SP3

[philo]

FWIW: I've instsalled SP3 final and have been running it for 24 hours
now...and found that there have been no problems at all.
My AMD XP2500 with 2 gigs of RAM runs noticably better.

Up until SP3 was installed it always seemed slightly sluggish...but now it
runs the way I had always hoped it to.


I don't think I've ever seen an SP actually improve performance...

I must say that MS did a good job this time!

 

[FrankV]

Similar notes have been sent by various users (including me) and I read
someplace it is about a 10% increase in overall speed.

Frank

 

[philo]

Similar notes have been sent by various users (including me) and I read
someplace it is about a 10% increase in overall speed.

Frank

Yes...It "feels" like a 10% speed increase . Just enough to make a nice
difference

 

[Bill in Co.]

Have all the purported advantages or fixes of SP3 been posted yet?

 

[ANONYMOUS]

Have all the purported advantages or fixes of SP3 been posted yet?

Perhaps yes but new bugs must have been introduced in SP3 which will
take another year of hotfixes to get sorted out! This is how MS works.
It keeps them busy when there is nothing going on and new products don't
come out as scheduled!

 

[philo]

Have all the purported advantages or fixes of SP3 been posted yet?

SP3 offers greater security and many folks find improved performance.(I did)

Note: Though SP3 has been pretty well tested...there is at least some chance
it can ruin your system...

In the unlikely event that SP3 would malfunction...
if the machine can be booted to safe mode...it could be uninstalled.

But an entire system backup is still recommended

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Have you read the release notes? They've been out there for months.

 

[Bill in Co.]

SP3 offers greater security and many folks find improved performance.(I
did)

Note: Though SP3 has been pretty well tested...there is at least some
chance
it can ruin your system...

In the unlikely event that SP3 would malfunction...
if the machine can be booted to safe mode...it could be uninstalled.

But an entire system backup is still recommended

I took a brief look at the url (and the SP3 pdf file there) that PD42
mentioned. But I have to say, I don't see all that "much" there (from a
user's standpoint, and unless I missed it, nothing documented about any
(alleged by some) great performance boost).

 

[Bill in Co.]

By George, I think you've got it.

Since you are on dialup, you will probably have to pay for a disc or
have a friend burn the stand-alone version to CD for you.

If I ever wanted it, I'd order the CD.

If you are up-to-date on all the hot fixes preceding SP3 you are
probably fine.

I wouldn't consider it for the "never-ending story" of "security patches"
and whatnot, but I would consider it IF it actually added something truly
USEFUL, that was really missing, OR corrected some egregious system errors.

\Sorta like what happened between Win98 and Win98SE - now THAT was worth the
update.

OTOH, going from Win98SE to WinME wasn't worth it, nor did I do it - as in,
"thanks, but no thanks!".

 

[WindPipe]

FWIW: I've instsalled SP3 final and have been running it for 24 hours
now...and found that there have been no problems at all.
My AMD XP2500 with 2 gigs of RAM runs noticably better.

Up until SP3 was installed it always seemed slightly sluggish...but now it
runs the way I had always hoped it to.


I don't think I've ever seen an SP actually improve performance...

I must say that MS did a good job this time!

Couldn't give you a percentage, but I have a noticable performance increase. With the added
bonus of Security Centre now recognising NOD32 2.7 Anti-virus, and Comodo Firewall Pro 3.
Think I'll use Security Centre now on (maybe not).

I think your right about MS doing a good job this time, who needs Vista! Hope they (MS)
offer the $AUD 30.00 for a WinXP SP3 retail CD like they did with SP2. Assuming SP3 is the
last Service Pack, if XP does go to 2014 (which is supposed to be two years past the 2012
Dooms Day), do you think we may also see SP4, SP5, SP5a, and SP5a + roll ups? In which case
I shall not purchase the $AUD 30.00 if they offer it.

- WindPipe

 

[xfile]

Everything goes well and I also have a noticeable performance increase.

For those who have MUI installed, you need to uninstall KB925877 first.

I must say that MS did a good job this time!

