Delayed by more than a year the final service pack for Windows XP is already spreading like fire on the Internet although it won’t be available through official Microsoft channels before April 29th. Several major software portals like Softpedia and Major Geeks are already hosting the service pack along with your friendly pirates from The Pirate Bay and other Bittorrent sites. Supply is there and I’m pretty sure that some of you have already installed the new service pack for Windows XP.
I would like to know about your experience with it. Did the service pack install fine, did it throw up errors, did you encounter errors after restarting the system ? What is your experience working with the service pack. Did you notice any changes, additions, odd behavior afterwards ?
I had some troubles downloading it from various websites. I’m not giving up though but two downloads so far did not complete successfully. Now it’s your turn to let me know what you think of Windows XP Service Pack 3. Was it worth the wait or a complete waste of time ?
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I downloaded SP3 direct from MSDN downloads (my company has a subscription).
There are not that many changes really, it just runs as should. I have updated 4 machines now with no issues at all. Nice and quick – about 20 minutes each.
The one thing I look forward to is not having to download 100+ updates when building a new machine.!
Now this is interesting! Before next Tuesday, ladies & gentlemen, is XP SP3 worth installing, or is it only worth slipstreaming for next XP reinstall?
OK, if you’re dealing with a network, some extra security is provided, but otherwise, is overall speed/stability improved? I’ve heard up to now yes and no…
I had to re-register the windows msi service
i installed mine without problems..no noticeable performance difference
Installed at work on top of corporate WinXP SP2 (patched daily). Relatively fast install, single reboot required. No errors or problems so far. Creates somewhat large (~400Mb) backup.
Thinking about installing at home, but there my windows passed 2.5 years since last reinstall and is somewhat… mutated to slightly different life form. So I am being cautious. :)
I’m gonna wait for it to appear as an official update, I hope it gives at least a minor performance increase…
If you have IE8 (Beta) installed your machine may hang so uninstall it before apply SP3. You can reinstall it after the update with no problem.
Downloaded and installed it (on XP MCE) from majorgeeks yesterday.
Encountered no problems during download or installation.
Personally, haven’t noticed any difference on my system. I have read reports that there was an improvement in speed on some systems, during beta ands RC tests.
I installed SP3 on my computer only to find out that it would not boot after restarting it.
I had to install windows again on another partition (since I hadn’t setup a dual-boot system yet), move a file that the SP3 forgot to install into my system32 folder, finally be able to boot only to uninstall it and never want to hear about it ever again…
Installed, no problems (got it from softpedia, I believe), no changes in performance at all (it did bring back my internet explorer and show desktop icon into the quick launch menu, which i’d removed).
I don’t use Office so the claim of 10% boost in Office wasn’t tested; 3dmark scores were exactly the same before and after.
Naah… the about windows daialog box only change and the system info….
I’m mostly on Vista now. But last week when I tried to update an old XP Pro SP2 machine via Windows Update (not even doing a SP3), that machine went into an endless reboot loop. I think Microsoft is Windows Updating a prep program to install SP3 when it becomes available. And that prep program has the same loop “feature” that Vista’s had before they fixed it for Vista.
Before installing the SP3 for XP, i just wanted to know what are the visible differences. Are there any conceivable system improvement features, any positive system security updates, or stability features. I am looking for an update for gHacks for more information.
downloaded 3 times from both majorgeeks and softpedia everytime I get an error while trying to install saying incorrect update.inf did a search online and found this was also a problem with some people with SP1 if a certain service wasn’t running. checked the service is running, tried stopping it and restarting to no avail so guess I won’t be installing it just yet LOL
I think one visible performance/feature improvement would be support for WPA2 wireless encryption.
I think the most significant visible change would be support for WPA2 wireless encryption.
Cause tonight is the night. Not quite, tomorrow 04-29-2008 rather. Less thrilling than Christmas, now that reality brings us back to Earth!
Besides what has been here commented, I’d like to evoke this point, which is in my mind not clear :
I’ve been told that XP SP3 will also have the advantage of including updates which could have been “missed” by MS Update throughout all manual updates performed ever since XP Install.
Is this true, that is, is the fact MS Updates may “miss” updates, should they be very, very few, a possibility?
I have SP3 installed. I had no issues, though it did take a little while to install. Lets hope it keeps Vista at bay for some time yet.
Previous RCs had some notceable bugs but thus far I have not encountered any strange behaivour.
