On Wed, 30 Jun 2010 23
3:17 -0500, Henry <wa0goz@arrl.net> wrote:
> I'm running WinXP Pro SP2 on a Dell Dimension 3 GHz machine with 2 Gig
> of RAM.
>
> I have only heard bad things from people I know who tried to install
> SP3 and on newsgroups. It seems that one of three things will happen.
>
> 1. Everything will go well and it will work OK. (Seldom)
>
> 2. It will seem to go well for some period of time and then something
> happens and your computer gets screwed up.
>
> 3. It will not install correctly and your computer gets screwed up.
>
> With the last two, a clean re-install of WinXP is required to get back
> running.
>
> With my luck with updates, one of the last two will occur.
>
> Since support for SP2 is ending shortly, I need advice.
>
> Signed Scared
>
> Henry
First, I'm the IT Technician for a division of the company I work for,
and have installed SP3 on all our WinXP Desktop systems except those
used in our labs (we do software engineering) as requested by
engineers.
ONE VERY BIG WARNING:
*After you install SP3 your original WinXP Setup CD will be useless
for using the 2 Repair options on the CD.*
You will be unable to boot to your old CD because Windows will insist
you mount WinXP SP3 CD which you do not have.
You can thank Microdunce for NOT warning you about this AND not
offering to sell you a WinXP (Home, Pro, Media Center) SP3 CD.
Having said that...
I found the best way to install SP3 is NOT via the download install.
Use the alternate SP3 Install CD.
1) You need to have a CD Burner (writes CDs)
2) Download the ISO (bootable image) from.....
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...ce-b5fb-4488-8c50-fe22559d164e&displaylang=en
3) Burn the ISO image to CD and you now have a bootable CD that will
Autorun when mounted in your CD drive and install SP3 like any program
BUT as others have said, you need to prep your system BEFORE you
start. They gave you links, but just in case, here's a ref site:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/itproxpsp/threads/
Note, AFTER installing SP3, highly suggest you wait a few days BEFORE
running Microsoft Updates. Hope you have Auto Updates set to the
'notify ONLY' option.
I used this method at work and on my home system with no problems.
Side note: We OEM WinXP on our products, and we HAD the "OEM WinXP
Pro SP3" CD. Since the advent of Win7, the SP3 CD is no longer
available. We still OEM WinXP via the Downgrade option (install WinXP
on the Win7 license) for Win7 Pro.
For a short period you could get the "OEM WinXP Pro SP3" CD open
market (got it for my home system from Amazon way back), so there MAY
be resellers that still have the CD in stock, but good luck in finding
one.
--
======== Tecknomage ========
Computer Systems Specialist
IT Technician
San Diego, CA