Which Service Pack needed?

[David G]

Hi,
I'm considering reformatting my hard disk (slow performance) and
reinstalling my Windows XP Professional. I am a bit confused as to what
version of the service pack I would need. E.g. Do I download SP1, install it
and then download SP2 and install it? And the same for SP3? Or, does the
most recent i.e. SP3 already include the previous 2 SPs, so I only need to
install the latest?

Also, my WinXP CD is an Academic Version, is it still the full product
install?

Finally, are there good instructions on the Microsoft site for doing a
format and reinstall, (this is the first time I am attempting to do this)?
If yes, where would I find them?

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was 11/7/2008 4:34 PM, and on a whim, David G pounded
out on the keyboard:

Hi,
I'm considering reformatting my hard disk (slow performance) and
reinstalling my Windows XP Professional. I am a bit confused as to what
version of the service pack I would need. E.g. Do I download SP1, install it
and then download SP2 and install it? And the same for SP3? Or, does the
most recent i.e. SP3 already include the previous 2 SPs, so I only need to
install the latest?

Also, my WinXP CD is an Academic Version, is it still the full product
install?

Finally, are there good instructions on the Microsoft site for doing a
format and reinstall, (this is the first time I am attempting to do this)?
If yes, where would I find them?

Hi David,

Check to see what the CD states. If SP1 or SP2 is on it, it should
state it (or the included doc sheet).

If you have the original (gold), you will need to install SP1, then SP3.
If you have SP1, you can install SP3.

Here is a video to help you:

--
Terry R.

***Reply Note***
Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.
Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.

 

[Malke]

Hi,
I'm considering reformatting my hard disk (slow performance) and
reinstalling my Windows XP Professional. I am a bit confused as to what
version of the service pack I would need. E.g. Do I download SP1, install
it
and then download SP2 and install it? And the same for SP3? Or, does the
most recent i.e. SP3 already include the previous 2 SPs, so I only need to
install the latest?

Also, my WinXP CD is an Academic Version, is it still the full product
install?

Finally, are there good instructions on the Microsoft site for doing a
format and reinstall, (this is the first time I am attempting to do this)?
If yes, where would I find them?

If you only have an XP Gold installation disk (no service packs), you would
need to either:

a. Install it and then install SP2 (don't bother with SP1) and then install
SP3; or

b. Borrow an XP Pro SP3 CD from a friend for the install and use your own
Product Key.

c. One of the regular posters (props to Daave) said that you could possibly
slipstream SP3 into your Gold install, but honestly if you've never done
even an operating system installation perhaps this might be over-geeking it
for you.

http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp3_cd_final.htm
http://www.nliteos.com/ - nLite makes slipstreaming very easy

AFAIK your Academic Version is identical to regular XP installation versions
and the bit that made it "Academic" was the pricing.

Here are instructions for installing Windows:

http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install How-To
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Reinstalling_Windows - What
you will need on-hand

Malke

 

[JS]

Slipstreaming is not that hard and most likely the best path for you.
You only need to use your original XP CD and download the full SP3 file.
I use AutoStreamer, it's easy to use and for the most part self explanatory.
After you have created the slipstreamed CD then see the information I've
included (Step #5) at the end of this post on how to perform a
"Clean Install" of Windows.

1) Auto Streamer Guide and Download Sites:
http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/using_autostreamer/using_autostreamer.shtml
http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/1092632287/1

2) Download SP3
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...a8-5e76-401f-be08-1e1555d4f3d4&DisplayLang=en

3) Create a Slip Stream version of Windows XP using SP3
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/slipstream.htm (Using AutoStreamer)
http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp3_cd_final.htm
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/xpsp3_slipstream.asp

Note: The slipstreamed CD you create will not include any specific drivers
for your motherboard, audio, video, network, etc. Those you will
need to download from your PC manufacture's or motherboard's
web site.

4) Make sure you have the drivers you need for your motherboard, video
card, sound card, Etc.
Try Belarc Advisor: http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html
It does a good job of providing a wealth of information including software
Key codes
and Devices you will need Drivers for.

Note: Before you start reinstalling XP
Verify your CD Key code matches what Belarc Advisor reports for your
existing install.

