Windows XP Service Pack 3 May Cause More Issues Than It Fixes
By Chad A. Johnson · May 13, 2008
I started writing this article from the standpoint that a third service pack to the already stable Windows XP operating system could only be a positive thing. Unfortunately, my opinion changed once I installed the update on my own computer.
SP3 is Microsoft’s final push to address issues with Windows XP before it is all but pulled from the market this summer. Once this happens, whether you are a Vista fan or not, that will be the only Windows choice available for purchase.
Windows XP SP3 is quite a letdown in comparison to the added functionality seen with Service Pack 2. Service Pack 2 gave new life to Windows XP, making you feel that the massive download and installation was worth the effort. The reality is that no real estate agent will directly benefit from SP3’s new feature set.
Issues with Service Pack 3 Installations
While you may not notice any benefit from installing SP3, you might be unlucky enough to experience issues related to the installation.
This past weekend, I upgraded the hard drive in my Windows XP laptop. Rather than clone the drive and inherit old quirks, I decided to perform a clean installation of the operating system, complete with SP3.
Once installed, Service Pack 3 caused my Internet Explorer 7 to malfunction. This wouldn’t be too much of an issue with my heavy use of Firefox except for the need for IE to download Microsoft Updates for Windows and Office.
Removing IE7 and SP3 and reinstalling did clear up the issue. Removing Service Pack 3 did wreak havoc on other programs, though, such as Norton Internet Security. That program required a Symantec tech over an hour to fix using a remote login program. That is on top of 2 hours of my own time trying to work out the glitches.
My experience was not unusual for this installation. Microsoft was forced to postpone the release of SP3 due to compatibility issues with their own business solutions software, which could cause data corruption.
A problem that is more likely to affect real estate agents is an issue that causes AMD-based computers to continuously reboot once SP3 is installed. Fortunately, fixes to the endless reboot issue are well documented throughout the blogosphere.
After all this, you may be asking yourself, “Why would I install SP3?” The answer is quite simple, it is going to be difficult to avoid installing the service pack. Microsoft has added SP3 to the critical list for Windows Update, making it a challenge to not install it.
Prepare For the Worst
The installation process for SP3 recommends backing up data before proceeding. Follow this advice!
Perform at least a data backup. Better yet, use backup software to create an image of your computer so that you can restore your computer to pre-installation state without hours of stress and anxiety.
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Its quite strange to deliver such an update for a phase out product anyway. I’ve switched off my Windows Update Service now 
Interesting article. I have not had the problems you have had with sp3. Knock on wood, so far everything seems ok. It seems to have slowed down my system a little but most updates tend to do that I’ve noticed until all the updates click in. Or I may just be imagining it. Either way I’ve updated 2 laptops and one pc and so far so good. FYI Just my opinion.
Bob H
Hammersteam,
Thanks for sharing your experience with XP SP3. I have also updated 2 other computers with no issues. It just must be the luck of the draw on whether it will be a smooth install or not.
Hi,
I just wanted to share some of my XP SP3 experience. In general, after the update, everything worked well, except Windows won’t start if I have either my external hard disk or my PCI card-based SATA disk plugged in. It was also giving me corrupted data messages on some of the folders on some of my 5 drives. Restoring from a SP2 backup solves all the problems including the corrupted data errors. I think I’ll wait until the SP is a bit more mature. Weirdness…
Toan Tran,
Saturday, I ran across the same external hard drive problem on a system I maintain. If the USB hard drive was connected, Windows wouldn’t load.
After hours of troubleshooting, the fix ended up being a BIOS update. This might be something that you want to explore.
I have a Gateway CX200 tablet that just about threw a rod when I installed XP SP3. The system would not stay running for more than a few seconds before shutting down. Luckily, it stayed running one time for long enough for me to select a restore point and that solved the main issue. It still corrupted my desktop and a few other minor issues. But, it basically killed my PC. So, I’ll not be updating my XP and will probably just buy a new PC and go with Vista Ultimate.
its killed my puter…cant get into start menu to try and restore…..cant get into safe mode while booting…..looks like ill have to scrap it and start again….microsoft are wankers
Three computers from clients don’t get far enough into windows to remove SP3, and in one case it took out the main board drivers.. after a reinstall of windows… the first is sp3 which means no updates for the user ! Nice (sarcasm) good one microsoft excellent testing.
