Obsolete Updates and XP Service Pack 3

I am running XP-PRO on my custom built computer. I have just successfully
installed service pack 3. I also have both service packs 1 & 2 plus all
their updates and security updates. Now that I have installed service pack
3, do we need to keep service packs 1 & 2 plus all their updates and security
updates?

My problem is that I am inundated with unnecessary updates. Now that we
have service pack 3, can we safely remove service pack 1 & 2 plus all their
updates and security updates? Also which of the current security updates can
we safely remove, now that we have service pack 3? How many updates do we
really need to keep with service pack 3? --Chris--

How do you know you have SP1 and SP2 installed concurrent with SP3? Each
service pack essentially removes the preceeding one since they are cumulative
in nature. If you're showing all three packs when you query your installed
software in Add & Remove Programs I'd assume your installations of all three
packs was faulty, certainly SP3.

You have several courses of action open to you. My untimate remedy is to
backup up all data, wipe the drive and then install an SP3 slippedstreamed
version of XP. Slipstreaming used to be somewhat difficult, but with the
advent of nLite.exe it's a breeze.

You could try uninstalling all three packs then reinstall SP3 only. I've
done this with SP2 with great success, but all machines, and installers, are
not equal.

After installing SP3, Windows Update indicated I needed to get maybe a dozen
patches. That was a while back and more have come out since my SP3
installations. But one thing is certain. If you've installed SP3 and are
"being inundated" with patches and updates, something isn't right.

"Chrisc985" wrote:

> I am running XP-PRO on my custom built computer. I have just successfully
> installed service pack 3. I also have both service packs 1 & 2 plus all
> their updates and security updates. Now that I have installed service pack
> 3, do we need to keep service packs 1 & 2 plus all their updates and security
> updates?
>
> My problem is that I am inundated with unnecessary updates. Now that we
> have service pack 3, can we safely remove service pack 1 & 2 plus all their
> updates and security updates? Also which of the current security updates can
> we safely remove, now that we have service pack 3? How many updates do we
> really need to keep with service pack 3? --Chris--

Following the installation of Service Pack 3, there are at least 18 critical
updates that follow. Remember, the Service Pack 3 file was created several
months ago.
Define "inundated.
"
"ku4hx" <ku4hx@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:2B968780-463F-4359-BE18-A9441AF82099@microsoft.com...
> How do you know you have SP1 and SP2 installed concurrent with SP3? Each
> service pack essentially removes the preceeding one since they are
> cumulative
> in nature. If you're showing all three packs when you query your
> installed
> software in Add & Remove Programs I'd assume your installations of all
> three
> packs was faulty, certainly SP3.
>
> You have several courses of action open to you. My untimate remedy is to
> backup up all data, wipe the drive and then install an SP3 slippedstreamed
> version of XP. Slipstreaming used to be somewhat difficult, but with the
> advent of nLite.exe it's a breeze.
>
> You could try uninstalling all three packs then reinstall SP3 only. I've
> done this with SP2 with great success, but all machines, and installers,
> are
> not equal.
>
> After installing SP3, Windows Update indicated I needed to get maybe a
> dozen
> patches. That was a while back and more have come out since my SP3
> installations. But one thing is certain. If you've installed SP3 and are
> "being inundated" with patches and updates, something isn't right.
>
> "Chrisc985" wrote:
>
>> I am running XP-PRO on my custom built computer. I have just successfully
>> installed service pack 3. I also have both service packs 1 & 2 plus all
>> their updates and security updates. Now that I have installed service
>> pack
>> 3, do we need to keep service packs 1 & 2 plus all their updates and
>> security
>> updates?
>>
>> My problem is that I am inundated with unnecessary updates. Now that we
>> have service pack 3, can we safely remove service pack 1 & 2 plus all
>> their
>> updates and security updates? Also which of the current security updates
>> can
>> we safely remove, now that we have service pack 3? How many updates do we
>> really need to keep with service pack 3? --Chris--

"ku4hx" wrote:

> How do you know you have SP1 and SP2 installed concurrent with SP3? Each
> service pack essentially removes the preceeding one since they are cumulative
> in nature. If you're showing all three packs when you query your installed
> software in Add & Remove Programs I'd assume your installations of all three
> packs was faulty, certainly SP3.
>
> You have several courses of action open to you. My untimate remedy is to
> backup up all data, wipe the drive and then install an SP3 slippedstreamed
> version of XP. Slipstreaming used to be somewhat difficult, but with the
> advent of nLite.exe it's a breeze.
>
> You could try uninstalling all three packs then reinstall SP3 only. I've
> done this with SP2 with great success, but all machines, and installers, are
> not equal.
>
> After installing SP3, Windows Update indicated I needed to get maybe a dozen
> patches. That was a while back and more have come out since my SP3
> installations. But one thing is certain. If you've installed SP3 and are
> "being inundated" with patches and updates, something isn't right.
>
In response to your question about SP1 and SP2, It seems that the MICROSOFT
UPDATE system keeps asking me to install SP1 and SP2, even after I have
installed SP3. If what you said about SP3, removing SP2 during the update
process is true, then why did SP3 fail to remove SP2 and SP? For some reason
the previous service packs are still remaining in my list of programs. Do I
have to remove SP1 and SP2 before reinstalling SP3? If I understand you
correctly, SP1 and SP2 should not be in my list of programs. For some reason
the SP3 update process failed to clean up the remains of SP2 and SP1. I will
remove all the updates and try again. Thanks for your help. --Chris--