XP Service packs

[six-h]

I've had conflicting information that all Service Packs are cumulative, and
from another source that SP3 is in fact stand alone.

Logic tells me that it is unlikely that SP3 would incorporate SP's 1 and 2
and all XP updates from inception, since it's offered as a "Download" via MS
update service.

Can someone give me the correct information please?

 

[PD43]

Can someone give me the correct information please?

Coulda EASILY found what you are asking for by visiting the MS site
for SP3:

"Windows® XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) includes all previously released
updates for the operating system."

 

[DL]

Whys that logical?
The autoupdate download process examines your sys, then updates what is
required

 

[LVTravel]

While researching a previous post, I came across a piece of information that
surprised me. This may be corrected when the final release is provided but
it said that if you have the Windows Media Center Edition without SP2
preinstalled, WMC may not function after the beta SP3 was installed.
http://download.microsoft.com/download/c/d/8/cd8cc719-7d5a-40d3-a802-e4057aa8c631/relnotes.htm

Otherwise the final release should be totally self-sustaining, in other
words, you should be able to install XP Gold and then install the SP 3 over
top of it.

See here for an overview:
http://download.microsoft.com/downl...982/Overview of Windows XP Service Pack 3.pdf

 

[six-h]

My recent experience, no...nightmare re-setting my system to factory settings
took me back to XP Home SP1, having installed SP 2 from the disk I have, I
then spent 20 hours in one go trying to coax windows into accepting and
install the 98 updates that windows update said I required to get back to the
present day.
Not an experience I would like to repeat, especially since it did not escape
the problem that I was trying to leave behind.

 

[six-h]

This from the Windows SP3 web site: -

Note the statement "Microsoft is allowing Windows XP Service Pack 2 machines
to be offered..."

This indicates to me that SP3 does not include SP2, ergo it is unlikely to
include SP1 either.

 

[six-h]

Yet more levels of complexity!
I've never heard of "XP Gold"
I've got XP Home SP1, (circa 2003) and have to install SP2 from a later
acquired Ms Sp2 Disk, which incorporates SP1, but I then have to install all
the updates that bring me up to March 2008.

 

[LVTravel]

Gold is the original, without any service packs already installed. Sorry
for not specifying this previously.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Wrong. It includes all SP2.

This from the Windows SP3 web site: -


Note the statement "Microsoft is allowing Windows XP Service Pack 2
machines
to be offered..."

This indicates to me that SP3 does not include SP2, ergo it is unlikely to
include SP1 either.

 

[six-h]

Since I've not got "XP Gold", but XP home SP1, where does that leave me?

 

[Nepatsfan]

Otherwise the final release should be totally self-sustaining, in other words,
you should be able to install XP Gold and then install the SP 3 over top of
it.

Unless they make a change in the final release, which I doubt, you won't be able
to apply SP3 directly to an XP Gold installation. Here's the error message that
gets displayed if you try to apply SP3 Release Candidate 2.

Service Pack 3 Setup Error Message
http://home.comcast.net/~nepatsfan2005/XPSP3RC2.JPG

This fact is alluded to on page 10 of the documents you cited. Here's the quote,
"You can run the SP3 update package on any SKU of Windows XP SP1 or SP2".

See here for an overview:
http://download.microsoft.com/downl...982/Overview of Windows XP Service Pack 3.pdf

Bottom line, if you install XP using an XP Gold CD, it looks like you would have
to install SP1 or SP2 before installing SP3. The alternative is to slipstream
one of the earlier service packs into the XP Gold files, create a new
installation CD, and use that CD to install XP.

<snipped>

Nepatsfan

 

[Jim]

Yet more levels of complexity!
I've never heard of "XP Gold"
I've got XP Home SP1, (circa 2003) and have to install SP2 from a later
acquired Ms Sp2 Disk, which incorporates SP1, but I then have to install
all
the updates that bring me up to March 2008.

