XP Service Pack 3

[willowman]

Windows Update is telling me I need to download Service Pack 3.
I remember Service Pack 2 caused so many problems for so many people, so is it safe to download SP3?

[deggers316]

iv'e never bothered to load sp3 and my comp using xp pro runs as smooth as silk ,along with all the free security progs available,

[ChuckFickens]

I've installed service pack 3 on well over 200 computers and it has not caused a problem on any of them.

You should install it, service packs contain some critical security updates.

[Sputnik]

Agreed.

Hopefully you are on broadband, but even so it does take a while for SP3 to download & install (circa 25-40 mins) so be patient after you click the little yellow shield.

[VHG]

To be honest SP3 is just a roll up of all the fixes that Microsoft knew about at the time (it is quite an old service pack) .

It added few new fixes, and almost no new function.

HOWEVER, many fixes that have come out since require you to have SP3 already on.

There was a particularly nasty fix for IE that came out a number of weeks ago that may well not get installed if you have not got SP3 on.

And remember that many hackers study the fixes that Microsoft create for Windows, finding out where the "holes" are in Windows so they can exploit them (because they know that some people dont bother to put the fixes on).

SO YOU SHOULD INSTALL SP3, THEN INSTALL THE FIXES THAT GO ON TOP OF IT.

[VHG]

>There was a particularly nasty fix for IE

Did not type this correctly, It is not the FIX that is nasty.

There is a nasty PROBLEM with IE that was fixed by Microsoft a few months ago.

[willowman]

Oh dear.
Happened to be in local computer shop yesterday, mentioned this to the owner, and he said "DO NOT DOWNLOAD SP3"
He had had loads of PCs brought into him for sorting out after the owners had downloaded SP, and their PCs were bu****red.
He is a firm believer in disabling Windows security, using Firefox and backing it up with good free security ie AVG, Spybot, Adware and Zonealarm.
He believes SP3 allows M/soft to delve too deeply into your PC, one of the things it does is too find out if your version of Windows is legal or not! (Not a problem for me, of course).
So at the moment, am going along with deggers, and waiting to see what happens.
Chuck, did you download from internet or from a disc?

[VHG]

I should imagine that hundreds of millions of people all over the world have download SP3 without a problem.

If it was that bad MS would remove it from their web site and fix the problems.

I think he was just scare mongering.

I think you are likely to get MORE problems by NOT downloading it than if you do.

The main thing to remember is once the install starts just leave the PC alone and let it get on with it.

When the install has finished and you need to reboot, allow the PC to "settle down" for 10 minutes after reboot (it continues installing fixes AFTER you reboot as it cant put them all on BEFORE a reboot).

I have installed a number of times on different PCs without a problem.

[willowman]

Thanks VHG for a logical answer.
I understand about letting the PC sort itself out, probably a lot of problems may be caused by impatience. My f-in-law mucks up his PC many times because he just can't wait for it to do things in it's own time.
Not sure about your comment re M/soft removing things from a website. History seems to suggest that M/soft aren't too bothered about the customer as they have the market stitched up (virtually). They have been known to rush out programmes with bugs in - but that discussion is for another time and place.