Guest twoiron Posted August 14, 2008 Posted August 14, 2008 I was wondering ,is it ok to install sp3 now?or do we still some issues to work out. Thank you
Guest Ken Blake, MVP Posted August 14, 2008 Posted August 14, 2008 Re: SP3 bugs On Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:32:01 -0700, twoiron <twoiron@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > I was wondering ,is it ok to install sp3 now?or do we still some issues to > work out. Yes, it's OK to install it now, and it was OK to install it before. I installed it on both of my XP machines as soon as it came out, with no problems on either one. Thousands, if not millions, of others have done the same. Yes, there is an occasional person who has a problem, and although those people are the most vocal--because they are looking for help with their problems--they have been few and far between. But read here first: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950717 -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience Please Reply to the Newsgroup
Guest Chet Posted August 15, 2008 Posted August 15, 2008 Re: SP3 bugs Of great historical significance to all, twoiron <twoiron@discussions.microsoft.com> declared on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:32:01 -0700: > I was wondering ,is it ok to install sp3 now?or do we still > some issues to work out. > Thank you In addition to what Ken recommended, also checkout How to configure Windows XP to start in a "clean boot" state <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353> It was recommended to me by another MVP and I had no problem installing the service pack in both a Home and Pro machine. hth -- cfnewsDO@NOTmchsi.SPAMcom "I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid." - Terry Bradshaw -
Guest twoiron Posted August 15, 2008 Posted August 15, 2008 Re: SP3 bugs Thanks guys.I just finished downloading sp3.Everthing went as advertised. Now can you tell me how to get my address bar back in my tool bar.I read how to do that sometime back...but I forgot how. Thanks again "Chet" wrote: > Of great historical significance to all, twoiron > <twoiron@discussions.microsoft.com> declared on Thu, 14 Aug > 2008 16:32:01 -0700: > > > I was wondering ,is it ok to install sp3 now?or do we still > > some issues to work out. > > Thank you > > In addition to what Ken recommended, also checkout > > How to configure Windows XP to start in a "clean boot" state > <http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353> > > It was recommended to me by another MVP and I had no problem installing the service pack in both a Home and Pro machine. > > hth > -- > cfnewsDO@NOTmchsi.SPAMcom > "I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid." > - Terry Bradshaw - >
Guest Chet Posted August 15, 2008 Posted August 15, 2008 Re: SP3 bugs Of great historical significance to all, twoiron <twoiron@discussions.microsoft.com> declared on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:36:01 -0700: > Thanks guys.I just finished downloading sp3.Everthing went as > advertised. Now can you tell me how to get my address bar > back in my tool bar.I read how to do that sometime back...but > I forgot how. Thanks again > SP3 actually removed the tool bar but from what I've read in several XP groups it can be restored. You might try this one I found from a post in this group in June: Restore the Address Bar in Windows XP SP3: <http://blog.ryantadams.com/2008/05/08/restore-the-address-bar-in-windows-xp-sp3/> hth -- cfnewsDO@NOTmchsi.SPAMcom "I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid." - Terry Bradshaw -
Guest Stephen Harris Posted August 15, 2008 Posted August 15, 2008 Re: SP3 bugs Ken Blake, MVP wrote: > On Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:32:01 -0700, twoiron > <twoiron@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > >> I was wondering ,is it ok to install sp3 now?or do we still some issues to >> work out. > > > Yes, it's OK to install it now, and it was OK to install it before. I > installed it on both of my XP machines as soon as it came out, with no > problems on either one. Thousands, if not millions, of others have > done the same. Yes, there is an occasional person who has a problem, > and although those people are the most vocal--because they are looking > for help with their problems--they have been few and far between. > http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=windows+xp+sp3+problem&btnG=Google+Search There are 4,490,000 hits reported by Google for the search terms Windows xp sp3 problems. So, 'thousands if not millions' have not had your experience. This computer repair shop reports that about 25% of the problems they fix are SP3 related, less than 2 months ago. http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2008/06/30/windows-xp-sp3-cheat-sheet/ "Since it's release on May 7th there have been libraries written about the woes of XP SP3. In addition to the problems there have been many reports of installations with no problems. In fact there are three times as many people who have had no problems what-so-ever. This is as expected given the 25% failure rate that we've seen at PC Pitstop. But with a 25% failure rate, this service pack is anything but ordinary. Our two previous articles described the problems and fixes in detail and gave additional information regarding the causes of the problems. You can find those articles here and here. Because we’re not quite ready to sound the all clear, ..." I don't think