Posted on 05/24/2008 10:49:03 AM PDT by my right
Just a couple of questions to people who have installed xp service pack 3. Is it worth the installation? What benifits are they? I did a little research and found a ton of info and a lot of people complaining about problems, would you recommend a person with mediocore pc problem solving skills install this?
I didnt know SP3 was out yet..
I had read somewhere about it, so I hit windows update and it popped up.
I’ve heard bad things about this.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-9929300-33.html
Go to the above link for more info.
installed it on my laptop, no issues. tried on my desktop, cant get it to boot, so i used system restore and im back to sp2, and it runs fine.
My neighbor installed it and now he has a bunch of problems with his system...some things will not work at all...
If your currently up to date with security and your machine runs fine I would hold off.
As such, it's a convenience for folks like me who configure large number of computers for business, and waiting hours for 60+ patches is a pain.
But if your XP is already fully-patched to current, SP3 is hardly a big deal. The 2 or 3 additional "new" features are miminal. Unless you haven't already upgraded to IE7, in which case lots of settings change.
I've done it on my machines, nary a hiccup.
I had no problems with it, and it seemed to speed things up slightly. However, I have mad computer skills, and I keep my machines up to date and never run “junk” SW. If your machine has no problems whatsoever (and by that I mean no quirks or flaky behavior), then it is probably OK to upgrade.
Some HP computers using AMD processors have an incorrect configuration, and SP3 will have problems, like causing a reboot-loop. That's not really an SP3 problem, that's an HP mis-configuration problem. Nevertheless, be aware...
There are a few other incompatibilities known, but MS ways that SP3 refuses to download and install om machines whose driver set has known problems. So unless you somehow override that lockout, you should be okay.
oops... “ways” => “says”
Exactly. SP3 doesn't add anything of note. It's just a configuration convenience roll-up.
OTOH, it'll be VERY handy the next time you have to bring a fresh XP/SP2 installation up to current patches.
yes I have too, I will definitely wait at least a few months before I install.
I downloaded SP3 to a USB drive and installed it to 7 computers at work....no problems
I installed SP3 about a week before MS’s official release date. Installed on desktop X 2 and Laptop X 2 without any problems or performance issues.
ping
IF you do it, don’t take it from Microsoft Update/Windows Update.
Download the full CD version. Burn it, THEN run the upgrade.
The CD version has all the drivers, especially important if you’re running on an AMD processor and not an Intel . . .
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