MS XP service pack 3 release candidate 2 available

[WalkinTarget]

OK, who wants to be our designated guinea pig ???

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=114f3599-12af-42b2-aab1-b969a62c68a7&DisplayLang=en

Details:
The final version of SP3 is scheduled to come out some time before the middle of this year. It's expected to bring a few major changes, including higher performance, a new Windows Product Activation model that will let users install the OS without having to enter a product key, Network Access Protection functionality back-ported from Windows Vista, and a new Microsoft Kernel Mode Cryptographic Module. The service pack will also include over a thousand patches and fixes released since SP2 came out in August 2004.

I'm tempted to try it ... I've got plenty of rigs ... what say ye ??

[drunken_chef]

I'll have to uninstall RC1 to do it. I may give it whirl tomorrow. I have a match tonight and wouldn't want to screw my PC before.

[-IRC-MIKE]

I'll go ahead and knock it down on this customer's machine I just got done reinstalling. Got nothing to lose. He won't be picking it up until Friday, so I have time to reinstall it again if necessary.

I'm gonna jump on it right now as a matter of fact. I'll let you know how it turns out.

P.S. I have several guinnea pig machines that I use...like downloading that 26 map pack that I did earlier, and scanning it. If there's ever anything you're unsure about let me know and I'll download and check, scan, unzip, install, whatever it is you are unsure of. It's what I do. Just lemme know. 8)

[drunken_chef]

I actually have a machine with linux on it that I use for that :D

[-IRC-MIKE]

I actually have a machine with linux on it that I use for that :D
Got one of those too! :D

It didn't do squat. The total download is only 37.1 KB... I don't see anything it did. It has an extractor that automatically extracts and opens a dos window and closes it faster than you can blink your eye. Who knows. I'm not sure if I got this right. I don't know what the hell I need to uninstall before I install it, or if I need to uninstall anything at all.


EDIT:

I found the actual download. The first one was the registry key that allows the XP machine to be accepted as a target for the SP3 RC. Here is the 336 MB download link.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=75ED934C-8423-4386-AD98-36B124A720AA&displaylang=en

Release Notes:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/c/d/8/cd8cc719-7d5a-40d3-a802-e4057aa8c631/relnotes.htm

Other downloads including SP3

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/browse.aspx?displaylang=en&productID=4C937A02-BAE0-4317-A1A9-0C56CD979D05

More stuff on the RC
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsxp/0a5b9b10-17e3-40d9-8d3c-0077c953a761.aspx

I'll keep you posted.

[mapes]

This is one of those times when having an image of your XP install running as a VMware instance might be handy

[WalkinTarget]

:good:

I agree. I'm working on customer PCs the rest of this week, so count me out on this one. I don't have much to lose on a spare PC, but they all run so well I hate to throw a wrench in the works just because I was being a bit frisky with an RC build.

[mapes]

:good:

I agree. I'm working on customer PCs the rest of this week, so count me out on this one. I don't have much to lose on a spare PC, but they all run so well I hate to throw a wrench in the works just because I was being a bit frisky with an RC build.

You know there is a VMware tool that'll let you make a vmware image of your current running system. You could then install VMware and launch that instance. I forget the name of the tool

[-IRC-MIKE]

Don't install the Service Pack 3 RC.

I left the thing installing last night when I went inside, and I came out to my shop today just a minute ago, and the machine had a BSOD (blue screen of death) on it. I rebooted the machine and it is showing Service Pack 2. Evidently there was an error during the install that made it BSOD and didn't complete properly. We're gonna have to wait this one out and see what's fixed in the beta version. This version is nicknamed the 'Pre-Beta release' ...(funny, I thought that was what a Beta release was). Anyway it is not stable and I'd hate to see what happened if it actually did complete the install. I'm going to see what other beta testers are saying about this release and see what is the status on it.

I'll keep you posted.

~~mike~~

P.S. Yes VMWare is an awesome utility. You can run whichever distro of windows/ mac/ linux you wish on your current machine without the side effects (nausea, godzilla vomiting, bloody nose, aneurisms, ...etc.)

[WalkinTarget]

Building a dual boot rig next weekend using two 320gb drives, so I wish I could experiment with the VMWare, but I'd just as soon install XP and Vista and call it a done deal.
The CPU doesn't support VM, so no go on that route even if I felt up to it. At $50, I can't complain about the e2180, as I'm shooting for 3+ ghz out of a 2 ghz chip.

