Death's Shadow
LPmember
I have become Death. The destroyer of worlds.
Posts: 3,184 
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Post by Death's Shadow on Jul 12, 2008 8:41:23 GMT -5
I just reformatted and installed xp pro on my mother's computer yesterday, all you have to do is run the auto updater and it will pick up and install sp3.
** foot note. only had to redo the window install due to my loving mother ignoring virus warnings from the AV and it ate a bunch of the windows programing causing fatal errors.
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Post by Urumii-Previously ThePresident on Jul 12, 2008 8:43:43 GMT -5
** foot note. only had to redo the window install due to my loving mother ignoring virus warnings from the AV and it ate a bunch of the windows programing causing fatal errors. I wonder why you even bother excusing having to reinstall windows, I can't think of any reason at all to defend yourself.  |
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Death's Shadow
LPmember
I have become Death. The destroyer of worlds.
Posts: 3,184
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Post by Death's Shadow on Jul 12, 2008 11:41:42 GMT -5
Just for Red's information so maybe he will learn from others mistakes when it comes to another OS and he can avoid the problems.
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Lamron
Benevolent Dictator
Posts: 5,225
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Post by Lamron on Jul 12, 2008 14:24:45 GMT -5
The link says this is not for single computer upgrades and instead I found this: www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2fcde6ce-b5fb-4488-8c50-fe22559d164e&DisplayLang=enDid I understand that right? My plan is to get the update and set it aside for when I do install XP sp2 later (I already have it on disc, thanks to Vinnie) on a future Mac-Intel, then I could just run the downloaded sp3-update and be ok, right? Cuz no further XP update is planned, and sales of XP are over or will be over, if I understand that. Windows Update will do it, eventually. It appears that you have to apply all of the SP2 updates before it gives you the option to install SP3. But if you're doing an install using a SP2 disk, then there are LOTS of updates to get caught up on. That link I gave you lets you skip all that and just install SP3 on top of a naked SP2 so you are immediately up-to-date. That link you posted is for an actual SP3 .iso. That's a new option as far as I know. That can be burned to a disk and become your new install disk. For most people that is probably the best option for a new install. I was using XP PRO SP2, so the SP3 download was the best for me. |
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Lamron
Benevolent Dictator
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Post by Lamron on Jul 12, 2008 14:30:48 GMT -5
** foot note. only had to redo the window install due to my loving mother ignoring virus warnings from the AV and it ate a bunch of the windows programing causing fatal errors. I gave my Dad a new (to him) computer for Father's Day. I created a custom install disk using nLite so that I could quickly return it to the state I gave it to him. The custom disk has all the extra Windows stuff removed, all updates and service packs included, and all drivers preinstalled. It also includes a few basic utilities I always install on a fresh computer. This disk will save me SEVERAL hours of work if/when I get the call to come "fix" his computer. |
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RedRock
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Never ask what kind of computer a person uses--if it's a Mac, he'll say; if not, why embarrass him?
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Post by RedRock on Jul 13, 2008 14:09:54 GMT -5
Windows Update will do it, eventually. Well, that would be for people who have a commercial, registered Windows OS and allow Windows update to run, right? And if they haven't registered Windows, not that I know anyone like that, of course, what happens? |
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Lamron
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Post by Lamron on Jul 13, 2008 16:06:45 GMT -5
Registering Windows is totally optional. Its not the registering that controls updates, but WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage). Basically, anyone can use Windows updater to download security or bug fixes. If you want to download the bonus eye-candy updates like Media Player 11 or IE7, then WGA checks to see if you're legit before letting you install. However, there are ways around that if you want to use them with a non-legit installation.
Those bonus upgrades are not included in the Service Packs, so SP3 is not restricted. I say "eventually" because it appears to want to fully update SP2 before giving you the option of downloading SP3. I don't download ALL of the updates, so Updater never gave me the option for SP3. So I just installed it manually.
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Death's Shadow
LPmember
I have become Death. The destroyer of worlds.
Posts: 3,184
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Post by Death's Shadow on Jul 13, 2008 23:21:25 GMT -5
I just dl the sp3 from the windows update site with the fresh install. I just chose the advanced feature when it tells me updates are available and only pick the sp3 and not all the other sp2 updates. Bingo all done.
