transitioning from SP1 to SP3

[none]

Noticed the SP3 RC2 can only be installed if SP2 has been installed. I use
SP1. Does anyone know if SP3 will eventually have the capability of being
applied over ANY version of XP?

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "none" <[email protected]>

| Noticed the SP3 RC2 can only be installed if SP2 has been installed. I use
| SP1. Does anyone know if SP3 will eventually have the capability of being
| applied over ANY version of XP?
|

Don't install Beta software. RC2 means release Candidate 2 and it is still in a Beta mode.

When the formal release of WinXP SP3 is released it will be a cumulative update and will
update a WinXP SP1 level PC to SP3 level.

BTW: Why are you STILL at SP1 level ?

 

[Thee Chicago Wolf]

Noticed the SP3 RC2 can only be installed if SP2 has been installed. I use

SP1. Does anyone know if SP3 will eventually have the capability of being
applied over ANY version of XP?

I believe SP1 is the minimum that must be install to have SP3. Please
ask this in the TechNet forum for SP3 as this group is not the best
place for this question.

- Thee Chicago Wolf

 

[Nepatsfan]

Noticed the SP3 RC2 can only be installed if SP2 has been installed. I use
SP1. Does anyone know if SP3 will eventually have the capability of being
applied over ANY version of XP?

It's been my experience that SP3 RC2 cannot be applied to an installation
created with an XP CD that does not at least have Service Pack 1. Attempting to
do so returns an error message. It looks like that will be the case with the
final release as well. The Deploying Windows XP SP3 section of this documents
states "You can run the SP3 update package on any SKU of Windows XP SP1 or SP2".

Overview of Windows XP Service Pack 3
http://download.microsoft.com/downl...982/Overview of Windows XP Service Pack 3.pdf

As long as you have an installation CD with at least SP1, you should be OK if
you ever needed to reinstall Windows XP. Anyone who has an installation CD
without any service packs will have to either install SP1 or SP2 first before
installing SP3 or create a "slipstreamed" installation CD that integrates the
service pack files into the original release.

I'll echo David's advice about waiting for the final release. Since a current
installation should be using Service Pack 2, the issue you raise shouldn't be a
problem for most users.

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Noticed the SP3 RC2 can only be installed if SP2 has been
installed. I use SP1. Does anyone know if SP3 will eventually have
the capability of being applied over ANY version of XP?

Being a pre-release product - there really is not a direct support
option available. You have a few options, however:

Start here:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsxp/0a5b9b10-17e3-40d9-8d3c-0077c953a761.aspx

Which can lead you:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=103822

and here (where you mighjt find what you are looking for):
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...AD-BC34-40BE-8D85-6BB4F56F5110&displaylang=en

and the forums set up specifically for the pre-release product:
http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=2010&SiteID=17

And of course:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...2b2-aab1-b969a62c68a7&DisplayLang=en#filelist

Where you can download it in different languages OR download a script that
sets a registry key on your system so you can get Windows XP SP3 Release
Candidate 2 from the Windows Update web page directly.

Hope that helps!

 

[CamachoMan]

Noticed the SP3 RC2 can only be installed if SP2 has been installed. I use
SP1. Does anyone know if SP3 will eventually have the capability of being
applied over ANY version of XP?

I believe you need SP2 first but I wouldn't do it... I tried it and all I
get is the dreaded BSOD.
I had to go back in under safe-mode and uninstall SP3 RC2 to fix it. I guess
I should be thankful it let me do that and I didn't lose everything.



--
CamachoMan
Relax, have a cigar...

The reason congressmen try so hard to get re-elected is that
they would hate to have to make a living under the laws
they've passed.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Noticed the SP3 RC2 can only be installed if SP2 has been
installed. I use SP1. Does anyone know if SP3 will eventually have
the capability of being applied over ANY version of XP?

I believe you need SP2 first but I wouldn't do it... I tried it and
all I get is the dreaded BSOD.
I had to go back in under safe-mode and uninstall SP3 RC2 to fix
it. I guess I should be thankful it let me do that and I didn't
lose everything.

Why thankful that you 'didn't lose anything'? Since you should have
nothing to lose (installation of a pre-release software should only be
done on a system you are willing/able to format and rebuild at a
moments notice - virtual machines with a revert capability are
great for this) when trying to install the pre-release software (Windows XP
SP3 Release Candidate 2) simply format and install your test machine that
you are trying to install upon.

Another option would be a cleanup of said test machine. Similar to one you
might do before installingb any major service pack full release. The only
real difference is that being a test machine - it is not as important you
backup anything...

