Windows XP SP3 hits Windows Update, Vista SP1 makes a comeback
By Paul Miller 
posted May 6th 2008 4:12PM
posted May 6th 2008 4:12PM
At last the moment you've been waiting for. Microsoft wants to hit your version of Windows with an update, and this time you don't have to go rummaging around the internet to find it: just fire up Windows Update and let Microsoft do all the work. After a few false starts XP users get the much-anticipated SP3 update, which promises speed boosts and some of the fancy security features found in Vista. If you're a Vista user you're also in luck, since Microsoft has restarted its Vista SP1 distribution after some compatibility problems with Microsoft Dynamics RMS. Sounds like a party.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Finaly, Man My computer is so much faster with SP3, I don't even know why I need Vista.
Liar ! SP3 isn't going to be an earth shattering in the first place.
Don't use Vista then. That's your call...gotta love choices. I choose to use both. Cause I like choices. Q.
My computer is so much faster then It shut down and startup now .
First
douche
Actually at this moment you are 17th. An will probably drop down further. Thanks for playing, try again.
funny thing is he was first, and someone moved him
If you're using custom visual styles you may have to repatch your uxtheme.dll
Good call!
I have a custom theme going and didn't even think about that...
DO have to re-patch.
http://www.winmatrix.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=18059 (download links and directions)
Yeah, I learned that the hard way. I tried to apply my saved custom theme and all the windows, menus, text areas, web browsers, etc turned solid black. Booted into safe mode and everything was still black. Basically I had to go into display properties and click around blind until I was able to switch it back. Not very fun.
That happened to me once it wasnt pleasent
I was hoping that was only due to running RC2. I guess not...
Thanks for this.. anyone know if Media Portal works with SP3?
I thought of using Media Portal instead of Windows XP Media Centre Edition..
http://www.team-mediaportal.com/download.html
I'm sorry for this useless comment.
you should be
is this the new thing? "i'm sorry for this useless comment." it's so awesome and funny that i'll just have to lollerskate down my lollercoaster to the roflcopter pad, and then head to a wtfbbq in stfuville with icanhascheezburgers and lmaonaise.
teej, that was a masterpiece. I lollerskated.
@teej You made me LOL like I haven't in a long time :).
Thanks.
Yesterday all my USB HID devices (keyboard and mice) wouldnt be recognized when plugged into vista 32. Am not sure if it was the SP1 or a following update, but when I restored my computer to pre SP1 status everything works fine again.
ISFTUC too.
Im downloading now, hopefully it wont mess any of the settings I have/
At last now I can update my HP Mini-Note to Vista SP1...
Wonder if she boots any faster
Is the smoke craxked screen and a big 'ERROR' sign flashing up on the screen normal?
Oh wait, I remember now, I dropped my laptop on to a hot 'ERROR' ink stamp.
Damn. I failed. I'm pressing post any way.
No need to try so hard buddy.
Better luck next time!
well its about time...
um... i did not post that... twilight zonish...
You replied in the past?
woah, seriously, your reply was even 13 minutes before your original post O_o
Finally! I can switch from OS X!
Yeah sure! Like anyone in his right mind would ever switch from OSX to an inferior operating system :-)
ROFL!
post of the day.
crack up.
So now with the SP3 update to Windows XP, what's the point of using Vista at all. SP3 doesn't cost anything at all, it runs faster and doesn't require any hardware upgrades. Seems like a win-win proposition to me.
"XP users get the much-anticipated SP3 update, which promises speed boosts and some of the fancy security features found in Vista."
Hope this SP doesnt make XP as frustrating to use as Vista!
you need foot powder
How do you download Windows XP SP3?
Go to Windows Update (google it) and then click on the link.
Then, click auto update and that should be it.
One more question for the crowd, do Vista 64-bit drivers work on a XP-64 system? It's just that my memory usage on vista has constantly been 1.01 GB while I remember on XP it was like 232 MB.
*sigh* Still no stand-alone installer :(
Whoops, didn't see the link. Thanks Gravy!!! :)
Now for some hot slipstreaming action...
