Should I install windows xp service pack 3

[serfty]

Windows update is offering to update my OS to XP service Pack 3. Like all good techos I have it set to ask before downloading ( let alone befoer installing).

I have googled this and read some views:

• should I install windows xp service pack 3 - Google Search

Anyway, have you people any thoughts (FWIW, I am not into OS's until the next one is released, so Vista is out).

 

[Skoogle]

Anyway, have you people any thoughts (FWIW, I am not into OS's until the next one is released, so Vista is out).

Go for it. There are so many things fixed, that it is just easier to go with it.

 

[Mal]

+1

Just do it. I was on the XP Sp3 beta and didn't really experience any issues. The "Gold" version is pretty stable, bar a few well discussed bugs.

I "upgraded" my pc to "Vista Ultimate" a few months ago (Who can resist a free copy!) . Uggh. But I'm getting used to it now once I've customised it and got used to it's quirks.

 

[Kendall Roy]

Deployed it on my network of 40+PCs - no issues at all.

 

[Shano]

Have been running SP3 for a while now and no apparent problems, so cannot see any reason not to upgrade.

 

[Mal]

Oh, and just in case it completely borks your computer (Very unlikely), then you might want this page printed out:

How to remove Windows XP Service Pack 3 from your computer

 

[Evan]

If your current with updates except SP3 you will not find all that much new, it rolls all the recent updates into a single patch, add a few other things but so far i have not seen or heard of any issues of significance or otherwise.

+1

E

 

[serfty]

If your current with updates except SP3 you will not find all that much new, it rolls all the recent updates into a single patch, add a few other things but so far i have not seen or heard of any issues of significance or otherwise. ...

Up to date I certainly am, except for the periodic versions of the "Malicious Software Removal Tool" (It's various views on what is malicious or not contrasts with mine).

I baulk at the download required (70-320Mbytes) if I won't get any additional benefit.

Some of the searches I did indicated a level of instability with plenty of advice on preparing to uninstall with headache. I guess they've ironed a few out since may.

Given it's only just now been released via the automatic Windows Update it's probably better to wait at least another 6 months until the gamma testing is completed (or indeed zeta :shock.

FWIW, there no way I'm doing Vista until it's necessary. (I want to use most of my computers' resources for what I want to run, not some fancy OS).

 

[Mal]

Given it's only just now been released via the automatic Windows Update it's probably better to wait at least another 6 months until the gamma testing is completed (or indeed zeta :shock.

XP Sp3 has been out for ages. A lot of corporates and home users have gone to it. The issues that have been found are pretty well known now, and often have fixes or workarounds.

It's past Alpha, Beta, etc testing. It's production and both vendors and end users know about it. Vendors have updated programs/drivers etc, end users have reported issues to vendors or documented workarounds.

I wouldn't hesitate to install.

(I'm curious what you think shouldn't be detected by the Microsoft Malicious Software tool - I hate it, but only because one of my skillsets pivots around AV etc so not worried about Malware on my machine and begrudge the automatic download/running. But generally, MS are conservative about what they detect in that tool... so just curious why you think that).

 

[Flashback]

serfty, I was in the same situation as you - ran a backup first, set a system restore point, installed......... few days later, all seems to be fine

 

[JohnK]

I am not sure what service pack I have installed on my laptop. I will check when I am back in Sydney but to be honest I have not had any issues with XP to worry about installing the latest service pack. The size of XP service pack 3 is a also big issue for me with limited download.

 

[Flashback]

I am not sure what service pack I have installed on my laptop. I will check when I am back in Sydney but to be honest I have not had any issues with XP to worry about installing the latest service pack. The size of XP service pack 3 is a also big issue for me with limited download.

Download it in the QP, I'm sure with all the delays you are experiencing it will download in plenty of time.