Geez, poor MS, now they've pulled one of the Vista SP1 prerequisite patches as well ... DOH !!!
:shock:

[-IRC-MIKE]

Actually, I tried to install it using the FULL 320 MB download, and it blue screened while I was inside, but once you run that first link, it adds a registry key that makes your computer "Seen" by microsoft as a SP3 Candidate via windows updates. Even though the manual download didn't work for whatever reason, the windows update downloaded and prompted for "updates are ready" and I gambled on it and it installed. The PC is working actually better than it did. I have played with it a little bit, and it seems to be fine. I haven't noticed a real big difference other than it runs a little smoother, like a long overdue oil change.

http://www.ultimateaudio.pointclark.net/images/sp3.jpg

[WalkinTarget]

:2thumbs:

Hey, that sounds like a perseverance patch if I've ever done one !! Nice work on the manual patch as well, Mike.

[-IRC-MIKE]

Yes. The machine DEFINITELY runs a lot better than it did before this patch. Programs open about 20% quicker, close without waiting, and the browser seems to be about 10% faster.

Before this update it took about 25 seconds to open internet explorer, whereas now it takes less than 10. This is a basic windows xp media center install, however. I wouldn't guarantee how this is going to work for those who have those screwy installs, or dual boot systems. The machine is a lot more stable and I have put it through rigorous tests and overall I'd say the performance has increased about 20% give or take. If you have an extra machine I would suggest trying it on your lesser important machine and see how you like it.

Click on the first link in this forum thread, and run that registry executable, then let windows update itself.. don't try to force the manual install. I think you'll be satisfied.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for Microsoft VISTA service pack 1 install ratings and notes.

Your Friend,

~~mike~~

P.S. - It wasn't perseverance, instead it was the fact that once you run that first proggie that patches the registry for preparation, and I forgot to back up the registry before-hand, so it was gonna just keep prompting me that "Updates are ready to be installed" since I couldn't change the registry back. LOL.

[-IRC-MIKE]

AND!!!!!!

AND!!!!!

AAAAANNNNNNDDDDDD!!!!!

I'm sure you all have seen, know someone who has, or maybe even have one yourself (pirated copy of XP), but the MANUAL DOWNLOAD worked ..... on a pirated copy of windows XP (devil's own) and it is fully functional. Everything in the system properties looks exactly the same, with the exception of:

Service Pack 3, v.3264 (instead of v.3311)

[WalkinTarget]

I'm guessing they haven't entered the final pieces of the RTM code which would flag the eyepatched XP installs out there.

Altho lately, MS had recently begun relaxing the stipulations on the critical patches, ditching the formerly forced install of WGA before downloading the sought after security update/service pack.

It'll be interesting to see how this pans out, with WGA being such a disaster, but MS clearly needs to protect their investment in the OS itself.

[-IRC-MIKE]

Yes, in fact they have settled for letting pirated copies be used however only the critical updates can be applied. They did this due to the numerous instances of people unknowingly purchasing computer package deals from independent dealers which were being sold with a pirated copy. I have read a full article on it somewhere and I'll see if I can dig up the link if anyone needs proof. I'm not surprised that they let the pirated copy be used because of this fact, but I AM surprised that they allow it to be updated with the critical updates.

http://digg.com/software/Microsoft_drops_its_XP_pirate_checks

Here is a similar article.. not the exact one I read, but it gives you an idea:
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,19670853-15306,00.html

One pirated copy of XP that I worked on had been updated with windows updates and it actually locked the user out of the PC. Then I plugged the drive into a machine as secondary to get the user's personal files off of it, and they could not be retrieved this way either. I had to use ERD commander, ultimately, to recover the user's personal files. They no longer lock the user out of the machine because of the possibility of the end user purchasing the machine with an already installed eyepatch. I guess microshaft felt sorry for the millions of users (it was an estimate) who did not know they bought a pirated copy.

I wonder if Vista will be similar. I already have a pirated copy of vista that I played with for a while. It was the beta version that is cracked to the full version and it works. I have overwritten it with windows 2000 and sold the drive in a machine.

For the RECORD, I do have a pirated version of XP Pro, MCE, Tablet PC, and a few others that I use as a guinnea pig.

[-IRC-MIKE]

Here is a GOOD read for anyone interested!

http://windowssecrets.com/comp/060615/#story1

[Hammy]

I've got to agree with Mike on all this

[Todd98]

I installed SP3 on my new gaming computer and so far its running great with no issues.