A Serious Warning From Microsoft:

[Guest Reimar]

XP SP3 Can Kill All Update Installations

Deploying Service Pack 3 directly on top of a fresh installation of Windows XP Service Pack 2 will kill all subsequent updates from Microsoft's servers.

The Redmond giant warned that integrating SP3 into the operating system straight after performing a new installation of XP SP2 via Windows Update will result in the failed implementation of any additional releases from Windows Update, Microsoft Update or through Automatic Updates. In this context, installing the third and last service pack for Windows XP onto a freshly-deployed copy of XP SP2 will virtually cut off the operating system from the life-line represented by the company's updates, served either through WU, MU or AU.

"This problem occurs when the latest Windows Update client has been installed and then you install Windows XP SP3 before restarting the computer. This causes the new Wups2.dll file not to be enabled (registered). When Windows XP SP3 is installed, it does not detect the Wups2.dll file, and it sets the registry to point to the original Wups.dll file version that is included in Windows XP SP2 and Windows XP SP3. Because the registry files that correspond to the Wups2.dll file are missing, update installations are unsuccessful," Microsoft indicated.

The Redmond company does not provide an automatic resolve to this issue, but it does offer a mitigation. The users will have to access and download the Windows Update Agent, available for download for 32-bit, 64-bit and Itanium-based systems running Windows XP, and then manually install it. Next, the appropriate Windows Update Agent version has to be located through the Browse option of the Run dialog box. What users have to execute is the following: "C:WindowsUpdateAgent30-x86.exe /wuforce", depending on the location of the Windows Update Agent and following the addition of the "/wuforce" switch.

However, the same issue occurs when end users are trying to repair a machine using the Windows XP CD. Windows system files are replaced during the process of an XP repair operation and the Wups2.dll file did not ship with the original version of Windows XP. After repair, although the file still exists on the machine, the registry entries pointing to it are gone since the registry is replaced during repair.

Users will have to "register the Wups2.dll file in Windows. Stop the Automatic Updates service. Open cmd (command prompt) type the following command, and then press ENTER: net stop wuauserv. Register the Wups2.dll file: at the command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER: regsvr32 %windir%/system32/wups2.dll. (For a computer that is running Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, type the following command, and then press ENTER: regsvr32 %windir%/syswow64/wups2.dll. Start the Automatic Updates service. To do this, type the following command at the command prompt, and then press ENTER: "net start wuauserv"," Microsoft revealed.The Redmond giant warned that integrating SP3 into the operating system straight after performing a new installation of XP SP2 via Windows Update will result in the failed implementation of any additional releases from Windows Update, Microsoft Update or through Automatic Updates. In this context, installing the third and last service pack for Windows XP onto a freshly-deployed copy of XP SP2 will virtually cut off the operating system from the life-line represented by the company's updates, served either through WU, MU or AU.

Read the full article HERE

[Rice_King]

XP SP3 Can Kill All Update Installations

Deploying Service Pack 3 directly on top of a fresh installation of Windows XP Service Pack 2 will kill all subsequent updates from Microsoft's servers.

Why would anyone install XP SP2 and then immediately install SP3 on top of it? Sounds like they're stating the obvious here. File this one under, "Duh!"

[sjaak327]

Well, I don't know, but it could for instance be a normal home user, who re-installs XP with SP2 from CD and then updates to SP3, hardly a very strange thing to do.

Of course slipstreaming SP3 into your RTM, SP1 or SP2 disk would not give this problem.

[Rice_King]

Well, I don't know, but it could for instance be a normal home user, who re-installs XP with SP2 from CD and then updates to SP3, hardly a very strange thing to do.

Of course slipstreaming SP3 into your RTM, SP1 or SP2 disk would not give this problem.

Good point sjaak. I had not considered a home user armed only with a XP SP2 disk. I have always utilized (as you mentioned) a "slipstreamed" version (RTM + latest service pack) for fresh installs.

Edited August 6, 2008 by Rice_King

[niller74]

No one would ever do that, so why would a company like Microsoft even test for such thing prior to releasing a new service pack /sarcasm off

Yet another patch or OS, to be tested by the users. I think it's about time they pay their users for Q&A soon.

[Florin]

I have this exact problem! New DELL PCs with XP SP2 pre-installed, first thing I did was update...thought it was some issue with some of the installed software conflicting, now i know better.

Thanks, Reimar!

[RKASA]

I get did a re install of WinXp sp2 from my OEM disk (home user style) a few weeks ago and then went to up date site got the auto update software installed slow as it always does and then it gave my sp3 and a few others.  I slowly got a few updates after that and have been to the site for some of the optional stuff.  Everthing seems to be just fine.  So it may be one of those this could be a problem for some, but not all.  The site has a few optional left I didn't want so I guess I ll just have to wait and see if a problem developes with future updates. I guess if it does I ll have to do all that geeky stuff and fix it myself.  Man the things MS will do to drive home uses to Vista.   

[Steve2UK]

Well, I don't know, but it could for instance be a normal home user, who re-installs XP with SP2 from CD and then updates to SP3, hardly a very strange thing to do.

I had exactly this situation - re-installed XP SP2 from my original CD and then immediately applied SP3 (on the assumption that it contained all post-SP2 updates so why apply them the slow way via online updating?). Since then, my OS & soft/hardware updates would download but always fail to install - I got round it by fetching and installing them manually. After applying the three cmd's as detailed, the update and install now works fine again.

Thanks, Reimar .

BTW, you might like to edit your post - looks like you have cut and pasted the last two paragraphs twice. That stuff is confusing enough for the average user already .

[Guest Reimar]

Well, I don't know, but it could for instance be a normal home user, who re-installs XP with SP2 from CD and then updates to SP3, hardly a very strange thing to do.

I had exactly this situation - re-installed XP SP2 from my original CD and then immediately applied SP3 (on the assumption that it contained all post-SP2 updates so why apply them the slow way via online updating?). Since then, my OS & soft/hardware updates would download but always fail to install - I got round it by fetching and installing them manually. After applying the three cmd's as detailed, the update and install now works fine again.

Thanks, Reimar .

BTW, you might like to edit your post - looks like you have cut and pasted the last two paragraphs twice. That stuff is confusing enough for the average user already .

Done already. Thanks for that!

Cheers.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

I ran into and explained this problem a while ago when it happened to me on a number of computers, laptops and desktops alike - and nobody seemed to believe me, so i thought "why bother telling them anymore".

Thing is, you buy genuine XP SP2 OEM, build a new computer, install it, and go to "Windows Update" the first time all you GET is actually SP3. Well, it was the case "back then" when i had that problem. No other updates showed up!

So SP3 install i did, which in every case went flawless - just that after it, exactly as described, not a single update would install, although they all DOWNLOADED fine.

I resorted to installing each one manually, which worked too.

Also other Microsoft software, such as WMP 11, LiveMail, and LiveMessenger would download but refuse to install. Again, getting the standalone installers solved that.

I am just amazed that MS needed such a long time to finally warn users...... i could have told them (actually, as mentioned, i DID) a couple of months ago............

Best regards.....

Thanh

[stumonster]

Also other Microsoft software, such as WMP 11, LiveMail, and LiveMessenger would download but refuse to install.

I would consider that a feature - insidious software it is