I had some problems when SP3 first came out, and am still using SP2. Now I need some updates that SP3 provides but don't want to mess up my machine again.. is it now safe to use with all the bugs ironed out of it? What's your opinion??
WinXP - SP2 vs SP3?? What do you suggest?
(38 posts) (10 voices)-
Buzz
MemberI recently tried SP3, but I always shut my system down with a main power switch on the wall. When I flip the wall switch on, the whole system starts up fine by itself. That is with SP2. Tried it with SP3, and it scrambles the file system resulting in a whole XP reinstall from scratch. (only tried this twice, and stayed with SP2 from then on)
Posted 13 years ago # -
copmom
MemberI'm afraid that's basically what I found when I tried SP3. Now what I'm trying to do is use my new Kodak printer to print multiple copies on Office 2003 and it's only doing ONE page and have to click print for another page, etc. Went to their troubleshooting and it said I needed Office 2003 Service Pack 3, which it will not let me install.. so thought perhaps SP3 would solve that problem.. arggggh!
Posted 13 years ago # -
Suze
Membercopmom and Buzz - I remember detailing the steps I took to upgrade from SP2 to SP3 on this Forum around 8 months ago. Ironically, my post was in response to both of you, since you were having difficulty at that time as well.
For what it's worth, here's the link to the topic (started by copmom!): http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/forums/topic/9101. Maybe it will help -- I hope so!
Posted 13 years ago # -
copmom
MemberThanks Suze... we certainly did cover a lot of things 8 months ago! I did find one culprit that was messing me up for quite sometime .. had a program that said AAW.exe (ad aware) under task manager, that was making me get 'low on memory' messages and it was running in the background constantly, did delete that program and now no more memory low messages!
Still not too sure about installing SP3 - support/updates or not! This all started because my new Kodak ESP Office 2170 printer won't print multiple copies, need to manually print something over and over, and as I said earlier, the Kodak troubleshooting said it was a Microsoft glitch, not just for my printer but others as well. But it wouldn't let me install Office 2003 sp3. So, now just need to figure out if XP SP3 will correct that.Posted 13 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorFWIW, I'd suggest a full backup, add SP3, then if any big problems, restore the backup. XP SP3 is what's supported nowadays, & most all software is written for it, including security related updates. For those that would rather re-install, there are plenty of sites with very good directions on merging SP3 into the content on the original XP install disc.
You should be doing backups anyway, if you use one of the Paragon apps you can back up the boot portion of the disk separately, or if you prefer, hard drive makers like Seagate have downloadable versions of Acronis that may be faster restoring from the bootable disc -- check the site for whatever brand(s) of hard drive you're using.
I never had any problems adding SP3 to any of the PCs here running XP when it came out, FWIW, so mileage varies. I wouldn't look for SP3 to fix too much, or to have changed much over the years, but the Windows updates after installing SP3 might.
Posted 13 years ago # -
ChrisS
Administratorcopmom, I don't think your problem is really Office 2003. It's the "new Kodak printer" that using drivers based on XP SP3. You're not going to fix your problem until you update the OS.
Do you backup your PC? If not, do you have an external drive or second internal hard drive?
Posted 13 years ago # -
Anonymous
UnregisteredUpdate for Windows XP (KB953356) **::** ( non-Intel Processors )
Brief Description
Install this update before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3 to prevent an issue in which your computer may restart continuously after you upgrade to SP3 on systems with non-Intel processors.
Knowledge Base (KB) Articles: KB953356
Date Published: 6/10/2008 (My PC AMD)
also some antivirus anti-spyware & firewall not like so I Format & go to new that will work or take off antivirus anti-spyware & firewall fit sp3 & refit antivirus so on.Posted 13 years ago # -
Suze
Membercopmom, I remember when SP3 came out there was a big problem with installing it on AMD processors, which is what I have (Compaq). The problem was not due to Microsoft, but to the way some OEMs had pre-installed the software on their systems. By the time I finally did install SP3, both Microsoft and HP/Compaq had updates that fixed the original problem, and my installation went well.
I agree with you -- I would hope, by now, that any (major) bugs have been fixed.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Whiterabbit-uk
Games GuruI still run one XP Pro system (mainly for checking game giveaways), and have not had any problems with SP3. Please do remember that it includes security updates so not installing SP3 is leaving your computer open to some attacks, especially as later security updates post SP3 require SP3 to be installed before you can install them.
