SP3: Up your chances of a good install

Installing XP SP3

I have one warning on this procedure! It is not garanted! If it fails then it would have failed without the procedure and possibly with worse consequences.

Major updates like this can cause Major problems if they hit a snag or fail.

Here are the steps I advise in order to have a better chance of getting a good install of SP3.

Virus's and Malware can cause you problems but an extra headache here especially if you are unaware of them.

In some cases the Virus scanner and malware protection progams themselves can also interfere.

As well as certain other programs running in memory.

Number 1 below is perhaps the most important step!

1. If you are inexperienced or intermediate and only have 1 computer, wait for others to test it first.

Perhaps a month or so. Especially if your OS is working well as it is.

2. If you have Broadband with good speed, download the full install to avoid windows Update. If you have dialup forget this.

http://majorgeeks.com/Microsoft_Windows_XP_Service_Pack_3_Final_d4323.html

Or google "XP Sp3 full network install" for other download locations.

3. If you don't aready have it, get and install CCleaner http://www.ccleaner.com/download/builds
get Slim

4. Get ATF-Cleaner http://majorgeeks.com/ATF_Cleaner_d4949.html

5. Get Startup control Panel http://mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml

6. Do a Malware and Virus scan with fresh updates
WARNING: Don't "EVEN" attempt to update if you know you have unresolved Viri or malware, perhaps thinking it will resolve it. IT WON'T and relates to something like running your lawnmower over a loose pile of bailing wire.
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You may or may not already have the programs or equivelents listed above. Below is the procedure.

Do these steps even if you are resorting to WinUpdate to get SP3.

1. Run Startupctl and uncheck all possible autoruns including virus and malware scanners.

2. Reboot here and "if" you have downloaded the full install as above then unplug the network cable or turn off router and or the cable/dsl modem.

3. Run ATF-Cleaner, clean all including Firefox and Opera (except passwords) run repeatedly until no more found.

4. Run CClean Temps and registry run repeatedly until no more found.

5. Reboot once again do nothing else go straight to the install.

At this point if you are experienced and knowledgeable of the programs running in memory it would be good to use Taskmgr to kill any other processes that you know about.

6. Do the install hopefully from the installer, but if nessesary via Winupdate!

7. After sucessful install immediatelly recheck all items in Startupctl and reboot to get them all back.

Reconnect cable or Modem/router during reboot.

8. Vist Winupdates for anything else.

Finished!

 

10-4 to both Arie and Pete.

Arie when I saw the "SP3 Final" on the link I didn't even think about the date.

I would have noticed RC3 etc right off!

But the link is to Microsoft.

Mike

 

I agree Pete!

I like MajorGeeks and they are usually very good at describing downloads and they always had an RC1 or 2 etc before. But this time it said Final and I jumped the gun.

Perhaps it is the final RC but they should have said so!

Mike

 

Additional comments to Add to the procedure.

Already mentioned is to not install SP3 if you have an unresolved Virus or Malware issue!

But!

PLEASE DO NOT INSTALL SP3 with an unresolved system error either. This error needs to be fixed prior to SP3!

After trying all to fix the issue, there may be a time to backup very good and hope SP3 will resolve it in the end.

But this is only a last resort. Try to fix it first!

Mike

 

OK today is release day!

But I have not seen it yet!

Everyone should be sure to get the real thing and not the missleading sp3 final etc. Make sure it is RTM and from M$.

Mike

 

Ok here is one announcement.

http://www.vnunet.com/computeractive/downloads/2158543/microsoft-windows-xp-service-pack-2

And a link to the file at Windowsupdate.com

http://download.windowsupdate.com/m..._c81472f7eeea2eca421e116cd4c03e2300ebfde4.exe

Mike

 

I have read that XP SP3 comes with I.E. 6 and WMP 10

After SP3 install, I suppose I.E. 6 will have to be updated to I.E.7? Will the settings for I.E.7 need to be reset and its add ons need to be re installed? To update WMP from 10 to 11, use Microsoft update site?

 

Thanks for the info Pete.

 

I have heard questions in other threads and on the www in general about why download the full 330M SP3 as opposed to letting win update do it.

These should be considered.

If you are inexperienced then winupdate is likely your best option.

