is sp3 safe yet?

June 2, 2008

while many people have been able to successfully upgrade to sp3, i've seen

more than enough complains and issues created by the pack to make me think

twice before downloading it.

i dont want to lose my files, and i currently dont have a way to back up my

hard drive.

all im looking for is an honest to god yes or no on whether or not i should

go ahead and update to sp3.

so yes or no?

June 2, 2008

Re: is sp3 safe yet?

"Chris" <Chris@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:DCB3E818-FA36-41ED-A3BA-ACC3EAA9EE26@microsoft.com...

> while many people have been able to successfully upgrade to sp3, i've seen

> more than enough complains and issues created by the pack to make me think

> twice before downloading it.

You can certainly download it without installing it.

It's probably a better idea to download it, and install it from a local

file, than to use Windows Update.

>

> i dont want to lose my files, and i currently dont have a way to back up

> my

> hard drive.

If you don't have a way to back up your files and don't want to lose them,

you shouldn't use your PC at all till you resolve that major issue.

> all im looking for is an honest to god yes or no on whether or not i

> should

> go ahead and update to sp3.

>

> so yes or no?

It's never a good idea to use a PC, let alone install a service pack,

without backing it up.

It's very easy to make backups. 500 gig hard disks are under $100 now, and

external drive cases are around $30.

So no, you shouldn't install it if you have no way to back it up.

What you should do is address the backup issue, determine whether you have

an AMD processor, then take the steps to install SP3.

HTH

-pk

June 2, 2008

Re: is sp3 safe yet?

Chris wrote:

> while many people have been able to successfully upgrade to sp3, i've seen

> more than enough complains and issues created by the pack to make me think

> twice before downloading it.

>

> i dont want to lose my files, and i currently dont have a way to back up my

> hard drive.

>

> all im looking for is an honest to god yes or no on whether or not i should

> go ahead and update to sp3.

>

> so yes or no?

With no backup, no. Spend more time getting a backup first.

June 2, 2008

Re: is sp3 safe yet?

On Sun, 1 Jun 2008 18:24:01 -0700, Chris

<Chris@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>while many people have been able to successfully upgrade to sp3, i've seen

>more than enough complains and issues created by the pack to make me think

>twice before downloading it.

>

>i dont want to lose my files, and i currently dont have a way to back up my

>hard drive.

You better think of a way. That's more important than downloading

SP3.

>all im looking for is an honest to god yes or no on whether or not i should

>go ahead and update to sp3.

>

>so yes or no?

Maybe yes.

Maybe no.

Your choice.

June 2, 2008

Re: is sp3 safe yet?

nothing like a nice definite "maybe"

peter

--

DISCLAIMER: If you find a posting or message from me

offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it.

If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to

me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate... ;-)

"Nonny" <nonnymoose@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:n9k644pbus1jrnc4i5g2l5horugvjsbjis@4ax.com...

> On Sun, 1 Jun 2008 18:24:01 -0700, Chris

> <Chris@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>

>>while many people have been able to successfully upgrade to sp3, i've seen

>>more than enough complains and issues created by the pack to make me think

>>twice before downloading it.

>>

>>i dont want to lose my files, and i currently dont have a way to back up

>>my

>>hard drive.

>

> You better think of a way. That's more important than downloading

> SP3.

>

>>all im looking for is an honest to god yes or no on whether or not i

>>should

>>go ahead and update to sp3.

>>

>>so yes or no?

>

> Maybe yes.

>

> Maybe no.

>

> Your choice.

June 2, 2008

Re: is sp3 safe yet?

Yes!

Free unlimited installation and compatibility support is available for

Windows XP, but only for Service Pack 3 (SP3), until 14 Apr-09. Chat and

e-mail support is available only in the United States and Canada.

• US:

http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-us&prid=11273&gprid=522131

• CA:

http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-ca&prid=11273&gprid=522131

• UK:

http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-gb&prid=11273&gprid=522131

• AU:

http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-au&prid=11273&gprid=522131

• Other: http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?gprid=1173 | select

Windows XP | select Windows XP Service Pack 3

========================================

WinXP SP3 - Read all prerequisites for a successful installation

http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldron/archive/2008/05/08/windows-xp-sp3-read-all-prerequisites-for-a-successful-installation.aspx

Steps to take before you install WinXP SP3

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950717

The hard disk space requirements for WinXP SP3

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947311

Release notes for WinXP SP3

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936929

====================================

IEBlog: IE and Windows XP Service Pack 3

http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2008/05/05/ie-and-xpsp3.aspx

===================================

<IMHO>

Temporarily disable all real-time protections afforded by your anti-virus

application, any anti-spyware applications, and any third-party firewall

prior to installing SP3. If you disable a third-party firewall, make sure

you then enable the Windows Firewall: The machine should not be connected to

the internet without an active firewall.

