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Windows XP SP2 nightmares

Gregg Keizer CNET

Published: 29 Oct 2004

The Service Pack that will not die

OK, so you've tried Windows XP SP2. And you hate it. You installed the update, and a must-have application broke. Or you can't connect to the Internet, no matter how many hoops you jump through. Now your only thought is: out, damned SP2! Is it possible to get rid of SP2 once you've installed it? Or is SP2 like an unwanted guest who comes for a three-day visit but ends up moving into your spare bedroom?

Can you uninstall XP SP2? Try these rollback manoeuvres.

Bear in mind that you'll be removing some of the security features that Microsoft intends for keeping your PC safer.

1. Use Add or Remove Programs
Microsoft has its own preferred order of tactics to dump SP2, and 'Add or Remove Programs' heads the list. It's also the simplest, so try it first.

From the Start menu in Windows, choose Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs.
Scroll down until you find Windows XP Service Pack 2, then click Remove.
Follow the on-screen instructions.

It took about 45 minutes and required a reboot, but using Add or Remove Programs to roll back SP2 worked like a charm for us.

2. Take out SP2 with a secret folder
If Add or Remove Programs doesn't show a Windows XP Service Pack 2 option -- unlikely, but possible -- there's an manual, semi-secret way of getting to that wizard.

From the Start menu, click Run, then type 'C:\windows\$NtServicePackUninstall$\spuninst\spuninst.exe' in the Open box and click OK.
When the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Removal wizard opens, click Next.
Follow the on-screen instructions.

3. Still stymied? Try System Restore
During its installation, SP2 automatically creates a system restore point, in effect saving a snapshot of the PC, before it begins. If the other techniques fail, or if after uninstalling SP2 your computer acts up, you can get into a Windows version of the Way-Back Machine to reverse time.

From the Start menu, select All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore.
Click Next.
On the calendar, find the date you installed SP2, then click 'Installed Windows XP Service Pack 2' in the Restore Point box on the right.
Click Next and follow the on-screen instructions.

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Windows XP Service Pack 2

Review We recommend installing Windows XP SP2, but only after Microsoft has had a few weeks to work out the kinks. [12 Aug 2004]

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