inzi said:
All our users in the company are running windows XP SP2. All our
hardware has the WSUS agent on & updates are installed regulalry.
I was wondering if it is required to install SP3 seeing that we get
all the updates as & when they arrive?
How long will you have these Windows XP machines around?
Do you want to protect these customers for that time period from known
issues?
Do you want to continue to receive and be able to install patches for the
operating system from Microsoft for that time period?
If "Yes" to the latter two - you should go SP3.
Is there some reason you have not done so yet? Some badly written (likely
internal) software? Some hardware that will not work (confirmed?) under
SP3?
With proper preparation - you are unlikely to have problems - and if you
have been performing proper maintenance all along - even if you do - you are
only out a short period of time (restoring from the backup/drive image you
made wisely before diving in...)
WinXP SP3 - Read all prerequisites for a successful installation
http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldro...requisites-for-a-successful-installation.aspx
Steps to take before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950717
Suggestions for individual installs:
1) Download the full SP3 installation file and/or burn the ISO download to
CD.
2) Ensure (as well as plausible) you have no spyware/malware by doing a full
scan with SuperAntiSpyware and MalwareBytes.
3) CHKDSK
4) Defragment
5) Ensure your hardware drivers are up to date (from the hardware
manufacturer's respective web pages.)
6) Reboot right before you try to install SP3.
7) Disconnect from the internet before installing (physically.)
8) Disable your antivirus and antispyware applications when you are about to
install SP3.
Some (if not all) of that is covered in the above links.
LONG:
Like it or not - Windows XP SP3 is something that you probably should
install if...
- You are currently running Windows XP (32bit).
- You care about keeping your machine current and running its best.
- You wish to continue running Windows XP for some indeterminate time into
the future.
Service Pack 3 is mostly all of the updates released after SP2 and until the
release of SP3. You may think to yourself that you have been keeping your
PC updated - so you probably have all those updates - fact is, you'd be
incorrect. You may have all the publically released ones, but SP3 contains
1179 previously released updates - guaranteed you do not have them all
installed without it. ;-)
Most of the issues people have had with SP3 have to do with their particular
configuration or a problem caused by a third party change/mis-configuration
on their system - and almost all have a relatively simple fix.
Other than "Automatic Updates" or the Windows Update web page - how can you
get SP3?
Windows XP Service Pack 3 - ISO-9660 CD Image File
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...ce-b5fb-4488-8c50-fe22559d164e&DisplayLang=en
Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for
IT Professionals and Developers (works just as well for you.)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en
Do a little reading - to ensure you are ready...
WinXP SP3 - Read all prerequisites for a successful installation
http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldro...requisites-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."
Did all that and have some issues you believe might be related to SP3?
Check these out:
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...
Workarounds:
http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jes...ed-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:
1.
http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?p=187790#p187790
2.
http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jes...ed-computer-boot-after-installing-xp-sp3.aspx
3.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/09/windows_xp_sp3_reboots_crashes/
4.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9084418
5. 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
Some people have gotten an "Access Denied" message when trying to install
SP3... I suggest going straight to the third method (1st under advanced)
of this article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949377
Beyond that - some simple maintenance might be needed - like installing the
latest hardware drivers from your hardware vendors...
Good luck to you! You shouldn't need it, however, with just a little
planning. ;-)
