Take your hands off that mouse. I know, you're ready to grab XP SP3. But slow down a sec and read my quick tutorial. It could save you some time and make your life with the new Service Pack less harrowing.

Wait a minute! You say you haven't followed the XP SP3 saga? Read "Early Tests Say SP3 Speeds Windows XP" and Robert Strohmeyer's "Windows XP SP3: First Impressions."

Reading Materials

Start with Microsoft's "Steps to take before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3," a handy set of instructions to ensure a pleasant experience. It talks about "fast user switching" issues (like making sure everyone's logged off), administrator rights, and error messages you may encounter.

Then take a quick look at the Service Pack's Release Notes. Among other things, you'll discover that if you installed Internet Explorer 7 (or the IE 8 beta) before installing SP3, you won't be able to remove IE--unless you first uninstall SP3. It's not an issue for most users, but it may be for you. If it is, be sure to uninstall IE7 or IE8 before installing the Service Pack. Read "Microsoft Warns of IE7 Lock-In With XP SP3" for more on this.

You might also swing by Microsoft's Windows XP TechCenter.

Downloading vs. Windows Update

Downloading the entire Service Pack from Microsoft's Download Center, all 343MB of it, will take 30 minutes or longer, depending on your DSL or cable modem connection. (Think about the poor schlemiel--or is he a schlimazel?--who's still using a 33K modem...)

SP3 is big because it contains every known XP update in the universe. So unless you want to burn SP3 onto a CD (which you can do with an ISO file from Microsoft's Download Center), the best bet is to do the upgrade from Windows Update.

You can do that by using any current version of IE and heading to Windows Update. Even easier, go to Start, Help and Support, and select "Keep your computer up-to-date with Windows Update." The installer will check to see what you already have on your PC, so the download's sure to be smaller than the full-blown Service Pack--at least it was on my PC.

I used Windows Update, and from start to finish--downloading everything, lots of file backups and copying, and an automatic installation--it took 40 minutes at my cable modem speed of 1.5 megabytes per second.

For more PC news, visit PC World. Story copyright PC World Communications, Inc.

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