XPSP3 update thru AU ! ! !

[Tim Clark]

XPSP3 update thru AU!!!

I was just offered the XPSP3 update thru AU (Automatic Updates)!!!

Let me make this clear, Automatic Updates, NOT Windows Update (WU) or
Microsoft Update (MU) !!!

I did NOT go to the update site and check for updates.

The Yellow Shield just popped up and offered it!
I thought this was not supposed to happen till June.

I was shocked.
I of course said NO and "Do not offer me this update again".
I will wait till June before I allow it.

But I was surprised!!

Tim

 

[Bill Sanderson]

Thanks for the report!

 

[occam]

XPSP3 update thru AU!!!

I was just offered the XPSP3 update thru AU (Automatic Updates)!!!

Let me make this clear, Automatic Updates, NOT Windows Update (WU) or
Microsoft Update (MU) !!!

I did NOT go to the update site and check for updates.

The Yellow Shield just popped up and offered it!
I thought this was not supposed to happen till June.

I was shocked.
I of course said NO and "Do not offer me this update again".
I will wait till June before I allow it.

But I was surprised!!

Tim, you make it sound like you have been the subject of an indecent
proposal.


If the folks at MS have sorted out the initial incompatibility problems
(with 1 business app) then whether you download now or wait till June
2009 - you'll still get the same thing.

 

[Joan Archer]

Why ? I was offered it this morning as well I've installed it with no
problems.

 

[Tim Clark]

Occam

"you'll still get the same thing."

Of course, but "I" am not ready, in addition to what I've pasted below from
the other SP3 thread there are things a need to do.

On my modem the update will take 3 and 1/2 hours.
I do not feel comfortable going to WU to request the update and hope my
connection will stay stable for that long.

I need to switch AU from "Notify Only" to "Download Updates for me but let
me choose when to install" so that I may take advantage of the BITS service.
This way if the connection is broken it will continue downloading where it
left off when I reconnect.

This is also something I would rather do during the weekend,

And ---Pasted Below---The Other Things.......

1.Make an Image backup of the hard drive/Windows Partition before you
install SP3,

2.Test your System Restore to see if it is working correctly.

3. Make absolutely sure the machine's free of any hijackware, Trojan, or
virus infections before installing SP3.

4. Run Disk Cleanup then run a Defrag session before installing SP3.

5. Disable all real-time protections (anti-virus; anti-spyware; third-party
firewall[yuck]) before installing SP3.

6. Reboot twice after installing SP3.

 

[Tim Clark]

Why ? I was offered it this morning as well I've installed it with no
problems.

Joan, see my reply to Occam above.
I just need to do this at my own pace. I thought I'd have a month to
prepare that's all. I also would like to get feed back from others about
things like what to deactivate or not (AntiVirus, Defender, etc)

Tim

 

[OldRebel2]

I waiting on more info also. I'm on dialup, so I called MSFT today and
ordered the SP3 CD for $3.99 plus shipping (varies). They're back ordered
right now, but anticipate CDs will be available for shipping around May 22nd.
In any case, for dialup folks, that CD will be great for future reformats.

If your AV or security software has 'proactive defence,' 'behavior
blockers,' HIPS, etc, it would definitely be better to disable it before
installing the service pack. I use Kaspersky, and there are mixed reports on
their forum about problems installing the service pack. Some of the
moderators are recommending downloading, then going offline and uninstalling
KIS entirely before installing SP3.

I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but there is an ongoing discussion
about SP3 installation problems at dsl reports:
http://www2.dslreports.com/forum/r20443304-MCE-XP-SP3-Issues

 

[Alan D]

I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but there is an ongoing discussion
about SP3 installation problems at dsl reports:
http://www2.dslreports.com/forum/r20443304-MCE-XP-SP3-Issues

Many thanks for this link. I've only read the first page or two so far (I'll
read the rest later), but this is exactly the kind of thing that makes me
seriously question whether I want to go down this SP3 road at all. The real
nightmare story, for me, is that where the installation has gone bad, and
System Restore has been used in order to get a rebootable machine, an even
worse mess may ensue. That's bad news indeed.

So far, I'm not persuaded that I'm going to benefit from SP3 in any way that
matters to me, so I'll not be doing anything in a hurry, here.

 

[Ron H]

OldRebel2, Back with Defender - Now there's an announcement. Hey Paul

 

[Hawkins]

Many thanks for this link. I've only read the first page or two so far
(I'll read the rest later), but this is exactly the kind of thing that
makes me seriously question whether I want to go down this SP3 road at
all. The real nightmare story, for me, is that where the installation has
gone bad, and System Restore has been used in order to get a rebootable
machine, an even worse mess may ensue. That's bad news indeed.

So far, I'm not persuaded that I'm going to benefit from SP3 in any way
that matters to me, so I'll not be doing anything in a hurry, here.

My own approach is somewhat different. I do not go in for a lot of navel
gazing and wondering what problems others may have. I just go ahead and
install it.
The install was totally uneventful and everything still works.
I do however follow Microsoft's advice and have my whole system backed up "
just-in-case". I use a well known Imaging program that runs a scheduled
backup image on a daily basis. I also run a rotation of three main hard
drives to which I make regular restores. So I know that my backups work
100%.

Richard.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

I haven't read the referenced thread.