I've used AMD processors for as long as I can remember. All my systems have AMD dual core processors at the moment apart from my laptop, and before I upgraded from XP to Win 7 last year I installed SP3 to all of them and cannot remember having any problems (apart from the occasional BSOD, but then prior to win 7 I'd always got them with windows occasionally.
Posted 13 years ago # -
copmom
MemberWell, I bit the bullet and upgraded to SP3 yesterday. Took quite awhile, almost f-o-r-e-v-e-r, and then there were 62 security updates to install!!!! But, so far, all is well.
You mention the BSOD, and I don't think I've had that since I went to XP. (Knock wood.. don't want to jinx myself here!)Posted 13 years ago # -
Suze
MemberYay, copmom!! Congratulations, and I'm glad, "so far, all is well." It's always a killer to then have to install all those updates after upgrading, but now your system is up-to-date (and supported). I hope this will allow you to run your new Kodak printer without any problems :)
Posted 13 years ago # -
copmom
MemberOn the upgrade have had a few problems like some games won't even open now. Printer runs fine except for not printing multiple copies! Am awaiting email from Kodak tech support. They've already responded once, and as usual, they don't really reply to the issue! Guess they're in a foreign country! So I emailed them back being VERY specific! They think I'm having a problem with their document feeder not printing multiple copies and had to let them know it's not that - it's printing multiple copies of things from my computer such as MS Word and Publisher. And having the option of "print selection" instead of a whole page. Oh well, other than that the printer is doing very well and the ink is really cheaper than the HP ink! By the way, found out Best Buy has deal - 20% off on inks and paper on Wednesdays.
Posted 13 years ago # -
copmom
MemberWell.. prior to upgrading to SP3 I had NO problems downloading and opening my hidden object games.. now, I've not been able to open any. Last try just got a blip noise and it stayed on the start up screen. Went to forums and it was suggested to update graphics drivers, and/or adjusting screen resolution, nada. I have a Radeon X300, ATI tech, and have checked that web site and can't figure out which driver I need to update. Vaguely remember some program we had that showed our drivers and what needed updating and can't, for the life of me, remember where to find that. Or where we find our drivers in Windows? Anyone know? IF that's the problem. Never had that problem prior to SP3, so don't know if that's the culprit or just a coincidence?? Anyone got any ideas?
Posted 13 years ago # -
mikiem2
Moderatorhttp://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx
For graphics card drivers -- the ones that ATI gives Microsoft to include with Windows & on their update site are minimal versions.
Whiterabbit & other gamers would know better than I about possible causes of game problems, but FWIW, many games write logs that say what went wrong. You might also check Direct X -- http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=35&WT.mc_id=MSCOM_EN_US_DLC_CAROUSEL_121LSUS007776 -- the small download will check the version installed & download what's needed to get current. Screen size would be set in the Catalyst Control Center portion of the AMD/ATI drivers &/or right-click the desktop & select Properties, going to the last tab & optionally clicking the advanced button.
Posted 13 years ago # -
copmom
MemberWell, guess what? Found on some forum that I needed to go to Dell's website to get the latest drivers.. after going back & forth on that site (like a chicken without a head), I found 2 downloads for video drivers. They didn't offer too much since my machine is about 5 years old, but I installed them, did a reboot, and left it to go eat. When I came back, my power saver for the monitor had shut off (which it had stopped doing), and I clicked on the one game that wouldn't work, and VOILA .. it worked!!!!!!
Ta daaaaaaaa! (so far). Now am downloading the other 2 games that I had no luck with and will see if they now will work!Posted 13 years ago # -
Anonymous
UnregisteredThis is a no-brainer. If your computer will install and run Win 7, why ever stick with XP?
Ditch SP2 for SP3 is another no-brainer. XP SP3 contains many vital security updates, and is far more stable... if you have to stick with XP you need SP3, which incidentally I installed on many different computers without any problems whatsoever. I would note hotdoge 3's comment above, though I never found this an issue!
As for powering off at the plug without shutting Windows down via the shut down button, this is really asking for trouble. If it is really necessary because of an OS freeze, you should always set to do a full disk scan with automatically fix file system errors checked and reboot letting the disk scan complete.
win 7 is great because if you have a little spare disk space, you can choose sleep, which re-loads in seconds, and restores all open windows and programs as they were, very much faster than a full re-boot!
Posted 13 years ago # -
copmom
Memberchazzo125, who's powering off at the plug? I'd never do that. I was talking about the power saver feature for the monitor where it turns off to whatever time is set in control panel/display. Anyway, now it's working.