As for performance, it could just be a placebo effect but things do seem a bit snappier. At the very least it hasn’t made anything worse on my 4 test machines.
Proceeding to update my network systems because I feel confident enough now.
Well, I have by now installed XP SP3 as well. No noticeable speed enhancement. Maybe, I do say maybe, a somewhat slightly stability improvement (a feeling of greater “smoothness”) but still, I’m aware of imagination’s tricks in such circumstances.
I had IE7 as a previous install. I mention this because I’ve read that some have had problems to install IE7 after XP SP3. I’ve even read that any total reinstall of Windows XP should consider installing IE7 before XP SP3. If this is true, it does mean that slipstreaming XP SP3 would be a nonsense (if IE7 is to be in the lot).
Any comments on this fact would be appreciated, otherwise that will mean 2 discs to reinstall XP updated : 1- XPSP1+SP2 slipstreamed, 2- IE7 then XP SP3… I love compact installs!
XP Pro hacked OS Installed it and half way through it posted an error, then it uninstalled itself. Tried the same on my other computer and it went in fine. I have all the updates anyway so I don’t worry about it, just typical windows strangeness.
I installed it twice, latest RC and then this “Final” release but I had the same problem – I couldn’t browse the web (I tried firefox & int. explorer v6). Some chat software worked (Skype, Xfire) and I could play multiplayer games. So, I couldn’t surf the net and check e-mails?! Anyone here knows the solution? Thx
I have an HP Media Center PC running XP w/sp2. I recently had to completely recover my system due to a very nasty xponlinescanner virus. After recovery, I went to the MS update site and installed all the updates available. Everything worked fine until I got to the SP3. After installing SP3 my machine will not boot except in safe mode. I removed the Symantec AV program that is bundled in the XP software and downloaded the SP3 without AV installed, however, I did have the bundled MS firewall installed. 3 Times I’ve tried to update to SP3 and each time with the same results. I ran Ad-Aware, Uniblue Registry Booster 2, ccleaner and still no boot. Fortunately I have my computer completely backed up on both a Free Agent external hard driver as well as a maxtor one touch, so I am not losing any data, however, there certainly seems to be something wrong with the SP3 upgrade by MS. I would recommend not installing it until MS is able to correct it.
3 issues encountered (on previously VERY reliable XP “Pro” Acer Laptop):
01) WiFi encryption is now broken. I used to use WPA (router does not support WPA2) but now NEITHER WPA nor WEP work. This is BAD! I can only use UNSECURED Wireless connection!
02) MMC error using “Diskeeper” (v8.0.478.0). This was by-passed using the dialog indicating a failure (3rd option)
03) “Address” Toolbar is removed. This is a real pain. I had, obviously, become very dependent on it (it was a GREAT timesaver!)
Well, Well, Well. What a simple fix when you know what it is…
start – run – sc config intelppm start= disabled – enter..
Wow, that fixed it. Now sp3 downloaded, installed, and system booted correctly. I really like this solution because it doesn’t require any fiddling with things, or deleting anything…..Thanks to Ben Armstrong on Virtual PC guy’s Weblog. He actually posted this solution in October 2005 (before my computer was even built)…..
Windows Update offered it, I accepted. HUGE mistake. PC wouldn’t reboot (pretty vanilla system too!), wouldn’t restore to prior known good config. Got it to boot in safe mode and am in the process of a system restore to a prior savepoint and it seems to be booting now (but terribly slow). I’m a Techie for a living – I can’t imagine what the average user is going to do when/if this happens. Stay away for a week or 2.
I’m having the exact same problem that Jim had. Wouldn’t boot, wouldn’t go back to last know good…Am in Safe Mode now trying a system restore.
I installed Service pack 3 this evening and my system will not reboot and will not go back to last known good. I am now trying to recover my system. Don’t download this!!!!
The same here :(
Service Pack 3 from Microsoft = LOOP
To: Bill
Can you tell me how did you fixed this? I went to the forum you mentioned but I couldn’t find anything there…
Bill wrote this:
Well, Well, Well. What a simple fix when you know what it is…
start – run – sc config intelppm start= disabled – enter..
Wow, that fixed it. Now sp3 downloaded, installed, and system booted correctly. I really like this solution because it doesn’t require any fiddling with things, or deleting anything…..Thanks to Ben Armstrong on Virtual PC guy’s Weblog. He actually posted this solution in October 2005 (before my computer was even built)…..
Seven upgrades so far and all went perfectly; six more to go and I’m done.
