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From: PA Bear [MS MVP] on 31 Jul 2010 10:10
> I don't know the answer to either of these, I bought it used.

See...

Cleaning a Compromised System
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc700813.aspx

Yes, it's a compromised system. Back-up any personal data (none of which
should be considered 100% trustworthy at this point) then format the HDD &
do a clean install of Windows. Please note that a Repair Install (AKA
in-place upgrade) will NOT fix this!

HOW TO do a clean install of WinXP: See
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html#steps and/or Method 1 in
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/978307

After the clean install, you will have the equivalent of a "new computer" so
take care of everything on the following page before otherwise connecting
the machine to the internet or a local network (i.e., other computers) and
before connecting a flash drive, SDCard, or any other external drive to the
computer:

4 steps to help protect your new computer before you go online
http://www.microsoft.com/security/pypc.aspx

Other helpful references include:

HOW TO get a computer running WinXP Gold (no Service Packs) fully patched
(after a clean install)
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsupdate/msg/3f5afa8ed33e121c

HOW TO get a computer running WinXP SP1(a) or SP2 fully patched (after a
clean install)
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.windowsxp.general/msg/a066ae41add7dd2b

Tip: After getting the computer fully-patched, download/install KB971029
manually before connecting any external drive to the computer:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/971029

NB: Any Norton or McAfee free-trial that came preinstalled on the computer
when you bought it will be reinstalled (but invalid) when Windows is
reinstalled. You MUST uninstall the free-trial AND download/run the
appropriate removal tool BEFORE installing any updates, Windows Service
Packs or IE upgrades AND BEFORE installing your new anti-virus application
(which will require WinXP SP3 to be installed).

Norton Removal Tool
ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/removal_tools/Norton_Removal_Tool.exe

McAfee Consumer Products Removal Tool
http://download.mcafee.com/products/licensed/cust_support_patches/MCPR.exe

Also see:

Risks & Benefits of P2P file sharing
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/data/downloadfileshare/filesharing.aspx
http://blogs.technet.com/mmpc/archive/2008/10/06/the-cost-of-free-software.aspx

Steps To Help Prevent Spyware
http://www.microsoft.com/security/spyware/prevent.aspx

Steps to Help Prevent Computer Worms
http://www.microsoft.com/security/worms/prevent.aspx

Avoid Rogue Security Software!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/antivirus/rogue.aspx

If you need additional assistance, please begin a new thread in this forum:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/xprepair/threads

If these procedures look too complex - and there is no shame in admitting
this isn't your cup of tea - take the machine to a local, reputable and
independent (i.e., not BigBoxStoreUSA or Geek Squad) computer repair shop.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002


mscir wrote:
> PA Bear [MS MVP] wrote:
>>
>> What problems are you having that you think uninstalling/reinstalling
>> SP3 might resolve?
>
> The machine takes a lot longer to boot. I want to install SP3 so I can
> then uninstall it, so it will boot faster, as it used to before the SP3
> install.
>
>> What happens when you try to uninstall SP3 via Add/Remove Programs?
>
> When I click on Windows XP Service Pack 3 in the Control Panel > Add or
> Remove Programs there is no "Remove" button.
>
>> What anti-virus application or security suite is installed and is your
>> subscription current? What anti-spyware applications (other than
>> Defender)? What third-party firewall (if any)?
>
> I have a working Symantec Anti-Virus program. I have Malwarebytes
> Antimalware, CCleaner, and Super-Antispyware, but none of them are
> running in real time, and none of htem are loaded at bootup. They only
> run when I manually run them to do a scan periodically. I use the
> Windows Firewall.
>
>> Has a(nother) Norton or McAfee application ever been installed on the
>> computer?
>> Did a Norton or McAfee free-trial come preinstalled on the computer when
>> you bought it? (Doesn't matter if you never used or Activated it.)
>
> I don't know the answer to either of these, I bought it used.
>
> Thanks,
> Mike
>
>> Mike S wrote:
>>> Is there any way I can re-install SP3, even though it's already
>>> installed? I am unable to remove it using the control panel, appwiz.cpl,
>>> or c:\windows\$NtServicePackUninstall$\spuninst\spuninst.exe.
>>>
>>> Is there a way I can manually corrupt or remove enough of it, or is
>>> there a registry key I can change, so the installer will not detect that
>>> it is installed and re-install it?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Mike

From: Daave on 31 Jul 2010 12:03
mscir wrote:

> What I want to do is drop back to SP2

That is very unwise.