Also got a reply back from Kodak about that printing problem, followed their instructions, and now can print multiple copies instead of just one at a time! Here's what they sent me:I understand from your email that your printer doesn’t print from your computer inspite of selecting multiples number of copies. I will make sure to provide you the best resolution.
In this case please follow the below given steps to resolve the issue:For USB connection:
1. Unplug the USB cable from the Computer.
2. Click on Start.
3. Go to Control Panel.
4. Go to “Printers and Faxes”.
5. Right click on ESP Office 2170 printer icon and delete it.
6. Plug in the USB cable and please wait for the computer to install printer drivers. Try printing.Posted 13 years ago # -
copmom
MemberBuzz, scrolled up and found what you said. My machine is on 24/7 unless we have a thunder/lightening storm. At that time I do shut down the machine and then unplug at the wall to be safe. Already had to replace motherboards on 2 machines because of lightening so learned the hard way that just shutting off the machine isn't enough.. must unplug as well! Another time, (years ago), had a fax program on one computer to receive faxes. At that time, even though I shut down and unplugged, that telephone line was still attached and that machine got fried. I do learn things the hard way I'm afraid!
Just reminded myself, if another storm, must unplug the phone cord from that new Kodak printer I've been referring to as well, it's a 4 in 1 and is plugged in to get faxes! Yikes!Posted 13 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorPurely FWIW...
Found on some forum that I needed to go to Dell's website to get the latest drivers... I found 2 downloads for video drivers. They didn't offer too much since my machine is about 5 years old, but I installed them, did a reboot, and left it to go eat. When I came back, my power saver for the monitor had shut off (which it had stopped doing), and I clicked on the one game that wouldn't work, and VOILA .. it worked!!!!!!
Laptops [& probably some mini's] often use their own designs on the main circuit board regarding the graphics chipset -- desktop systems normally use a plug-in card &/or have a graphics chipset on the motherboard, and most often that main circuit board is based on reference designs supplied by whomever made the main motherboard's chipset, mostly Intel or AMD. Manufacturers usually supply a copy of the graphics drivers when a laptop/PC is new, but usually do not continue to develop those drivers, spending their time & money on whatever's current in their product lineup. When the motherboard & graphics are based on a reference design, whomever made the graphics chipset has the latest drivers -- the same goes for on-board audio, network, I/O chips etc. That said, because of their [deceptive?] marketing, Dell products can sometimes make it harder to find working drivers -- the *key* phrase I used a moment ago was *Reference Design*, which most always applies to every retail product a manufacturer produces, & the hardware Dell stuffs inside their PCs is often Not Retail. The most well-known example I'm aware of is Dell's versions of Creative Sound cards, which are not actually the model they're advertised to be. To a lesser extent Dell has done this with graphics cards as well.
The only way I'm aware of to tell if your ATI x300 is a regular or special Dell version would be to open the case, write down the numbers off the card, & research them. If you have a regular X300, then ATI will have the latest drivers, BUT, I can't say that it would be worth the effort, especially as things work for you now, & given the graphics card you're working with [please don't take offense but the X300 was a minimal card when it was current, I'm guessing maybe 7 years ago].
Posted 13 years ago # -
mikiem2
ModeratorThis is a no-brainer. If your computer will install and run Win 7, why ever stick with XP?
Actually win8 may turn out to be a better alternative since it'll be designed to run on lower powered tablets -- Vista & the win7 that's based on it doesn't do all that well with a single core, or with low amounts of RAM. Unfortunately at this very early stage it looks like disk space requirements may be still too high for many legacy machines.
That said, & from a purist point of view, what win7 does better for me [dual booting XP Pro SP3 & win7 ult 64 SP1] is limited to apps that like added RAM & later versions of DX. I do wish it was different -- my wife's PC boots Vista & win7 HP 64 SP1, & she mainly uses Vista because that's where her so-called casual games run better/faster. I wish it was different because of the time & effort spent getting win7 set up, because of the extra hassle of updating win7 since she's never in it to auto-update, and so on. But such is life. :-) [And it's not like she's running ancient hardware with an AMD quad, Soundblaster Audigy 2, ATI HD 4870, 6 GB RAM, & so on.]
As for powering off at the plug without shutting Windows down via the shut down button, this is really asking for trouble...