NB ZA Free users: Uninstall ZA Free via Add/Remove Programs and enable the

Windows Firewall before installing SP3.

After installing SP3 /and rebooting twice/, check to make sure your

real-time protections have been re-enabled; If you disabled a third-party

firewall, remember to re-enable it and disable the Windows Firewall.

</IMHO>

=================

Continual reboots or can only boot into Safe Mode after installing WinXP

SP3?

See

http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jesper/archive/2008/05/08/does-your-amd-based-computer-boot-after-installing-xp-sp3.aspx

[NB: The above has been updated many times and now includes "a small tool

that will detect the IntelPPM problem and mitigate it before installing

(WinXP SP3)."]

==================================================

About Norton AntiVirus (SymProtect) & installing WinXP SP3

http://windowssecrets.com/2008/05/29/02-Norton-software-conflicts-with-Windows-XP-SP3

http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=33522

--

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)

MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002

AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net

DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

Chris wrote:

> while many people have been able to successfully upgrade to sp3, i've seen

> more than enough complains and issues created by the pack to make me think

> twice before downloading it.

>

> i dont want to lose my files, and i currently dont have a way to back up

> my

> hard drive.

>

> all im looking for is an honest to god yes or no on whether or not i

> should

> go ahead and update to sp3.

>

> so yes or no?

June 2, 2008

Re: is sp3 safe yet?

On Sun, 1 Jun 2008 18:24:01 -0700, Chris

<Chris@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> while many people have been able to successfully upgrade to sp3, i've seen

> more than enough complains and issues created by the pack to make me think

> twice before downloading it.

>

> i dont want to lose my files, and i currently dont have a way to back up my

> hard drive.

>

> all im looking for is an honest to god yes or no on whether or not i should

> go ahead and update to sp3.

If you're reading about "complains and issues" *here*, in the

newsgroups, this where people come with their problems, not with their

successes. You get a very distorted view of what's going on in the

real world here; as someone once said, "hang around a transmission

shop and you will think that all cars have transmission problems."

Most problems, by far, that people report here--whether or not they

are Sp3-related--have nothing to do with defects in the software. They

result from people's ignorance, from bad or inadequate hardware, from

old drivers, from viruses, from spyware, and so on. And except for

very rare situations, they always get a fix for their problems, and in

most cases, that fix is a very simple one to implement.

I have personally seen no SP3-related problems. It works very well.

However, I strongly recommend that before taking any big step, you

back up anything you can't afford to lose. If, as you say, you

"currently dont have a way to back up [your] hard drive," you are in a

very vulnerable situation, regardless of whether or not you install

SP3. Your first priority, far more important than installing a service

pack, should be to institute a program of regular backup.

--

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

Please Reply to the Newsgroup

June 2, 2008

Re: is sp3 safe yet?

If you have an AMD Chip, don't put SP3 on.

If you have Norton Anti-Virus, don't put SP3 on.

There are many more reasons not to install SP3 but you need to read about

the the issues and work-arounds.

If you building a computer or have on that has hardly no software installed,

then you stand a better chance of getting it installed without issues.

"Patrick Keenan" <test@dev.null> wrote in message

news:utMijHFxIHA.3968@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>

> "Chris" <Chris@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:DCB3E818-FA36-41ED-A3BA-ACC3EAA9EE26@microsoft.com...

>> while many people have been able to successfully upgrade to sp3, i've

>> seen

>> more than enough complains and issues created by the pack to make me

>> think

>> twice before downloading it.

>

> You can certainly download it without installing it.

>

> It's probably a better idea to download it, and install it from a local

> file, than to use Windows Update.

>

>>

>> i dont want to lose my files, and i currently dont have a way to back up

>> my

>> hard drive.

>

> If you don't have a way to back up your files and don't want to lose them,

> you shouldn't use your PC at all till you resolve that major issue.

>

>> all im looking for is an honest to god yes or no on whether or not i

>> should

>> go ahead and update to sp3.

>>

>> so yes or no?

>

> It's never a good idea to use a PC, let alone install a service pack,

> without backing it up.

>

> It's very easy to make backups. 500 gig hard disks are under $100 now,

> and external drive cases are around $30.

