Uninstalling SP3

You bought SP3 ???

No issues of which I am aware. After uninstalling, you should check at the Windows Update (or Microsoft Update) website to see which updates need (re-) installing.

 

XP SP3: Problems? How To Uninstall Service Pack 3
by Bill Castner MS-MVP

1. Boot to Safe Mode. Use Add or Remove Programs. Reboot.
This is absolutely the best way to uninstall Service Pack 3.
Full read: http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?p=187816#p187816

 

Before uninstalling, you might want to contact MS to help sort out your SP3 issues. Free unlimited installation and compatibility support is available for Windows XP, but only for Service Pack 3 (SP3), until 14 Apr-09.

 

US: http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-us&prid=11273&gprid=522131

Canada: http://support.microsoft.com/oas/default.aspx?ln=en-ca&prid=11273&gprid=522131

It messed up my toolbar for some reason, and it re-arranged all my "my documents" folders too. And it made my "links" bar disappear too. So I removed SP3 as Joe's link above, and it uninstalled cleanly and without any problems. Then I had to put back and re-arrange all my folders again, lol....

 

I'll reinstall it somewhere down the road ........:smileyhappy:

Joe thanks & I'll look into these - I found a Windows Forum but they fight & argue & never reply to legitimate queries, so I found this forum here.

 

 One of ths issues is in IE, the Command Bar lost the Icons for Home, One Up, One Down, Close, etc. - they just went AWOL one morning when I logged in! Another is, since the install, the CHKDSK starts arbitrarily at some Logins & other times I log in, it doesn't, where it only did it prevcously upon my command.

 

 Unrelated to SP3, my IE7 never keeps my History past one day, eben tho' in Tools>Options, Browisng, it is set to 30 days, & I have tried to find in my Spyware,Adware & AV's, if there is some settings there that may be affecvting this, but have not found anything yet that has made a difference.

 I run AdAware, Spybot,CCleaner, Spyware Blaster, AVG 8.0,, SuperAnti SPyWare & the in house Firewall.

 

 Thanks again Joe.

 

 Thanks Tommy & what did it do to your Folders ? & do you mean from Favorites too ? I told Jope it made my COmmand Bar drop it's Icons somewhere!

 

 When I read the info Joe provided, I most likley will uninstall it.

 

 Thanks again

Joe, what am I missing here, per the link you provided:

Paragraph one, he says the last thing is to use Safe & S/Restore, but directly under it, he says to "Boot to Safe Mode"; are they not contradictory ?

"The last thing in the entire world you want to do is to use Safe Mode and System Restore to resolve issues with a failed installation of Service Pack 3. It will appear to work. But behind the scenes, the use of System Restore in this case will leave things a messs.

How To Safely, Sanely, and Wisely Uninstall a Failed XP Service Pack 3 Installation

1. Boot to Safe Mode. Use Add or Remove Programs. Reboot.
This is absolutely the best way to uninstall Service Pack 3.

2. Recovery Console
This will work, and if XP on the subsequent reboot to Normal mode loads without apparent issue it is a perfectly sound way to handle matters. But see the notes below for some issues that may happen if you uninstall Service Pack 3 in Recovery Console."

What Castner is saying is not to use System Restore in Safe Mode, as I read it.

 

Instead use Add or Remove Programs in Safe Mode.

---

@NatureMuzic wrote:

Hey Joe(ahhh Jmmy Hendrix!)

 

I have never Booted in the Safe mode, so let me see if I got this straight:

 I Shut Down & login again, while tapping the F12 key, then Remove from Add/Remove, then Shut Down & login again, in Normal Mode ?

 

 ALso, before I left the other NG, I got this reply & would appreciate your thoughts on it:

 

"Use the "Add or Remove Programs" item in Control Panel

1. Click Start, and then click Run.

2. Copy and then paste the following command in the Open box, and then press ENTER:

appwiz.cpl

3. Click to select the Show Updates check box.

4. Click Windows XP Service Pack 3, and then click Remove.

5. Click Finish to restart the computer after the removal process is complete." 

 

 I see nothing of a reboot here & am curious as to why not ?

 

 Thanks

---

I can't comment on the advice given in the NG.

 

I can tell you that Castner gives bullet-proof advice. Uninstalling in Safe Mode ensures that none of your defensive applications interferes with the process. You have to reboot to get back into normal Windows.

Hey Joe(ahhh Jmmy Hendrix!)

 

I have never Booted in the Safe mode, so let me see if I got this straight:

 I Shut Down & login again, while tapping the F12 key, then Remove from Add/Remove, then Shut Down & login again, in Normal Mode ?

 

 ALso, before I left the other NG, I got this reply & would appreciate your thoughts on it:

 

"Use the "Add or Remove Programs" item in Control Panel

1. Click Start, and then click Run.

2. Copy and then paste the following command in the Open box, and then press ENTER:

3. Click to select the Show Updates check box.

4. Click Windows XP Service Pack 3, and then click Remove.

5. Click Finish to restart the computer after the removal process is complete." 

 

 I see nothing of a reboot here & am curious as to why not ?

 

 Thanks

Duh me - thanks & sorry about that.

Thanks & I did a system Restore 2 days ago, that's okay tho' right ? It just means to not do one WHILE IN the Safe Mode ?