is SP3 really necessary for software that doesn't use the extended RAM?

[Robert Macy]

I've got a system with SP2, but the RAM is too anemic for installing
SP3. I dont really use anywhere near the available RAM now, but camera
software says must have WinXP SP3 for it to work. I'm only do still
shots and don't care about whiz-bang special effects, so is SP3 really
necessary.

And if it is, is there someway to 'fool' the software into thinking
SP3 was installed, but still not use the extra RAM?

 

[philo]

I've got a system with SP2, but the RAM is too anemic for installing
SP3. I dont really use anywhere near the available RAM now, but camera
software says must have WinXP SP3 for it to work. I'm only do still
shots and don't care about whiz-bang special effects, so is SP3 really
necessary.

And if it is, is there someway to 'fool' the software into thinking
SP3 was installed, but still not use the extra RAM?

There is no such thing as "anemic" RAM.

XP_sp3 does not take any more resources than XP_sp2 ...if anything
possibly a bit less.


SP3 should be installable as long as you already have sp1 or sp2 installed.


Go ahead and install sp3, it's a good idea

 

[philo]

What does this "camera software" offer? IME, the software that comes
with cameras rarely offers anything I want, and can be pretty
irritating; YMMV of course, and it will vary with the camera. If it's
just to get the pictures out of the camera, just read the card: if your
PC hasn't got a card reader (if it's a laptop, do look carefully - I've
known people who didn't know they had one!), or it's a different sort,
they're very cheap (I've seen them for SD cards, and I think one other
format, in poundshops!).

Excellent point...
a card reader and the free program IrFanview should do the trick.



<snip>

 

[glee]

I've got a system with SP2, but the RAM is too anemic for installing
SP3. I dont really use anywhere near the available RAM now, but camera
software says must have WinXP SP3 for it to work. I'm only do still
shots and don't care about whiz-bang special effects, so is SP3 really
necessary.

And if it is, is there someway to 'fool' the software into thinking
SP3 was installed, but still not use the extra RAM?

SP3 doesn't "take more RAM" than SP2 ... who told you that nonsense??

 

[glee]

Well, that's not entirely true because SP3 does consume more.

As you download new updated EXE and DLL files then tend to get larger,
not smaller and thus have a larger OS foot print. Additionally a
Service Pack brings updated functionality. Lets take FIPS-140-2
compliancy. Byh m aking WinXP FIPS compliant it causes the OS to use
more RAM because DLLs have increased in size as well as more DLLs are
loaded into memory.

By how much though? I have installed SP3 on systems with 256 and 512 MB
of RAM and see no appreciable change in memory usage at all. I think
this is the same sort of thing as people discussing how much faster
something is because it accesses a nanosecond quicker.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

What does this "camera software" offer? IME, the software that comes
with cameras rarely offers anything I want, and can be pretty
irritating; YMMV of course, and it will vary with the camera. If it's
just to get the pictures out of the camera, just read the card: if your
PC hasn't got a card reader (if it's a laptop, do look carefully - I've
known people who didn't know they had one!), or it's a different sort,
they're very cheap (I've seen them for SD cards, and I think one other
format, in poundshops!).

I'm with you entirely. I use an SD card reader (actually I have
two--one on my desk at home, and one in my laptop bag for use when
traveling. And they are *very* cheap. Amazon.com has them starting at
$1.47 US.

They also have the advantage of not using the camera's battery.

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP

 

[Robert Macy]

I'm with you entirely. I use an SD card reader (actually I have
two--one on my desk at home, and one in my laptop bag for use when
traveling. And they are *very* cheap. Amazon.com has them starting at
$1.47 US.

They also have the advantage of not using the camera's battery.

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP

Thanks, Ken.

Now sold on using a reader.
1. no requirement for stupid software
2. doesn't use the camera's batteries.

point 2.: the ViviCam S524 requires 3 AAA batteries. I believe [now]
that the functions in the S529 are the same, BUT it has a rechargeable
lithium battery, looks like a phone battery. The brand new AAA's
lasted approximately through a total of 6 saved pictures [one at a
time], before declaring too low to do much - no flash.

To access the USB port ON the camera, the camera must be ON. then it
turns itself off when connected?! Everytime the camera comes on, the
lense extends out the front and gets in the way of carrying it.
retracts when connected to the USB.

I only needed the software to see if I could get a manual. The first
person in customer service at Vivitar told me that they would send me
a manual as an attachment to email to me - when they come available!
Getting around that please send something close, because simply
pushing the available buttons has not gotten me very far. Three people
in Vivitar's customer service said they would send me a manual that
was close enough to use - but I received NOTHING. Later in the day I
received a URL to go collect the 16MB of zipped software for this
camera. Looking inside the file I could not find a manual!!!

If I keep this camera, I will have to buy rechargeable AAA batteries
AND the recharger.

I did buy an SD card reader for $18 from Walmart. Haven't tried it
yet. I hate the date time stamp right in the middle of the picture!
well near the bottom left, but still too much in the field of view.
If can't get rid of that, the camera is definitely going back.

