Is SP3 nessasary or can you be safe without it???

Do you need to have SP3 or as long as you have updates for SP2 will you be ok One of my friends is worried about updating or not.

 

My newest desktop has an AMD overclocked CPU on an MSI motherboard.
Installing XP SP3 immediatedly causes system lock-ups and boot
failures. I assume it is related to the problems discussed here:

http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/jes...ed-computer-boot-after-installing-xp-sp3.aspx

My other, older, machine also has an AMD processor, but the
motherboard is different, the CPU isn't overclocked, and it
works fine with SP3.

Fortunately, I image the system partition regularly, so just
dropped back to SP2 on the problem machine. I'm just not into
going through all the trouble that my inexperience might bring
if I try to solve the problem.

That does not address your question directly, but is something to
think about, depending on your friend's hardware configuration.

I plan on sticking with SP2 for the foreseeable future, FWIW.
Consider that there are experienced Wilders members who are
still happily and safely running Win98 & Win2k.

I will be interested in reading the comments of knowledgeable members
regarding your specific question.

 

As i understand it SP3 is basically just all the windows updates since SP2. I wouldn't say you need it however its a convenient way to update an old windows sp1/sp2 install.

 

Oh okay, since SP3 is not really necessary to install, I'm trying to cancel SP3. But the yellow bubble with the exclamation point logo comes up until I install it..What do I do if I dont want to get SP3? But I still want the yellow bubble to show next to the clock when there's another NEW update. I just do not want SP3 that's it.

 

Running XP SP2 should be fine for the time being since MS is still pushing out security hotfixes for it. Sometime down the road MS will retire SP2 and only release updates to SP3, but until then running SP2 is still perfectly viable.

 

That date is July 13, 2010 - see Lifecycle Supported Service Packs.

By the way, SP3 is more than just SP2+all Windows updates. SP3 includes some new features, and also includes fixes that were previously available only as hotfixes. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946480 for a list of fixes in SP3.

 

Another factor to consider: Microsoft's free installation support for SP3 ends April 2009.

 

All I have is sp2. And have no plans on updating.

1.firewall (zonealarm)
2.antivirus (avg free)
3.firefox 3.0
4.returnil when surfing the internet

Do not use internet explorer and 90 percent of your security problems are gone.

That's all I use and have had no spyware/virus problems in years. When I stopped using internet explorer all my problems went away and haven't came back.

If in doubt, "don't update to sp3".

 

After I click on the Windows Update shield yellow icon, am I supposed to choose "Express Install" or "Custom Install" and then click install button? In order to do those things..Which one?

 

I don't see those screen shots after I click on the Windows Update Yellow shield..Here is the screen shot of what's showing after I click on it..

http://s173.photobucket.com/albums/w55/Postalfan87/?action=view&current=update.jpg

 

Ok thanks so much! I just did what you sent it to me on the screen shot. So next time when there's new updates, the yellow shield will still pop up so I will know that there's new updates?

 

Does that mean that for example, next time when SP4 comes out, the yellow shield will still show up on my screen next to the clock as well?

 

Cans he still do express updates after this

 

Indeed,in my case after sp3 i couldn't get any other updates,not to mention previous nvidia troubles in the past.Anyway insted of beeing concerned you can transform situation like this in something easy with a reliable imaging program.