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Author Topic: Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?  (Read 10185 times)

Mark D Segal

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?
« on: August 24, 2008, 04:29:10 pm »

I am now up-dated to SP2. When I recently tried to do the regular Windows Updates, the procedure would not show me the recommended updates unless I first install SP3. Normally, I don't install majot upgrades of Microsoft applications until they've had about six months to "mature". But I do want the other security updates which are not SP3-dependant. So I wrote Microsoft tech support about the issue, and they responded that there is a Service Pack Update Blocking tool which allows one to prevent the SP Update from interfering with the presentation and installation of what are usually the security updates. They also gave me a URL to this tool.

I'm tempted just to go ahead and install the Blcoking Tool, and stick with SP2, which works fine. I believe there have been some horror stories about SP3. I'm wondering whether any readers of this post have had experience with WINXP SP3, and in particular whether it has impaired anything to do with digital image processing on your computers.

Mark
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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kaelaria

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?
« Reply #1 on: August 24, 2008, 04:31:36 pm »

Ive been using it on all my XP machines since it came out, no issues.  Nor has anyone I know had any.  It was basically just 100+ fixes rolled into one, no major changes.
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Mark D Segal

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2008, 04:58:45 pm »

Quote
Ive been using it on all my XP machines since it came out, no issues.  Nor has anyone I know had any.  It was basically just 100+ fixes rolled into one, no major changes.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=217000\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

That's re-assuring Bryan, thanks for the feedback. Do you know - in the event s..t happens anyhow, whether it's reversible once installed?
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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kaelaria

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2008, 05:05:39 pm »

Lemme see....

Yes it has a Remove option.
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Zeitz

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2008, 06:06:59 pm »

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That's re-assuring Bryan, thanks for the feedback. Do you know - in the event s..t happens anyhow, whether it's reversible once installed?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=217004\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I had trouble with SP3.  The registry got damaged, not allowing things like scanner installs.  Microsoft has published two notices about this problem.  If Norton anti-virus is running, the registry can be damages.  They tell you to disable your anti-virus.  Of course this is not easy because no good anti-virus will allow itself to be disabled.  The other option I guess is to uninstall it.

So both Norton and Microsoft publish little applications to fix the registry.  The Norton application did not work for me.  However the Microsoft one did work.  The only remaining anomoly is that the ATT/Yahoo browser works only slowly, while Internet Explorer works fine.

I'ld say install it, but have the Microsoft application ready to fix the registry.  Note, the problems remained even after uninstalling SP3.  SP2 was equally broken.
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Paul Sumi

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?
« Reply #5 on: August 24, 2008, 06:14:17 pm »

I've had mixed results with SP3.

It took me 2 tries to install SP3 on my 6 month old Dell XPS. I had to reset some settings on my software firewall to allow installation to complete.  Since then, no problems.

But SP3 would not finish installing on an older XP SP2 machine even after disabling the firewall and antivirus software.  I don't remember what the error message was, but I had to do a system restore to recover.

Paul
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kaelaria

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?
« Reply #6 on: August 24, 2008, 06:18:28 pm »

I have certainly had my share of hotfixes and patches creating problems with devices.  For example there was a certain hotfix a couple years ago that crippled a remote fax driver the office used.  It took me a while to figure out the cause, since nothing was documented.  Often times such incompatibilities are only between very specific devices.  What scanner(s) did you have the issue with after the SP3?

Just for the record, my Canon scanner works fine.

Disabling anti-viruses programs is very easy from the program interface or often the taskbar.  Yes you can uninstall it also.
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Zeitz

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?
« Reply #7 on: August 24, 2008, 07:52:27 pm »

Quote
I have certainly had my share of hotfixes and patches creating problems with devices.  For example there was a certain hotfix a couple years ago that crippled a remote fax driver the office used.  It took me a while to figure out the cause, since nothing was documented.  Often times such incompatibilities are only between very specific devices.  What scanner(s) did you have the issue with after the SP3?

Just for the record, my Canon scanner works fine.

Disabling anti-viruses programs is very easy from the program interface or often the taskbar.  Yes you can uninstall it also.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=217013\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I had trouble with the Canon 8800F.  It installed fine after fixing the registry.  One symptom was that no USB showed up in device manager.

I've searched Norton high and low and can't find a way to disable it.  Viruses often work because they can attack the disable feature.
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rdonson

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?
« Reply #8 on: August 24, 2008, 07:59:56 pm »

No problems with SP3 on my two desktops and a laptop.  I don't use Norton so maybe that's why things went so smoothly.
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Regards,
Ron

kaelaria

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?
« Reply #9 on: August 24, 2008, 08:33:39 pm »

Did you search the Norton site for instructions?  A quick google found this - it may or may not apply to your version - but I assure you it's easily disabled and instructions are either in your help files and/or on the norton site. http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nav.n...d/1997121131456

I can not find any reference to anyone else having a problem with the 8800F and SP3.  Perhaps you had/have other issues with your system.
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Zeitz

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?
« Reply #10 on: August 24, 2008, 09:17:59 pm »

Quote
Did you search the Norton site for instructions?  A quick google found this - it may or may not apply to your version - but I assure you it's easily disabled and instructions are either in your help files and/or on the norton site. http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nav.n...d/1997121131456

I can not find any reference to anyone else having a problem with the 8800F and SP3.  Perhaps you had/have other issues with your system.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=217032\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
The only issue was the damaged registry.  When I ran the application that fixed the the SP3 registry, the scanner installed properly.  The USB ports also appeared in Control Panel/System again.  This is the exact problem in the Microsoft note.

