WinXP SP3 - should I get it?

I've noticed with past windows updates this same behaviour. Plus the download speed using Windows updates fluctuates, usually taking a lot longer than it should, for the size of the download. The computer also tends to run slow during the install process.
Which is partly why I downloaded it separately.

 

I just finished installing SP3....it took most of the night, I thought it would never finish. But now Windows does seem to be running a little snappier.

 

Installing SP3 on XP Home seems to have added a new service to my Task Manager: cisvc.exe (Content Indexing Service).

Has anyone else seen this and is it necessary to run this?

 

Eh, AFAIK, all the Indexing Service does is increase file searching speed and it's sort of a resource hog. Why bother?

To turn it off, go to Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Services and find "Indexing Service". Double-click on it, stop the service and then set "Startup type" to "manual" (in the dropdown box). After that, you shouldn't see the process in task manager.

 

Hi Nickr,

do you mean the 'Hotfix Uninstallers' checkbox under Cleaner - Windows - Advanced?
Just want to make sure I don't throw anything valuable away...

 

I've tried installing SP3 and it seems to have a problem with Windows Activation. The end result is that I can't logon to any accounts after the upgrade.

Since I restrore a clean image of the Windows partition before I install SP3, this seems to be the problem.

Microsoft tech support stated that they do not provide support if the OS partition has been imaged and restored, and that doing this could even damage hardware in certain cases. They recommend imaging software for backing up data, etc., but not for imaging and restoring the OS repeatedly.

I've been able to fix the problem by modifying some system files as explained in a Knowledge Base article, but I still can't install SP3 to a clean restored image of my system.

 

Take a look here: blackviper

 

Most of his tips are a load of rubbish.
Will explain later if required.

 

Yes thats what I used.

Plus I added these additional locations, which are 100% safe:

Downloaded installations
Softwaredistribution\download
System32\catroot2\

There may be others, but not had time to investigate.

 

I'm interested to read that explanation.
Only beginner/intermediate, but the site makes sense, and (prior to sp3) I applied a lot of the "tweaks" that I think are relevant for my use, the computer definitely ran better.

 

Oddly enough I don't get a notice through Automatic Updates that the Dutch SP3 is available. I run a fully patched, legit copy of XP Home.
I checked my WindowsUpdate.log this morning and it said that AU found 0 updates...

Isn't this strange?

 

It will be in AU in June

Gerard

 

Hello,

Just a side notice:

Most of the tweaks suggested by BV are meant for a single, standalone computer with little interaction with peripherals or other machines/OSs. Applying many of those tweaks will make your machine LAN unfriendly.

Lastly, 95.43% of all people will never be able to tweak back the tweaks.

Mrk

 

Service guide, there is no need to tweak ANY services generally.

In terms of actual resources "drained" their impact is just about nil. A thread that doesn't need to run, because it has nothing to do, takes absolutely no CPU time; similarly, memory not referenced recently will be automatically freed for other uses if and when the system needs it for other uses -- until then, it may LOOK as if the svchost.ese's are "draining" a lot of RAM, but in fact these aren't anything like permanent allocations.

The resources needed to manage the services will not be reclaimed either since they are practically all lumped into just a few processes - there are only four or five processes.

If you want accurate details on services and implications when you disable them, have a look at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...93-147a-4481-9346-f93a4081eea8&DisplayLang=en

Will write more later.

 

Good point. When I recently upgraded from dialup to DSL, I spent several hours trying to get it to work properly. By trial and error, I finally found a disabled service (I forget which one) which was properly disabled for dialup but which needed activated for ethernet/DSL, and things were fine after that.

 

If you REALLY want it, you can try a manual Windows/Microsoft update.

 

I used to spend some time tweaking and disabling various services when I ran Win2k, but I have to say the net outcome or effect of it was pretty minimal. I saved a little ram I think, but there was no performance gain at all. Now I just leave all the services alone, and don't touch anything. Easier and just as well..

 

It's in automatic updates here already....

 

On my other computer I slipstreamed SP3 into my XP Pro SP2 install disc via nlite and everything is fine. Save yourself a few hundred mbs of HD space and try it.

Later...

 

hmm I swore it would be June 10th, must have misread then.
PS Stijnson posted about the Dutch version.


Gerard

 

It is a new per-user indexing service that is used by Windows Desktop Search (version 4 for sure) and is the reason why I can't un-install desktop search anymore (system restored to before I installed sp3 and WDS).

 

Hi,

Deleting the contents of this folder, windows 'Automatic Updates' stopped working. Actually auto updates would scan, the give a memory error 0x...
When I used Acronis to restore the contents of ...softwaredistribution\download AutoUpdates worked again.

Take Care
Rico

 

@Rico

I deleted the contents of that folder and Automatic Update still seems to work so I don't know what is causing the problem for you but hope someone can answer.

Gary

 

Hi Gary,

Perhaps it was a coincidence that restoring the contents allowed auto up to work. M$ seems to be running late this patch tuesday, i got 0 updates required.

Take Care
Rico

Nevermind just got 3 critical updates

 

Yes took a long time. Agreed windows running a little snappier.