- Uninstall unnecessary software.
- Update the hardware drivers from the hardware manufacturer's support
web pages.
- Use Disk Cleanup to clear all but the last restore point and to free up
some
space not being used by much more than junk.
- Check for viruses/trojans/worms...
- Check for adware/spyware/malware...
- Use CHKDSK to check your hard disk drive for errors.
- Use DEFRAG to cleanup the drive a bit - tidy it up.

Then - once you have your test machine cleaned up - you could make a new
image of it (or however you plan to restore it each time you are done with
whatever tests you use it for) and you'd have a better testbed machine for
it.

However - being a pre-release product - there really is not a direct support
option available. You have a few options, however:

Start here:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsxp/0a5b9b10-17e3-40d9-8d3c-0077c953a761.aspx

Which can lead you:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=103822

and the forums set up specifically for the pre-release product:
http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=2010&SiteID=17

And of course:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...2b2-aab1-b969a62c68a7&DisplayLang=en#filelist

Where you can download it in different languages OR download a script that
sets a registry key on your system so you can get Windows XP SP3 Release
Candidate 2 from the Windows Update web page directly.

Hope that helps!

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

So far, not true. Unwise, but untrue. I have done it. The blocker only
appears when installing via WU. The final may have a way to block a
slipsteam, but it is best to slipstream on an SP2 cd, even if it is itself a
slipstreamed cd.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

No. The issue is some routines that SP1 and SP2 performed on XP Gold in
addition to the updates and hotfixes rolled up into them. Those routines
are not repeated by SP3 so, although all the updates and hotfixes are there
since XP released, slipstreaming SP3 directly on XP Gold does not produce a
complete result.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

You shouldn't have installed SP3 RC on a system with valuable data in the
first place. If you don't have a test box don't install it until final
release. Period.

 

[Nepatsfan]

You've lost me. What's not true? Care to expand on your response?

Nepatsfan

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

It's been my experience that SP3 RC2 cannot be applied to an installation
created with an XP CD that does not at least have Service Pack 1.

That is what is not true. An XP Gold cd can be slipstreamed with SP3
directly and that will install XP SP3. Also, you can install from an XP
Gold cd and then update to SP1 or SP2 and then apply SP3.

Now if you meant that the installed XP must be at service pack level 1 or
higher to apply SP3 via WU, that is also true, but the installation could
have initially been from an XP Gold cd (and then updated).

 

[Nepatsfan]

Substitute "an XP CD that does not at least have Service Pack 1" , the phrase
that I used in my response to the OP, everywhere you have "XP Gold" in your
latest response and we're saying the same thing. The term XP Gold isn't
something that most XP users would understand. That's why I didn't use it.

I'm not going to get in to a debate with you over semantics. You're right, I'm
wrong.

Nepatsfan

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

XP Gold is more commonly understood than that. Anyway, XP rtm is the same
thing. If they don't know I hope they ask because no matter what
terminology we use somebody isn't going to get it.

I fear a lot of problems unless MS either provides a blocker that
slipstreaming will trigger or revises the SP3 installer to make the same
writes to system files that the earlier sp's did. Some people are going to
assume that just because all the updates and hotfixes since rtm are rolled
up into SP3 that that is all that is required for a completely stable
system.

 

[CamachoMan]

You shouldn't have installed SP3 RC on a system with valuable data in the
first place. If you don't have a test box don't install it until final
release. Period.

I had a full clone backup just in case...besides, I wanted to see if it
would work with an existing system for real-life experience not just a
stripped down test PC. How else would I know if it's going to give certain
HW or SW problems?
Like I said, it did allow me to go into safe mode and uninstall SP3 and go
back to SP2 and all is well. So to me. SP3 RC2 is NOT ready by any means.

--
CamachoMan
Relax, have a cigar...

The reason congressmen try so hard to get re-elected is that
they would hate to have to make a living under the laws
they've passed.

http://www.joejackson.com/pdf/5smokingpdf_jj_smoke_lies.pdf

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Like I said, don't use pre-release software on a primary computer.

 

[CamachoMan]

Like I said,
I had a full clone backup just in case...besides, I wanted to see if it
would work with an existing system for real-life experience not just a
stripped down test PC. How else would I know if it's going to give certain
HW or SW problems?
Like I said, it did allow me to go into safe mode and uninstall SP3 and go
back to SP2 and all is well. So to me. SP3 RC2 is NOT ready by any means.

--
CamachoMan
Relax, have a cigar...

The reason congressmen try so hard to get re-elected is that
they would hate to have to make a living under the laws
they've passed.