SP3

[gyron1]

My wife has a Vaio VGN-FE31H. It has recently been getting very slow and bootup is painfully slow as well. She is also suffering from very many error messages, mainly upon shutdown, with the usual reporting back to MS etc!

I checked out her system information, and as I suspected her auto update has installed SP3. Is my memory correct that I have seen on these pages that upgrading to SP3 can bring with it a host of problems that maybe the cause of a least some of her problems?

If so, I seem to remember that there is a reliable (and safe) way of 'rolling back' her system to SP2 - can you please refresh my memory where I find the software to do this please?

Also, can you please refresh my memory as to how I switch the damm MS Auto Update utility off?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Gyron

[rich912]

Hi Gyron,

I am on a Vista machine at present but I did roll back my XP machine some while ago due to multiple problems.

I can’t remember the exact procedure but I used “add & remove programs” in control panel – this worked without a hitch.

How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows XP

[gyron1]

Thanks for that Rich,
Gyron

[Thalamus.]

Also, can you please refresh my memory as to how I switch the damm MS Auto Update utility off?

Hi gyron,

the following link should help: How to configure and use Automatic Updates in Windows XP

[rich912]

You're welcome Gyron.

[gyron1]

Hello Thalamus & Rich,

Thank you both (Rich again) for your help and links to advice re stopping auto upgrades. Just a thought, I wonder whether such action also switches off the Norton auto upgrades or, because this is 'protection' software, does it have special inbuilt bypass functions?

Regarding the downgrade from SP3 to SP2, I am sure I have seen on this Forum somewhere a way to 'roll back' SP3 to SP2 - maybe I am wrong, have to search around a bit - can either of you gents remember such a mailing? Anyway, following your idea Rich of deleting SP3, I do see on the laptop in question, that although the operating system seems to have upgraded to SP3 (System Info), when I look in the listing of installed programs, whilst, of course, SP3 is there, so is SP2 still there. So, if I delete the SP3 'program' will I need to re-initiate the SP2 program or would this be wholly automatic??

Thanks for any continued help and guidance, much appreciated.

Gyron.

[rich912]

Hi gyron,

Windows “Automatic Updating” only affects Microsoft components. All other software components should be OK.

If you remove SP3, via “Add/Remove programmes”, PS2 will still be there. There are various methods of rolling back from SP3 and attached is a further link that may prove helpful.

How to remove Windows XP Service Pack 3 from your computer

I am sure I have seen on this Forum somewhere a way to 'roll back' SP3 to SP2

I have a feeling that it was one of my posts, but finding it on the forum is almost impossible under current limitations

[gyron1]

Hello Rich912,

Sincere apologies, various problems at my end precluded an earlier response, thank you for your reply.

Checking the computer in question (my wifes), this morning, I notice that for some reason the statement in my earlier mail saying that SP2 was still in the Programs list seems to have been incorrect - either it has been erased since my last look in the Programs list or I was mistaken, apologies!

I will try one of the suggestions in your link, probably the restore option, providing I can selectively restore to earlier date ie only restore to delete the SP3 upgrade.

Presumably SP2 will still be held in memory somewhere on the machine even if the Programs list does not show it, correct? Will the restore operation automatically then result in SP2 being shown in the Systems folder after this operation do you think?

Thanks again,

Gyron

[rich912]

Hi gyron,

Checking the computer in question (my wifes), this morning, I notice that for some reason the statement in my earlier mail saying that SP2 was still in the Programs list seems to have been incorrect - either it has been erased since my last look in the Programs list or I was mistaken, apologies!

Have you checked the “Show Updates” box at the top of the window?

An explanation may be that the operating system came with SP2 pre-installed. In that case it will not be shown as an update and rolling back from SP3 will just restore you to the original XP that was shipped with the machine. If the computer in question is a Vaio then, given the model number, we should be able to confirm whether it was shipped with SP2.

I will try one of the suggestions in your link, probably the restore option, providing I can selectively restore to earlier date ie only restore to delete the SP3 upgrade.

My preferred method would be Remove via Add/Remove programmes as, from experience, System Restore can be less than reliable….

Best of luck and let us know how you get on.

EDIT: Just re-read the thread and note that it is a FE31H which comes with Windows XP Media Center Edition. I can't find detailed OS specs but I am pretty certain that SP2 would have been included. Perhaps someone else can confirm this?