Re: service pack 3, do I need it?

"Shenan Stanley" <newshelper@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:uq8ks5StIHA.4924@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:



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

The article clearly states that the list of fixes it shows were added
to SP3 only. If you want to know what was included in SP2 or SP1a -
they have links in the article. ("The following fix list includes
only the updates that were added in Windows XP SP3.")

So - out of those 1174 additional fixes (yes - there are 1174 listed
in SP3 alone) - how many do you have installed Post-SP2? I had about
100-120 on a good day. ;-)


I went to the website, and looked at the entire list. I choose 5
security patches randomly, and found that all five have already been
installed via the automatic update. Well, it wasn't exactly random, I
started with the last update on the list, or the most recent, and went
back from there. Obviously that list does is not comprised of never-
before released, only included in SP3 patches and updates. If I
understand you correclty, you're saying that there's a 1174 fixes in
there that I don't have. Again, what am I fixing? Nothing is currently
broken. Obviously I don't need those fixes or I'd be here complaining
about some problem I'm having and trying to find out which patch to
download. I couldn't find a security patch in SP3 that I don't already
have.

I still have no idea what you are trying to convey with 'update the
installer'; I would like to know, however.

Well, it just did it again. When I went to the windows update website,
(using I.E.) it checked for the most recent "updater", found that mine
was out of date, and installed a more recent one. Then I ran the updater
and found that SP3 is a recemended update. It appeared to download and
install something called "genuine advantage" something or another. I've
seen this two or three times over the last four years or so. It appears
to change something so that I can download and install new patches. If
I'm continually updating my XP this way, why wouldn't whatever I need to
continue recieving updates not just be included in the routine updates?
What is SP3 going to change that will make it impossible for me to
continue updates and why would it do that?



BTW - I have to point out that if you have actually experienced this
Take advantage of the fact that the
data (every bit - literally) on a computer can be backed up and
restored later - in case of a problem. If everything in life was like
that - things would be all good.



I'm not just talking about data here, my important data is backed up
regularly. I'm talking about the entire drive, (two of them) programs,
shorcuts, network cofigurations, external devices, drivers, everything.
no matter how I back up 200+ gigs of stuff, it takes hours to back it up,
and hours to restore it. I have better things to do with my time than
sit around trying to fix problems created by service packs that were
supposed to fix problems not create them. I haven't had to restore an OS
in five years, I'm not interested in doing it now.



Paul.






.

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