Resolved Xp sp3

I apologize if this is in the wrong forum!

I had read that SP3 had to be installed by a certain date in order to continue using Windows Update. I had heard it caused many problems to computers so I had never tried to install it as it is of no benefit to me.
It was supposed to be useful for IT professionals.

Well, I am almost 80 years old and certainly not an IT professional, or any other kind of computer professional.
I would like to know why *everybody was going to be required to get SP3. Of what possible benefit is SP3 to people like me? I am sure there might be a few other old dummies like me who may come to this forum.

It took all afternoon yesterday to install it and I still don't know if it was successful. I do know that my computer is much slower to boot up. It used to only take about 15 seconds, but is much slower now.
After trying to install it I found that it immediately had 19 vulnerabilities! My computer has always been kept up to date on updates as soon as they are posted and it *never had 19 updates. So I would assume that it is just as vulnerable as SP2 was.

I am sorry that this post is so long but I really would like to know of what advantage this update to SP3 is to me. All MS tells me is that is useful for IT Professionals.

 

I am only 11 years behind you and I have installed it on three computers without any problems. One only yesterday. I obtained an SP3 CD from Microsoft so installation is very easy, virtually hands off while I did something else.

You should be aware that SP3 came out in 2008 so there should be updates since there are thousands of "donkeys" out there writing malicious software and trying to discover vulnerabilities in our PC's so they can use them for their own purposes.

I suspect there will come a time when SP3 is a prerequisite for using Windows Update for XP. I don't know when that will be but I have heard that Microsoft said they would support XP at least through 2014. I suspect Win 7 will be into SP1 or beyond by then. Good Luck!

 

Thank you for your response but it did not answer my question.
I asked what were the benefits of installing SP3 to a user that is NOT an IT professional? It was a problematic install, and how was it beneficial to those who are *not IT professionals?
What does it have that made it worth installing it and causing problems to computers that never had any problems before.
I am not complaining about SP3...I am just very curious about it.
I don't like to take risks with a computer that has never had a problem because I am not knowledgeable enough to have to spend hours and days trying to fix something...
When I install something on my computer I want to know what it is and what it does.

 

Thank you very much, Steve. That is what I have been looking for.
My computer came with SP2 already on it so I never had to install anything...

 

G'Day "yankee1620 ",

As "Steve R Jones" pointed out quote, "Service packs are NOT mandatory and you do not have to install them. (for the most part they aren't mandatory) "

Having said that, you need also to be aware that Service Packs are released to fix errors in the Operating System and plug other Security bugs.

I recommend that you install SP3 and then perform all the updates until none remain, i.e. Windows Updates as a default, and if you have other Microsoft Software Installed, then activate (install) Windows Updates, which will give you access to all the Microsoft Operating System and Software Updates.

My Old Man is 90 and he installed all the SP's up to 3, and performed all the other High Priority, Software Optional and Hardware Optional updates and is very happy that he did! Only uses it to get on his Horse Racing and Betting Sites.

If you use the Internet, I would suggest that the updates for security reasons become Mandatory!

pcbugfixer

 

I had read about that...maybe in Windows Secrets...they said without SP3 I would no longer be able to get any updates to XP PRO. So I had to install it to be able to be kept up to date.