I am looking through the Custom updates from Microsoft Updates when a message appears for me to download the SP3 for my SP2 computer(WinXP Home Edition). Should I download SP3 now or should I wait until it is available in my automatic updates?
Xp Sp3?
I am looking through the Custom updates from Microsoft Updates when a message appears for me to download the SP3 for my SP2 computer(WinXP Home Edition). Should I download SP3 now or should I wait until it is available in my automatic updates?
Custom updates as in the AUTOMATIC UPDATES on your desktop? Or by visiting the Windows Update website?
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Overview of Windows XP SP3.
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In general, the Windows XP SP3 improves performance and stability of the XP OS, as well fixing minor errors and making minor tweaks. I'm sure it'll do good for your PC.
The file, I got from Windows Update was a 76MB or so file. You should be able to install it easily.
it is in the custom update in the microsoft update website. But will the SP3 update make my computer unstable and more vunerable to viruses if the installation is unsuccessful or corrupted? i hope that they can revert the changes like the one in vista.
Hi chewdz
I don't think you have to be afraid that something goes wrong. I have installed SP3 on more 30 pc's now, and have no problems reported
Greetz, Red.
Hm, a custom update? I see.Originally Posted by chewdz
There's no need to be "paranoid" about security updates. They are there to update and improve system stability and performance. SP3 will do good for your OS. Like RedNose said, shouldn't thirty SP3 OS's convince you yet? ; )
30 PCs? Ok. I believe you. So should I install it from the website itself or I should wait for the update to come to me after some time?I don't think you have to be afraid that something goes wrong. I have installed SP3 on more 30 pc's now, and have no problems reported
If you want the update ASAP I would suggest downloading it directly from Windows Update.
If you want to wait for it, I'll doubt it'll come any time sooner to Auto Updates. ;0
Windows Update/Upgrade rules to live by:
In general, most Microsoft Service Packs contain no additional security fixes that haven't already been released as individual 'HotFix' Sercurity Updates via Windows Automatic Update. The exception was Windows XP Service Pack 2, which significantly improved the security profile of Windows XP, but also complicated the installation process and increased the potential for failure on any PC that already had stability or malware issues.
It's generally less risky in today's environment of quickly evolving malware and exploits to enable Windows Automatic Updates and allow it to install the monthly Security Updates than to wait and do them manually at a later time. Unless you religously perform these updates before doing any significant browsing the risk of being attacked is now usually higher than the chance of a security patch creating a problem itself, especially as more time elapses.
However, the risk of problems due to installing a major service pack for any product is always higher, since it often changes many things at once. The intelligent thing to do here is to plan when the change occurs rather than let it happen via Automatic Updates. This way you can both research any potential problems with your hardware or other software before installing and also control when it happens so you have time to resolve any unexpected problems or in a worst case, backout the update entirely.
Nothing I've mentioned changes no matter how complex or 'simple' the major update might be, nor whether you have significant computer knowledge yourself or not. Someone like myself might research at an extremely technical level, while you may simply choose to ask in forums relating to your PC hardware or other friends with computers for their opinions.
The real important choice is timing the update when you have time to deal with any unforseen issues and aren't putting yourself at an even higher risk due to other personally critical situations, like the completion of a business or personal project or end of a school semester. Nothing about computers is any different than anything else in life, bad planning will simply create trouble.
Most simply think computers are more complex and allow that to confuse them. In reality they are much simpler than a car, but making rash decisions about doing something major at a critical time is obviously just asking for disaster and that's exactly what you'll get if that's how you make the decision.
Bitman
It's not that much if you consider that an average family with kids have about 2 - 3 pc's
Greetz, Red.
bitman: your explanation is quite complcated but at least for me it is understandable :D So let me get it right. U mean that SP3 is just combining all the previous updates and hotfixes installed onto the computer as one update(SP3)?
so u all recommend me to install directly from the Windows Update website?
any ways to uninstall it if something goes wrong? (I do not have any external HDDs or DVD ROMs to backup my computer) E.g. from safe mode.
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