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July 9, 2008

Update: Windows XP SP3 to hit AU on Thursday

Final XP update to hit Automatic Update

Gregg Keizer, Computerworld US

Microsoft has announced that it will begin pushing Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) to most users on Thursday.

The software giant will add XP SP3 to Windows Update, and trigger its automatic download and installation for users who have left the operating system's update service at its default 'Automatic (recommended)' setting.

The announcement was not unexpected, as the company had previously said it would release Windows XP SP3 to Automatic Updates sometime in the "early summer".

Windows XP SP3 review

Windows XP SP3, which was released to the general public in late April, has plagued some users with problems after they updated the aged operating system.

Immediately after Microsoft posted XP SP3 for download, for example, users reported that PCs powered by AMD's processors were rebooting endlessly, a bug that Microsoft addressed by blocking AMD machines from downloading the update.

Later, other users complained that their internet and wireless connections had been deleted after installing XP SP3, and blamed a flood of corrupted registry keys added during the update. The problem, Microsoft later argued, was the fault of certain security software, a contention that at least one vendor, Symantec, disputed.
Microsoft issued a fix for systems affected by the registry corruption less than two weeks ago.

Fix released for Norton PCs crippled by XP SP3

The announcement that Microsoft would release XP SP3 to Automatic Updates came just a week after the company started the operating system on its road to retirement last last Monday by halting sales of the OS to retail outlets and barring major computer makers from installing it on most new PCs.

When Microsoft flips the Automatic Updates switch for XP SP3, users who have the Windows Update client software set to the 'Automatic (recommended) ' option will see their machines automatically download and install the service pack.

Individuals or companies that want to block the automatic deployment of Windows XP SP3 can download and use the Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool Kit, which provides the means for stopping the service pack from reaching client PCs until April 2009.

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Comments received

Mark said on Thursday, 10 July 2008

Would be safe now to install it?
I'm personally on an AMD box

Vin said on Thursday, 10 July 2008

I wouldn't download this just yet. Wait!! More bugs will be found!

Baza said on Thursday, 10 July 2008

I went on to service pack 3 weeks ago apart from having to reset my custom internet settings, I've had few problems with it. However I am running MCE 2005

gregory davis said on Thursday, 10 July 2008

SP3 auto uploaded. Since then I constantly get "Generic Host Win32" error,and persistent upload of "Silverlight" 4 attempts have been made to correct this by Microsoft.Even "Remotley" by one of their operatives! To NO avail !!--problem still persists??

HJ said on Monday, 14 July 2008

Yea, I think I might wait a little longer before I let Windows Update do its work...

Neil said on Monday, 14 July 2008

I downloaded the full update file a couple of months ago. It's been installed on a number of AMD machines, no issues whatsoever. Perhaps me and 5 others are just lucky....

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