Comments on: Windows XP SP3 Update Gotchas http://blog.ebrahim.org/2008/05/30/windows-xp-sp3-update-gotchas/ Ali Ebrahim on web standards, software developement, technology, politics and law. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:08:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Helge Skjeveland http://blog.ebrahim.org/2008/05/30/windows-xp-sp3-update-gotchas/#comment-625 Helge Skjeveland Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:27:20 +0000 http://blog.ebrahim.org/?p=198#comment-625 This is another wonderful instance of miserable support of existing hardware/software. My perfectly functional ATI (now AMD) Radeon 7500 driver rotated the desktop fine under SP2, but that functionality (which I often used when editing graphics) broke with SP3. Since everything worked perfectly on my system, and I didn't want to pop HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS to update the O/S and hardware, I stayed with XP SP2, and upgraded it to SP3. Granted, it's unreasonable to expect vendors to patch old software beyond a certain point, but with this problem, if it's just a simple version-detection flaw in ATI/AMD's drivers, I think they should patch them for this SP3 bug for all drivers that supported XP, if M$'s assertion that it's a driver problem, not O/S or .NET bug. That's just fair to end users, and if not, it's a classic example of how the developers, perched on their bleeding-edge ivory tower, treat users contemptously that've supported them with purchases. This is another wonderful instance of miserable support of existing hardware/software. My perfectly functional ATI (now AMD) Radeon 7500 driver rotated the desktop fine under SP2, but that functionality (which I often used when editing graphics) broke with SP3. Since everything worked perfectly on my system, and I didn’t want to pop HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS to update the O/S and hardware, I stayed with XP SP2, and upgraded it to SP3. Granted, it’s unreasonable to expect vendors to patch old software beyond a certain point, but with this problem, if it’s just a simple version-detection flaw in ATI/AMD’s drivers, I think they should patch them for this SP3 bug for all drivers that supported XP, if M$’s assertion that it’s a driver problem, not O/S or .NET bug. That’s just fair to end users, and if not, it’s a classic example of how the developers, perched on their bleeding-edge ivory tower, treat users contemptously that’ve supported them with purchases.

]]> By: inside aebrahim's head » ATI Mobility Radeon Drivers from Dell http://blog.ebrahim.org/2008/05/30/windows-xp-sp3-update-gotchas/#comment-487 inside aebrahim's head » ATI Mobility Radeon Drivers from Dell Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:06:46 +0000 http://blog.ebrahim.org/?p=198#comment-487 [...] Windows XP SP3 Update Gotchas 02 06 2008 [...] [...] Windows XP SP3 Update Gotchas 02 06 2008 [...]

]]> By: Marc Diethelm http://blog.ebrahim.org/2008/05/30/windows-xp-sp3-update-gotchas/#comment-469 Marc Diethelm Sat, 31 May 2008 00:54:46 +0000 http://blog.ebrahim.org/?p=198#comment-469 @Wolf: Your point..? I did some research after SP3 appeared in the Updates. It is indeed mostly a roll-up of previous patches. I suppose it makes sense for them, to release this. It's easier to support millions of 8 year old, arbitrarily patched XP installations if you can just require/assume SP3 for some of the future upgrades, probably the security-sensitive ones, say IE, MP. I assume that by now security has become a business-critical item on their priority list. Not so innovation. Maybe they're focusing on invasion, it sounds similar and is much cheaper. :) @Wolf: Your point..?

I did some research after SP3 appeared in the Updates. It is indeed mostly a roll-up of previous patches.
I suppose it makes sense for them, to release this. It’s easier to support millions of 8 year old, arbitrarily patched XP installations if you can just require/assume SP3 for some of the future upgrades, probably the security-sensitive ones, say IE, MP. I assume that by now security has become a business-critical item on their priority list.
Not so innovation.
Maybe they’re focusing on invasion, it sounds similar and is much cheaper. :)

]]> By: Ali Ebrahim http://blog.ebrahim.org/2008/05/30/windows-xp-sp3-update-gotchas/#comment-464 Ali Ebrahim Fri, 30 May 2008 21:13:10 +0000 http://blog.ebrahim.org/?p=198#comment-464 I couldn't get things to work and have had to revert to SP2 and the old drivers. More on this later. @DigDug: Windows XP might be 8 years old, but SP3 is just a month old. I couldn’t get things to work and have had to revert to SP2 and the old drivers. More on this later.