>

> So no, you shouldn't install it if you have no way to back it up.

>

> What you should do is address the backup issue, determine whether you have

> an AMD processor, then take the steps to install SP3.

>

> HTH

> -pk

>

June 2, 2008

Re: is sp3 safe yet?

Chris wrote:

> while many people have been able to successfully upgrade to sp3,

> i've seen more than enough complains and issues created by

> the pack to make me think twice before downloading it.

>

> i dont want to lose my files, and i currently dont have a way to

> back up my hard drive.

>

> all im looking for is an honest to god yes or no on whether or

> not i should go ahead and update to sp3.

>

> so yes or no?

Patrick Keenan wrote:

> You can certainly download it without installing it.

>

> It's probably a better idea to download it, and install it from a

> local file, than to use Windows Update.

>

> If you don't have a way to back up your files and don't want to

> lose them, you shouldn't use your PC at all till you resolve that

> major issue. It's never a good idea to use a PC, let alone install a

> service

> pack, without backing it up.

>

> It's very easy to make backups. 500 gig hard disks are under

> $100 now, and external drive cases are around $30.

>

> So no, you shouldn't install it if you have no way to back it up.

>

> What you should do is address the backup issue, determine whether

> you have an AMD processor, then take the steps to install SP3.

George wrote:

> If you have an AMD Chip, don't put SP3 on.

False.

If you have an AMD chip and think there is a possibility your OEM used an

image made on an Intel chip to 'put' Windows XP onto the system - then you

need to perform a step or two before installing SP3 all because your OEM

messed up things for you.

> If you have Norton Anti-Virus, don't put SP3 on.

False.

While some people have better luck installing *anything* with their AV

turned off - on the many I have installed upon so far (60+% with

Norton/Symantec AV - admitrtedly AV *only*) I have not turned off or

uninstalled the AV software nor had any issues by doing this.

> There are many more reasons not to install SP3 but you need to read

> about the the issues and work-arounds.

There are no _reasons_ not to install SP3. I can show _excuses_ and _things

that need effort put into them_ because something is already wrong with the

system in question - things that Windows XP SP3 would exasperate if

installed without first fixing them - but that is not a reason to stop the

installation of SP3 - that is a reason to fix what is wrong with your

computer.

> If you building a computer or have on that has hardly no software

> installed, then you stand a better chance of getting it installed

> without issues.

No doubt a clean install means the least amount of effort.

For the rest of the world (including the OP) - the answer is, "Yes, you

should put forth the effort to install SP3 on your Windows XP system.

Excuses can be given things can be postponed - but sooner or later - you

likely will be doing it anyway."

Prepare for it - backup your stuff (if you don't have a method of doing this

already - spin the barrel again... click... click... boom! = or you could

start doing what one thing is unique about "risk and computers"...) and read

through the known issues and the things that resolve them. Do those things

*before* installing SP3 and then you can install SP3 with the confidence

that worst case is restoring your system to the state you last backed it up

in. Best case - you have cleaned up and fixed problems that already existed

on your system (you don't have to know you have a blood clot to suddenly

drop dead from one) and gotten the latest service pack for your operating

system installed.

A place to get FREE support for SP3 installation issues *from Microsoft*...

http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-us&prid=11273&gprid=522131

WinXP SP3 - Read all prerequisites for a successful installation

http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldron/archive/2008/05/08/windows-xp-sp3-read-all-prerequisites-for-a-successful-installation.aspx

Steps to take before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950717

Release Notes for Windows XP Service Pack 3

http://download.microsoft.com/download/c/d/8/cd8cc719-7d5a-40d3-a802-e4057aa8c631/relnotes.htm

Key things to note:

Internet Explorer:

"If you have installed Windows Internet Explorer® 7 or a beta version of

Internet Explorer 8, and then install Windows XP SP3, you cannot uninstall

Internet Explorer. To avoid this, ensure Internet Explorer 7 or a beta

version of Internet Explorer 8 is not installed before installing Windows XP

SP3. If you have already encountered this issue, uninstall Windows XP SP3,

uninstall Internet Explorer, and then reinstall Windows XP SP3."

Windows XP Media Center Edition 2002:

"If you install Windows XP SP3 on a computer running Windows XP Media Center

Edition 2002 with SP1, Windows XP Media Center Edition may malfunction. To

avoid this, install Windows XP SP2 before you install Windows XP SP3. If

this issue has already occurred, uninstall Windows XP SP3, install Windows

XP SP2, and then reinstall Windows XP SP3."

