[aprssig] OT: Windows XP Service Pack 3

[Stephen H. Smith]

Keith VE7GDH wrote:
> Rusty WB4BSD wrote...
>
>   
>> has anyone upgraded to service pack 3 yet?
>> and if so has anyone had any major problems?
>> Here, this will put it back on topic: Has service pack 3 adversely
>> affected any of the APRS programs?
>>     
>
>   


So far, the only problems I have seen widely reported in the trade 
newsletters (eWeek, InfoWorld, Windows Secrets, etc) is installing it on 
Athlon-based HP computers factory pre-loaded with an earlier version of 
XP.   Apparently HP stupidly loads the indentical standard setup onto 
machines with either Intel or AMD processors.  Some specialized driver 
for the Intel CoreDuo CPUs (totally unnecessary on the AMD-equipped 
machines but still present) screws up the SP3 upgrade install on the AMD 
machines and leads to endless reboots.   You have to escape to safe mode 
and uninstall SP3 if this happens. 


I have combined SP3 with a base WinXP install CD (the technique known as 
"slipstreaming") and have created a CD-ROM that will cold-install XP SP3 
directly.   This saves a ton of space on the hard disk since all the 
service paks and patches normally installed after the base install are 
part of the original XP image.  

[Normally every  patch downloaded installed by Windows update, after the 
initial install,  is archived on the hard disk so that it can be 
automatically installed again if some other program undoes the patch. In 
addition, the file(s) replaced during the patch are also archived in 
case you want to uninstall the patch. This can consume GIGABYTES of 
additional disk space.  On the other hand, any originally-installed 
components are re-installed from the original install CD-ROM if needed; 
i.e. the typical "Please insert your Windows XP CD-ROM" prompt.]    

So far I have done three cold-installs with this XP SP3 slipstreamed 
install disk on bare machines, followed by extensive ham setups 
including UI-View, MixW, APRSpoint, APRSplus, AGW Packet Engine and 
EchoLink with no problems.   




--

Stephen H. Smith    wa8lmf (at) aol.com
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