Windows XP Service Pack 3 Issues
Microsoft published a release notes page together with the download of Windows XP Service Pack 3.
The first part of the release notes lists the new and previously available functionality in the Service Pack. The second part however is more interesting in my opinion, it lists several issues that users may experience when they install the third service pack of Windows XP on their PC.
Six issues are listed on the Microsoft website that reveal the following issues:
- Out of disk space message when trying to install the service pack 3 on Apple computers
- Sslipstreaming the service pack with Windows XP Home Edition N and Windows XP Professional N
- Remote Access Server Quarantine Enforcement Client (RASQEC)
- Ffont families Cambria and some versions of Arial not printing correctly
- For testing purposes only. Build 2600.xp_sp2_gdr message because of an existing pre-release version of Remote Desktop Client 6.1
- Issue with Windows XP Media Center Edition 2002.
The issues seem to affect only a small part of the Windows XP user base except maybe for the issue with the installation on Apple computers.
Update: Microsoft seems to have modified the release notes for Windows XP Service Pack 3 in the meantime. The issues described here are different from the ones I listed in the article.
- Internet Explorer 7 or 8 cannot be uninstalled if they are on the system before the service pack gets installed on it. To avoid this, uninstall IE7 or IE8 before you install the service pack.
- Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System users should install the hotfix first before they install the service pack.
- A Multilingual User Interface Pack update has been released that may need to be installed to avoid having English interface text appear on non-English versions of the system.
- The Remote Desktop Connection issue is still listed.
- A hotfix for scripting related issues was released that users of the Visual Basic Scripting Edition need to install.
- Users of Windows XP Media Center Edition 2002 should install SP2 of the operating system prior to installing SP3.
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FYI…When doing a fresh install it is best to do a “Custom Update” and installin everythin else before doing a sp3 install. Otherwise you may get false “update available” messages through auto updater. It may also block other updates after being installed in some cases.