Can this Micrsoft Download be used for SP3 repairs?

[Ren]

Recent computer failure has cause my C:/ Drive to become corrupted and during
a chkdsk it had deleted some MS files related to login (I have come to this
conclusion based on the fact that after the window screen loads and the user
accounts should pop up a simple blue screen saying fatal error occurs).

I wish to download a SP3 iso file which can be used to repair my Windows XP
Pro SP3 corrupted OS. Can the following link be used?

"http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...e22559d164e&DisplayLang=en#QuickInfoContainer"

I have googled a bit and found my self at sites like piratebay and such
saying that their files are also the 'genuine' thing (However some were nice
enough to say that the the following files were not as great as the original
thing).

If that file is not useable, could anyone direct me in creating one? Or an
ISO that has already been compiled?

Many thanks,

Ren.

 

[Daave]

Recent computer failure has cause my C:/ Drive to become corrupted and
during
a chkdsk it had deleted some MS files related to login (I have come to
this
conclusion based on the fact that after the window screen loads and
the user
accounts should pop up a simple blue screen saying fatal error
occurs).

I wish to download a SP3 iso file which can be used to repair my
Windows XP
Pro SP3 corrupted OS. Can the following link be used?

"http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...e22559d164e&DisplayLang=en#QuickInfoContainer"

I have googled a bit and found my self at sites like piratebay and
such
saying that their files are also the 'genuine' thing (However some
were nice
enough to say that the the following files were not as great as the
original
thing).

If that file is not useable, could anyone direct me in creating one?
Or an
ISO that has already been compiled?

I am going to try my best to disentangle a number of concepts.

First of all, what you downloaded is merely an image file which can be
used to make a CD which can be used to upgrade your current installation
(assuming it is SP1 or later) to SP3. So, once you create the CD from
that .iso file, you can only use it to upgrade your Service Pack level.
You *cannot* use it to install (clean install or repair install)
Windows. You need a Windows XP *installation* (also called Setup) CD to
install Windows XP. The particular SP3 CD you are talking about, again,
is only to be used to install SP3.

If you are looking instead to download a Windows XP installation CD .iso
file (and yes, some of these *contain* SP3), they are certainly out
there. But excluding the ones for official developers, there are no
authorized downloads available, so you need to understand it's not the
safest activity to undertake! I wouldn't recommend it; there's always
the chance that your download would also come with some unwelcome
visitors (i.e., malware).

I am aware that many PC users don't own a proper XP installation CD, but
do you have one? If you do and you want to create another one from that
that will also incorporate SP3, you need to use a method called
slipstreaming. Here's one guide:

http://www.howtohaven.com/system/slipstream-xp-service-pack-3.shtml

As far as the SP3 file is concerned, rather than download the .iso file,
just download the executable:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en

The file name is WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe.

When you download it, save it to the top level of your C: drive and name
it XPSP3.exe.

Once you have this new CD, you may use it to perform clean or repair
installs without worrying about mismatches vis-a-vis Service Pack level.

 

[Ren]

Ok i shall do the slipstream one ! Thanks for the link to the guide ^_^.
(As i do have my own XP disc).

 

[Daave]

Glad to help. Good luck.

Ok i shall do the slipstream one ! Thanks for the link to the guide
^_^. (As i do have my own XP disc).

 

[Anna]

I am going to try my best to disentangle a number of concepts.

First of all, what you downloaded is merely an image file which can be
used to make a CD which can be used to upgrade your current installation
(assuming it is SP1 or later) to SP3. So, once you create the CD from that
.iso file, you can only use it to upgrade your Service Pack level. You
*cannot* use it to install (clean install or repair install) Windows. You
need a Windows XP *installation* (also called Setup) CD to install Windows
XP. The particular SP3 CD you are talking about, again, is only to be used
to install SP3.

If you are looking instead to download a Windows XP installation CD .iso
file (and yes, some of these *contain* SP3), they are certainly out there.
But excluding the ones for official developers, there are no authorized
downloads available, so you need to understand it's not the safest
activity to undertake! I wouldn't recommend it; there's always the chance
that your download would also come with some unwelcome visitors (i.e.,
malware).

I am aware that many PC users don't own a proper XP installation CD, but
do you have one? If you do and you want to create another one from that
that will also incorporate SP3, you need to use a method called
slipstreaming. Here's one guide:

http://www.howtohaven.com/system/slipstream-xp-service-pack-3.shtml

As far as the SP3 file is concerned, rather than download the .iso file,
just download the executable:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en

The file name is WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe.

When you download it, save it to the top level of your C: drive and name
it XPSP3.exe.

Once you have this new CD, you may use it to perform clean or repair
installs without worrying about mismatches vis-a-vis Service Pack level.

Ok i shall do the slipstream one ! Thanks for the link to the guide ^_^.
(As i do have my own XP disc).

Ren:
You've gotten good info from Daave re SP3 and the slipstreaming process to
incorporate that Service Pack with an XP OS installation CD.

There are various methods & programs designed to simplify the slipstreaming
process. The program we particularly like is the (freely available)
Autostreamer program. Here are some links to this program...
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/System-Tweak/Autostreamer.shtml

Step-by-step instructions for using AutoStreamer can be found at...
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/slipstream.htm
and,
http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/using_autostreamer/using_autostreamer.shtml

The program is quite simple to use and is most effective.

But the *real* reason for my post is that I would recommend a different
strategy from what you presently contemplate.

I would recommend that you carry out the Repair process you have in mind
with your *present* XP OS installation CD. The fact that that CD does not
contain SP3 is really not material. It is unnecessary, and possibly even
counter-productive, to undertake the Repair install with an XP installation
CD that includes SP3 since your present installed OS does not contain that
SP.

Your first order of business is to undertake a successful Repair install
with your *present* XP OS installation CD. (I'm assuming along with Daave
that your present CD contains SP1 and/or SP1a and/or possibly SP2). If your
present installation CD does *not* contain SP2, I would recommend that
following a successful Repair install of the OS (using your present XP OS
installation CD), you *first* install SP2 and work with the system for a
while to determine all is well. That being the case, then download/install
SP3 onto your system. Following that you can create an XP OS installation CD
incorporating SP3 at *that* point.

You can download the SP2 from...
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en
Anna