Couldn't agree more FWIW... Not only doesn't Windows get a chance to write everything in memory [virtual & real], but I don't think it's doing the hard drive(s) any favors. The debate's ongoing when it comes to powering off your PC/laptop, or even if you should let drives sleep while you're working. I do it the only way I'm comfortable, shutting down PCs when not in use [my parents both grew up during the Depression so blame my upbringing if you want, but I've just never been able to get comfortable with the idea of leaving stuff on]. At any rate, I shut them down, then turn off the power at the battery backup -- the same as unplugging but a whole lot easier. Both the battery backup & the surge protector the cable line is routed through protect from lightning strikes. Without power there's no way the PC can be turned on or woken via the network. I've been rendering/encoding video for over a decade, so waiting for a PC, whether it's doing something or just starting, has long ago ceased being a concern let alone an issue. Regarding the battery backup, the ones we use are anything but fancy, high-dollar units, but they've proven invaluable with our sometimes frequent power blips [when the lights shut off for just an instant &/or flicker]. By preventing under-voltages they **May** also prolong the life of hardware, but I couldn't prove that one way or another.
Oh well... at least no one's admitting they turn their monitors to face the wall at night so no one can spy on them, & while I have no idea how true that is, allegedly people do do that.
Posted 13 years ago # -
Whiterabbit-uk
Games GuruRe: Chazzos mention of sleep mode (hibernate), I’ve started to use that every day now as it is a much faster way of restarting your computer and to all intents and purposes the computer seems to have turned itself off when I choose hibernate. I also have got to agree with you on the choice between XP and Win 7. When I decided to migrate over to Win 7 (thanks pavid for all the advice on that), I decided to opt for the Pro and Ultimate versions because they allow you to create a free virtual image of XP (though you have to download it from Microsoft) so that you can still use XP's shell if you wish. I'd intended to when i was migrating because I thought I'd get issues running many of my older games and applications (like I did when I bought a copy of vista), but those problems have never surfaced at all so haven't bothered to install the free XP image. As mentioned above I still run a copy of XP, but I never use the computer unless I’m testing to see if a game works for my game reviews. Whenever i return to XP I can't wait to get back to Win 7. It just runs so much better, looks gorgeous and has so many extra features that XP didn't have. It even includes a desktop notelet that looks like one of those yellow 'Post it's' (which I've found invaluable recently) and a screen capture tool, lol.
With respect to my ultimate version. I did have a problem with it two weeks ago and was forced to reinstall due to a fault with my disc or possibly that grammar and spell checker Whitesmoke) Anyway I was really shocked to find that Amazon had sold me a business version, which I've discovered cannot be reactivated on a home computer if it's reinstalled to a new hard drive. When I tried to reactivate it said the product code had been blocked. When I phoned customer services I was told I would have to purchase a new product code for just under £90. I asked for a supervisor who checked my product code and told me I'd been given a business code that wasn't supposed to be sold to home users and was told to contact amazon for a refund. In the mean time I have about 10 days left from the 28 day grace period so decided to purchase a product code (with no software included) from a non-Microsoft company in the UK for almost a quarter of what Microsoft were asking. In the meantime I'm hoping Amazon will exchange the product code for a home user code. Though it was last July (2010) that I purchased it so I doubt they will be amenable.
ha ha .....
love that last comment Mikiem, it reminded me of those who don't bother to paint or repaper walls behind pictures and furniture. I remember the first house I sold; one prospective customer started to check behind all of my pictures and furniture. I asked him what he was doing, to which he replied i'm checking to make sure you've papered behind the pictures. I told him that every room had been stripped of furniture when I re decorated, but he still carried on checking.
Posted 13 years ago # -
I remeber the first house I sold one prospective customer started to check behind all my pictures and furniture and i asked him what he was doing.
Probably looking for holes in or stains on the walls... for some people it's cheaper to hang a picture over a hole in the wall rather than repair it. Likewise putting a lounge chair or a floor rug over a patch of damaged flooring.
Posted 13 years ago # -
copmom
MemberLOL I had a situation, had to buy a new refrigerator. Well it was too tall for the existing kitchen cabinet over it, so they had to remove that. (Never could reach it anyhow). Now I do have a white wall space over the refrig. until we repaint again! As for the short but wide cabinet, it's been sitting in a corner of the dining room. Daughter had great suggestion, install it over the washer or dryer for reachable storage for laundry products! Waste not, want not!
PS.. that's funny, turning monitor to face the wall, who would have thought of that?? And, who would even think of just unplugging their computers without properly shutting down first?
As for surge/lightening protectors, even with an expensive one, I did have one fried motherboard, as mentioned above. It did have a lifetime warranty on it (through Quill Corp.), and when I contacted them, they did pay to replace that motherboard as well as sending me a new surge protector with a high 'clip rate'!Posted 13 years ago #
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