The other ones need to go into windows via an external hard drive to try to roll back and I am having trouble.
I’m no computer whiz – farthest thing from it – I hobble along as best I can. I’ve spent 2 days trying to fix problems that have popped up since installing SP3. Mainly an error with the wireless networking. I couldn’t figure it out ’till I reverted the hard drive on one computer and it worked fine and then updated the 2nd and it had the same issues – then updated the 2nd again and reverted once again to same issue. This is aggravating for someone (me) who is just not that computer litterate. I wish there was an easily found answer to this.
I chance downloaded this when it first came out and ran into nothing but problems. Finally having gotten tired of seeing it in windows update everytime something was ready to download I closed every program I could. I mean everything in the taskbar including disabling mcAfee, and am happy to say no problems reported. Although as stated above there are no especially nice upgrades in the download except a search bar that appeared in the taskbar that I quickly disabled after the restart. This was NOT a quick upgrade while it seemed my pc had froze a number of times it just needed more time to get through what it was doing. Be patient and don’t start it an hour beforing turning in for the night, pre breakfast might be better and I’m on a cable network..
I have had more than issues with the stupid update. There was no notice that it would cause major problems with AMD chips. Apparently the download triggered an unknown disc issue and we had to eventually do a complete system recovery and some of my files are still lost in here. I want to know what I can do to just NOT install it since it keeps popping up in my tray now that it NEEEEEEEDS to be installed. Please help.
Thank Goodness I didnt install this latest Turkey Screwup S.P.3 I have learned the hard way in the past not to let my computer automatically download and install crap updates. Im not updating this one because I need to be able to use my computer!
After installing SP3 for XP, my pc stopped playing all videos other than those few which operate at the website itself (which, for example, doesn’t include places like You Tube).
That means it will no longer allow most types of video or apparently any type of ‘Active X’ function to occur as well. This means there are a number of websites where much or most of the material will not display, often at large companies which have very active homepages. Some website’s homepages are, it seems, so active that SP3 shuts down everything, so they display as totally blank pages except for the background color, making interaction impossible.
The only thing which still works which “displays movement similar to a video” are thise items which use Java, such as moving or looping radar images at the National Weather Service.
Collectively they appear like an overboard effort at maximum security. Other than restoring a backup, which I’d really rather avoid, does anyone know how to fix this range of issues? Thank you.
I initially had alot of the same issues appear on my laptop and ended up uninstalling sp3 months ago. BUT about 2 months ago I got brave and annoyed at the reminders to download it. What worked for me was after running all maintenace programs spybot,mcafee,malwarebyte’s, defraged and error checked and then restarted the pc. Closed every program in the taskbar that could be and ran the download. Happy to say no issues ever popped up since. The download took quite awhile almost as if it hung up but it didn’t.
Service Pack 3 destroyed my compuyer’s ability to access my LAN and knocked out acxess to the internet. The “fix” was to backup critical files and format the hard drive followed by a new clean install of WIN-XP. Imagine the time it took to get the hard drive back to its original configuration! I had a backup but not a mirror-image one that I recommend to the brave souls still wanting to “upgrade”
I absolutely recommend that users think hard before installing the update. My computer guru says it’s an individual thing with some computers hit hard, others are unaffected.
I lost two full days of work (much more expensive than a new computer) and could not believe that microsoft could make such a Trojan Horse a Critical Update.without more field testing on a variety of computers and configuratios.
SP3 totally ruined our HP laptop. It can only tell us there is “no operating system found” and continuously runs a cycle of start up to shut down, and best of all, it now makes clicking noises. So, thank you Microsoft for this critical trojan-horse silver bullet to our head. I imagine it will be a long time before our PC ever works, let alone works as it did before your deathblow. I will be on a rampage to make you pay for this destruction and to reimburse us for our hardships, which you and you alone have brought upon us. I hate Microsoft with a passion. I will never trust you or your products again. It’s time for a MAC!
