Have SP2 Installed - do I need SP3?
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From: Jackpine on 30 Jan 2010 16:26 My computer has Windows XP Home SP2 installed. I have installed the majority of updates issued over the last few years (all security and most software/hardware), but I have not installed SP3. Is it advisable to install SP3? If I choose to do so, will I be able to select items I don't want installed from it?
From: Shenan Stanley on 30 Jan 2010 16:56 Jackpine wrote: > My computer has Windows XP Home SP2 installed. I have installed > the majority of updates issued over the last few years (all > security and most software/hardware), but I have not installed SP3. > Is it advisable to install SP3? If I choose to do so, will I be > able to select items I don't want installed from it? Windows XP Service Pack 3 is a composite of updates released previously. Nearly all of them released before SP3 was released are included. You may think you are up to date - but considering only between 100 and 200 were released to the public between SP2 and SP3 and SP3 contains over 1000 updates - it's doubtful you have all of them. It also contains SP1a and SP2. Can you pick/choose? No. Do you need to - unlikely. If you do - it is because you have chosen to keep some software (maybe hardware - but less likely) that the manufacturer of decided not to update properly. I'd update that software. Your system is no longer supported and there will be (if there hasn't already been) updates released for Windows XP you will not be able to install and that will likely leave you vulnerable. If you get SP3 - you will be able to get updates through April 2014. Having said that - truth is that if you want to stay with Windows XP RTM, SP1, SP1a, SP2 or SP3 until the day your computer no longer runs and electricity no longer exists - that is up to you. You could probably do that - but what you could do 'like everyone else' will start to fade... pretty quickly actually. ;-) If you think you might have trouble installing SP3 - why is that? What are you afraid of? What have you been told or what have you read that keeps you from doing it? The number of machines I have installed SP3 for Windows XP onto over the years is a very high number (1000s, 10's of 1000s even), the number I have had issues with - I can count on one hand (I only have five fingers on either hand.) I suggest you do it. Install SP3 for Windows XP. But - carefully follow these instreuctions I am about to give you to do so. Make sure your backups are current. Lightning does strike in one place twice, computers are prone to mistakes, even more so when used by people. Backups are not required, not having them is unwise at best. An image of your computers hard drive before you start is even better. Fix your file/registry permissions... Ignore the title and follow the sub-section under "Advanced Troubleshooting" titled, "Method 1: Reset the registry and the file permissions" http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949377 *will take time ** Ignore the last step - you'll install SP3 shortly, but not now. Reboot and ... Download/install this: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301 After installing, do the following: Start button --> RUN --> type in: "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Installer Clean Up\msizap.exe" g! --> Click OK. (The quotation marks and percentage signs and spacing should be exact.) Download, install, run, update and perform a full scan (separately) with the following two applications (freeware versions are the ones to use for this): SuperAntiSpyware http://www.superantispyware.com/ MalwareBytes http://www.malwarebytes.com/ After performing a full scan with one and then the other and removing whatever they both find completely, you may uninstall these products, if you wish. You may be rebooting if they find something they cannot get rid of otherwise. Download and run the MSRT manually: http://www.microsoft.com/security/malwareremove/default.mspx Reboot. Download/Install the latest Windows Installer (for your OS): ( Windows XP 32-bit : WindowsXP-KB942288-v3-x86.exe ) http://www.microsoft.com/downloadS/details.aspx?familyid=5A58B56F-60B6-4412-95B9-54D056D6F9F4&displaylang=en Reboot. and... Download the latest version of the Windows Update agent from here (x86): http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=91237 .... and save it to the root of your C:\ drive. After saving it to the root of the C:\ drive, do the following: Close all Internet Explorer windows and other applications. Start button --> RUN and type in: %SystemDrive%\windowsupdateagent30-x86.exe /WUFORCE --> Click OK. (If asked, select "Run.) --> Click on NEXT --> Select "I agree" and click on NEXT --> When it finishes installing, click on "Finish"... Reboot. Then follow the instructions here: How do I reset Windows Update components? http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971058 Reboot. Now for SP3... 1) Download the full SP3 installation file. Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers (works just as well for you.) http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=5B33B5A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4 You are just saving it right now - not running it yet. 2) Ensure (as well as plausible) you have no spyware/malware by doing a full scan with SuperAntiSpyware and MalwareBytes. If you are following along, you have already done this! 3) CHKDSK How to scan your disks for errors http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265 * will take time and a reboot 4) Defragment How to Defragment your hard drives http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848 * will take time 5) Ensure your hardware drivers are up to date (from the hardware manufacturer's respective web pages.) Never get hardware drivers for hardware that was not created/sold by Microsoft from Microsoft. 6) Reboot right before you try to install SP3. 7) Disconnect from the internet before installing (physically disconnect - pull the network cable or disable the router/modem.) 8) Uninstall any and all third-party firewall applications (ZoneAlarm, etc) and utilize the built-in Windows Firewall only. 9) Disable your antivirus and antispyware applications when you are about to install SP3. Usually right-click on the icon in the taskbar gives you a choice to do so. Install SP3 by running the downloaded executable. Reboot when requested to do so. Logon and let the machine 'settle' for about 10 minutes. Reboot. Give it 5 minutes after logon to 'settle' - reboot. After that - there will be more updates. Log on as an user with administrative rights and open Internet Explorer and visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and select to do a CUSTOM scan... Every time you are about to click on something while at these web pages - first press and hold down the CTRL key while you click on it. You can release the CTRL key after clicking each time. Once the scan is done, select just _ONE_ of the high priority updates (deselect any others) and install it. Reboot again. If it did work - try the web page again - selecting no more than 3-5 at a time. Rebooting as needed. The Optional Software updates are generally safe - although I recommend against the "Windows Search" one and any of the "Office Live" ones or "Windows Live" ones for now. I would completely avoid the Optional Hardware updates. Also - I do not see any urgent need to install Internet Explorer 8 at this time. Seriously - do all that. This is like antibiotics - don't skip a single step, don't quit because you think things will be okay now - go through until the end, until you have done everything given in the order given. If you have a problem with a step come ask and let someone here get you through that step. If you don't understand how to do a step, come back and ask here about that step and let someone walk you through it. Then - when done - let everyone here know if it worked for you - or if you have more issues. -- Shenan Stanley MS-MVP -- How To Ask Questions The Smart Way http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
From: Jerry on 30 Jan 2010 16:58 Yes - it's advisable. (Should have been done when it came out) No - you cannot select to install only parts - it comes as one big update. "Jackpine" <Jackpine(a)discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:B9D026B0-850D-4BC1-8169-F4B6D90EEEF2(a)microsoft.com... > My computer has Windows XP Home SP2 installed. I have installed the > majority > of updates issued over the last few years (all security and most > software/hardware), but I have not installed SP3. Is it advisable to > install > SP3? If I choose to do so, will I be able to select items I don't want > installed from it?
From: Ken Blake, MVP on 31 Jan 2010 14:17 On Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:26:01 -0800, Jackpine <Jackpine(a)discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > My computer has Windows XP Home SP2 installed. I have installed the majority > of updates issued over the last few years (all security and most > software/hardware), but I have not installed SP3. Is it advisable to install > SP3? Absolutely. You should have done it long ago. > If I choose to do so, will I be able to select items I don't want > installed from it? No. What do you not want installed? Why? -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003 Please Reply to the Newsgroup
From: Jackpine on 31 Jan 2010 22:30
I will follow the instructions provided above and install SP3. It is late now so I will do this later and report back. Thanks for the advice and instructions. "Ken Blake, MVP" wrote: > On Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:26:01 -0800, Jackpine > <Jackpine(a)discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > > > My computer has Windows XP Home SP2 installed. I have installed the majority > > of updates issued over the last few years (all security and most > > software/hardware), but I have not installed SP3. Is it advisable to install > > SP3? > > > Absolutely. You should have done it long ago. > > > > If I choose to do so, will I be able to select items I don't want > > installed from it? > > > > No. What do you not want installed? Why? > > -- > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003 > Please Reply to the Newsgroup > . > |