I keep getting prompted to upgrade my SP2 to SP3. Are there any pros or cons to doing this? I recall over a year ago I did install and it caused me some grief so uninstalled and did a system restore. Do you think it's safe now to finally install it?
XP SP 2 vs SP 3
(23 posts) (7 voices)-
pavid
gamer extraordinaire & knowledgeable computer nerd who likes to argue, but is still a very nice guyAlthough I no longer use XP I found that SP3 was a good upgrade to XP. I upgraded to SP3 as soon as it was released and never had any trouble. In fact it made my system more stable and a bit easier to use. I would recommend that you upgrade asap. In fact if you can swing it, you should upgrade to WIN 7. It breathed new life in my old computer and was and is one of the best upgrades I made.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Robert
StrayCatSurprisingly enough still 60% of people worldwide were still using XP in August2010 ...and so am I on my old desktop machine.
The downside of not upgrading to SP3 is there will be no more security updates.As someone did put it bluntly:
If you don't (install SP3), well, don't blame me if you sit down some morning soon and find your computer spilling your credit card numbers to J. Random Hacker or cheerfully sending Viagra spam to all your friends
-But as always do make an image of your computer prior to installing SP3.Better safe than sorry.
Sp3 forced me to upgrade from 256mb tot 512mb/1gig of ram though.
Of course this site is to blame too :)Apart from that I only experienced a sluggishly slow right click option(but there's an easy fix for that)...the odd IE crash(including invites to send an error report)and the pushing of IE8.
And it introduces ,if I remember correctly,WPA en WGA.Posted 13 years ago # -
The number of PCs running XP will only continue to decrease from here onwards, through natural attrition (new PCs come with Windows 7).
If you are running an XP PC - it may be more effective to leave your upgrade to Windows 7 until you upgrade your PC (depending on how powerful your existing PC is).
If you are still running XP SP2 - you have no doubt found that there is a lot of software that is only supported on XP SP3, and there is a good reason for this. There are a lot of fixes rolled up into SP3 that aren't present in a base SP2 install.
You can install (all?) the fixes individually through windows update - but this takes a long time - and it is easier to determine a baseline of applied fixes by checking that SP3 has been installed, rather than the dozens of individual patches after sp2.
At this late stage (several years of testing and use) it is fairly safe to assume that SP3 has been extensively tested, and it is safe to install (remember to create a system restore point).
Posted 13 years ago # -
Suze
Membercopmom - I bit the bullet last December when I finally upgraded to SP3. Before doing so, image/clone your current system, as Robert also recommended, and set a 'Restore Point' as well (see below).
Here are the tips I used from CNET (Grif) to "prepare" the computer for the installation (my comments are in parentheses):
1) clean out all the junk files
2) run a number of spyware and virus scans to make sure the computer is clean
3) run Disk Cleanup and Chkdsk; defrag if necessary (didn't need defragging)
4) if using an HP computer with an AMD processor, chances are that the original issue has been corrected with an MS update (it was).When all of that's done,
5) restart the computer, and then image/clone your system
6) raise your allotted System Restore space to ~ 5269 MB (6%) and create a ‘Restore Point’
7) turn off all antivirus/antispyware programs that are running realtime, plus use msconfig to shut down all ALL non Microsoft services and ALL startup items
8) download the standalone/full installer file from the link below to your desktop, then run the installation from there. It's a large download, about 316 MB, so you'll need a fast, broadband connection to make the download worth it.. It will work just fine when installing it on a single computer.. Note: Grif did NOT use the online installation. After downloading the full file, burn a copy to a CD to use later, if need be.9) after installing, go into automatic updates and double-check that it says either "let me choose when to install" or "Notify me." Otherwise you run the risk of the computer automatically doing a restart after an update is installed (unlike with SP2).
That should do it! Good luck, and let us know how you made out.
Posted 13 years ago # -
copmom
MemberYep.. just did that and here's what I found and followed. Let's see if that fixes things!
If it happens repeatedly, it could be that your settings don't allow Windows to make the necessary adjustment. First, make sure your drive isn't overly full. In Windows Explorer, right-click the drive icon and choose Properties. If the amount of free space is under about 10 percent, you'll need to free up some space. You can use the Disk Cleanup button right next to the free space indicator, or manually move some files to off-line storage, or uninstall unnecessary applications—whatever it takes to get more free space.
If low drive space isn't the problem, the virtual-memory settings may be wrong. Right-click My Computer and choose Properties. Click the Advanced tab. Click the Settings button in the Performance panel. Click the Advanced tab in the Performance dialog. Click the Change button in the Virtual memory panel. Whew! This setting is buried quite thoroughly! Look for the System managed size option, select it if it isn't already selected, and then click OK, OK, OK. That should end the warnings.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Anonymous
Unregisteredsafe is a big word & is it safe a may be ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_XP_SP3
System Requirements
* Supported Operating Systems:Windows XP Home Edition;Windows XP Professional Edition;Windows XP Service Pack 1;Windows XP Service Pack 2http://www.winsupersite.com/article/showcase/slipstreaming-windows-xp-with-service-pack-3-sp3.aspx
not the way I go just used nlite no need to take out if you not like can keep all.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/237535-45-installing-hotfix (AMD fix)
http://support.microsoft.com/ph/1173
Important notice for users of Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2): The support for your product ended July 13, 2010! To ensure that you will receive all important security updates for Windows you need to upgrade to Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3)
Posted 13 years ago # -
Robert
StrayCatDid you consult this page on Microsoft Support ?
(scroll down to "Troubleshooting Windows XP SP3 installation")Posted 13 years ago # -
Anonymous
Unregisteredhttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/946480/
List of fixes that are included in Windows XP Service Pack 3
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifeselectindex
US 10 years of support (5 years Mainstream Support and 5 years Extended Support)
NZ !! years !! one time 5 years on last sp next time as for US ?Support ends 24 months after the next service pack releases or at the end of the product's support lifecycle, whichever comes first. ?
Posted 13 years ago #
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