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Windows 2000 Service
Pack 3
08.02 (updated 10.21.02) |
Delayed for some time, with rumors
that it would be delayed indefinitely, on
August 1st Microsoft released the much waited
for Windows 2000 Service Pack 3. This
latest service pack for Windows 2000 has
all of the patches and fixes since that
last service pack, SP2, was released in
May of 2001.
Along with security and OS fixes, SP3 also
contains software that was mandated by Microsoft's
antitrust settlement with the government
(see this ZDNet
article for more info). It also
contains Automatic Update, which you may
already have installed. Automatic Update
is the successor to the Critical Update
Notification service.
Microsoft's service packs keep getting bigger
and bigger with each release. SP3
is no exception, topping out at a huge 127MB.
If you are using a dial-up connection
to the Internet, you might need a day to
download it. If you would rather order
the CD, you can for free (with a nominal
shipping charge). However, MS takes it time
shipping these CDs out, so expect to wait
for several weeks before receiving it.
So, should you install this service
pack or not? That is always the big
question with any of Microsoft's software
patches. Anyone who has been using
Windows for any length of time knows of
the past problems MS has had with patches
and service packs... remember the Windows
2000 SP2 problems with Compaq servers?
It is always a good idea to install a service
pack, or any patch, in a test environment
first. If you don't have the luxury
of doing that, then maybe you should wait
a couple of weeks to see if there are any
major problems with SP3.
If you follow the MS News Groups, there
have already been a number of complaints
about Blue Screens and broken software after
installing SP3. However, some problems
are to be expected if you take into consideration
the vast array of hardware and software
configurations out there. Whether
you rush to install SP3 or choose to wait
for awhile, just make sure you select the
option to backup your existing configuration
during the install.
Note: If you have installed any
Post SP3 hotfixes on your Windows 2000 Computers,
you will need to install an updated version
of those hotfixes either before you install
SP3 or after. If you don't, you could
lose the functionality of the hotfix or
some functionality of SP3.
Microsoft released a slew of hotfixes during
the testing of SP3. Those hotfixes
were not included in SP3, but should be
included in the next Windows 2000 Service
Pack. The Post SP3 hotfixes that could
cause a problem with SP3 were not made available
through Windows Update or Windows Security
Update or Windows Download sites. They
were special fixes available only through
Product Support Services.
See this MS KB article for more info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q309601
Updates - 09.15.02: Added some
more links below
Updates - 10.21.02: I continue
to see problems reported after users install
Windows 2000 SP3. The latest being the disabling
of DNS resolution - not a minor problem.
The folllowing KB article describes
the problem: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q329405
Updates - 11.18.02: Another
Link (below) for SP3 Setup Problems
You should definitely spend some time looking
through the Microsoft Knowledgebase and
the links below for possible problems with
SP3 - before installing it. Just send
the bill for your time to MS.
Links:
SP3 Known Setup Problems
http://www.winnetmag.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=27116
Troubleshooting Service Pack Upgrades
http://www.winnetmag.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=26482
More Problems with SP3
http://www.winnetmag.com/articles/index.cfm?articleid=26569
SP3 Upgrade Failure and a Bucketful of Bugs
http://www.winnetmag.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=26431
LabMice.net Win2k SP3 Resources
http://www.labmice.net/articles/win2000sp3.htm
Windows 2000 SP3 Download or CD Ordering:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/servicepacks/sp3/default.asp
Windows 2000 SP3 Release Notes:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q321295
Windows 2000 SP3 list of bug fixes:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q320853
Windows 2000 SP3 Deployment Tools:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/servicepacks/prem_sp3/deploytools.asp
Windows 2000 SP3 Deployment Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/servicepacks/sp3/spdeploy.htm
Windows 2000 SP3 Support Tools:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/servicepacks/prem_sp3/supporttools.asp
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