If you are knowledgeable and experienced consider Slipstreaming.

1. Possibility of a glitch during the install via winupdate from Internet. Perhaps caused by Spy/Adware. Glitch at some places it will recover from but from the right place during the install and you have a mess.

2. So it can be done while disconnected from internet.

3. Have full SP3 for a reapply if needed especially if no www access. A service pack can be reinstalled to repair an issue. Or the service pack can be uninstalled and reinstalled (offline) if you have the full SP.

3. To slipsteam, so if you do an SFC it will pull files from SP3 instead of an older SP.

4. To do a Repair install with an up to date SP.

5. To do a clean install with latest SP instead of having to install with SP2 then update to SP3.

Perhaps others have more reasons for or against this.

Mike

 

Mike, I followed your instructions to the letter. I started by downloading the ISO image from the link provided by (Pete?) and burned to CD. All went OK till #6. I started the CD and it went for about 2 or 3 minutes then stopped with a message that a file was corrupted. I went Start> Run > sfc /scannow and left it to do it's thing. When SFC was finished, I restarted the SP3 CD and about an hour and a half later it was finished. I did #7 and reconnected my ADSL cable and all is working sweetly. I think from my experience that SFC /scannow might be worthwhile including in your set of instructions. I've now got 4 more computers to do. Incidentally, AVG. notified me last evening on #2 comp while I was downloading SP3 image, that Version 8.0 Free was available to download. So I started doing that and while #2 comp was busy I started #3 and lo and behold Avast wanted to update a new version as well. Been a busy few hours. Thanks for your list Mike. Cheers Neil.

 

I do remember putting the I386 from my Windows XP SP1 Home edition disk in C:\I386 and then going into the registry to point it to this file location rather than to a CD drive, so that SFC would know where to look. I understand that the SFC tool will always use the most recent version of a file, correct?

So if the 316MB installation file is used, what would need to be done for SFC to work properly after SP3 installation?

I think it would definitely be a big plus in terms of security, not having to use the internet to install, especially with antivirus software disabled.

 

Hi Alicia, I have 3 of the 4 computers with SP3 installed and working OK. I had more trouble with this (my main PC) as it wouldn't accept the ISO Image SP3 I had burned to CD. MS Update was sitting in the Task tray so I tried that and had a fail. I repeated Mike's instructions again and tried once more - no luck so I shut the PC down and left it for about 4 hours. I switched it on again and thought I would try the update in the tray, still wouldn't go past executing (about 3 mins) so I went into MS update and got it to check for Express Critical Updates and you guessed it found KB936929 needed to be installed. I hit the download/install button and it started and did it's thing very slowly so I went to bed and left it doing it's own thing. When I checked this morning all was OK. SP3 is installed and all 100%. Don't know whether this will help but I now have one comp left to do. Neil.

 

Yes it is helpful. Thanks Neil. Glad to hear you got SP3 installed and running okay. I burned a copy of the ISO file to a CD. I also have the
WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU 316MB file on my HD.

I still want to do some house cleaning and Back ups before I take the plunge. I only have one PC at home, so it would be painful if things didn't go well.

 

Hi Alicia, I have now done all home computers with SP3 upgrade. I just attended to my wife's PC earlier this evening. What I did with this last one was to go into MS update and it checked automatically to see whether the validation tool was installed. I started to think that it was odd as all the 4 PC's had the validation tool installed some time ago. Any previous attempt to download KB's this was the first thing that happened. I now wonder whether this is the glitch that's causing grief for everyone. The validation tool/update (KB892130) (Windows Genuine Advantage WGA) was downloaded and then when it said it was successfully installed I started the Express check which then came up saying KB936929 needed to be downloaded - I hit install and it took about 45-50 minutes and SP3 was installed and everything is sweet. Because this is an ActiveX in WGA I could understand why it would need to re-install WGA as I had run Cleaners as per Mike Flynn's instruction list and ActiveX would have been cleaned out, but I did not do any thing to clear Temp Files or Cookies before going into MS update for this last SP3 install this afternoon!! The end result is what we wanted to achieve and all 4 Computers are running smoothly and seem to be a little quicker (Bobbo posted the same) Neil.

 

Thanks for the update Neil. Right now I'm stuck trying to get KB 950749 installed. Time to start another post.