Network install package available at: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=5B33B5A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4&displaylang=en
I should point out this link is for XP SP3, not Vista SP1.
I've been running SP3 in boot camp on my Mac Pro and it screams - no complaints about reliability either!
I did have vista prior to that but it felt sluggish, and it's not like I have a low spec machine: 4GB Ram, Quad 3Ghz Xeons and Raid-0
OS X also screams on this machine, so it's obvious what was at fault :)
Ok fess up, did you ever actually use Vista or are you one of those guys who just say they did so you can work in a "I downgraded" story into this thread?
I certainly did, I originally had XP SP2 and for some unknown reason I got the idea to try Vista Ultimate when I upgraded hard drives (which meant a windows reinstall was in order)
I wiped it and put SP3 on after a few weeks, I tried tweaking it but even though I don't use windows that much it I just couldn't get comfortable with it...
Lucky you, a lot of people are unable to install SP3 in Boot Camp because 2.1 is needed but almost impossible to install.
What product are you using that gives you RAID-0 on a Mac Pro running WinXP under Boot Camp?
So, anyone know for sure if it messes with Uxtheme?
Nope, but it blends if that makes you feel better.
Sounds like a lemon party. I'll bring the old men.
That's the funniest thing I've seen all day, and I don't have any idea what you're talking about.
You sick bastard! For those that haven't fallen for that link yet, spare yourself!
I will never forgive you for this. Neither will my therapist.
GOOD LORD... Im gay and that still bothered me...
I have been trying windows update again and again and still no option for SP3 at all.
Anyone have a direct link for installation on just one pc?
The link I posted above will work on one computer... despite the suggestion to the contrary in the Brief Description.
KIL VISTA KILL VISTA... i love xp unfortatly its busted on my other puter and vista sucks on this one ... noo need to part with my ibook any rtime soon!!
Does your ibook have spell check?
@Hawksfan03
I see what you did there.
Finally.
It's worth mentioning that even if you've managed to download a Vista SP1 patch before today, you will still have to update to get on board with the final release. Early adopters will be pleased to find their re-patch is only a few MBs.
yes we did!
who are you!
Here is the explaination:
http://www.psychnet-uk.com/dsm_iv/dissociative_identity_disorder.htm
This, on top of the Zune update. Busy day for MS.
any confirmation of improved speed? use? function?
hesitant to DL until some real reviews get posted...
LAST COMMENT!!!
Please don't make me wrong.
OK
Denied.
I wasn't expecting it to be the last post, although how much is there to add to this article about the same service packs coming out for like the third time.
Anyways, I guess I'm the only one who saw the irony in my post.
whenever i try to update the installation for SP3 fails :/
Sorry, but you can't update Vista with Win XP SP3. It might be nice if MS allowed the SP3 upgrade to overwrite all that uselessly bloated Vista code, but for some reason they don't. Once you've installed Vista, you're stuck with it.
dude. i have xp sp2....screw vista i uninstalled that crap 20 minutes after i got my laptop
im downloading right away
im taking a dump right away.
sorry ddub...
XP SP 3 unprovokedly killed my laptop - I was so disturbed by Bill Gates' malice towards me that I chopped all ties and defected to Linux - Kubuntu is the future guys.
Everything you want... free.
"free"
I suppose... If you don't count the opportunity cost.
Yes all those lost moments tearing your hair out really add up.
RV u stole me avatar
lmao
My PC config setup wouldn't let me install SP1 for some reason. Have they finally fixed that?
try installing it in safe mode.
I tried the official release of XP SP3 several weeks ago when it was mentioned here in Engadget. It "broke" Diskeeper V9. I kept getting a warning that something was broken every time I tried to run it.
I unintsalled it.
Rick
currently installing. i wish this part was faster.
Did you backup your system? I'm seriously considering doing it before starting the installation process. Help!
