Can't install Service Pack 3 on XP Professional

vinylmusic

I managed to install SP3 a while ago but the HP Presario desktop computer was running so badly that no amount of clean ups did much good so I did a complete factory reset direct from the recovery partition.
Now it's running great and I can see it has SP2 included in the reset but all attempts at installing SP3 have failed
My first attempt was to try and get SP3 by running Windows update
This didn't work because I discovered that now Win Updates only works with SP3 creating a catch 22
I searched through windows help and found out how to manually download an install SP3
I downloaded it and ran the installation and guess what? It failed and I got an error code which I'm afraid I didn't note down
Each attemot resulted in the same error so having noticed during the installation process a restore point was created I ran system restore so that I could start over
Now it starts the process, creates a restore point and tells me its completed but it obviously hasn't because it's showing to still be on SP2 so it looks like I'm stuck
Computer is working fine but cant update windows.
Normally I'd live with it but on hearing that Windows will stop supporting XP next April I feel it's important to get the system up to date while I still can
If anyone can give some easy to understand advice while I have some hair left I'd be very grateful

System

This was a known problem with SP3 and I don't think there was any definitive answer.

I resorted to slipstreaming SP3 onto my install disc and re-installing from scratch.

Have a look at
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950717
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949377
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949388
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950718

NiftyDigits

vinylmusic wrote: »

I managed to install SP3 a while ago but the HP Presario desktop computer was running so badly that no amount of clean ups did much good so I did a complete factory reset direct from the recovery partition.
Now it's running great and I can see it has SP2 included in the reset but all attempts at installing SP3 have failed
My first attempt was to try and get SP3 by running Windows update
This didn't work because I discovered that now Win Updates only works with SP3 creating a catch 22
I searched through windows help and found out how to manually download an install SP3
I downloaded it and ran the installation and guess what? It failed and I got an error code which I'm afraid I didn't note down
Each attemot resulted in the same error so having noticed during the installation process a restore point was created I ran system restore so that I could start over
Now it starts the process, creates a restore point and tells me its completed but it obviously hasn't because it's showing to still be on SP2 so it looks like I'm stuck
Computer is working fine but cant update windows.
Normally I'd live with it but on hearing that Windows will stop supporting XP next April I feel it's important to get the system up to date while I still can
If anyone can give some easy to understand advice while I have some hair left I'd be very grateful

What is the full model number of the thing?

vinylmusic

NiftyDigits wrote: »

What is the full model number of the thing?

If you mean the desktop Compaq Presario its SR2019UK
It has an AMD 64 3500+ processor
If that helps

mizzy

There is no service pack three for a 64bit windows xp, you are running a 64bit which means that sp2 is the latest service pack and you are fully uptodate, you will receive support and updates for sp2 until April 8, 2014 then microsoft will no longer support windows xp
hope this helps

I can also tell you that now you have reinstalled you will probably be having problems using the windows update, where the green bar just scrolls and scrolls if this is the case let me know and i will try and help if need be

vinylmusic

mizzy wrote: »

There is no service pack three for a 64bit windows xp, you are running a 64bit which means that sp2 is the latest service pack and you are fully uptodate, you will receive support and updates for sp2 until April 8, 2014 then microsoft will no longer support windows xp
hope this helps

I can also tell you that now you have reinstalled you will probably be having problems using the windows update, where the green bar just scrolls and scrolls if this is the case let me know and i will try and help if need be

Thanks, I guess that makes sense.
Well I went to Windows update page using Internet explorer and it failed again with Error number 0x80190194

NiftyDigits

mizzy wrote: »

There is no service pack three for a 64bit windows xp, you are running a 64bit which means that sp2 is the latest service pack and you are fully uptodate, you will receive support and updates for sp2 until April 8, 2014 then microsoft will no longer support windows xp
hope this helps

I can also tell you that now you have reinstalled you will probably be having problems using the windows update, where the green bar just scrolls and scrolls if this is the case let me know and i will try and help if need be

Sorry, but this is just nonsense. The CPU is AMD 64 3500+, not the OS.

The OS is Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 with Update Rollup 2

vinylmusic

NiftyDigits wrote: »

Sorry, but this is just nonsense. The CPU is AMD 64 3500+, not the OS.

The OS is Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 with Update Rollup 2

I double checked and it seems you are right about the OS but I'm still not clear on what is going wrong.
I've scoured the Microsoft help pages, met all the criteria but non of the solutions seem to make sense
I feel like I'm going around in circles
I'm still clueless about Error number 0x80190194 which seems to be the only indication of what's going wrong.
Microsoft solutions appear to be so long winded with solutions that go nowhere it's all becoming rather daunting.
I thought a factory reset would be the answer to everything but they have to make everything so complicated

NiftyDigits

vinylmusic wrote: »

I double checked and it seems you are right about the OS but I'm still not clear on what is going wrong.
I've scoured the Microsoft help pages, met all the criteria but non of the solutions seem to make sense
I feel like I'm going around in circles
I'm still clueless about Error number 0x80190194 which seems to be the only indication of what's going wrong.
Microsoft solutions appear to be so long winded with solutions that go nowhere it's all becoming rather daunting.
I thought a factory reset would be the answer to everything but they have to make everything so complicated

I know what is wrong, but don't bother with that. Have sent you a PM.

vinylmusic

NiftyDigits wrote: »

I know what is wrong, but don't bother with that. Have sent you a PM.

Thanks for the advice. It's not my computer and I don't think that she wants to foot the cost of memory and Win 7 upgrade on an old computer so we still seek a solution for the XP update problem

mizzy

NiftyDigits wrote: »

Sorry, but this is just nonsense. The CPU is AMD 64 3500+, not the OS.

The OS is Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 with Update Rollup 2

Let me point out to you that my advice was not nonsense!! i think you need to check your facts before saying i am in the wrong with the advice i gave, i gave advice for him having winxp pro as this is what he stated in the heading that he had
"Can't install Service Pack 3 on XP Professional",
I gave no information regarding his CPU, he said windows xp pro, my advice gave the correct info so please don't be stating that my replies are nonsense :lipsrseal