{"id":3099,"date":"2008-10-29T08:02:58","date_gmt":"2008-10-29T13:02:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pcmatic.com\/blog\/?p=3099"},"modified":"2008-10-29T08:02:58","modified_gmt":"2008-10-29T13:02:58","slug":"happy-anniversary-xp-sp3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pcmatic.com\/blog\/happy-anniversary-xp-sp3\/","title":{"rendered":"Happy Anniversary XP SP3"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"cruise<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been a full 6 months since the release of Windows XP SP3. The unsuspecting public downloaded it faster than Tom Cruise jumps on Oprah’s couch. It wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t long before 25% of us found we had grabbed a ticking time bomb. Endless reboots, blue screens, data loss and reinstalls were the wails coming from every help forum on the World Wide Web. In some cases Joe The Plumber didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even know the grenade was coming. It was tossed in the middle of the night by Microsoft\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Automatic Update service. You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to imagine the problems this created because you lived it.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to today and a rational person would assume the problems are fixed by now. Surely Microsoft has defused this mess without requiring users to search the web for system specific patches and home grown remedies, but such is NOT the case. While Microsoft may prevent your AMD system from downloading the update, the service pack will still cause the same problems if installed manually.<\/p>\n

Not much has changed!<\/p>\n

If you download and install SP 3 on your HP AMD machine without visiting HP for the patch<\/a>, you will experience all the problems that existed in May of 2008.<\/p>\n

Another problem specific to AMD boards plagued the Asus A8N 32 SLI motherboard. If you download and install SP3 on your Asus A8N 32 SLI motherboard you will experience the same problems that existed in May of 2008. Absolutely nothing has taken place to address this problem. Asus has ignored the situation completely. You can try manipulating some sort of USB device but the results are varied and not really a fix. Thanks for nothing Asus.<\/p>\n

If you have both of the above, you will have both problems as they are separate problems.<\/p>\n

If you download and install SP3 and have one of the many wireless cards that were experiencing problems in May, you will have the same problems now. You must visit the appropriate site and check for updates to the drivers or a patch specific to the problem. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a good idea to check with your hardware site and ask if the drivers address the SP3 problems. I wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just assume that new drivers address the SP3 problem.<\/p>\n

Many people have asked recently if we recommend the installation of SP3. I’m sad to say we cannot give a blanket recommendation to install Windows XP SP3. What we can do is offer the following to everyone who has not installed this update. Following the steps below should help prevent any explosions. Keep in mind that people are still having problems with this service pack.<\/p>\n


\nBefore Installing SP3<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Identify your system:<\/strong>\tcreate an account and run PC Pitstop OverDrive<\/a> to identify your motherboard and processor. If you have an HP AMD machine or you are using an Asus motherboard, you will then be aware of the situation and be able to apply available patches.<\/p>\n

2. Ready your system:<\/strong>\tcorrect any problems found by OverDrive before installing SP3. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s best to apply to a clean and properly configured machine.<\/p>\n

3. Identify any antimalware programs:<\/strong>\tturn off, or better yet, remove any and all antimalware software that is on your system. This includes but is not limited to Norton, McAfee, TrendMicro, or any other preventative or detection packages. You should see these listed in the OverDrive Results \/Software\/Installed Software<\/p>\n

4. Apply the correct patches:<\/strong>\tif you have an AMD HP machine be sure to apply the patch before going to the Microsoft download site. Be aware that your antivirus or antimalware program may also require a patch.<\/p>\n

5. Update your drivers:<\/strong> to avoid problems from your wireless card or any other hardware. I suggest using our DriverAlert Scan<\/a>. Once identified you can either use the program to download the driver or find and install the latest driver manually. Even our free scan identifies hardware with updated drivers available.<\/p>\n

After following the instructions above you can use the links below for further reference.<\/p>\n