SP3 ate my hamster

This isn't related to UK DIY. When you were installing, unless it was automatic, the instructions told you exactly what to do. How do you remove every other program when you don't want it. Removing a major release like a service pack will cause problems as the removal of IE7 did for many people. This is because it was integrated in to the operating system. You will notice that with SP3 it causes numerous problems, otherwise known as features. For example - if you download to a directory tat contains files placed there before the update, it will stop Windows Explorer working. Each time you click on "My Computer" and navigate to the folder it will throw up an error and send off a report to microsoft. Unfortunately they do not take multiple reports from the same user seriously, it's only when they get similar errors from multiple users. They can identify who you are quite easily from your product ID sent to MS each time you connect. Also via IPv6 which makes proxy servers useless as users are tracked regardless of how many IPs they use! Maybe you should switch to LINUX?

In message , Rob writes

Yes it is, I'm doing it myself

even if it was, DIGAF ? No

Yes, it was automatic

It doesn't come under add / remove programs

... ...

So you don't actually have a constructive answer then

'kin newbies

Geoff

I have mentioned this on numerous ng's. I cannot help other than to say it completely wrecked my pc too. i couldnt restore, my pc kept rebooting into an error. I couldnt use safe mode or last good config. Having got my hands on another PC I looked up my error i was getting and the only solution was to reformat my C drive and do a complete reinstall of windows. I was a real PITA. I would suggest to anyone thinking of installing SP3 to think and do your homework first before downloading it. I know other who have had no problems and lots who have had major problems

"Hewlett-Packard has told customers not to install Windows XP service pack three (SP3) on AMD-based desktops until Microsoft and HP cough fixes to the endless reboot snafu that has wreaked havoc on PCs."

In message , Andrew Gabriel writes

apparently SP3 doesn't like AMD processors either

but my question is fairly specific

how do I uninstall SQL and reinstall it as the error message instructs me to do

The following looks potentially helpfull:

just the job, thanks

It would be worth checking out the cover disks of computer mags to see if any of them are featuring freeware versions of drive image/backup progs by Paragon or Acronis ( I think I saw one mag punting DriveBackup 8 last month ). You can use these programs to take a 'snapshot' of your drive/partitions, and in the event of major foul-up it's a 15 minute job to put everything back as it once was. It's a must prior to installing a service pack/update...of any OS.

Regards,

I've got it running perfectly happily on an AMD processor. What SP3 doesn't like it when the intel power management drivers are loaded on an AMD-based machine.

Tiscali Idiot!

who ?

The "newbie" ;-(

The message from geoff contains these words:

Bit late in the day (I am not logging on very often atm) but is there anything in the recent thread that helped me out (OT: Computer Problem). I don't know enough to know how closely our two problems are related other than SP3.

The common factor is that it's Microsoft, which is the root of all computing evil. Seek the Narrow Way of Linux and blessings will be bestowed upon you.

In message , Roger writes

Sorted now, thanks

Not really - a specific problem to which a specific answer was found

installing linux is not a solution to the problem, it's a non viable alternative to the operating system I have to run my database under

It's written in Access (for better or worse) - I'm buggered if I'm going to migrate to anything else (unless you are offering to do it for free, of course ...)

You could probably migrate it to the free version of m$ SQL server without much trouble.