XP SP3 Final available now

[Zenoth]

I installed SP3 and nothing went wrong. I was quite surprised! No services suddenly activated after the reboot, no services active were suddenly disabled, nothing changed. It successfully kept all of my personal configurations and all was 100% working. I remember when I first installed SP2 over SP1... it was a nightmare, basically I had to reformat and avoid SP2 altogether for at least half a year until Microsoft finally released enough updates for it to make it worth it.

But I see that SP3 is completely different. It contains everything SP1/SP2 had, plus newer fixes, and nothing went wrong at all. I'm very pleased with this and for once I can sincerely thank Microsoft for releasing a real stable and what I can indeed call a final product/update/pack. I never tried any SP3 Release Candidates though, maybe those had some issues, like the booting loops and the missing task bar or something similar, but this final version for me works wonders.

I'm going to split-stream it, something I never dared doing with SP2.

 

[FrozenCanadian]

Originally posted by: computer
I wonder if they got the rebooting/restarting loop problem fixed. It's taking me about 10 tries to finally get the desktop loaded each time I start this PC. Has anyone with this problem installed the release version, and do you still have it or is it fixed?

I installed SP3 from windows update this morning and I had the rebooting loop. I had to do a system restore to get the computer working again.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: owensdj
Could someone post the MD5 sum for the official SP3 Network Install? I want to see if it matches the SP3 install released earlier.

The one I downloaded yesterday from Microsoft is:

md5sum WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe
bb25707c919dd835a9d9706b5725af58 WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe

 

[owensdj]

Here's a warning to those planning on making a XP SP3 slipstream CD. Someone on another forum did a test where they slipstreamed SP3 using a SP0/Gold CD then compared the files to a slipstream CD made by integrating SP2 first then SP3. The former CD had some files that were older than the SP2+SP3 CD. I guess that's why Microsoft says you need to have either SP1 or SP2 installed before you install SP3. They didn't include some files in SP3 that were updated in SP1.

To make a SP3 slipstream CD you should integrate SP2 first then SP3.

 

[computer]

Originally posted by: Zenoth
I installed SP3 and nothing went wrong. I was quite surprised! No services suddenly activated after the reboot, no services active were suddenly disabled, nothing changed.

There are new Services that are added. I believe they are:
Extensible Authentication Protocol Service
Health Key and Certificate Management Service
Network DDE DSDM
Office Source Engine
Wired AutoConfig

I can't remember if .NET 2 is part of SP3. If it is, then it adds about 3 or 4 new Services as well.

I'm going to split-stream it, something I never dared doing with SP2.

That's slip-stream.

Did you do any internet tests before and after to see if your connection had slowed down?

 

[computer]

Originally posted by: owensdj
Here's a warning to those planning on making a XP SP3 slipstream CD. Someone on another forum did a test where they slipstreamed SP3 using a SP0/Gold CD then compared the files to a slipstream CD made by integrating SP2 first then SP3. The former CD had some files that were older than the SP2+SP3 CD. I guess that's why Microsoft says you need to have either SP1 or SP2 installed before you install SP3. They didn't include some files in SP3 that were updated in SP1.

To make a SP3 slipstream CD you should integrate SP2 first then SP3.

Is an XP Pro with SP2 on it ok? I haven't tried this yet, but I think many are using something called NLite.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: computer

Originally posted by: BoomerD
I've restarted both my computers a couple of times since the install. No problems here.

And you had the rebooting problem previously?

nope. Maybe I misunderstood...I thought the reboot problem you were referring to was something recent, caused by the beta release of SP3.

 

[computer]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: computer

Originally posted by: BoomerD
I've restarted both my computers a couple of times since the install. No problems here.

And you had the rebooting problem previously?

nope. Maybe I misunderstood...I thought the reboot problem you were referring to was something recent, caused by the beta release of SP3.

Sorry, what I mean was did you have the problem on a previous version of SP3 prior to the final release. We're trying to ascertain if the problem has been fixed in the final release of SP3, (but it appears that it has not according to the M$ forums).

 

[Chadder007]

Anyone else having trouble with Netgear Wireless cards connecting to routers using the Zero Wireless Configuration service of XP after installing SP3?

I have to pull the card out and place it back in after logging in to the laptop now to get it to connect.

 

[imported_Husky55]

Originally posted by: vailr
WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe - 316 MB (331,805,736 bytes)

MD5: BB25707C919DD835A9D9706B5725AF58

Digitally signed: Monday, April 14, 2008 12:30:34 AM

Internet Explorer 6.0.2900.5512

Thanks,

 

[imported_Husky55]

Originally posted by: computer

Originally posted by: owensdj
Here's a warning to those planning on making a XP SP3 slipstream CD. Someone on another forum did a test where they slipstreamed SP3 using a SP0/Gold CD then compared the files to a slipstream CD made by integrating SP2 first then SP3. The former CD had some files that were older than the SP2+SP3 CD. I guess that's why Microsoft says you need to have either SP1 or SP2 installed before you install SP3. They didn't include some files in SP3 that were updated in SP1.

