Should i be getting Win XP w/ SP3 CD for new system?

[KBD]

Reason i ask is because newegg started selling Win XP SP3 on CD:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116511

I think it is supposed to include all the previos updates that were a part of SP 1 & 2. And it's only $10 more than the SP2 CD. I need an OS for a pc that i'm building for my uncle and he doesn't want to go Vista (and i can't blame him for that). So anyway, i've been reading about people having problems with SP3, do you guys think that i'll be taking a chance by buying a SP3 CD for a fresh install of the OS or these problems only affect people that add SP3 to existing XP installs? I would welcome some advice.

 

[niko084]

I wouldn't spend the extra cash, its a whoppin 65mb download from sp2 anyways.

 

[KBD]

I see, so you say just get the SP2 Cd and download SP3. I can probably slipstream SP3 on the installation CD and do it that way.

 

[niko084]

Ya, either or, but I wouldn't say its worth the extra cash if you have a high speed connection.

 

[AsRock]

Nope not worth it just use some thing like nLite to slip stream it. May work may not worth a shot .

 

[FatForester]

If you end up slipstreaming, be sure to include other updates such as IE7 and .net service packs. (Although slipstreaming .net is tricky) I didn't slipstream, but I installed SP3 immediately after a fresh install of XP w/ SP2, and it really freaked out. It 'worked', but updated only 10% of the time and was unstable. I reformatted and did a few updates (not a lot of them, just .net and the like) THEN installed SP3 and it worked fine. I'm still not entirely sure on what the problem was before, but it works now!

 

[ktr]

Wow, the new OEMs are out. Pretty sweet. MS usually updates the disk every 2-3 months.

I say go for it, it will save you the trouble of download over 200-500mb of updates. Plus the new SP3 has a simpler activation system.

 

[KBD]

Judging from what everyone said about slipstreaming, i probably won't do it. I never done it before, just know that it could be done. Probably do what FatForrester suggested: install w/SP2, then download .net and then SP3. Or i can spend the extra $10 and get the SP3 CD to save me some headaches. In the end, it will be up to my uncle to decide what he wants to do, i'm just going to present him with options. I just hope that the SP3 CD won't be give troubles like the ones folks were having when updating their existing OS. I'm gonna watch egg reviews and see how it works for people.

 

[jonmcc33]

I see, so you say just get the SP2 Cd and download SP3. I can probably slipstream SP3 on the installation CD and do it that way.

nLite: http://www.nliteos.com
SP3 Download: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...a8-5e76-401f-be08-1e1555d4f3d4&displaylang=en

Slipstream it onto a bootable ISO image with nLite, it's built-in and painless to do.

If you don't have Nero or Roxio then use ImgBurn to burn it to a CD-R: http://www.imgburn.com

 

[spearman914]

NO DON'T. I've read something that saids when SP3 is installed, a continuous reboot will present. And BTW it only makes your system slower.

 

[jonmcc33]

NO DON'T. I've read something that saids when SP3 is installed, a continuous reboot will present. And BTW it only makes your system slower.

Slipstream and you don't have to worry. Everything I've installed SP3 onto hasn't had any issue at all during installation. I also haven't had any problems with it being "slower" by any means.

 

[francis511]

Slipstreaming with nlite is a piece of cake

 

[freaksavior]

NO DON'T. I've read something that saids when SP3 is installed, a continuous reboot will present. And BTW it only makes your system slower.

no it doesnt! i use sp3 and its as stable and as fast as sp2.

personally, i would get the sp3 disc because of all the updates. i have a sp1 disc and my god does it take forever to update this hoe!

 

[jonmcc33]

no it doesnt! i use sp3 and its as stable and as fast as sp2.

personally, i would get the sp3 disc because of all the updates. i have a sp1 disc and my god does it take forever to update this hoe!

That's sort of the purpose of nLite and making a new bootable ISO with SP3 slipstreamed into it.

 

[freaksavior]

That's sort of the purpose of nLite and making a new bootable ISO with SP3 slipstreamed into it.

i know it is, but last time i used slip streaming methods...it wasnt pretty.

:shadedshu

From my experience. if you use a sp2 key and is installing a os with sp3 setup it wont work. it tells me wrong key.

 

[jonmcc33]

i know it is, but last time i used slip streaming methods...it wasnt pretty.

From my experience. if you use a sp2 key and is installing a os with sp3 setup it wont work. it tells me wrong key.

Have you ever used nLite before? Licenses are bound to the version and not the service pack. Example is you cannot use an OEM key on a retail version or even an MSDN version.

Take your Windows XP SP2 CD, use nLite, slipstream a downloaded SP3 file and make a bootable ISO. Burn that to CD and you won't have any problems. I've done this countless times in the past.

 

[KBD]

NO DON'T. I've read something that saids when SP3 is installed, a continuous reboot will present. And BTW it only makes your system slower.

I read the exact same thing so that's why i asked this question in the first post. Though from what i understand that only happens to folks who update the existing OS with SP3 not fresh installs.

 

[jonmcc33]

Though from what i understand that only happens to folks who update the existing OS with SP3 not fresh installs.

I updated a computer that had SP2 + updates for quite some time. SP3 installed without a problem.

 

[KBD]

You are one lucky ones then, cause some had problems. I'm gonna try to update mine with Sp3 in the next few days, see how that goes.

 

[jonmcc33]

You are one lucky ones then, cause some had problems. I'm gonna try to update mine with Sp3 in the next few days, see how that goes.

Lucky? It's not luck. I was one of the normal ones. Who knows what people did to their OS in order to make SP3 go wrong for them.

 

[Darknova]

I read the exact same thing so that's why i asked this question in the first post. Though from what i understand that only happens to folks who update the existing OS with SP3 not fresh installs.

Urgh, it's nothing to do with people updating, or doing fresh installs or whatever.

It's because of stupid OEMs like HP not producing images of XP correctly.

It was all down to a file based on power-saving. Instead of using the AMD specific one, HP just kept the Intel one in it's image. Originally this never caused an issue, but like Vista, SP3 has much better power-saving options. So when it detects an AMD system it goes looking for the AMD specific file, finds the Intel one, crashes, and reboots. And it starts all over again.

 

[KBD]

So it's an OEM PC issue, then it all makes sense, i was reading something about AMD systems not working after the update, so those must have been OEM made PCs. Thanks for the info.

 

[Darknova]

So it's an OEM PC issue, then it all makes sense, i was reading something about AMD systems not working after the update, so those must have been OEM made PCs. Thanks for the info.

I know it's definately HP PCs, and I'm sure I've read reports of Dell PCs too.

But if it's a custom built PC, with a standard install of XP, you will not have any issues.

People are just jumping on the bandwagon, they see "SP3 causes problems" and off they go without reading fully what has happened.

 

[KBD]

How could HP & Dell be that dumb? Putting an Intel file (CPU driver?) on AMD PC is mistake that a first time builder won't make and these guys are supposed to have all kinds of experience!! This is why i build my own from now, i had problems with OEMs before but not again.

 

[AsRock]

Here's a good link on Slipstreaming
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/xpsp3_slipstream.asp