All my family’s computers use AMD’s xp 3200+ cpu and all have been perfect. I have every confidence in the remaining installations being event free. I’ve used the installation CD, downloaded .exe file and online via Microsoft update.
I built all the computers; no idea if that means anything.
Same issues as ‘Twincam’. Wireless encryption no longer works. WPA or WPA2 not working. No encryption works fine. HP nx9420 laptop with Intel ProWireless. Thinking of rolling back to SP2.
I downloaded service Pack 3 aon my XPS machine and my system would not reboot in normal mode. After 24 hours it was still sitting there with that xp boot screen.
I finally did a system restore to a time before the install of service pack 3 and it boots jsut fine now. so much for MS updates again. DELL and MS should team together to sell soething you need to continue to pay them for over a period of 20 years to get it right. Some business plan.
Bill – Thank You!
Your fix for SP3 worked with simplicity. I’m not the techno geek, but that was as easy a fix as I’ve ever seen.
start – run – sc config intelppm start= disabled – enter..
This fixed the SP3 upgrade problem and my system rebooted immediately after restart. Thanks!
I’ve upgraded a lot of PCs but have had issues with WPA on some laptops. In my case WEP worked okay but WPA would make an initial connection and then drop it. This was with an internal Atheros based Wifi card in a Packard Bell laptop of a friend of mine. On my own laptop I’ve seen some odd behaviour where it would not pick up an IP address and kept trying continuously but that seems to have resolved itself. Overall no major problems except with certain wireless laptops and WPA encryption.
My WiFi secure connection issues were resolved by updating my WRT54G router’s firmware (from one 3rd Party’s to another – http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato/).
When I tried to connect to my sister’s NetGear DG834G router I could not. This was resolved by simply enabling “WPA and WPA2″ within the standard router UI (using firmware V5.01.01). In BOTH cases I am using WPA2-PSK security.
My (Acer) Laptop uses a “INPROCOMM IPN2220 Wireless LAN Card”.
Installing SP3 on my Toshiba notebook broke “automatic” connection to my WPA wifi nework, which is provided by a Linksys WRT54G ver 1.1 router. Curiously, “on demand” connection worked fine.
Suggestions received from technical support at Microsoft were entertaining but useless.
Telling the Linksys router to do WPA2 instead of WPA has made “automatic” wifi connection work again, at least in first tests.
To continue my previous post: Switching router and XP SP3 notebook to WPA2 from WPA turned out not quite enough to restore _reliable_ automatic wifi connection on booting. But then, unchecking all installed wireless connection protocols except Internet protocol (TCP/IP) solved the problem. I have not tried pinning down which of the other installed protocols is unhappy with SP3, but informed Microsoft support.
About XP SP3 and WiFI: It was a real nightmare… I resolved on HP notebook just updating the wireless board drivers. now wpa/wpa2 works fine. on my desktop PC (WiFi interface is a USR PCI board using a Broadcom BCA 4318, no update drivers availabe) I use the wireless utility supplied with the board. so I have wpa2. if you use ” wireless zero configuration” manager, only wpa and wep works.
Mine is a Compaq Presario SR1520NX./ AMD Sempron.
I installed Svc Pack 3 this morning and got the reboot loop. A few other message boards seem to link this problem to a compatibility issue with AMD processors.
I started up in safe mode, performed a system restore, and it’s up and running.
One problem with SP3 that a number of people have run into is that wireless internet connections stop working properly. I don’t know why, but I’ve discovered through trial and error that it is only a problem with WEP-secured networks. Unsecured or WPA secured networks continue to work fine. Try reconfiguring your security until a fix is disseminated.
My experience with SP3 is that it is significantly less stable. I have a fair number of installed tools, such as wireshark. But I found that sp3 had a number of problems. Mostly network related:
* Blue screens (I haven’t had a blue screen on sp2 in over two years)
* Network device failure. My wireless nic (built into my T43) would fail periodically requiring a restart to resolve. Unlike the previous poster, my problems occurred on an open network (not wpa or wep encrypted).
* Windows mobile sync: the sync would fail periodically.
I’m not saying everyone will have these problems. I am saying that I had these problems.
Documenting what I am doing just in case:
Start computer; as I release the start button, hit F8 repeatedly to get to Windows Advanced Options Menu. Scroll to Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Enter. Tries to boot up, but goes into the loop. Will not boot up in any mode. Any ideas?
SP3 renders ipods useless