XP SP3: What to watch out for

The last Service Pack for Windows XP (SP3) has been available for a while.

Mostly it is a pretty easy if rather large install. However, there are a few things to watch out for.

The last Service Pack for Windows XP (SP3) has been available for a while.

Mostly it is a pretty easy if rather large install. The download is 324MB and the CD image is 558MB.

It is an optional update from Windows Update at the moment but will be a forced download soon.

First off it is a very good idea to disable any anti-spyware program that you have before installing SP3. This is to prevent the install not working properly.

There are a couple of circumstances which can cause problems which can be serious.

HP computers with AMD processors are very likely to endlessly reboot after SP3 has been applied. This is caused by the way the HP installs windows and is easy to fix. Jesper Johansson's blog has some very interesting information on these problems.
Symantec products like Norton AntiVirus and Norton 360 have a feature called “SymProtect” which if not disabled before SP3 is installed can cause your computer to be crippled. This is obviously a BAD thing. In a post on a Symantec support forum Reese Anschultz, a senior manager with the company, said users of Norton Internet Security, Norton AntiVirus and Norton 360 should switch off the "SymProtect" feature before trying to install XP SP3.

SP3 has something like 1700 fixes, most of which are security or stability related, so it is well worth having as long as you have a working computer afterwards.

Microsoft are providing "Free unlimited installation and compatibility support" for Windows XP SP3 until 14th April 2009. So they are taking it pretty seriously. This is good but not as good as it could be. One has the choice of E-mail or phone both of which are "free" and one can make unlimited support requests. However, the phone is free - as in Microsoft doesn't charge your credit card - but the number is 0870 with what that entails. (At this point I would look up the number at Say No to 0870 only to find that ithe terminating number is probably in Ireland.)

To find the support SP3 page go to the Assisted Support page. Then click on Windows XP. Then click on Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3 (All Languages). At an intermediate step you will be asked for a country: United Kingdom is might be a good choice.

So don't forget XP SP3 is in general a VERY GOOD THING but there are some circumstances which can cause problems. Many seem to be connected with OEM versions of XP and AMD processors. Anti-spyware/anti-malware programs should be disabled or uninstalled before attempting to install SP3.

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