5) How to do a Clean Install of Windows XP

Start by changing the BIOS setting to Boot from CD drive first.
Then see below:

From Michael Steven's: http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
more info: http://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm
and: http://www.theeldergeek.com/clean_installation_of_windows_xp.htm
also: http://www.bootdisk.com/

JS
http://www.pagestart.com

 

[Twayne]

For the OP:

To install SP3 you need SP1 OR SP2 already installed, but not both.

SP3 is highly recommended even though the few minor updates/upgrades in
it are pretty much special cases almost no one will need. It eliminates
a hundred or so (and counting) additions to SP2 so if you don't go SP3
you have a long process of many many downloads of updates for SP2 to go
through.
You can d'load SP1, and/or 2, and 3 directly from the windows update
site; just search for them. You can download the one with just the
parts you machine needs, of a a very much larger all-in-one for any
machine. Beware non-MS sources of the Service Packs. BE SURE YOU READ
AND HEED THE INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT PREPPING TO INSTALL THE SERVICE PACKS.
Not yelling there; just emphasizing.

http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/winxpsp1

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389 for SP1

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...BE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en
for SP2

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsxp/sp3/default.mspx
for SP3

In EACH case, be SURE to read the RECOMMENDATIONS for things to do
BEFORE installing EACH Service Pack! Then you can be pretty sure of it
all going smoothly.

Slipstreaming:
Personally I never recommend slipstreaming because of the inordinate
amount of time it takes to gather everythign needed without accidentally
missing something, put it together, build it, and the difficulty to
test it so you know it'll work if/when you ever need it, plus the
necessity to keep updating it every few new updates from MS.
It seems like well over half the people I know who tried to use
slipstreamed disks had them fail when they came to use them for disaster
recovery. It's a lot faster and easier to just make either backups or
images of your drives than to do slipstreams. My opinion, anyway.
Before going through the work of creating slipstreams, please consider
first how you're going to test it. If you have a spare machine or
bootable drive you can use that's best. Second best would be something
like VMware I suppose.

Yes, there are good instructions for doing a clean install of XP. It's
a little scary the first time through because you don't know what to
expect, but the screen walks you through everything that's really
important. It's also good to know how to so a full clean install
because eventually, even with the best images in town etc., you are
likely to have to do it, sooner or later. So it's best to learn how
first, before it's necessary. Read the screen instructions carefully
and all will be well.

XP Installation Links:

IMO this is the best one:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

This one has a bunch of good screen captures:
http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_home_install_-_graphic.htm

And, from the horse's, uhhhhh, mouth:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316941
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6142_102-0.html?forumID=5&threadID=47007&messageID=612594


BTW, where is Albury? What state/coast, etc.? I spent time in
Townsville, Qld in the late 60's and loved every minute of it. We were
mapping the GB reef.

HTH

Twayne





....

 

[JS]

Slipstreamed CDs work perfectly fine.
If the slipstreamed CD performs a clean install without any problems then
you know it's a good CD.

Slipstream and Install Windows XP Using SP3 - Two roads to success
http://www.pagestart.com/slipstreamsp3.html

JS
http://www.pagestart.com

 

[Ken Blake]

,

I'm considering reformatting my hard disk (slow performance) and
reinstalling my Windows XP Professional.

Reformatting and reinstalling is a very poor choice, in my view. Most of the
time I see people who want to do that, it's for poor reasons. For one thing,
if you are having problems that you haven't solved, getting rid of them by
reinstalling, and not finding out what caused them, means that it's likely
that you will repeat the behavior that caused them, and quickly find
yourself back where you started.

I am a bit confused as to what
version of the service pack I would need. E.g. Do I download SP1, install
it
and then download SP2 and install it? And the same for SP3? Or, does the
most recent i.e. SP3 already include the previous 2 SPs, so I only need to
install the latest?

SP2 includes SP1, but SP3 requires that yu have SP1 or SP2 installed before
it.

Also, my WinXP CD is an Academic Version, is it still the full product
install?

Finally, are there good instructions on the Microsoft site for doing a
format and reinstall, (this is the first time I am attempting to do this)?
If yes, where would I find them?

Again, I recommend that you don't do this, but if you do, just boot from the
Windows XP CD (change the BIOS boot order if necessary to accomplish this)
and follow the prompts for a clean installation (delete the existing
partition by pressing "D" when prompted, then create a new one).
You can find detailed instructions here:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

or here http://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm

or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm



None of the above are Microsoft pages, but they are all good.

 

[Unknown]

":

To install SP3 you need SP1 OR SP2 already installed, but not both.

Why not both?????