Microsoft would establish a toll free help line for SP3 problems if indeed the problems were minimal and "few and far between". I've installed SP3 on one computer without problems while the other computer is closer to catastrophic rather than just problematic. I spent 2 1/2 hours on the phone with a free SP3 Indian help tech. To his credit, he spoke pretty good English and seemed well-informed. The problem was that the computer often wouldn't boot up, not even to as far as the bios screen or to the Logo. The computer proceeded to display a black screen which received no signal. No chance of getting into bios. I already had the boot sequence set to boot from cd. So after many tries the computer would boot to 'push any key to boot cd' and it would load the very first sentence of the XP install disk but then terminate, so no Recovery Console and no recovery dvds. Rescue disks get to the first screen of their options, but then crash after an option is selected like erase drive. No F8 choices work either though it is quite rare to get that far. 99% sure it is not hardware. I'm not going into all the effort I put into establishing that. I'm not quite sure that it isn't an intermittent leaky mobo capicitor. The other day, on the nth try, it booted all the way to the expected XP screen, it worked. For about 5 hours, then spontaneously rebooted and once again no longer would go past a black screen with no signal. I'm thinking it might be some sort of bios or MBR, firmware corruption. No wonder the tech couldn't fix this. I suspect their is a conflict with the Nvidia video card drivers. There are thousands of those cards and ATI cards out there installed in Windows XP computers. SP3 was delivered on that computer by Automatic Update. That should not happen unless the SP3 update checked for compatibility prior, and that such a check was reliable. The lucky people are those who just have annoyances to fix. Some of the serious problems are fixable. And for most people their is an option of reformatting the drive and reinstalling XP. But SP3 has the potential to create a problem even more disastrous. At least with the Win95 video driver problems, they could be fixed. The best suggestion I've gotten so far is to discharge the cmos. I'm not even sure that installing a second drive with XP and then a clone attempt to the non-functional drive will work. So there are only a paltry few tens of thousands of customers who suffered from SP3 failure, out of maybe a few million. But this is a huge disaster even in comparison to SP2 problems. Why should my video card work with SP2 and not SP3? I don't care much for those Linux zealots whom claim that Windows users should switch because the installation has become much easier. Their biased view neglects to mention a year long steep learning curve. Likewise, on the other end of the spectrum, your dismissal of SP3 problem as few and far between is just as radical of a distortion. The main issue is your lack of critical thinking by using such a small statistical sample. You could have used Google to determine objectively, that the SP3 problems were far more widespread. Microsoft said, "‘Windows XP SP3 will not significantly change customers’ experience with the operating system’. Another thing is that there is a big difference between a typical Windows user and a computer professional or MVP, when it comes to following safeguards and comprehending instructions and directions. So it has no critical enhancements, but some critical problems, Stephen
Guest twoiron Posted August 15, 2008 Posted August 15, 2008 Re: SP3 bugs Thanks Chet.I will try that.In the meantime I found out by pressing the windows + R on the key board will do the same thing. Thanks again "Chet" wrote: > Of great historical significance to all, twoiron > <twoiron@discussions.microsoft.com> declared on Thu, 14 Aug > 2008 18:36:01 -0700: > > > Thanks guys.I just finished downloading sp3.Everthing went as > > advertised. Now can you tell me how to get my address bar > > back in my tool bar.I read how to do that sometime back...but > > I forgot how. Thanks again > > > > SP3 actually removed the tool bar but from what I've read in several XP groups it can be restored. You might try this one I found from a post in this group in June: > > Restore the Address Bar in Windows XP SP3: > <http://blog.ryantadams.com/2008/05/08/restore-the-address-bar-in-windows-xp-sp3/> > > hth > -- > cfnewsDO@NOTmchsi.SPAMcom > "I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid." > - Terry Bradshaw - >
Guest Damian Posted August 15, 2008 Posted August 15, 2008 Re: SP3 bugs I came here for the very first time with what I thought was a simple question. I first read about all the items SP3 claimed to fix and decided I did not need to use it. I had not kept up with the difficulties that appear to be rather pronounced, to say the least. I simply wanted to know, and still do want to know how to install one of Microsoft's current security updates for August that I first decided against but now have thought better of, namely the Event Update. However, when I go to the update Center, it seems I am being forced to install SP3 before I can get to install this one update I have now decided in favor of. Does anyone know how to turn SP3 off so I can simply get this one update? By the way I very much appreciated your response Mr. Harris. It seemed objective and transparently honest. "Stephen Harris" wrote: > Ken Blake, MVP wrote: > > On Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:32:01 -0700, twoiron > > <twoiron@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > > > >> I was wondering ,is it ok to install sp3 now?or do we still some issues to > >> work out. > > > > > > Yes, it's OK to install it now, and it was OK to install it before. I > > installed it on both of my XP machines as soon as it came out, with no > > problems on either one. Thousands, if not millions, of others have > > done the same. Yes, there is an occasional person who has a problem, > > and although those people are the most vocal--because they are looking > > for help with their problems--they have been few and far between. > > > > http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=windows+xp+sp3+problem&btnG=Google+Search > > There are 4,490,000 hits reported by Google for the search terms > Windows xp sp3 problems. So, 'thousands if not millions' have not > had your experience. This computer repair shop reports that about > 25% of the problems they fix are SP3 related, less than 2 months ago. > > http://techtalk.pcpitstop.com/2008/06/30/windows-xp-sp3-cheat-sheet/ > > "Since it's release on May 7th there have been libraries written about > the woes of XP SP3. In addition to the problems there have been many > reports of installations with no problems. In fact there are three times > as many people who have had no problems what-so-ever. This is as > expected given the 25% failure rate that we've seen at PC Pitstop. But > with a 25% failure rate, this service pack is anything but ordinary. > > Our two previous articles described the problems and fixes in detail and > gave additional information regarding the causes of the problems. You > can find those articles here and here. Because we’re not quite ready to > sound the all clear, ..." > > > I don't think Microsoft would establish a toll free help line for SP3 > problems if indeed the problems were minimal and "few and far between". > > I've installed SP3 on one computer without problems while the other > computer is closer to catastrophic rather than just problematic. I > spent 2 1/2 hours on the phone with a free SP3 Indian help tech. To > his credit, he spoke pretty good English and seemed well-informed. > > The problem was that the computer often wouldn't boot up, not even to > as far as the bios screen or to the Logo. The computer proceeded to > display a black screen which received no signal. No chance of getting > into bios. I already had the boot sequence set to boot from cd. So > after many tries the computer would boot to 'push any key to boot cd' > and it would load the very first sentence of the XP install disk but > then terminate, so no Recovery Console and no recovery dvds. Rescue > disks get to the first screen of their options, but then crash after > an option is selected like erase drive. No F8 choices work either > though it is quite rare to get that far. 99% sure it is not hardware. > I'm not going into all the effort I put into establishing that. I'm > not quite sure that it isn't an intermittent leaky mobo capicitor. > The other day, on the nth try, it booted all the way to the expected > XP screen, it worked. For about 5 hours, then spontaneously rebooted > and once again no longer would go past a black screen with no signal. > I'm thinking it might be some sort of bios or MBR, firmware corruption. > > No wonder the tech couldn't fix this. I suspect their is a conflict > with the Nvidia video card drivers. There are thousands of those > cards and ATI cards out there installed in Windows XP computers. > SP3 was delivered on that computer by Automatic Update. That should > not happen unless the SP3 update checked for compatibility prior, > and that such a check was reliable. > > The lucky people are those who just have annoyances to fix. Some > of the serious problems are fixable. And for most people their > is an option of reformatting the drive and reinstalling XP. But > SP3 has the potential to create a problem even more disastrous. > At least with the Win95 video driver problems, they could be fixed. > The best suggestion I've gotten so far is to discharge the cmos. > I'm not even sure that installing a second drive with XP and > then a clone attempt to the non-functional drive will work. > > So there are only a paltry few tens of thousands of customers who > suffered from SP3 failure, out of maybe a few million. But this is > a huge disaster even in comparison to SP2 problems. Why should my > video card work with SP2 and not SP3? > > I don't care much for those Linux zealots whom claim that Windows > users should switch because the installation has become much easier. > Their biased view neglects to mention a year long steep learning curve. > Likewise, on the other end of the spectrum, your dismissal of SP3 > problem as few and far between is just as radical of a distortion. > > The main issue is your lack of critical thinking by using such a > small statistical sample. You could have used Google to determine > objectively, that the SP3 problems were far more widespread. > > Microsoft said, "‘Windows XP SP3 will not significantly change > customers’ experience with the operating system’. Another thing is > that there is a big difference between a typical Windows user and a > computer professional or MVP, when it comes to following safeguards > and comprehending instructions and directions. > > So it has no critical enhancements, but some critical problems, > Stephen > > > >
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