I have seen a reliable report of continuous reboots after installing SP3.
This problem is not hard to fix, with the right advice, and is one which
also happened with SP2. It involves drivers which are inappropriate for the
hardware involved, and which were part of the original machine as delivered
by the vendor. The fix involves disabling the bad driver which can be done
at a command prompt, or by various other methods.

I don't have a clear statistical picture of how many people will see this
issue, but it would be comparitively few.

It is pretty easy to get scared off by a newsgroup interchange about this
kind of issue.

I'll continue to recommend installation of any Service pack as quicly as
appropriate for your environment. For home users, I'd characterize that as
when it is offered by AU. For business users, follow your chosen policies:
if there are worries about compatibilities with hardware platforms or line
of business apps--do a pilot first. In my case, working with small offices,
I've chosen to pilot on my personal machine, and then install on the office
machines as quickly as possible after availability.

 

[RobbL]

I'm still waitng for my AU, WU, MU or whatever they may thrust upon us...is
there a special key to the castle? (yes I am verified) Where do I get it?

 

[Bill Sanderson]

There's no key needed. However, I'm not sure whether there are yet some
"preventing" circumstances. I believe there are for Vista SP1, but I'm not
so sure about XP SP3. There may also be some throtteling going on.

Have you ever installed a beta version of SP3? If so, that would need to be
removed for the final to be offered, I believe. If properties of my
computer reads sp1 or sp2, you should be fine, in that respect.

 

[Bill Sanderson]

One other thought:

Installation of IE 8 beta will prevent offer of SP3. This is because if you
install SP3 AFTER IE 8 beta, there are issues with uninstalling IE 8.


If you have IE 8 installed--uninstall it, grab SP3, then reinstall IE 8 and
all will be well--installation of IE 8 on SP3 is fully supported.

 

[Tim Clark]

Robb,

What is your Automatic Updates setting?
I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that:

1. Automatic
"Download and install" will happen in the previously announced June.
[i.e. when it's "pushed"]

3. "Notify but don't download and install" will prompt within 24 hrs of it
being set.

2. "Download but let me choose ... " I'm not sure when, but this is the one
I'm going to choose when I'm ready to do it. I'm guessing that this too will
also be June [i.e. when it's pushed]

Tim

 

[RobbL]

Well, I do have the SP3 installed which I believe was Refresh Ver 5511 or
something similar...MY COMPUTER only tells me it's SP3 without any version
number and I understood that was the way that version was released prior to
this latest FINAL one. I suppose I'll leave that one alone and wait for the
'push'.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[RobbL]

Hi Tim,

Thanks for the reply but I'm curious about your numbering system...1,3,2?
My machines are set to your #2, "DOWNLOAD but let me choose..." Just for
jollies, I'm gonna change it to #3, "NOTIFY but don't download...." and I'll
let you know if that does anything for me.

Thanks again!

Robb,

What is your Automatic Updates setting?
I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that:

1. Automatic
"Download and install" will happen in the previously announced June.
[i.e. when it's "pushed"]

3. "Notify but don't download and install" will prompt within 24 hrs of it
being set.

2. "Download but let me choose ... " I'm not sure when, but this is the one
I'm going to choose when I'm ready to do it. I'm guessing that this too will
also be June [i.e. when it's pushed]

Tim
--
If you set a Vista disk in the CD tray upside down,
you can hear SATANIC VOICES!
But that isn't the worst of it,
if you set it the right way IT INSTALLS VISTA!

I'm still waitng for my AU, WU, MU or whatever they may thrust upon us...is
there a special key to the castle? (yes I am verified) Where do I get it?

 

[Tim Clark]

My NUMBERING system is based AU control panel 1,2,3, 4[off]
My ORDERING system is based on how sure I am about the answers 1, 3, 2

Choices 1 and 3 I feel pretty sure about so I put them first.

Choice 2 I'm not so sure about.
If I turn it on Now it COULD in fact start the download in the background
within the next 24hrs. I'm Guessing it will not happen till the June push
(which also is a guess on my part)

So, if you switch to Notify (#3) what will you do if it pops up?
You might want to have the answer ready before you do it ;-)

"RobbL" wrote:

Hi Tim,
Thanks for the reply but I'm curious about your numbering system...1,3,2?
My machines are set to your #2, "DOWNLOAD but let me choose..." Just for
jollies, I'm gonna change it to #3, "NOTIFY but don't download...." and I'll
let you know if that does anything for me.

Thanks again!

Robb,

What is your Automatic Updates setting?
I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that:

1. Automatic
"Download and install" will happen in the previously announced June.
[i.e. when it's "pushed"]

3. "Notify but don't download and install" will prompt within 24 hrs of it
being set.

2. "Download but let me choose ... " I'm not sure when, but this is the one
I'm going to choose when I'm ready to do it. I'm guessing that this too will
also be June [i.e. when it's pushed]

Tim

 

[Bill Sanderson]

If you show just SP3 with no build number, I'd leave it alone.

If you want, you could uninstall it and then go to WU and get the new bits,
but I'm unclear what benefit, if any, might accrue from that.

I've got a number of machines in that condition, and I'm leaving them alone
until I both figure out how to tell the difference between that and final,
and hear that there's some difference worth changing things for.

 

[Littlem129]

Does this also apply to IE7?

I am asking this because of this thread at dslreports forums.
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r20443304-MCE-XP-SP3-Issues

Also mentioned in the thread at dslreports is an issue when installing SP3
through AU that the system goes into a reboot loop. Have you heard any
complaints about that happening?

Thanks in advance for any replies!