I see no difference in the performance after I installed Windows XP SP3 :(
No issues here. Downloaded SP3 2 days ago, installed without a hitch, ta da! I haven't noticed any Vista options creeping around in the OS though. Anyone know where they are or how to activate them, or are they just code upgrades hardcoded into XP now?
I can't say for sure on the benchmarks, but I think it's a bit speedier. This I CAN attest to however: Startup is quicker. Maybe by only 10-15(maybe 20) seconds, but there is a definite 'perk' to boot time.
Hard to really gauge an accurate change though, so don't think this is a standard in performance, as I have my WinXP modded pretty well. I have the age old "Services Tweaks" active, I have StartCPL installed so that I can manage what runs at boot, I have Aston shell instead of the drab XP default shell/theme/GUI, and my machine doesn't take much insult either. I'm pushing dualcore AMD brisbane cores(2.6ghz), 4gb of OCZ PC6300 and a decent MSI Nvidia card, all of this running off of a SATAII 320gb drive, so my machine runs at a pretty good clip.
By the way, if any of you aren't aware of the Service Tweaks, Aston shell, or StartCPL, I highly suggest all of those applications/tweaks. You WILL see a huge performance gain by installing those (and many many other kinds of these programs. These are just the ones I prefer, having used most of what is out there in these 3 catagories) obxlite is nice too if you like to edit the code for your own menus.
since your talking about how much it might have speed up I'll tell you a funny story.
Some one in the IT department at my last job told me that years ago they updated to cheap AMD processors that were slightly faster or the same as what they had at the time but they went into windows and had the start menu and such pop up faster by turning the time delay down. It'd be funny if this service pack did that to make it seem faster.
"Vista options creeping around in the OS though. Anyone know where they are or how to activate them, or are they just code upgrades hardcoded into XP now?"
Most of the back-ported vista functionality is under the covers sort of thing. Vista, contrary to the average engadget opinion, was a pretty substantial rewrite of underlying code. Among other things they backported- the kernal crypto module (to support multiple algorithms and bit strengths), the network access protection modules, and the vista based windows product activation (whoopdy do!)
Wow, any more speed and I think my VISTA computer might erupt in flames! I have no idea what anyone is talking about with Vista being slow, the computer I just built screams; AMD 5000+ BE OC to 3.1, and only 2 gigs of RAM. I'm completely happy with my upgrade to Vista.
K I''m running Vista and it runs perfectly on my Dell laptop, I want to get SP1 but figured I'll just wait for it to download automatically with Windows update, but I haven't got it yet. My computer is perfect so if it ain't broke don't fix it ya know? But i do want SP1 if its worth it...
opinions?
asdf
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fdsa
oh yeah and FIRST!
Sorry, made that comment by accident--was trying to make sure I could post without getting that email confirmation. Apparently Engadget doesn't have a delete feature...
installed on PIII 1GHz laptop. noticably faster... makes it much more bareable.
note: if you have Alcohol 120% installed, running SP3 will complain that it can't copy the atapi file (as a part of the SP3 backup). you can either (1) stop SP3 setup, uninstall Alcohol, run SP3 setup again, then install Alcohol.... or (2) skip the backing up of the atapi file and risk having something screwed up if you 'ever' want to revert to SP2.... I chose the latter... my PIII 1Ghz is my test computer anyway.
So far, so good.
Vista SP1 is a mixed bag in some sense. It revises the driver module as a result of criticism from driver developers (one of the primary issues people have with vista is driver support, especially video driver support) but ironically in the process broke some drivers. The startup time and folder copy time is a bit faster. In general though, MS released many of their tweaks as optional hotfixes prior to SP 1 so if you are mostly fully patched (including optional components) you aren't getting anywhere near as much new code as you would going from XP sp 2 to sp 3.
arg, stupid reply glitch (seriously engadget, some of us have to use IE 7 at work, could you please fix that)... this was meant to be a reply to hbot's request for opinions.
Thanks, josh, I'll just stick to Windows Update and my smooth running Vista. If I get SP1 on that, so be it. If not, I won't be losing any sleep.