It’s been a good couple of weeks since Microsoft started pushing out XP Service Pack 3 through Automatic Update, yet I’m still to see hide nor hair of the blighter.
I’ve got Automatic Update turned on and other patches are coming down the pipe with depressing regularity, but not the big boy.
I’ve headed off to Windows Update to see if I can manually tempt the swine on to my system, but the site seems oblivious to XP SP3’s very existence. I’m being offered Office Comaptbility Pack Service Pack 1 (packs for packs? Give me strength), an update for Outlook 2007 and the first Service Pack for Office 2008 Accounting, but not a sniff of the final Service Pack for the most popular operating system in the company’s history.
I’ve even checked the System settings in Control Panel to check Microsoft hasn’t stealthily installed XP SP3 behind my back (As if it could… it can barely manage a tweak of WordPad without setting all the alarms off on my firewall and restarting the PC).
So where on Earth is my SP3? Other colleagues have happily downloaded it via Automatic Update, so I know there’s not a problem there. I’m also aware Microsoft has experienced “compatibility issues” with SP3 that prevents some people from being offered the download. But instead of warning me that I might have a problem, Windows Update is sticking its head in the sand and merrily pretending XP SP3 doesn’t exist, as far as I’m concerned.
I know I can download the patch manually - but I’m worried that if there is a compatibility issue with my system that’s preventing Microsoft from offering SP3 to me through Automatic Update, installing it myself could lead to a whole world of pain. And frankly, the negligible benefits on offer from SP3 don’t justify the risk.
Nevertheless, it’s nice of Microsoft to introduce some fear, uncertainty and doubt into my mind. With a Service Pack, of all things. Good work, guys.
Tags: Microsoft, Windows Update, XP Service Pack 3
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July 22nd, 2008 at 10:24 am
Automatic Update popped up for SP3 on both my HP Laptop and custom built Asus desktop, prompting me to download, I said yes and the yellow shield disappeared. But I ain’t seen hide nor hair of SP3 since….
July 22nd, 2008 at 12:41 pm
The same thing happend to me as alex. I said yes to the update and the yellow shied disappeared.
July 22nd, 2008 at 5:09 pm
I am a technician/consultant and with all the computers I support (hundreds), I know of none that have asked to do SP3 automatically. I wonder why not based on the reports.
July 22nd, 2008 at 6:07 pm
First few weeks of Guinea Pigs or Bandwidth? Hmmmm….I’d say both!
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Whats the latest on incompatabilty problems I have the Asus SLI MOBO which had problems
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:27 pm
In order to get SP3 to install, it may be necessary to get the latest version of the Windows Software Updating tool, not sure if this is the same as the Genuine Validation Tool.
If you look in System Restore you will probably find many entries for a program trying to install, many days or weeks worth of restoration points for this program that unfortunately
I was not interested enough in to bother to record, and I have since deleted all the restore points..
I mean Microsoft just does that sort of thing, doesn’t it?
July 22nd, 2008 at 10:11 pm
All, I can say is you are all so lucky you did not get it.
I have tried to download it 4 times and now must take my PC to get it fixed as none of them would finish downloading.
It took about an hour even with high speed and at the end it would say sorry it could not finish and it would take another hour to un do whit it had done but the last time it could not finish the un do And left me in a big mess.
So I wonder if we truly want or need it??????
July 23rd, 2008 at 5:23 pm
I just got it right now!!! Today’s the day.
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Just a shot in the dark, but I think this is due to bandwith availability.
If Microsoft allowed the patch to be available to everyone simultainiously, there’d be serious bandwith issues with everyone downloading at the same time.
Either that or you’ve got problems.
I, myself am downloading SP3 right now.
But I’m certain its a delayed roll out on purpose.
July 24th, 2008 at 7:14 am
Take a look at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950717 and make sure your computer meets the requirements listed. But if you think XP SP3 is a problem, look in the real world at how many computers running Vista have never been offered SP1!
July 24th, 2008 at 8:38 am
I was also asked via popup whether or not I’d like to download SP3, yesterday. Clicked yes and haven’t heard anything since, nor have I noticed any additional bandwidth being used to download it.
July 24th, 2008 at 10:53 am
Check your windows Update log file at c:\windows\windowsupdate.log to see if it’s downloading or is registered there.
July 24th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Got it manually shortly after it was released - no problems from it, either…
Odd one, indeed…
July 24th, 2008 at 11:10 am
I have downloaded SP3 from Microsoft download centre and applied to all my Dell Laptops and Desktops, so far no issues. Maybe your correspondent should look at using his spelling checker a bit more in his searches as well as his copy?
July 24th, 2008 at 11:26 am
I also downloaded it manually soon after release but had to download some other MS software first (might have been the Validation Tool).
No problems. In fact my PC had been getting sluggish in the weeks before the SP3 download but the installation of SP3 cured that problem.
July 24th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Make sure you have no rejected patches in the update manager from previous sessions. I found I had to accept these first, before SR3 would show its cheeky smile…
July 24th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I wouldnt loose any sleep over it..I made the mistake of installing it when it finally hit release..Lots of BSOD’s (randomly) and free support from MS later..I opted to uninstall and go back to SP2!!
July 24th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
We’ve installed SP3 on 3 desktops and 2 laptops with no ‘unknown results’, but yes, it does need the updated updater + the latest validation tool before it will come out of hiding. Repeated manual updating to the breakthrough level seems to do the trick.
July 26th, 2008 at 5:51 am
I have had the ballon popping up for a few days now looking to install service pack 3.
As I want to store a copy locally on my machine I went to the microsoft download center
to get a copy.
The only version available was for network admins and it was over 300mb in size,
I downloaded it any and during installation it froze and I had to power down and restart the
pc. On restart it woul not let me enter safe mode and just rebooted again, so I let it run
through and it detect that the sp had not installd correctly and it ran through a rollback to sp2.
I now need to decide if I want to try it again.