Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/info.as...isplayLang%3den

Windows XP Service Pack 3 - ISO-9660 CD Image File
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/info.as...isplayLang%3den

Windows XP Service Pack 3 Overview
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/info.as...isplayLang%3den

Windows XP Service Pack 3 MUI Pack Update
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/info.as...isplayLang%3den

SMS Template Files for Windows XP Service Pack 3 Deployment
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/info.as...isplayLang%3den

Windows XP Service Pack 3, Checked Build
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/info.as...isplayLang%3den

Release Notes for Windows XP Service Pack 3
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/info.as...isplayLang%3den

have it installed and no problems to report

Ditto, took about 25 minutes to install.

List of fixes that are included in Windows XP Service Pack 3

SUMMARY
This article lists the problems that are fixed in Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3). Service packs are cumulative. This means that the problems that are fixed in a service pack are also fixed in later service packs. For example, Windows XP SP3 contains all the fixes that are included in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).


INTRODUCTION
This article contains a list of Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) articles that describe the fixes and updates that were added in Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3). This article is primarily intended to help IT Professionals and corporate helpdesks support and maintain a company’s computer system.


MORE INFORMATION
For more information about how to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322389 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389/) How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack


Fix list
The following fix list includes only the updates that were added in Windows XP SP3. For more information about the updates that are included in previous Windows XP service packs, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946480/

Hi , This service pack will probably be the last one for XP . You should make this thread a sticky . Just my 2 pennies

So I was surfing around & ran into an article about folks having lots of problems w/ SP3: http://www.computerworld.com/action/articl...ticleId=9084418.

A Google search reveals confirmations of this (and other problems). Given that I just rescued my computer from the evils of Vista, I'm a bit hesitant to d/l SP3. Plus, I have an AMD processor, which apparently seems to be the main culprit, and that "Most users who left messages on the forum said that they were unable to boot into Windows Safe mode — a last-ditch way to sidestep the normal boot process for troubleshooting purposes — or revert to a previously saved System Restore point."
(This reminds me of another issue I'm having - why can't I boot in Safe Mode? F8 just isn't working...)

Anyone have any experience with this? I'm planning to wait until I get wind of a more stable SP3, but I am curious about others' experiences.

Before you install SP3, setup a good backup strategy. Ideally create an image backup of your boot drive (Acronis True Image is the way to go in my opinion). Once you have that, give SP3 a try. If it messes you up, restore your backup image and in less than 30 minutes your up and running again.

I'd recommend getting an external USB 2.0 drive enclosure, with fan and at least a 250GB hard drive (IDE). The you can buy Acronis True Image or Norton Ghost or go the free route and use DriveImage XML.

It crashed my AMD 64...but i was able to get to safemode and do a system restore. Im not downloading it.But i would like to get out of system tray as far as automatic updates its just sitting there.

http://forums.pcpitstop.com/index.php?show...p;#entry1500407

post #15

XP SP3 crashes AMD machines

XP SP3 crashes AMD machines
- http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/new...es-amd-machines
9 May 2008 - "...Windows XP, Service Pack 3, is giving owners of machines with AMD hardware headaches aplenty it seems. The problems, which first arose just one day after the push, have been causing lots of noise on Microsoft support sites and angry user bogs. One user reported, "I just installed Windows XP SP3 and after completing the processes and when the system reboots, the system cannot proceed to load the Windows. It just displays the flash screen of Windows then after it reboots again." Angry users have also reported that, after the installation, it is not even possible to boot in safe mode, usually the last resort before setting up a repeated forehead/screen interface... there appears to be two separate problems. One affects only AMD-equipped PCs sold by Hewlett-Packard. "The problem is that HP, apparently along with other OEMs, deploys the same image to Intel-based computers that they do to AMD-based computers," said Johansson. "Because the image for both Intel and AMD is the same all have the intelppm.sys driver installed and running. That driver provides power management on Intel-based computers. On an AMD-based computer, amdk8.sys provides the same functionality." There's a whole bunch of other info and some useful fixes for those of you stuck in the dreaded loop of death over on Jesper's Bog*."
* http://preview.tinyurl.com/6zs52d
(MSinfluentials.com/blogs/jesper)

This post has been edited by Mr Freeze: May 11 2008, 10:41 PM

Hmmm... sounds like a lot of drama for not a lot of payoff at this point. Any idea when we'll get word on a fix? Not that MS cares about XP that much anymore, but they really can't expect to just leave us AMD folks hanging. Unless there's an evil conspiracy with Intel...

could be a vista strategy to be gone with windows xp/and any other windows...afterall alot of money went into windows vista......i got vista on laptop and it wont load service pack 1

I have AMD and ran into the same Windows would not boot in Safe Mode. I chose System Restore and I was back up and running. I believe SP3 finished installing after the restore.

i have a self built AMD system. is it just HP AMD computers? i dont want to mess about with backing up and all that jazz, is it necessary as my pc runs perfectly fine the way it is?

LadySoulflower, you should have a good backup strategy already in place. If not, now is a good time to do so.

I absolutely guarantee you will have more computer problems, it's the nature of the beast. It's not a matter of if, only when. And Murphy will also guarantee that the more important your data, the more severe the problem. If you have irreplaceable data then that almost guarantees a hard drive failure

Spend the time and money now to prevent catastrophe later.

I"m sure many of you have read this but for those who didn't !

Prerequisites to install Windows XP SP3
Windows XP SP3 cannot be installed if you have the following updates installed on your computer: • Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit
• Remote Desktop Connection (RDP) 6.0 MUI pack (Update 925877 for Windows XP)
Please uninstall these updates before you install Windows XP SP3. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
949388 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949388/) Windows XP Service Pack 3 installation fails with an error message, and the following error is logged in the service pack installation log: "8007F0F4 - STATUS_PREREQUISITE_FAILED"

This is a paste job from Article ID : 950717

Please paste this around to the other arcticals about sp3
Thx