What are you doing this weekend? How about watching your PC continually reboot? That's what some aggravated Windows XP users have been doing Friday after installing the XP service pack 3( I had the same experience had to revert back to sp2).
The problem appears to primarily affect AMD-based computers (Im using an AMD), though there are also some cases in which Intel-based machines will also run into trouble, Jesper Johansson, a former program manager for security policy at Microsoft who now runs a Windows-related blog, wrote in a recent post.
Microsoft was scheduled to release the XP SP3 download on April 29, but a "compatibility issue" delayed it until May 7. Mention of the reboot problem first popped up on the Microsoft forums on April 23, prompting some to speculate that the poster's problem was due to an outdated version of SP3, but users who installed the final version soon reported the same issue.
"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."
Johansson offers a detailed work around on his blog.
"Microsoft is aware of these issues and we are investigating them further," according to a spokeswoman. "We will keep customers informed with our progress. Any customer who experiences a problem with Windows XP SP3 installation should contact Microsoft Customer Support Services."
Service Pack 3 adds several networking and security improvements, and compatibility with Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 security credential providers. It also incorporates features previously available individually as separate updates, such as Microsoft Windows Imaging Component (WIC), Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0, and Wi-Fi Protected Access 2.
Meanwhile, Microsoft reported this week that users who install XP SP3 will not be able to downgrade from Internet Explorer 7 to IE6.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2302371,00.asp
The problem appears to primarily affect AMD-based computers (Im using an AMD), though there are also some cases in which Intel-based machines will also run into trouble, Jesper Johansson, a former program manager for security policy at Microsoft who now runs a Windows-related blog, wrote in a recent post.
Microsoft was scheduled to release the XP SP3 download on April 29, but a "compatibility issue" delayed it until May 7. Mention of the reboot problem first popped up on the Microsoft forums on April 23, prompting some to speculate that the poster's problem was due to an outdated version of SP3, but users who installed the final version soon reported the same issue.
"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."
Johansson offers a detailed work around on his blog.
"Microsoft is aware of these issues and we are investigating them further," according to a spokeswoman. "We will keep customers informed with our progress. Any customer who experiences a problem with Windows XP SP3 installation should contact Microsoft Customer Support Services."
Service Pack 3 adds several networking and security improvements, and compatibility with Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 security credential providers. It also incorporates features previously available individually as separate updates, such as Microsoft Windows Imaging Component (WIC), Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0, and Wi-Fi Protected Access 2.
Meanwhile, Microsoft reported this week that users who install XP SP3 will not be able to downgrade from Internet Explorer 7 to IE6.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,2302371,00.asp
