install every single one of them. I have to manually make a list of all the KB numbers from the list, search MS for them in the Admin Options, download them (usually all in one fell swoop) to a folder on my harddrive, and then manually install them one by one. What a PITA.
I'm not installing it on any of my other machines if I can help it.
TONI H
Zero problems with my six . . .
by Coryphaeus - 9/11/08 12:32 PM In reply to: Dangers or disadvantages to installing XP SP3? by obsessedThree desktops and three laptops. Oh, and daughter's (one of my home builts) so make that seven.
But I was very careful. My machines are squeaky clean. I downloaded SP3 and burned it to a CD, then placed a copy onto my server. I then turned off all background "stuff" including AV programs. I unplugged each machine from my router so there was no Internet connected. I created a Restore Point. And proceeded to install SP3 from my server across my network. Perfect install.
The gist of my procedure is the machines need to be squeaky clean of problems and nothing else running.
Wayne (IBM freak - 7)
Click here to see the CNet faces, learn a little about analog and digital data, Internet connections, Spyware removal, and download free software (and a GREAT chocolate-cherry cobbler recipe).
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Two tries, but SP3 is in.
by edbrady - 9/12/08 6:06 PM In reply to: Zero problems with my six . . . by CoryphaeusSomewhere (maybe even on CNet) I read that one possible fix was to install in safe mode.
I had installed SP3 and the computer booted over, and over, and over...
So I removed it with a restore point while in safe mode. Then I forgot about it for a while.
But, just a day or two ago, I wanted to try again, so I booted up, entered safe mode as the administrator, and ran the update. Worked perfectly.
I had a couple of oddball experiences...
by dexter_birdbrain - 9/13/08 5:17 AM In reply to: Dangers or disadvantages to installing XP SP3? by obsessedI actually downloaded the entire SP3 so that I could reuse it later.
I was actually using XP SP1 prior to installing SP3. It has been installed since the past 3 years. Mine is a dinosaur aged PC by CNET standards. 256 MB RAM, Intel 845 Motherboard, 60 GB HDD, Samsung CD R/RW which I bought 4 years ago...!
I definitely encountered a few issues -
1. During installation I got around a dozen error messages pointing to some other Microsoft patches already installed on my PC (those things beginning with KB*******). I chose to ignore all of them and kept on moving forward.
2. After a restart, the OS would not boot. Sent a chill down my spine! OMG! Did I just cream my MBR? Just went into the motherboard boot settings, re-configured the booting devices and voila! There I am up and running.
Besides that, everything is BAU...
Tablet PC problems
by SteveLCSW - 9/13/08 9:21 AM In reply to: I had a couple of oddball experiences... by dexter_birdbrainI installed SP3 and was unale to change the screen orientation afterwards. Had to uninstall the update and Microsoft says they can't help.
In your case you talk to the tablet maker.
by R. Proffitt - 9/13/08 9:31 AM
In reply to: Tablet PC problems by SteveLCSW
They modified the OS or drivers so you get to talk to who did the deed.
automatic updates
by mattumanu - 9/13/08 10:03 AM In reply to: Dangers or disadvantages to installing XP SP3? by obsessedHere is something I recommend after installing SP3. Go into automatic updates and change it from "everyday" to "let me choose when to install". Otherwise you run the risk of the computer automatically doing a restart after an update is installed. SP2 used to give you a dialog box that says "windows needs to be restarted" but gave you an opportunity to say "restart later". SP3, apparently does not give you this opportunity.
This morning, My computer downloaded an "important security update", and while I was working on something, the computer spontaneously restarted without warning. This is unacceptable.
no problems here..
by dansar99 - 9/13/08 10:30 AM In reply to: Dangers or disadvantages to installing XP SP3? by obsessedInstalled SP3 on my HP intel pentium 4 computer and my wife's sony vaio (both running XP) and have not experienced any problems at all. I did d/l it from windows update and the file was much smaller than the d/l from MS. 70 mb instead of 320mb.
Windows XP SP3 possible problems
by hrhall3006 - 9/13/08 11:35 AM In reply to: Dangers or disadvantages to installing XP SP3? by obsessedI tried to install SP3 from the file manually downloaded from Microsoft. Got an Acess error message. Found the following link. I followed the procedure described. The install worked. The registry update takes a long time (2Ghz, 1Gb machine).
http://blog.malwareteks.com/correct-access-denied-error-while-installing-windows-xp-sp3-release-candidate-2/
XP SP3
by alessiotx - 9/13/08 1:34 PM In reply to: Dangers or disadvantages to installing XP SP3? by obsessedDon't do it. I tried twice and both times it fouled up my wireless connection. Cost me $200 with Geek Squad to fix it.
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