This service pack is a Microsoft sanctioned virus!
Had to do a system recovery and came within a hair of losing all my data.
I cannot wait until Google’s operating system is released so that we are finally free from using this garbage.
Well, I followed all of the directions, trusted the Microsoft brand, and did the upgrade to SP3, per all of the instructions, and voila! I get search results of a blank white page with the word “Done” in the lower left hand side. I got through the Microsoft website to a gentleman named “Tiger Wu” who is diligently working with me via the email mode, to continue to troubleshoot this. After a reset of some parameters via the Internet Options Advanced tab, I now get a statement: “unable to display results” or “website not found” or “check connectivity”…. et cetera. I get these results regardless of the search engine that I use (Google, Lycos, Explorer, or from the address bar..) . It seems that this has been an issue for quite some time, and yes, Microsoft should have performed more tests to route this problem out, especially since it is becoming more apparent that more people are discovering this very problem also. Well, wish me luck, and for what it is worth, one should really perform an intensive introspection prior to updating IE with SP 3. Some questions that one might ask: 1) Am I willing to give up many DAYS at my computer to overcome the problems that I may encounter? 2)Do I have enough finances to purchase another computer? 3) Why would Microsoft be so negligent to allow something like this to go on for so long without establishing a fix? 4) Can I beat up the Microsoft SP3 upgrade project manager, and if not, has he been fired?
Art,
That is an awful computer bug to have. Google search results make up a substantial portion of my web surfing.
A reformat may be your best route to fixing the problem. You could then get XP SP3 on before other programs make registry changes. Make sure you update your BIOS and hardware drivers along the way.
Chad
I was under the impression that having the windows automatic updates turned on was supposed to protect my computer. I was wrong. It automatically installed the SP3 and I had many of the issues listed in the above comments. Blank pages while trying to view my email, no youtube, no image search, many websites that I visit daily were just inoperable. I eventually had to take it in and shell out $60, just to get the SP3 removed. I wouldnt recommend installing it.
I had to turn off my automatic updates, and it’s STILL trying to sneak in there. Microsoft really needs to do something about this mess.
I also tried a search from a new browser called Firefox. Didn’t give me any search results either, so, something in the pewter is messing up both browsers. I don’t think reformatting is a good idea, way too much stuff will get lost. There has GOT to be one simple thing doing this……
I am 0 for 2 with the windows sp3.
Both computers locked up on me and I needed to defrag the drives. Then the install worked. I also have noticed that on both systems I can no longer read one of the DVD drives. If there are no driver updates for SP3 I will go back to SP2.
Brand new machine, installed XP SP2 – fully set up and all working OK, thought I’d give SP3 a try – I have updates turned off as they have slowed my machine in the past. Worst thing I could have done – never again!
The wireless networking was working until the SP3 update, then it would not connect at all. I am now in the middle of a total reinstall which will take me two days – thanks Microsoft!
Update to service pack three via Microsoft update…Wow what a lot of problems, lost all other user loggings and loads of other problems…cutting my losses and off to by an Apple Mac I never want to deal with Microsoft again!!!
Hi Chad,
Thanks for posting this. I wouldn’t install SP3 since I see no reason to do so. SP2 works perfectly fine and I’ve got too many critical applications on my PC to put it at risk for the sake of MS interests
Its quite strange to deliver such an update for a phase out product anyway. I’ve switched off my Windows Update Service now 
Cheers,
Wolfgang
XP Service Pack3 has completely messed up my computer. I read some time ago not to instal it put it did it automatically. TOTAL DISASTER. Computer keeps shutting down after a slow labourious boot up. How can I safely remove it???
If the operating system isn’t stable enough to remove the service pack from the add/remove programs, it may need professional help. A local computer repair shop is probably your best solution.
Another option is to consider upgrading to Windows 7. If your computer is compatible, it will get you the latest functionality for about the same price as a repair of XP.