Indeed!!

 

[Robert Pendell]

SP3 offers greater security and many folks find improved performance.(I did)

Note: Though SP3 has been pretty well tested...there is at least some chance
it can ruin your system...

In the unlikely event that SP3 would malfunction...
if the machine can be booted to safe mode...it could be uninstalled.

But an entire system backup is still recommended

Correct. I tried one of the betas in the past and it went on ok then
but I still took the 2.5 hr timeframe to backup my entire drive. This
is my escape route in case something should go horribly wrong.

--
Robert Pendell
(e-mail address removed)

"A perfect world is one of chaos."

Thawte Web of Trust Notary
CAcert Assurer

 

[Robert Pendell]

Couldn't give you a percentage, but I have a noticable performance
increase. With the added bonus of Security Centre now recognising NOD32
2.7 Anti-virus, and Comodo Firewall Pro 3. Think I'll use Security
Centre now on (maybe not).

I think your right about MS doing a good job this time, who needs Vista!
Hope they (MS) offer the $AUD 30.00 for a WinXP SP3 retail CD like they
did with SP2. Assuming SP3 is the last Service Pack, if XP does go to
2014 (which is supposed to be two years past the 2012 Dooms Day), do you
think we may also see SP4, SP5, SP5a, and SP5a + roll ups? In which case
I shall not purchase the $AUD 30.00 if they offer it.

- WindPipe

I highly doubt that. They have already stated that this will be the
last service pack for Windows XP.

--
Robert Pendell
(e-mail address removed)

"A perfect world is one of chaos."

Thawte Web of Trust Notary
CAcert Assurer

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

What is the "2012 Dooms Day"? I know of know 2012 event involving XP.

MS stated over a year ago that SP3 is the final service pack for XP.
Anything after this will be a rollup of updates for convenience of new users
but will not increase the service pack level. The service pack is just a
means for taking the OS to a particular service pack level. All updates
after SP3 will simply be updates to XP service pack level three.

Each service pack level is supported for two years after that level has been
supperceded by a newer service pack level. XP at service pack level two
will be supported for two more years and then users will need to be at
service pack level three to continue to receive security updates. Service
pack level three will be the level supported until the end of extended
support in 2014 since there will not be a newer service pack level to
supercede it.

Keep in mind that the service pack itself is not what is supported (except
for the support MS Product Support Service gives for its installation).
What receives ongoing support is the OS itself at a particular service pack
level.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

OK! I'll tell my wife to stock up on MAYANaise. We wouldn't want our
burgers to go wanting after 2012.

 

[WindPipe]

What is the "2012 Dooms Day"? I know of know 2012 event involving XP.

MS stated over a year ago that SP3 is the final service pack for XP.
Anything after this will be a rollup of updates for convenience of new
users but will not increase the service pack level. The service pack is
just a means for taking the OS to a particular service pack level. All
updates after SP3 will simply be updates to XP service pack level three.

Each service pack level is supported for two years after that level has
been supperceded by a newer service pack level. XP at service pack
level two will be supported for two more years and then users will need
to be at service pack level three to continue to receive security
updates. Service pack level three will be the level supported until the
end of extended support in 2014 since there will not be a newer service
pack level to supercede it.

Keep in mind that the service pack itself is not what is supported
(except for the support MS Product Support Service gives for its
installation). What receives ongoing support is the OS itself at a
particular service pack level.

Not XP related, just a few preachers of doom and cataclysms on YouTube, and a few very late
night shows stating the long awaited predictions of hunger, war, diseases, ... That for some
reason is coming in 2012. Suppose that will mean our XP machines will crash then too.

- WindPipe

 

[Bill Sharpe]

WinME was touted from the beginning to be only a stopgap to earn some
money for MS while XP was still being worked on.

Anyone with any clue about what was going on knew that XP was coming
and didn't waste time with ME.

But my previous HP machine shipped with ME. After about six months of
frustration I upgraded to XP Home Edition, despite HP's disclaimers that
they wouldn't support the new OS.

Bill