 

[glee]

Did I read somewhere you can get one that almost looks like a flash
drive (and is that small?) (Not sure, as I don't have a digital
camera). Actually, I don't think I have an analog camera anymore
either, come to think of it.
snip

Yes, you can buy a card reader that looks like a fat flash drive and
plugs into a USB port... I have a couple of them. Handy!

 

[glee]

Now, now! That's those registry cleaner folks who have been telling
you that, Glen! LOL.

hahaha!

 

[John Smith]

I've got a system with SP2, but the RAM is too anemic for installing
SP3. I dont really use anywhere near the available RAM now, but camera
software says must have WinXP SP3 for it to work. I'm only do still
shots and don't care about whiz-bang special effects, so is SP3 really
necessary.

And if it is, is there someway to 'fool' the software into thinking
SP3 was installed, but still not use the extra RAM?

Yes necessary as newer software came out..

Start your Automatic Updates
and it will Update you to SP3..


--
Always turning on the Automatic Updates feature in Windows XP.

Faulty uninstall files.
Now you need to know how to use MS Fix-It
< http://fixitcenter.support.microsoft.com/Portal >

 

[Chris S.]

Yes necessary as newer software came out..

Start your Automatic Updates and it will Update you to SP3..

Huh?

Chris

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thanks, Ken.

You're welcome. Glad to help.

Now sold on using a reader.
1. no requirement for stupid software
2. doesn't use the camera's batteries.

point 2.: the ViviCam S524 requires 3 AAA batteries. I believe [now]
that the functions in the S529 are the same, BUT it has a rechargeable
lithium battery, looks like a phone battery. The brand new AAA's
lasted approximately through a total of 6 saved pictures [one at a
time], before declaring too low to do much - no flash.

To access the USB port ON the camera, the camera must be ON. then it
turns itself off when connected?! Everytime the camera comes on, the
lense extends out the front and gets in the way of carrying it.
retracts when connected to the USB.

I only needed the software to see if I could get a manual. The first
person in customer service at Vivitar told me that they would send me
a manual as an attachment to email to me - when they come available!
Getting around that please send something close, because simply
pushing the available buttons has not gotten me very far. Three people
in Vivitar's customer service said they would send me a manual that
was close enough to use - but I received NOTHING. Later in the day I
received a URL to go collect the 16MB of zipped software for this
camera. Looking inside the file I could not find a manual!!!

If I keep this camera, I will have to buy rechargeable AAA batteries
AND the recharger.

I did buy an SD card reader for $18 from Walmart. Haven't tried it
yet. I hate the date time stamp right in the middle of the picture!
well near the bottom left, but still too much in the field of view.
If can't get rid of that, the camera is definitely going back.

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP

 

[glee]

Enough to be measured and make the statement true.
I don't think its pennies on the dollar, more than that but I haven't
quantified it.
Whether or not its tips the scales is not known.

However, in my eyes, WinXP SP3 needs 1GB or more to run smoothly even
plain vanilla.

I'd like to see the numbers, if you ever test it. I doubt that it is
appreciable or has any effect. Plain vanilla XP whether SP1 or 2 or 3,
all need 1GB RAM to run smoothly with today's software, especially
current anti-virus software.

 

[glee]

Hmm. I'm running my email and news client, Avira for antivirus, a
firewall, and Firefox with 8 tabs open, and I'm hovering below 740 MB;
I'd say three quarters of a gig ought to suffice for most
people/purposes.

(Although any PC old enough that it can take memory in chunks less
than 512M would probably struggle in other ways.)

I should have specified "unless the AV is Avira"! I install Avira on
any system I work on that has less than about a GB of RAM, as it's the
only AV with a resident shield that doesn't seem to totally bog the
system down. I have installed MSE and the recent versions of AVG on
many low-RAM systems and found them soon brought to their knees. Avast
was better but brought the system to a crawl during its updates. Avira
was the only free AV that had a minimal impact on systems with 512MB
RAM. I even have Avira on a Win2K laptop with only 192MB of RAM, and
while it slows it during loading and updating a little, it is
unobtrusive the rest of the time.... and is almost the only AV that
still supports Win2K.

 

[Robert Macy]

Robert Macy wrote: []

point 2.: the ViviCam S524 requires 3 AAA batteries. I believe [now]
that the functions in the S529 are the same, BUT it has a rechargeable
lithium battery, looks like a phone battery. The brand new AAA's
lasted approximately through a total of 6 saved pictures [one at a
time], before declaring too low to do much - no flash.

I don't get it.  You're telling me that those brand new batteries can only
be good for 6 pictures?  It just doesn't make much sense.  If they were that
bad, there would be no point in even having that battery design in the first
place.   (I'm guessing there is something else going on here, but who
knows). ????

I suspect he's talking of the zinc-carbon type that are often supplied
with new devices. (Even so, 6 does sound minimal!) I continue to be
surprised camera manufacturers still release models which use their
battery to power USB communications, when USB includes (up to 2½W of)
power.

Again, BRAND NEW AAA batteries. Energizer Alkaline, not zinc - not
sure can find those anymore.

To experiment to find out what did what, I had to 'exercise' the
camera a great deal, remember there was/is no manul. Everytime the
camera comes on the motor extends the lensing. Everytime you attach
the camera to a USB port, it shuts off, so everytime after
disconnecting, you have to turn the camera back on.