Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Resolved Question

XP Service Packs

Mar 30, 2014 4:54AM PDT

Hi,
I have just re-installed XP on my old PC and have been trying to update and find the service packs to no avail. Has Microsoft already removed these for the home user? If so can anyone point me in the direction to obtain.
Thanks for reading this.
Sid.

Discussion is locked

sid1939 has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer

Best Answer

- Collapse -
XP Service Packs
Apr 1, 2014 5:34AM PDT

Many thanks for all of the help and advice from you all. I had SP1 installed and did download the SP3 all OK and everything is installed and up to date.
Regards,
Sid.

- Collapse -
Answer
What service packs ...
Mar 30, 2014 4:57AM PDT

were already present on the CD you installed from? You only need higher ones.

Kees

- Collapse -
Answer
Let's find out!
Mar 30, 2014 4:59AM PDT

I went to google and tried "XP Service Pack network install" and SP3 was there in the first hit.

Service Packs of other numbers are there but I usually try to get the last one first to save time.

Are you put off by the for administrator's note?
Bob

- Collapse -
Win Xperia service packs
Mar 30, 2014 7:19AM PDT

Thanks for the replies. I too Googled for service packs and found the link for sp3' however it was for professionals for multiple pc's. It gave a link for home users which then linked back to the same page, round and round in circles. So still trying. I understood that you have to install sp2 before sp3.
Regards,
Sid.

- Collapse -
Where is that documented?
Mar 30, 2014 7:32AM PDT
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950717 and other support documents don't mention that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_pack adds "Service Packs for Microsoft Windows were cumulative through Windows XP. This means that the problems that are fixed in a service pack are also fixed in later service packs. For example, Windows XP SP3 contains all the fixes that are included in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).[4] Windows Vista SP2 was not cumulative, however, but incremental, requiring that SP1 be installed first"

For me, I don't bother with SP1 and SP2. However some folk can't shake their beliefs or old ways. Either way works but as I charge by the hour I like to take it in one step.
Bob
- Collapse -
I am reasonably sure
Mar 30, 2014 7:46AM PDT

I am reasonably sure that starting with XP SP3, you needed either SP1a or SP2 installed. Though maybe at some point they revised the stand alone installer to be cumulative. I want to think it was some kind of dependency error like NT4 users got caught in around SP5 (I think -- don't quote me on the specific SP number). The service pack required a certain version of Internet Explorer to be installed, but the Internet Explorer installer required SP5 or higher.

- Collapse -
I see Kees found Waldo.
Mar 30, 2014 8:11AM PDT

It's getting more and more rare to find a straight XP install. One that doesn't get SP1 because most folk don't like the raw XP limitations and well, it wasn't long until XP XP1 CDs shipped. Folks back then hung onto Windows 95/98 for well, as long as folk are hanging onto XP so there are not a lot of XP (sans service pack machines or CDs today.)

And I didn't even mention the worm that you'll catch if you connect to the internet with an unprotected XP install.

Anyhow, all the service packs are available. But some are put off by the wording.
Bob

- Collapse -
Re: SP3 for professionals.
Mar 30, 2014 7:50AM PDT

That can be used perfectly by anybody who can download an exe-file and run it on his PC with SP2 or SP1.

I doubt if what Bob says about "cumulative" is fulle true. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389 explicitely says "You must have installed SP2 or SP1 before you install SP3". That's why I asked about the version you have installed now (original = no service pack, SP1 or higher).
Luckily, the link above also contains a link to SP1, if you need it.

Kees