XP SP3 still available?

donrc · Joined: Feb 16, 2003 Posts: 825

Anyone know if XP SP3 will still be available after this week? Also, do I really need it?

My present copy of XP is up to date. Will SP3 add anything to that?

Also have the bugs been fixed or will they just forget it?

drc

mommabear · Joined: Feb 20, 2003 Posts: 6298

I'm sure SP3 will be around for awhile. It's not that new and Microsoft just fairly recently took SP2 out of Windows Update. I think you're confusing the Service Pack with the Operating System. Microsoft is stopping the distribution of the XP Operating System CD's. That means computer builders, like Dell, HP, etc won't be making anymore XP OEM computers to sell. But they will continue security updates until 2012 for XP. They just won't be releasing anymore Service Packs to the operating system itself.

clhenry · Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:28 pm Post subject:

what mb said.

Link

goretsky · Last edited by goretsky on Mon Sep 22, 2008 12:29 am; edited 1 time in total

Hello,

You can download SP3 for Microsoft Windows XP from this page on Microsoft's web site. That is for the full version, which is about 314MB in size.

An overview of what has changed in Service Pack 3 can be downloaded from this page on Microsoft's web site.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1342 Location: Central FL, USA

Even if you download the entire 545 meg file, the installer will install only what your computer needs. In my case that wasn't much and it took only six minutes to complete. I saw NO difference in the way XP looks or runs.

For me, it was pretty much a "NON Event"!

So, for those who have asked me personally if they should worry about getting SP3, my response was "Forgetaboutit!".

Your OS will live quite nicely without SP3.

Cheers mates!
The Doctor Cool

NBC just announced this morning that Microsoft has said that they will NO LONGER sell Windows XP.

donrc · Joined: Feb 16, 2003 Posts: 825

Thanks guys (and gal). I may just skip it for now. I read the overview and the new items in it don't seem to apply to me. Also I have and AMD Phenom processor and some AMD people had problems a reboot loop.

Appreciate the info!

drc

goretsky

Hello,

It is important to keep in mind that most of the changes made by a service pack for Microsoft's operating systems are "under the hood," that is, the changes are to the underlying operating system and designed to improve reliability, performance and security. The changes that service packs brought for Microsoft Windows 2000's and Windows Vista's user experiences or lack thereof, is actually the norm for service packs. I think that because Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 brought so many changes to the user experience for Windows XP like the Windows Security Center, Firewall and so forth that people have forgotten that is something Service Packs do not typically provide; Windows XP Service Pack 2 was very much an anomaly in this regard.

The visible changes in Service Pack 3 are few and far in-between. The Windows Security Center and prompting for the product ID key during installation have been updated to behave more like the Windows Vista's and support for new networking techologies such as NAP and WPA2 have been added, but that's about it. The hundreds of other changes brought by the service pack are in the form of updated components to fix security issues and various bugs.

Some people have reported modest (10% or less) speed improvements in Windows XP after installation, however, I have not noticed any change in speed after installation (either faster or slower) on the systems on which I have installed the service pack.

Even if you do not intend to immediatley install it, you may wish to download the service pack and save it for future use.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1342 Location: Central FL, USA

The biggest problem that people have, when installing service packs, is that they don't DO the DO's, before starting the install.

The biggest "DO" of all is to "Shut down all running Programs before starting the install".

Many programs tell you that, right on the screen when you start an install, and very few people pay any attention to the message.

Before installing ANY new software or Service Pack, I always go through the same regimen.

I do a very thorough cleanup on the HD including Windows Disk Cleanup, finishing up with 'Chkdsk' and 'Defrag'.
Then before starting the install, I run "End It All 2", to shut down ALL running programs. (it's a FREE utility that I use and install for every one of my customers)

Finally, with a clean HD and all programs shut down, I start the install.
By doing all this, I've never had to suffer the horrors that some people have had, installing a service pack or new software program.

Doing it the right way, doesn't cost a penny. Doing it the Wrong way, can cost you your HD and everything on it.

Cheers mates!
The Doctor Cool

horry · Joined: Jan 31, 2008 Posts: 14

I installed SP3 complete from MS site and now the "Stand By" is missing from the Shut down dialog box. XP Media version.
Can I retrieve it? h

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1342 Location: Central FL, USA

Why?

Standby, Sleep and Hibernate are all tickets to disaster.
I won't allow any computer of mine to use any of them. EVER!!! Twisted Evil

Don't believe me? Read all the cries for help posted on the internet help forums from people who can no longer get into their PC's after it went off into one of those Black Holes.

Consider yourself lucky!

Doc Cool

drwho07 · Joined: Nov 29, 2007 Posts: 1342 Location: Central FL, USA

While re-reading this topic, I decided to do some research.

I Googled "XP SP3 Download" and got many responses.

I picked this one:
http://www.ghacks.net/2008/05/07/standalone-windows-xp-sp3-download-list/

and selected the "SP3 - ISO" file to download. This file would allow a user to make an SP3 CD. The download is 545 megs.
That's a bit much for a dial up connection, but not too bad for a high speed broadband connection.

When I installed SP3, my PC was pretty much up to date, so SP3 only took ~6 minutes to install. I've seen NO changes of any kind since the install.

Happy Computing!

The Doctor Cool

goretsky

Hello,

It could be that your computer needs to have new power management software installed after the installation of Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3 to re-enable Standby Mode.

Try visiting the computer manufacturer's web site to see if an updated Power Management driver is available for you to download. Installing that may solve the problem.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky