Warning! Do NOT apply XP SP 3!

Baron Munchausen · #1 May 9th, 2008, 10:36 PM

http://tech.slashdot.org/tech/08/05/09/1258229.shtml

Windows XP SP3 Creating Havoc

ozmanjusri writes "According to Information Week, within hours of its wide availability Windows XP SP3 had drawn hundreds of complaints from users who claim the update is wreaking havoc on their computers. One user said in a Microsoft newsgroup: 'I downloaded and installed [the SP3] package for IT Professionals and Developers on one of my computers. Now I can't get the computer to boot. I don't think Microsoft should have made this a critical update.' Other sites including IT Wire are also reporting problems, which include include random reboots or the inability to boot at all."

Ed Kolis · #2 May 9th, 2008, 10:59 PM

Didn't SP2 cause this same scare?

MrToxin · #3 May 10th, 2008, 12:14 AM

People still use Windows? :V

Fyron · #4 May 10th, 2008, 01:39 AM

Sites like slashdot are always going out of their way to post sensationalist crap like this... wait until more reputable sources weigh in.

Atrocities · #5 May 10th, 2008, 03:14 AM

MS - "There ain't nut'in wrong with XP SP 3. Say for all the PC crashing bugs and crap." I sincerely hope my computers do not perform an auto update before I can turn that process off. Better to be safe than sorry. I have learned all to many times that when it comes to sensationalist crap regarding MS, its often true. The great Atrocities PC crashs of 2002, and 2004 are offered up as proof of this.

Atrocities · #6 May 10th, 2008, 03:20 AM

Does this count as a more reliable source? http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2302371,00.asp

Atrocities · #7 May 10th, 2008, 03:22 AM

"At this point, I want to clarify that the endless rebooting is not at all related to SP3 per se," Johansson wrote. "The problem is that with some configurations, SP3 causes the computer to crash during boot, and Windows XP, by default, is set up to automatically reboot when it crashes. That is why you end up in the endless rebooting scenario."

Well thats just peachy.

Azselendor · #8 May 10th, 2008, 09:11 AM

Didn't microsoft make a statement saying this is related computers with a certain piece of software installed?

Xrati · #9 May 10th, 2008, 01:26 PM

Yes, they did. I beleive that Micro$oft blamed it on SE5!

Always turn off your auto update. I have mine set on notify me and I'll choose what and when.
I too learned the hard way, after updating to IE7 [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Grenade.gif[/img]
and happily

getting the "BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH"

and the inability to ever recover the system to where it ran right, [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/Hammer.gif[/img]
causing a complete reinstall of Windows.........

Could we use that for a new syndrome name? [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/icon45.gif[/img]

AgentZero · #10 May 10th, 2008, 08:22 PM

I tried updating to SP3 a few days ago. Didn't get too far. I created a nice little screenshot compilation of the joys of Windows update, I'll throw it up here when I get home.

Then of course there's my classmate who tried to apply SP1 for Vista, and it took three days for it to reach 100% complete, another 4 hours before it told him that the update had failed and it was reverting it's changes, and then another two hours for it to crash and for him to find out that his Vista installation was completely borked and would require a full format & reinstall.