 | By Susan Bradley Both HP and Microsoft are working to fix problems causing AMD-based PCs to reboot repeatedly after XP Service Pack 3 is loaded. In the meantime, security expert Dr. Jesper Johansson has beaten the companies to the punch by devising a tool that ensures AMD machines can be patched. |
I repeat: don’t be in a hurry to install XP SP3
As I described in last week’s column, HP recommends that its customers put their XP Service Pack 3 installation plans on hold. According to the Microsoft Update Product Team blog, Microsoft plans to block the service pack from being offered to users of the systems affected by the reboot bug.
If you prefer not to wait, Dr. Jesper Johansson has created a fix that can be downloaded from his blog. In fact, Dr. Johansson’s site is probably the best resource for tracking issues associated with XP SP3.
In addition to the many readers who have e-mailed me to describe problems they’ve encountered after installing XP SP3, a second and larger group of people ask whether they even need the update if they’ve been applying security and other XP patches as they become available.
Given that every analyst — including me — is telling them the service pack’s most noteworthy enhancements involve networking and other IT-related matters, many ask whether they need XP SP3 at all.
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