From: Doum on 31 Jul 2010 12:13
mscir <mscir(a)yahoo.com> �crivait
news:i30pnf$hln$2(a)news.eternal-september.org:

> Jerry wrote:
>> Get a copy of AutoStreamer (Google the name). Use it to slipstream
>> yout original XP CD with the SP3 download which will create an ISO
>> file you use to burn a new XP w/SP3 CD. Boot from this new CD and opt
>> to do a repair install. That may fix your problems and you will still
>> have XP w/SP3 as an operating system.
>>
>> "Mike S" <mscir(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:i2t3os$h6b$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>>> Is there any way I can re-install SP3, even though it's already
>>> installed? I am unable to remove it using the control panel,
>>> appwiz.cpl, or
>>> c:\windows\$NtServicePackUninstall$\spuninst\spuninst.exe.
>>>
>>> Is there a way I can manually corrupt or remove enough of it, or is
>>> there a registry key I can change, so the installer will not detect
>>> that it is installed and re-install it?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Mike
>
> Jerry,
>
> What I want to do is drop back to SP2, if I make a slipstream with SP2
> and do a repair install, will it drop me back to SP2 and overwrite or
> delete the SP3 files, so Windows will not have any conflicts about
> what SP version it has.
>
> Thanks,
> Mike
>

To do a repair install, you need a CD that is at the same SP level than
the installed OS, you have SP3 installed? you need to slipstream SP3 to
your Windows installation CD, assuming it is not a factory restore CD.

Going back to SP2 is not a good idea because M$ is only supporting SP3
now as far as XP is concerned so you won't get security updates.

Since this machine is second hand, you don't really know what has been to
it so the best thing to do is to create a new installation CD with SP3,
and do a clean installation of Windows.

HTH
From: Jerry on 31 Jul 2010 15:09
You really do not want to go back to SP2 - support by Microsoft for SP2 has
already ended. You will be leaving yourself wide open for trouble.

"mscir" <mscir(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:i30pnf$hln$2(a)news.eternal-september.org...
> Jerry wrote:
>> Get a copy of AutoStreamer (Google the name). Use it to slipstream yout
>> original XP CD with the SP3 download which will create an ISO file you
>> use to burn a new XP w/SP3 CD. Boot from this new CD and opt to do a
>> repair install. That may fix your problems and you will still have XP
>> w/SP3 as an operating system.
>>
>> "Mike S" <mscir(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:i2t3os$h6b$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>>> Is there any way I can re-install SP3, even though it's already
>>> installed? I am unable to remove it using the control panel, appwiz.cpl,
>>> or c:\windows\$NtServicePackUninstall$\spuninst\spuninst.exe.
>>>
>>> Is there a way I can manually corrupt or remove enough of it, or is
>>> there a registry key I can change, so the installer will not detect that
>>> it is installed and re-install it?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Mike
>
> Jerry,
>
> What I want to do is drop back to SP2, if I make a slipstream with SP2 and
> do a repair install, will it drop me back to SP2 and overwrite or delete
> the SP3 files, so Windows will not have any conflicts about what SP
> version it has.
>
> Thanks,
> Mike


From: Mike S on 31 Jul 2010 17:29
On 7/31/2010 12:09 PM, Jerry wrote:
> You really do not want to go back to SP2 - support by Microsoft for SP2 has
> already ended. You will be leaving yourself wide open for trouble.
<snip>

A clean install would be good since I did get it used.
Thanks to everyone who posted,
Mike
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