Re: XP SP3 frustration

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Shenan, I do agree. Something is wrong. However up until the SP3 issues
everything has worked and continues to work without SP3.

I backup daily any and all essential information to multiple drives. No
diagnostics from Microsoft or anything else I have run indicate what the
problem is. Like I said earlier, Ive learned my lesson in the past about any
major upgrade to the OS. Best not to do it. Best to buy the PC with it
already installed.

SP3 is relatively new, and I will not be surprised if a "patch" is released.
From what I have read in this forum and other tech sources, I am not the
only one having issues with it.

I'm due to get a new PC next year, so this will work fine till then.

Thanks for your support.

"Shenan Stanley" <newshelper@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%23YX5aQ0wIHA.4952@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<snipped>

RHinNC wrote:
Ken, I feel your frustration. I too can not get SP3 to work for the
same reason as you (Access Denied) I hesitated before I tried to
install SP3, here is why:

-Why break something that is not broke?
-I ran Win 95 until I could buy a new PC with XP SP2 on it.
-Past experience has shown me that making a major OS updated on a 3
year old PC is not a good idea.
-Never received but 2 BSOD in 3 years, one was after a corrupt
video driver installation, the other was when I tried to install
SP3. -I have Windows Live OneCare (you would have thought it should
have known I am trying to install SP3 and unabled Virus and Spyware
or basically turned itself off. (But i digress)
-I also run Spybot S&D and have since it came out. I use my PC 8-10
hours a day and not once has Live OneCare of Spybot found one
single issue. (I practice safe computing)

So what am I going to do?

Wait until I buy a new PC in a couple years with Vista SP5, or
Windows 7 and a SP or two have come out.

Again, why break something that is not broke.

Windows XP did not make it to SP5 in 6 years. Doubtful Windows Vista will
do it.

Technically - if you are having trouble installing SP3 - something *is*
broke - you just don't notice it *yet*. You will - some patch or
something will come along that you won't be able to use or that will crash
things - and since it will be something 'smaller' that made the problem
obvious to you - you may not be able to describe it as well or the number
of people who have the problem (and thus the number of people working on
resolving it) will be smaller.

My suggestion is to clean your machine - follow all the advice given (so
far and in this response) to do so properly - make a backup of your
cleaner machine and try the installation of SP3. You'll come out ahead in
many ways. You'll know more about your machine (what's there, what
shouldn't have been there, how to fix it if things go wrong instead of
paying someone $100 to format it and lose everything you have...); you'll
have a machine that is likely to be performing better (if not for SP3 -
then for the fact that you took the time to clean it up - maintain it like
you would any other important piece of equipment you don't want to have to
purchase new every so often in order to get it working properly again.);
and you'll have one 'major hurdle' past that you will not have to worry
about again as long as you stick with that computer (service pack
installations.)

So you want a step-by-step that is likely to lead to a successful SP
installation? (You have to do every step.)

I would suggest (some steps may overlap what they fix - but...):

1) Method 3 of this article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949377
2) Reboot.
3) Methods 1 & 2 of this article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/943144
4) Reboot.
5) Use the tool from here:
http://www.codeplex.com/aureset
6) Reboot.
7) Check your disk (System - usually C) for errors using this:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315265
8) Do a full antivirus scan using your updated AV program.
9) Do a full AntiSpyware scan using SuperAntiSpyware:
http://www.superantispyware.com/ (free edition will
work fine for this) and clean what it finds.
10) Perform a disk cleanup using this (including get rid of
all system restore points but the latest):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310312
11) Use CCleaner (latest Slim download) to cleanup
excess files - don't worry with the registry yet:
http://www.ccleaner.com/download/builds
12) Perform a full disk defragmentation:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314848
13) Download the full IT version of Service Pack 3:
http://snipurl.com/29hzu
14) Reboot.
15) Make one last backup of your important files (at least)
- don't forget documents, pictures, music, contacts, emails,
favorites/bookmarks, spreadsheets, and other files you
created/downloaded. Product keys, installaable downloads
for applications you use, etc. The best way to accomplish
this would be a complete image of your machine using
something like TrueImage or Ghost.

16) Look through the following links - make sure none of
them apply to you (fix those that do):

WinXP SP3 - Read all prerequisites for a successful installation
http://msmvps.com/blogs/harrywaldron/archive/2008/05/08/windows-xp-sp3-read-all-prerequisites-for-a-successful-installation.aspx

Steps to take before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950717

Release Notes for Windows XP Service Pack 3
http://download.microsoft.com/download/c/d/8/cd8cc719-7d5a-40d3-a802-e4057aa8c631/relnotes.htm

http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jesper/archive/2008/05/08/does-your-amd-based-computer-boot-after-installing-xp-sp3.aspx
[NB: The above has been updated many times and now includes "a small tool
that will detect the IntelPPM problem and mitigate it before installing
[WinXP SP3]."

You receive a "Stop 0x0000007E" error message after you upgrade to Windows
XP Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3 on a non-Intel-processor-based
computer
(Revised 06 May-08)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888372

17) Try to install Service Pack 3 by running the full
download file...

18) Come back - let us know...

Seems like a lot to do, eh? I agree.

However - it's laid out there for you to follow. Whether or not you try
it - that's up to you. If you already maintain backups or use some of the
tools to maintain your computer - it likely won't be that difficult - if
you don't - you should likely learn anyway. A computer is not a toaster -
you are adding components and changing it all the time - whether you think
of it that way or not - you already mess with its internal workings
everyday you utilize it. The stuff given above is just a minor look at
how you (in some cases) should be taking care of it periodically anyway.
Like you take your car in to have the oil changed, you take the trash out
of your home, you clean your gutters, you mow your lawn, you pay your
bills... Just to keep something else going. ;-)

If done right - you only lose time if it does not work. If it does work -
you utilized time and learned something/got something accomplished.

Or you can find someone to pay to do it or just hope you can use Windows
XP just long enough where you cannot get updates because they require
SP3 - and then switch to something else *suddenly* - as most people like
to do and complain about the differences. heh Chances are you can easily
live without SP3 forever - some people still use Windows 98/ME/2000 after
all.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html



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