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RedRock
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Never ask what kind of computer a person uses--if it's a Mac, he'll say; if not, why embarrass him?
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Post by RedRock on Jul 23, 2008 21:09:51 GMT -5
Uh, oh. I just realized, what the heck is an .iso?
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Post by vinsanity on Jul 23, 2008 21:17:30 GMT -5
ISO image is a term commonly associated with CD and DVD burning. An ISO image (or .ISO file) is a computer file that is an exact copy of an existing file system. An ISO can contain the entire contents of a CD-ROM disc or CD medium. ISO files are typically created through a software application that will open, create, edit, and extract CD or DVD image files, then convert the extracted image to an ISO file, easily allowing users to burn an exact copy of the original onto CD or DVD. www.webopedia.com/TERM/I/ISO_image.htmlI have always assumed it came from the Greek work ISO which means equal. |
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RedRock
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Never ask what kind of computer a person uses--if it's a Mac, he'll say; if not, why embarrass him?
Posts: 4,972
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Post by RedRock on Jul 23, 2008 21:36:11 GMT -5
Thanks for the fast response and info, Vinnie.
I had never heard the term before I saw someone using it on DVT forums about a month ago for downloading some stuff (which didn't work for me, btw, for my Mac). I wonder, is this a Windows thing?
The Mac does .dmg files (disk image) files, and when those are opened, it creates a disk icon with the files in it, all on your desktop. I can burn that .dmg file to a cd or dvd too, just as it is, and when the CD is opened, it has that disk icon and its files on the desktop.
I don't really understand this, so sorry if it's not clear. I'm just wondering what I do with an .iso image for my Mac in the future, specifically, when I load up XP Sp2 and use the Sp3 .iso file to upgrade the Sp2 to Sp3. Interestingly enough, the download from MS of the single-pc sp3 upgrade downloaded as an .iso file, but the one Lamron referenced (for professionals doing multiple upgrades to Sp3) came down as an .exe file (which will do nothing on the Mac OS, it runs only with Windows OS, although in some cases I can extract files directly from .exe files (game maps, e.g.)).
Not looking for anyone to do all my heavy lifting/thinking on this, just looking for quick(er) pointers to the info and real-world experience. Thanks again, and no need for a quick response. I can't use the files until I get a MacIntel box, and that's been put on hold due to some financial setbacks.
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Lamron
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Post by Lamron on Jul 24, 2008 1:46:09 GMT -5
The SP3 .iso is the full Windows install, not just the upgrade. The .exe upgrades the existing Windows XP installation. The .dmg sounds like the same thing as an .iso. Its an exact copy of what was on the disk, as opposed to what you get when you just copy folders. So its ready as-is to be burned and used as a bootable disk.
After you set up a MAC to dual-boot Windows, it should be able to read Windows formated CD-ROMs, but how do you do the initial install from a Windows disk?
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Post by vinsanity on Jul 24, 2008 7:49:21 GMT -5
The MAC dual boot systems will read PC installation CDs and DVDs. That is the whole point of the split platform... to be able to utilize both OS's and software for each OS.
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RedRock
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Never ask what kind of computer a person uses--if it's a Mac, he'll say; if not, why embarrass him?
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Post by RedRock on Jul 25, 2008 11:13:25 GMT -5
There is free software for the Mac OS 10.4.x called "boot camp" that lets you, while in the Mac OS, partition the disk and install the Windows, then you restart in Windows. I couldn't get the disk to partition when I tried it in December on one of the MacIntels in the family, so I gave up. Supposedly, with Leopard (OS 10.5.x) boot camp is built into the OS and the partitioning/Windows installation is easier; it probably is just as Vinnie says. Only one of my family's machines is running Leopard, tho (I won't upgrade, ~$100 just for the OS, until I get a new machine which will have Leopard on it already at no extra cost), and that's a laptop, so I don't want to try any Windows games on that. My future son-in-law has a Macintel with Leopard, though, and has his HD partitioned for Mac, Windows, and Linux (he's an IT type!); he has little time for gaming, however, so I don't know anything more.
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