I have been getting more than a few emails and phone calls asking if I recommend installing XP’s Service Pack 3. Well, the truth is “sure, maybe!” I have installed it on all machines for my “Home” customers for the last several months with no issues and since the middle of September on most of my business customers without a problem.

Only Compaq / HP computers with AMD processors are having issues (a Blue Screen of Death – BSOD) as a matter of fact. It turns out HP was using Intel images on AMD machines (Ford engine blueprints to make install Chevy engines) and Service Pack 3 just didn’t like that.

There is a patch you can install BEFORE installing SP-3. The patch is located here.

I have run into computers that the patch won’t run on, the message claiming that it is not needed or not the correct system yet it is an HP / Compaq PC, it is an AMD processor and the computers do BSOD when Service Pack 3 is installed. Sorry, I still don’t have a work around for that.

 
If you have installed SP-3 and are getting the constant reboots or BSOD, then…

1. Boot to “Safe Mode” by pressing the “F8” Key when the computer is turned on.
2. Chose to “Restore” the computer to an earlier date.
3. Click on different days of the little calendar that appears until you see where SP-3 was installed and then select the first restore point before that (possibly the same day or the day before).
4. Let the system do its thing, reboot et al.
5. Install the patch from the above link.
6. Install SP-3

Well, that should help many of you out. Until we meet again, have a virus free week!