Windows XP Service Pack 3

[Petrie.]

I just went through a bear of an afternoon trying to get this thing to simply install.  I'd get about 60% and the darn thing would say that "access is denied" and it would then proceed to uninstall whatever it did....or so you thought.  You're left with the message that SP3 is partially installed and Windows may not work properly.  :blink:  :blink:  :blink:  

That was just great.  System restore has been busted on my computer practically forever so I knew I wasn't going to be able to rollback.  I did find a way to get around this issue, but you had to install a program and then run a command line file which resets the registry or something like that because of all the code it was showing.  So yes, it finally did install.

I think my computer lags a bit with this update, but I also updated the NET framework as well to 3.0 from 1.1 (because I thought it was the problem).  Somehow I lost 5gb of memory to this update which I'm NOT happy about because I'm down to 16% of free space left on my c drive which is pushing the happy medium Windows likes.

So...if you see the update (and you may) install at your own risk.  This page might come in handy if you have to do what I did to get it to install:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949377  (see Method #3)

[landbeforetimelover]

XP SP3 is excellent.  I wouldn't upgrade a computer that you've had for a while with it, but when you wipe your computer you should up SP3 onto it.  I for one have a windows xp disk with SP3 integrated into it.  I've had no problems, however if you have SP2 and you've had it for a while, don't go upgrading.  You'll probably get a lot of difficulties.

[Kor]

I wonder if others have had bad experiences as you have had.

[Petrie.]

Users must've been having this problem as well, otherwise there wouldn't be an official MS topic about it.  My dads computer had no trouble and he had SP2, just like me.  So I wonder what was up with my machine.

[Chikara]

IMPORTANT WARNING!!!

My uncle repairs computers for a living, and he passed this warning on to me.

DO NOT install Service Pack 3 on computers with AMD processors without applying the appropriate patch FIRST. There is a risk of causing serious harm to your computer if you do.

More information:

http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/windo...0x0000007E.html

[Kor]

Sounds like it may be best to avoid installing service pack 3.  Sounds like they overlooked certain things.

[landbeforetimelover]

I don't have these problems since I slipstreamed in SP3 into my SP2 xp install disk and reburnt it.  Screw this.  Upgrading sucks.  Clean install is the only way to go.

[DarkHououmon]

Upgrading was the only way we could get XP back on our 80 GB computer (still out of order though).

I might consider upgrading to SP3, but I'm not sure if we really need SP3.

[action9000]

Looks like I don't have to worry about it:
http://news.softpedia.com/news/64-Bit-Wind...k-3-73982.shtml

No Service Pack 3 for 64-bit XP.

[Petrie.]

Just an update, I took the service pack off because it actually made my system slower, and startup/shutdown is a wreck.  Somehow I can't figure out where the 5gb went. I can't seem to figure out what to delete.

[Petrie.]

Found out what was eating all the space.  Removed all my System Restore points which included ones for SP3.  Instant 6GB.

[landbeforetimelover]

I'm sorry for you all who have had upgrade problems.  Maybe when you want to wipe your computers again, I can offer you a copy of xp with a slipstreamed copy of SP3 so you won't have all these problems.  You will of course have to have XP in the first place so we can use your key.

[Petrie.]

Nooo.... :

I'll just will never update it.  I'm pretty good and safe with what I have.