It seems some people are unable to get further updates after installing

SP3... Seems some have experienced a symptom similar to doing a repair

installation on Windows XP - and the same fix seems to work for them for

that...

Updates are not installed successfully from Windows Update, from Microsoft

Update, or by using Automatic Updates after you repair a Windows XP

installation

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943144

Some people experience an "endless reboot" issue...

From PA Bear [MS MVP]:

Workarounds:

http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jesper/archive/2008/05/08/does-your-amd-based-computer-boot-after-installing-xp-sp3.aspx

[NB: The above has been updated many times and now includes "a small tool

that will detect the IntelPPM problem and mitigate it before installing

[WinXP SP3]."

1. Boot into Safe Mode and rename INTELPMM.SYS to INTELPMM.OLD.

2. After booting into Safe Mode:

Start --> Run --> (copy/paste)

sc config intelppm start= disabled

--> OK --> Reboot into normal (Windows) mode.

Other references include:

.. http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?p=187790#p187790

..

http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jesper/archive/2008/05/08/does-your-amd-based-computer-boot-after-installing-xp-sp3.aspx

.. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/09/windows_xp_sp3_reboots_crashes/

..

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9084418

.. You receive a "Stop 0x0000007E" error message after you upgrade to Windows

XP Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3 on a non-Intel-processor-based computer

(Revised 06 May-08)

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888372

Good luck!

--

Shenan Stanley

MS-MVP

--

How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

June 2, 2008

Re: is sp3 safe yet?

Personally, I say no, SP3 is not ready for prime time. AFAIC, it's still in

beta. Many hardware and software issues. However, you should not lose your

files. You might not be able to properly boot if you have an AMD processor

or the wrong BIOS or Norton or many of the other conflicting applications

though. SP3 will also change the functionality of a few programs after

installation as well. Compatibility and functionality of many third party

applications is a concern as well.

In a nutshell, MS has provided plenty of information about SP3 here and you

can Google for more:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936929

If you are adventurous and have a reliable BACKUP I say go for it. For the

over-cautious who don't have the time to be a MS beta-tester, just say no.

Hopefully MS will issue a SP3a to fix their compatibility issues.

--

marx404

June 2, 2008

Re: is sp3 safe yet?

marx404 wrote:

> Personally, I say no, SP3 is not ready for prime time. AFAIC, it's still

> in beta.

Whether you want to believe it or not - it is no longer in beta and the

liklihood of any major changes (minor even) happening to the released

version of SP3 for Windows XP is slim to none. The Service Pack 3 has been

released to the public and that's pretty much it.

> Many hardware and software issues. However, you

> should not lose your files.

I don't know if I agree with "many", but there are known issues out there.

No one should ever lose any of their files - as long as they follow some

good common sense practices.

> You might not be able to properly boot

> if you have an AMD processor or the wrong BIOS or Norton or many of

> the other conflicting applications though.

The AMD thing has been blown out of proprtion. It is not AMD - it is the

OEM that sold the AMD processor based machine with the incorrect image

(install) of Windows XP on it for that processor - or one that was created

on an Intel-based PC. And there are easy work-arounds for that - if done

before the installation of SP3 - remedies it completely. Admittedly - most

end-users won't know that until after the fact - but the work-arounds for

after the fact are not _too bad_.

The "wrong BIOS" thing is a new one on me - what is that?

Norton/Symantec has caused issues with just about everything in existence in

the past 6 years or more. That should not be that big of a surprise to

anyone. heh

> SP3 will also change the functionality of a few programs after

> installation as well. Compatibility and functionality of many

> third party applications is a concern as well.

Honestly - the things SP3 changed (other than the address bar) - most users

will never see. As for compatibility - I actually have heard of very very

few things that worked in SP2 that don't work in SP3. SP2 had many more

software/driver related issues than SP3 is having - exponentially so.

> In a nutshell, MS has provided plenty of information about SP3 here

> and you can Google for more:

> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936929

>

> If you are adventurous and have a reliable BACKUP I say go for it.

> For the over-cautious who don't have the time to be a MS

> beta-tester, just say no. Hopefully MS will issue a SP3a to fix

> their compatibility issues.

Microsoft has not done that in the past - and to be honest - I see no reason

for them to do it now (before you throw SP1/SP1a out there - you should

research why that happened - it was not a problem with the Service Pack - it

was legalities with Java... ;-) )

For those who really want to install SP3 - they should prepare and do it

right...