Thoughts on SP3?

Has anyone successfully upgraded to the new Windows Service Pack 3 for XP Home? If so, how did it go? Are you have any issues or problems? Just wondering if it's a smart thing to do, or if I go on indefinitely running on SP2.

For the record, my gateway computer is running on XP home, SP2, 256 mb ram, 40 gb hard drive, with 16.7 gb free.

And I have no way to backup all my files, so I'm a bit aprehensive because of that. (Some recent bad updates - like KB951748 & a recent bad AVG update - have left a bad taste in my mouth, and I'm hoping I can leave well enough alone, without possibly doing more damage with yet another update)

 

Yes, it is the smart thing to do. More security first and foremost. Better performance also. You should do it. Update your PC.

However, "Microsoft Update" is not easy in this case. Little bugs sneak in during install - sometimes, that is. Not always. But this means that you risk running into "issues" later for example after a reinstall. This wipes SP3 out. And then you have to face "Microsoft Update" all over again.

No big problem. You can always try again, - should the bugs sneak in. Unless you don't have the patience.

For that purpose we have the non-geek pay-a-little-money-solution: get SP3 on a disk from Microsoft. This here is the international link. And this for the US and Canada. Finally Microsoft about SP3 here.

 

PS: your files should be perfectly safe - it's just another Microsoft Update. A big one, yes, but all the same: just Microsoft Update doing it's business as usual.

Service Pack 3 should arrive by ifself if you have auto-update on. So you can also just wait.

 

The user luckyvik just wrote these instructions i an other thread.

 

I had no problems updating from SP 2 to SP3 for my XP Home. It only took a while longer than what I had expected.

Looking at your specs I'm thinking that perhaps you would need a bit more of RAM? I've read that to run XP one should have at least 512 of RAM. But that's up to you of course. Perhaps it merits another thread?

 

Thanks for letting me know, oma.

 

OMA is right,buy RAM,cos you need.If you don't have money for 1gb,at least youshould buy 512mb.Comp's responce will be much better.
About SP3 download you should do it,for system to be stable.

 

OK, thanks.

Regarding ram....is it easy to install, especially for someone who's never messed with computers before? We are a bit apprehensive about opening up the tower...we don't want to make things worse!

 

Yes, it is easy - 2 minutes and you're done. But call the store, - if they're any good they'll do it for you on the spot. Just bring the PC with you when you buy if they OK it on the phone. If not: call an other shop.

 

Yes, it's easy to install. Here's a link from crucial to scan your system. Just click on "scan my system". It'll tell what type of RAM you have inside your CPU and what type, MB etc. is recommended for your system. This Crucial website has also detailed instructions (and in pictures) in how to install the memory. It's called "Desktop Memory Module Install."
http://www.crucial.com/#

You can save yourself a bit of $$ if you can do it yourself.