I'm running XP Professional on a Dell 670 Dual processor (single core) PC.  4 GB of RAM.
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Zeitz

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« Reply #11 on: August 24, 2008, 09:24:17 pm »

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The only issue was the damaged registry.  When I ran the application that fixed the the SP3 registry, the scanner installed properly.  The USB ports also appeared in Control Panel/System again.  This is the exact problem in the Microsoft note.

I'm running XP Professional on a Dell 670 Dual processor (single core) PC.  4 GB of RAM.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=217034\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


After turning on the Auto-protect icon for the system tray, I find the disable option.  Now I've got more crap in the system tray, but I can disable Norton.  Why Norton can't have this disable in the application is beyond me.  Norton is often frustrating.
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kaelaria

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?
« Reply #12 on: August 24, 2008, 09:29:58 pm »

I've been researching this for the last 45 min.  It seems to only be an incompatibility between non-current versions of Norton and the SP3 update process.  Symantec has a bulletin about it, and it appears that as long as you go through the Symantec Live-Update to get current, it's not an issue.  Yes it looks like the registry fix is hit or miss for those that experienced the problem pre-Norton update.

That being said, and regardless - Norton is the devil.  The software misses a lot, it hogs your system for resources and costs way too much.  For better (and free) virus protection, I only recommend AVG.  It gets a lot more stuff, it's faster, and doesn't god you down.  We geeks have been using it for many years.
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David Sutton

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?
« Reply #13 on: August 24, 2008, 10:07:13 pm »

Quote
I am now up-dated to SP2. When I recently tried to do the regular Windows Updates, the procedure would not show me the recommended updates unless I first install SP3. Normally, I don't install majot upgrades of Microsoft applications until they've had about six months to "mature". But I do want the other security updates which are not SP3-dependant. So I wrote Microsoft tech support about the issue, and they responded that there is a Service Pack Update Blocking tool which allows one to prevent the SP Update from interfering with the presentation and installation of what are usually the security updates. They also gave me a URL to this tool.

I'm tempted just to go ahead and install the Blcoking Tool, and stick with SP2, which works fine. I believe there have been some horror stories about SP3. I'm wondering whether any readers of this post have had experience with WINXP SP3, and in particular whether it has impaired anything to do with digital image processing on your computers.

Mark
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=216999\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
I think you are right to wait. I do my updates for XP home and pro every 2 months, and pick what I want to install. I never touch updates for the media player or outlook for example, as in the past they have upset settings for the (better) replacements I use.
Extra software is included in SP3 as well. I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole for a few months at least, unless I'd just bought a new machine. If it's working, why make trouble for yourself?
David
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Mark D Segal

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?
« Reply #14 on: August 24, 2008, 11:47:03 pm »

Many thanks for all this useful feedback.

I agree about Norton - much too heavy. Bryan - I'll check out that other product you recommend. Norton comes bundled free with Rogers Broadband internet here in Toronto, so many subscribers are using it. There's no doubt it's painful software, and I always disable Auto-Protect before installing anything. I do also keep it up to date, but manually so I control when it invades my computer with the new stuff.

The only reason for considering SP3 is that there may be software down the road which requires it. I find SP2 works fine up to now - there was only this question of accessing secudity up-dates without installing it, but Microsoft has a fix for that, so as long as I can get the security up-dates without installing SP3, this is most likely the preferred route. I'm not one for inviting risk without need.
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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wolfnowl

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?
« Reply #15 on: August 25, 2008, 12:44:26 am »

I have XP, SP3 and NAV 2007 - no problems.

Mike.
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If your mind is attuned t

stamper

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« Reply #16 on: August 25, 2008, 04:30:18 am »

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I have XP, SP3 and NAV 2007 - no problems.

Mike.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=217068\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Can anyone tell me what the above posts have to do with Digital image processing?

Zeitz

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?
« Reply #17 on: August 25, 2008, 07:38:50 am »

Just to complete this.  Live Update on my Norton is constantly running; and I'm totally current.  I was a very early adopter of SP3.  Maybe Microsoft fixed the install.

The reason I use it at home instead of AVG is because Norton is the standard where I work.

This thread has to do with SP3 interupting digital image processing, such as the Canon 8800F scanner.  We have to wade through a lot of "why doesn't .... work in Leapord?"  We can stand a few posts on XP.
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Mark D Segal

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 - Any experience?
« Reply #18 on: August 25, 2008, 07:55:08 am »

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Can anyone tell me what the above posts have to do with Digital image processing?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=217082\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Yes - digital image processing depends on using a computer. If installing a major piece of software into the heart of the operating system has a track record of interfering with the smooth functioning of the O/S or the key digital imaging applications and devices we use for making photographs, it does have something rather decisive to do with digital image processing. I hope you are now sure.

Mark
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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Jay Kaplan

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« Reply #19 on: August 25, 2008, 09:34:55 am »

I installed SP3 last week and had no problems to speak of other than it not recognizing my printer until I rebooted the system. Everything now works fine with not apparent problems.

There have been a number of security updates this year prior to the SP3 install.

Jay
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