[nondaj]

I erroneously thought all upgrades must be undertaken and so stumbled into SP3 for my Win XP-Pro.

Have posed the question about uninstalling SP3 before and was advised one can do so. But on getting info about doing so, I ran into many cautions etc. about uninstalling SP3 and returning to SP2. There is either many conflicting ideas about uninstalling SP3 or I am not understanding what I am reading or it becomes so technical I get lost in the maze of directions.

Has anyone here had any experiences with uninstalling SP3 and how did it go?

Reason for wanting to uninstall SP3 is when trying to download some programs or do some work I am getting message that the XP-Pro Windows Disc SP3 is needed. I do not have same and cannot believe I would have to buy XP-Pro all over again.

Help help - can advise?

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How to remove Windows XP Service Pack 3 from your computer.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950249

SRX660

[SRX660]

How to remove Windows XP Service Pack 3 from your computer.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950249

SRX660

[nondaj]

Have looked at the site you gave me and will try the first method they are recommending. Question I have is that some people say uninstalling SP3 automatically installs SP2 or reverts back to that - is this true because others are not experiencing this.

Am wondering if I should have SP2 download or my XP Pro Win disc ready to go. Not sure what it means to have Windows without a Service Pack.

[Neil Jones]

Uninstalling SP3 will take the system back to how it was before you installed SP3. Therefore if you had SP2 before, you'll go back to SP2.

[nondaj]

Thanks so very much to all who responded to this thread. Do appreciate your help and will post how I made out with the uninstall. Thanks again.

[nondaj]

Successfully uninstalled SP3 and in fact Win XP pro reverted back to SP2! Still unclear to me why MS would institute a SP3 update and then when trying to do somethings one gets a message that the WinXP SP3 disc needs to be used. Who is going to buy a new OS disc just for another SP pack?

Thanks for all the help however.

[SRX660]

I have been slipstreaming SP2 and SP3 into the XP OS since i found out there could be problems reinstalling the OS if you caught a virus or some malware after you updated . I would slipstream and then burn a new CD with the update added. Customers appreciate it when they don't have to worry about having the right XP CD to fix their computer with. It brings them back to buy new computers from me instead of the Circuit city store.

SRX660

[nondaj]

I wish I could understand what you are saying. Do not know the term slipstreaming. Also are you suggesting I do something re slipststreaming and burning a new CD? Sorry I am not more PC literate to comprehend what you re saying. So unsure if I should be doing something.

[SRX660]

This might explain slipstreaming.

http://lifehacker.co...installation-cd

I am saying that if you need to reinstall the operating system on you computer and you have updated it to SP3 you only choice will be to wipe the hard drive and reinstall from scratch. This is because the Microsoft CD will stop installing and give you an error that your system is newer than the system on the D. If you have a slipstreamed CD you can do a repair install without any problems.

Something even better than a slipstreamed CD is to use Norton Ghost to make a exact copy of your system including upgrades and changes you have made to make the OS to your liking, and burn it to cd's or a DVD. That way you have a recovery CD that when you reinstall you don't need to spend weeks reinstalling programs, data files and resetting your preferences. It's already done in the Ghost recovery CD(DVD).

Good reading on Ghost

http://ghost.radified.com/

SRX660

[nondaj]

Think I understand a bit more now and will look at the sites you offered and take it from there. I just have to be very careful as being a novice re PCs I can get in a world of trouble often trying to follow directions - but then that is my problem.

Thanks so much for your help.

[nondaj]

I seem to still be having problems around the uninstall of SP3. All went well seemingly with uninstall and Windows reverted back to SP2. When I now do a disc cleanup however, it asks for WinXP Pro in the CDRom drive. I did so and then find a message saying my version of SP2 on the computer is older than the version on my XP Pro disc and keeping the files may cause instibility of the system. To use other XP Pro Disc with SP2 on it. ?????

Just now tried again to do disc cleanup and message no longer appeard that XP Pro disc is needed but I find the disc scan is not working - it does not clean up files. Also discovering that my internet options screen is not working - the deleting of cookies does nothing nor are temporary files deleted.

Can advise? My XP Pro disc says it is XP Pro SP2 version 2002.

[nondaj]

Since last post the errors/problems previously mentioned has cleared seemingly of their own accord as I have done nothing to enable such.

However, now I am 'bugged' with alert notifications, small windows telling me my PC is at risk and to update Windows. I have to go through going online to Upgrade Center and checking all updates to make sure I get updates but not SP3. There must be an easier way to handle same.

Would not mind upgrading again to SP3 but am afraid again of getting message to insert XP-pro disc and when I do so being told I must insert XP disc with version SP3 on it. Am at a loss as to why an upgrade would demand OS disc.

Maybe I have errored some place in all of this. Would appreciae very much someone's advice here and explanation if possible as to why the need for an XP-Pro disc with SP3 on it in order to accomplish some task.

Know I should have kept records of what was going on but did not anticipate a problem but near as I can remember, I wanted to download something from the internet when I got this message re need for XP-Pro Disc with SP3 on it.

[SRX660]

You can turn off auto update so you do not get the popups.

* Click Start , click Control Panel , and then double-click System.
* Click the Automatic Updates tab, and then click Turn off automatic updating. I want to update my computer manually.

SRX660

[nondaj]

True had tried that for a period of time but I still get alerts just a different kind which necessitates checking to make sure critical updates are new ones I must download. Most times there is none but the SP3 that they are alerting me to.

Might you know what that message meant that I got saying to insert OS disc with SP3 on it?