Service Pack 3

I am getting a Windows update every day about Service Pack 3, so I was wondering how many of you have it installed on your XP? Should I install SP3? I've heard mixed things.

 

XP SP3 is great, I strongly recommend you install it. Plus, you wont have to install the 85+ updates that it includes afterward.

 

Yes, XP SP3 is highly recommended. I installed it many months ago. Not only does it it include security patches that come through Windows Update but it also includes innumerable bug fixes that you otherwise have to hunt for.

John

 

SP3 also sped up my machine quite a bit.
(remember if you're using an amd processor, install the hotfix first from:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...a7-54d6-4c31-bda3-efd2f7e87a8c&displaylang=en)

 

I have SP3 installed.

It makes things much easier, especially when I do a clean install or something. SP3 takes care of a lot of the updates.

 

go ahead and install it.

 

Exactly what I needed to hear. Thanks guys

 

I swear, Microsoft could hand out solid gold bars, and people would still be like "I dunno, I've heard things about those..."

OF COURSE you'll hear mixed things. It's a several hundred meg install on top of what could be a very old installation of XP. If it blows up, these people will be EXTREMELY vocal.

SP3 is all the fixes from XP SP1 (technically RTM) to early this year. It has limited new functionality, and nothing most users will even notice. SP3 is better suited for people still installing XP, since it can save downloading years of updates. If your XP SP2 install is up to date on fixed, you *have* 99% of what is in SP3 anyway.

 

If they would, I sure wouldn't complain!

I have gone to Vista on everything, but I run XP SP3 on my Acer Aspire One and it seems to work fairly well.

 

I don't use it cause it slowed down my computer. For example the start up was slower for 35sec. I know it's recommended, because of the security stuff(most of the pack is about that) but I care more about performance.
Did any of you guys had the same experience

 

Install it; as S.SubZero points out, many of the folks who've had problems probably had very old, very "dirty" (i.e., never cleaned out the junk and leftovers that accumulate over time) installations of XP SP1 or SP1a. If, afterwards, you think you've got some issues cropping up, reinstall your original version of XP (i.e., either SP1, SP1a, or SP2), and then immediately install SP3 on top of that without letting the thing get online and try to do automatic updates from Momma-MS.

 

One issue with SP3... I couldn't instal IE7 after installing SP3..on a clean instal of XP (old Medion laptop)

Aan reading around - SP3 deletes the .ini file that contains manufacturer specific settings...