To make a SP3 slipstream CD you should integrate SP2 first then SP3.

Is an XP Pro with SP2 on it ok? I haven't tried this yet, but I think many are using something called NLite.

I am actually doing the slip stream at this moment. So it's real timely info.

 

[owensdj]

computer, yes that would be fine. As long as your original XP CD is either SP2 or SP1 you can slipstream SP3 using it. If your original XP CD is pre-SP1 you'll need to integrate SP1 or SP2(might as well use SP2) and then integrate SP3 to get all of the most updated files. You can do this using NLite. That's how I made my XP SP3 CD. I started with a pre-SP1 CD and integrated SP2 then integrated SP3 with that using NLite.

 

[computer]

Originally posted by: owensdj
computer, yes that would be fine. As long as your original XP CD is either SP2 or SP1 you can slipstream SP3 using it. If your original XP CD is pre-SP1 you'll need to integrate SP1 or SP2(might as well use SP2) and then integrate SP3 to get all of the most updated files. You can do this using NLite. That's how I made my XP SP3 CD. I started with a pre-SP1 CD and integrated SP2 then integrated SP3 with that using NLite.

Ok thank you.

 

[LOUISSSSS]

so to install this SP3, i download from the MS link above (554mb) then burn it to a CD then install it after booting into windows sp2?

 

[computer]

Originally posted by: LOUISSSSS
so to install this SP3, i download from the MS link above (554mb) then burn it to a CD then install it after booting into windows sp2?

I'm not sure since I haven't slipstreamed yet, nor do I see the link you're talking about, but the SP3 download is 316mb. Sounds like the ISO is the FULL XP OS, plus SP2 + SP3. Or it may be SP2 + SP3. If you're not going to reformat, then there's no point in doing this, just install the 316mb d'load. If you are going to reformat, then the slipstream CD has to be XP + SP2 + SP3, since SP3 will only install over SP2 (unless they changed that) then you boot off that CD, format the HD and install it just like you would with the original XP CD.

 

[GregGreen]

Slipstreamed SP3 onto my previous SP1 install disc, reformatted, and installed on my thinkpad t43. All is going well with it so far!

 

[computer]

So you didn't have SP2 involved anywhere? Did you use the SP3 download or an ISO download?

 

[tcsenter]

Originally posted by: computer
Why is SP3 duplicating all .dbx files when you compact folders in OE? Twice now when I've compacted folders, a "copying file........." dialog pops up for every single email folder! Then when I look in the Recycle bin, every one of my email folders is in it but with a .bak extension!

OE has been doing this since before SP3. I don't know exactly how long, but I do know its been at least three months. After pruning several hundred old messages from my OE store back in February, OE prompted me to compact folders, so I did. Later that day, I noticed the files in Recycle Bin. I did not install any beta or release candidates of SP3. I think this behavior was introduced by a past cumulative update for OE, which likely made it into SP3 as well.

 

[computer]

Thanks for the reply. Hmm, I compacted folders all the time and it never did it for me on SP2. I wonder if this was due to a single update you may have installed that I didn't install, and is now part of SP3. ? I thought I installed the cumulative updates, but maybe I didn't. But this at least clears it up for me some what.

Thanks again for the info.

 

[owensdj]

LOUISSSSS, you can do it that way but you'd download less if you just get it from the Windows Update page.

 

[imported_Husky55]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
What is the MD5 on the final SP3?

bb25707c919dd835a9d9706b5725af58

 

[dennilfloss]

Originally posted by: GregGreen
Slipstreamed SP3 onto my previous SP1 install disc, reformatted, and installed on my thinkpad t43. All is going well with it so far!

Lucky you. SP3 hosed my system big time. Not reinstalling it until the reboot bug is patched.:frown:

 

[nycdude]

I installed it today on 2 of my computers from windows update with no problems so far but we'll see.

 

[Svnla]

I tried to install SP3 last night from IE windows update <twice> but it didn't work.

It downloaded ok and installed about 1/2 done then a small window pop up about unable to access then I have to click OK to reverse/go back everything.

Anyone has similar problem? I never have problem with SP1 and SP2 on this computer before. It has XP Pro OEM.

 

[vailr]

Originally posted by: Svnla
I tried to install SP3 last night from IE windows update <twice> but it didn't work.

It downloaded ok and installed about 1/2 done then a small window pop up about unable to access then I have to click OK to reverse/go back everything.

Anyone has similar problem? I never have problem with SP1 and SP2 on this computer before. It has XP Pro OEM.

Try installing XP SP3 while booted in F8/Safe Mode.