You system is much like mine. I installed XP on a new disk about the middle
of March.
Here is about how long it took:
1. Format the new disk - 1 hour
2. Install XP with SP1a - 1 hour
3. Install Dell drivers etc. - 1 hour.
4. Install SP2 - 1 1/2 hours
5. Install 83 updates - 1 1/2 hours
6. Install Office 2007 Home and Student edition - 1 hour
7. Install SP1 for Office 2007 - 1 hour

Then, I got tired and went to bed. I installed ZA, AVG, ATI, etc., the next
afternoon.

Jim

 

[Jim]

Yet more levels of complexity!
I've never heard of "XP Gold"
I've got XP Home SP1, (circa 2003) and have to install SP2 from a later
acquired Ms Sp2 Disk, which incorporates SP1, but I then have to install
all
the updates that bring me up to March 2008.

You system is much like mine. I installed XP on a new disk about the middle
of March.
Here is about how long it took:
1. Format the new disk - 1 hour
2. Install XP with SP1a - 1 hour
3. Install Dell drivers etc. - 1 hour.
4. Install SP2 - 1 1/2 hours
5. Install 83 updates - 1 1/2 hours
6. Install Office 2007 Home and Student edition - 1 hour
7. Install SP1 for Office 2007 - 1 hour

Then, I got tired and went to bed. I installed ZA, AVG, ATI, etc., the next
afternoon.

Jim

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

SP3 is cumulative but you must have SP1 or SP2 installed to be able to
install SP3 *when it's released*.

 

[LVTravel]

It doesn't matter which version of XP you have (Gold, SP1, SP2, MCE, etc.)
XP SP3 should install over (as an update) to any installed version of XP
what so ever. Did you even read the article that I referenced in my
original post? Apparently not!

 

[LVTravel]

When I read "SP3 is cumulative, so users can install SP3 on top of Windows
XP SP1 or SP2" I read it as it could be installed on top of any version of
XP. Thanks for the clarification. Hopefully MS will make sure that it is a
true cumulative update and include SP1 & SP2 changes since there are still a
lot of Gold versions of the install CD out there.

It would be nice not to have to worry about what version is installed when I
have to rebuild someone else's machine from an original rebuild disk from a
manufacturer that does or doesn't have SP1 on it.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Incorrect. Upgrading from XP from SP0 (Gold) to SP3 via Windows Update is
blocked. The minimum requirement is SP1.

 

[Homer J. Simpson]

Incorrect. Upgrading from XP from SP0 (Gold) to SP3 via Windows Update is

blocked. The minimum requirement is SP1.

Just for the record, isn't that a first?

I believe that every previous service pack for all previous Windows versions
could upgrade from absolutely any version...even back in the NT 4 days. I
haven't used the NT 3.x versions long enough to remember...

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

It's a first as far as I know also.

The explanation offered by the SP3 team in the beta ng was that service
packs do more than just rollup hotfixes and enhance some features. They
also update a few system files. These are not updates previously or
subsequently offered via WU so it takes applying the SP to get them. SP1
made such changes to SP0 and SP2 repeated them as needed. However those
changes are not being repeated by SP3 (for some undisclosed reason) so MS
wants SP0 updated to SP1 or SP2 before applying SP3. I have no clue why
they won't just repeat the writes to SP0 system files if found. It sounds
crazy to me. But that's the way it was presented by the SP3 team and the
team insisted that their testing showed that just applying SP3 to XP Gold
would result in an OS with problems and perhaps unstable.

The blocker is in a herald file that is the first download in the SP3
upgrade process but not in the SP3 file itself so slipstreaming XP Gold and
SP3 is not blocked (but probably should be).

 

[ANONYMOUS]

Since I've not got "XP Gold", but XP home SP1, where does that leave me?

It leaves you in a better position to install SP3 next week when
available. you have got the minimum systems requirements!!!

Hope this helps.