@DigDug: Windows XP might be 8 years old, but SP3 is just a month old.

]]> By: Wolf http://blog.ebrahim.org/2008/05/30/windows-xp-sp3-update-gotchas/#comment-460 Wolf Fri, 30 May 2008 19:41:26 +0000 http://blog.ebrahim.org/?p=198#comment-460 Yeah, its kinda sucky that they only publish such a known issue as a "change in behavior" but I guess its accurate. As for having to force the driver to install. blame Dell there mostly. They seem to be notoriously slow in releasing driver packages based on the reference drivers from ATI/nVidia that actuallly include the device IDs for the mobile equivalent of the desktop devices. Sucks, but its really Dell's responsibility to release an updated driver to make that process go smoother for users. @Marc Diethelm: Not all the updates included in a service pack are just roll-ups of previously released security/stability patches. Yeah, its kinda sucky that they only publish such a known issue as a “change in behavior” but I guess its accurate. As for having to force the driver to install. blame Dell there mostly. They seem to be notoriously slow in releasing driver packages based on the reference drivers from ATI/nVidia that actuallly include the device IDs for the mobile equivalent of the desktop devices. Sucks, but its really Dell’s responsibility to release an updated driver to make that process go smoother for users.

@Marc Diethelm: Not all the updates included in a service pack are just roll-ups of previously released security/stability patches.

]]> By: DigDug http://blog.ebrahim.org/2008/05/30/windows-xp-sp3-update-gotchas/#comment-458 DigDug Fri, 30 May 2008 13:16:22 +0000 http://blog.ebrahim.org/?p=198#comment-458 XP is 8 years old now. Do we really need more articles about how its update model isn't perfect? Maybe you should write another one about how Apple is forcing people to download Safari too. That'll be sure to make headlines. XP is 8 years old now. Do we really need more articles about how its update model isn’t perfect? Maybe you should write another one about how Apple is forcing people to download Safari too. That’ll be sure to make headlines.

]]> By: Marc Diethelm http://blog.ebrahim.org/2008/05/30/windows-xp-sp3-update-gotchas/#comment-457 Marc Diethelm Fri, 30 May 2008 13:06:19 +0000 http://blog.ebrahim.org/?p=198#comment-457 > I seriously doubt that Joe Average has a monitor configured for vertical display And why is that. you suppose? If stuff would just work some probably would. I haven't 'upgraded' to SP3 yet. Having continually installed the patches and the patches for the patches since SP2 there's almost no reason to. SP3 does not add any significant new functionality. Surprise. It does however make a lot of sense if you have to freshly install XP. > I seriously doubt that Joe Average has a monitor configured for vertical display

And why is that. you suppose? If stuff would just work some probably would.

I haven’t ‘upgraded’ to SP3 yet. Having continually installed the patches and the patches for the patches since SP2 there’s almost no reason to. SP3 does not add any significant new functionality. Surprise.

It does however make a lot of sense if you have to freshly install XP.

]]> By: Philip Hofstetter http://blog.ebrahim.org/2008/05/30/windows-xp-sp3-update-gotchas/#comment-455 Philip Hofstetter Fri, 30 May 2008 11:58:18 +0000 http://blog.ebrahim.org/?p=198#comment-455 Hi, > That seemed to do the trick after a reboot, but it did leave me wondering > how any Joe Average computer user is supposed to figure this out and > why this kind of stuff needs to break with a service pack upgrade in > the first place. I seriously doubt that Joe Average has a monitor configured for vertical display :-) Philip Hi,

> That seemed to do the trick after a reboot, but it did leave me wondering
> how any Joe Average computer user is supposed to figure this out and
> why this kind of stuff needs to break with a service pack upgrade in
> the first place.

I seriously doubt that Joe Average has a monitor configured for vertical display :-)

Philip

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