[CompaqBabe]

I have been warned in the past not to install Service Pack 3 on my system from friends who are way more computer savvy than I am. They said it messes up your system in some way, so beware. I cannot recall the technical details they mentioned. Yet I've had other tech people tell me that SP3 is fine and that I should install it.

Needless to say, I'm confused.

What do you feel are the pros and cons of SP3?
Would you recommend it to your friends?
Why or why not?

Enlighten me.

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Your computer specs say Microsoft Windows XP Home, then underneath XP Professional.
Which is it please.

[Macboatmaster]

Your computer specs say Microsoft Windows XP Home, then underneath XP Professional.
Which is it please.

[CompaqBabe]

Oh, excuse me. I have XP Home Edition.

[Macboatmaster]

Presuming it is a Compaq, post details of the actual computer please, model and model number.
Also Click Start, Right click, My Computer, click Properties and provide details from the General Tab, deleting personal info.

Edited by Macboatmaster, 17 March 2010 - 01:51 PM.

[DaffyKantReed]

@CompaqBabe:


List of fixes that are included in Windows XP Service Pack 3
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946480

You do not need to apply SP1 and SP2 before SP3. You should visit Windows Update after installing SP3 to get the rest of the updates from May 2008 forward.


Download and save the file to a CD or USB drive in the event you plan to use it on several PCs or if you reinstall Windows XP.

http://www.microsoft...;displaylang=en
It's a better way to install the SP as opposed to Windows Update.

The benefits of installing SP3 greatly outweigh the risk of something going pear shaped.

[Macboatmaster]

I do not think you should at this atage install SP3, you only have 768Mb of ram.
Windows XP really needs 1Gb minimum to run efficiently. You can of course run it with less but SP3 install will not help the speed of processes.
My best advice is to throw another stick of ram in, and then install SP3.
The absolute minimum recommended ram for JUST XP is 256Mb, you then have to include of course ALL other running processes and programs.
Unless you already know, do a scan on say Crucial Memory scanner, that will tell you how the ram is made up, ie: a 512 and a 256 etc and WHAT you can have.
SP3 is the best bet, as support for XP with less than SP3 has already finished/

Edited by Macboatmaster, 17 March 2010 - 05:18 PM.

[DaffyKantReed]

Windows XP SP3, correctly configured, is not very hard on resources at all. I'd have CompaqBabe look through the Startup tab in Msconfig and uncheck anything which is unnecessary. Following this, I believe 768MB of RAM is sufficient for most of us.

[Macboatmaster]

1GB of Ram for XP is usually sufficent, but if you are running several programs at once more ram will help.
XP 32bit will only "see" about 3.0-3.5 GB ram

Above I have pasted the generally accepted advice.
XP will actually run with 256 Mb of ram. However Windows allocates a portion of the hard disk to use as ram whenever it is needed. If you run a number of applications, at the same time, or anything that is a heavy user of ram, you will see the difference with more ram. It is the cheapest improvement you can make to the smoothness and speed of operations.

That said, DaffyKantReed is also correct. It depends on what you want to do and how you are experienced enough to go about it.

I personally will stick with my original advice. Installing SP3 and then if you are not happy uninstalling SP3 can be the cause of problems.

[happyrock]

it won't be long...July I think...that if you do not have Service Pack 3 install on xp you will not be able to update it...

EDIT...http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/12/support-for-windows-xp-sp2-windows-2000-ends-july-13-2010.ars

Microsoft has issued a reminder this week that it will stop providing support for Windows 2000 and Windows XP Service Pack 2 on July 13, 2010. After this date, public support for these products ends and Microsoft will no longer provide any assisted support or security updates...
For Windows XP SP2, users are encouraged to move to Windows 7, Windows Vista, or simply Windows XP Service Pack 3, for which support will end two years after the next service pack (likely not happening) or at the end of the product's supported lifecycle, whichever comes first. Microsoft retired Mainstream Support for Windows XP on April 14, 2009, but Extended Support won't be retired until April 8, 2014. This date affect all versions of XP (except for Embedded): Home Edition, Media Center Edition 2002, Media Center Edition 2004, Media Center Edition 2005, Professional, Tablet PC Edition, and Tablet PC Edition 2005. Support for SP1 was retired on October 10, 2006.

Edited by happyrock, 18 March 2010 - 04:10 PM.

[Macboatmaster]

happyrock makes the point I did in Post 6, but I stand corrected he is right.
In case anyone is interested Lifecycle support for XP
http://support.micro...N=en-gb&C2=1173

[CompaqBabe]

Presuming it is a Compaq, post details of the actual computer please, model and model number.
Also Click Start, Right click, My Computer, click Properties and provide details from the General Tab, deleting personal info.

Actually, I now have an Emachine, model T2682
Also, as you requested:

Under General Tab:

Microsoft Windows XP, Home edition, ver. 2002, SP2

Computer:
Intel Celeron CPU 2.60 GHz, 2.59 GHz, 768 MB RAM

I appreciate the advice I'm receiving from you all! More?

Edited by CompaqBabe, 19 March 2010 - 06:23 PM.

[CompaqBabe]

Windows XP SP3, correctly configured, is not very hard on resources at all. I'd have CompaqBabe look through the Startup tab in Msconfig and uncheck anything which is unnecessary. Following this, I believe 768MB of RAM is sufficient for most of us.

When looking at "misconfig," how do I know which programs are essential and which I can uncheck safely?

[CompaqBabe]

happyrock makes the point I did in Post 6, but I stand corrected he is right.
In case anyone is interested Lifecycle support for XP
http://support.micro...N=en-gb&C2=1173

Ugh! This makes me sick! I just got my computer the way I want it, and now I'm going to have to invest in more RAM to run Windoze 7 so I can keep up with the technical Joneses! Arrgh! Like I've got the money to do THAT!

[happyrock]

When looking at "misconfig," how do I know which programs are essential and which I can uncheck safely?

if its a tower uncheck everything except your AV and FIREWALL