I have AMD - Should I install SP3, or wait?

[Paul Pedersen]

I've heard about horrible problems involving SP3 on some AMD computers. I
cannot afford to have my work computer down, even for a day.

I think I'll wait until this mess gets cleared up.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

The issue only affects some computers that came with
a computer manufacturer's OEM version of Windows XP.
See the following:
http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jes...ed-computer-boot-after-installing-xp-sp3.aspx

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------

:

I've heard about horrible problems involving SP3 on some AMD computers. I
cannot afford to have my work computer down, even for a day.

I think I'll wait until this mess gets cleared up.

 

[Big Al]

I've heard about horrible problems involving SP3 on some AMD computers. I
cannot afford to have my work computer down, even for a day.

I think I'll wait until this mess gets cleared up.

There is a fix as tentative as it may be still, but as SP3 is not
"required", you are probably smart to wait. But I'd take time reading
the messages here, and links on the net about it. You'll have to go to
SP3 some day, even if a year from now, and knowledge is a good thing.
They will not fix SP3 as its a final now. So you'll eventually have to
get a fix someway.

 

[Thee Chicago Wolf]

I've heard about horrible problems involving SP3 on some AMD computers. I

cannot afford to have my work computer down, even for a day.

I think I'll wait until this mess gets cleared up.

Seems to be only affecting AMD systems from HP. Others seem ok. Only
one motherboard has a known issue and it is an ASUS. Beyond that, you
ought to be all right. One of the recommended fixes is to do the
following BEFORE SP3 update:

If you have an AMD-based computer, however, you do not need the
intelppm driver and can disable it. Boot into Safe Mode by hitting the
F8 key as above, but select Safe Mode instead. You will need your
Administrator account to log on in safe mode. To disable the driver,
take the following steps:

If you booted into the recovery console, from a command prompt, run
"disable intelppm"

If you booted into safe mode you can run "sc config intelppm start=
disabled"

If you booted into WinPE, you have to manually edit the registry. Do
this:

1. Run regedit
2. Click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
3. From the File menu, select "Load hive"
4. Navigate to %systemdriver%\Windows\System32\Config on the dead
system and select the file name System
5. Name it something you can remember, such as "horked"
6. Navigate to horked\ControlSet001\Services\IntelPPM
7. Double click the Start value and set it to 4
8. If you did what I did and completely destroyed things by running a
disk check, navigate to ControlSet001\Control\SessionManager. Open the
BootExecute value and clear out the autochk entries
9. Repeat steps 6-8 for the other control sets.
10. Reboot

Taken from the following blog:
http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jes...ed-computer-boot-after-installing-xp-sp3.aspx

- Thee Chicago Wolf

 

[Paul Pedersen]

That article also mentions a second problem, which appears to affect only
custom-built machines with AMD processors. Yup, that's mine.

It also says it appears to happen only with ASUS boards. I'll have to add
"so far" to that statement. Mine is not ASUS, but I think I'll sit this one
out anyway.

MS may well release "SP3a" soon. Didn't they do that before, with SP1?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Just yesterday, I installed SP3 on a AMD computer
running Windows XP and had no issues whatsoever.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Desktop Experience -
Windows Vista Enthusiast

---------------------------------------------------------------

I've heard about horrible problems involving SP3 on some AMD computers. I
cannot afford to have my work computer down, even for a day.

I think I'll wait until this mess gets cleared up.

There is a fix as tentative as it may be still, but as SP3 is not
"required", you are probably smart to wait. But I'd take time reading
the messages here, and links on the net about it. You'll have to go to
SP3 some day, even if a year from now, and knowledge is a good thing.
They will not fix SP3 as its a final now. So you'll eventually have to
get a fix someway.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

It is not a widespread problem. See Carey's reply. I have had no issues
with my AMD64 Athlon x2 4400+ system or my wifes's AMD64 system.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

I have an ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe mobo with an AMD64 cpu that did not have any
issues with SP3 so the issue is not too general.

 

[R. McCarty]

As I understand the issue, it's due to improperly applying a Factory
image based on an Intel chipset to an AMD system. There is a Intel
driver that loads that causes the boot sequence to loop. So it's not
really an AMD problem but OEM's deploying images incorrectly.

 

[Tom [Pepper] Willett]

SP1a was the same as SP1, except the Microsoft JVM was removed.

: out anyway.
:
: MS may well release "SP3a" soon. Didn't they do that before, with SP1?
:
:
:
:

 

[Paul Pedersen]

Thanks for the data point. Yet the stakes are high. I can't afford to spend
a day or even more fixing my computer.

"It will probably work" sounds risky.

 

[Paul Pedersen]

According to that article, there are TWO separate issues. That is one of
them.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

Thanks for the data point. Yet the stakes are high. I can't afford to
spend a day or even more fixing my computer.

"It will probably work" sounds risky.

If you cannot afford downtime, and you have no pressing requirement for the
update, don't run the update. There should be a blocking tool to prevent
it from sneaking in.

If you've got a spare empty drive similar to your own, you can find out if
there would be probems. Simply clone your existing drive to that one,
remove the original (set it aside) and install the clone, and run the
update. If it craters, you have lost nothing but an hour or so, and your
work data and apps are unaffected.

There are a number of free or trial cloning utilities available, such as
the 14-day Acronis TrueImage Home trial.

HTH
-pk

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

SP1a was the same as SP1, except the Microsoft JVM was removed.

Yes, because of a legal requirement to do so.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Yeah, the consent agreement with Sun.

Yes, because of a legal requirement to do so.

 

[oscar]

Carey,

Thanks so much for this link. Even though I have an Intel processor, I read
the first section of this blog and it stopped me from taking "drastic action."

The problem:

Yesterday, I decided to reload the XP OS on my HP laptop which is about 3
years old. I took this action because I wanted to "start fresh." Everything
was running OK after I reloaded the XP (using HP's XP disc) until I
downloaded SP3. The problem was that the HP wouldn't shut down properly. It
hung up and I had to shut it down using the power switch. The problem of not
shutting down properly happened only twice. I was about to do something
drastic like reload the XP system again and stay away from SP 3 but I took a
deep breath and used the HP for a few hours this afternoon, shut it down for
an hour, and then rebooted it and used it some more. So far, no problems.
The HP laptop is working like a champ.

Here's a question: Is it unusual for an XP computer to act flakey for little
while after downloading SP3 or did I do something stupid while downloading it
that could make it not shut own properly after downloading SP3?

Anyways, thanks for the link.

oscar

 

[Bigdawg]

been running SP3 on a E6600 (changed to E8500 in Apr) and AMD 64 3.7 (skt
754) since RC1. loaded SP3 on a AMD XP 3200 in a Asus board after reading
this. worked just fine. XP home with all up dates. AMD XP 3200 Asus
A7N8X Deluxe 1 gb RAM 3 HD's (1 ATA & 2 SATA) 2 DVDR BFG 6800 in a
Thermaltake case with an Antec 500. totally custom built 4 + years.

 

[db.·.. >]

wait and
wait for sp4

 

[Nonny]

I've heard about horrible problems involving SP3 on some AMD computers. I
cannot afford to have my work computer down, even for a day.

It sounds as if you don't have a backup plan in effect.

I think that would be more important than worrying about SP3.

 

[Nonny]

Just yesterday, I installed SP3 on a AMD computer
running Windows XP and had no issues whatsoever.

It's running quite nicely on my Sempron.