How to Troubleshoot After Installing XP SP3

Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) is the latest expansion pack for the Microsoft Windows XP operating system.

Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) is the latest expansion pack for the Microsoft Windows XP operating system. It was released on May 6, 2008. Service Pack 3 includes many new features like black hole router detection, network access protection, Windows Imaging Component, and the Credentials Security Service Provider. As with many Windows installations, you may encounter some problems or errors while installing Windows XP Service Pack 3. One of the most common errors involved with install Windows XP Service Pack 3 is the fact that the computer continuously reboots after installation. You may even receive “Error 0x0000007E” after installation. After successfully installing Service Pack 3, you will be prompted to restart the computer. After rebooting, the computer will display a BSOD Stop Error and restart again. The computer will continue doing this unless the computer is started up in Safe Mode. When booted in Safe Mode, the computer boots successfully with no apparent problems. Read on to learn how to fix XP SP3 continuously rebooting your computer.

Instructions

1. Boot your computer in Safe Mode. This can usually be done by hitting F8 on your keyboard while your computer boots, and then selecting "Safe Mode".

2. Click the START button located at the bottom-left corner of the desktop. When the Start menu opens, click RUN and type Regedit. Click OK when you are done. This will open the Registry Editor

3. Click on the plus signs to navigate to the following registry entry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\ Services\Intelppm.

4. Look in the right column and locate the entry named START. Double-click this entry. Change the number to 4 and click OK. You can now close the Registry Editor.

5. Restart your computer. Windows XP Service Pack 3 will now boot normally.

Tips & Warnings

• This problem with Windows XP SP3 only occurs on some computers after upgrading to Service Pack 3. The error is encountered most often on computers prepared with SysPrep. The SysPrep image was originally created on Intel-based computers. When the SysPrep image is deployed on a non-Intel computer such as AMD, the registry entry for Intelppm is incorrectly set and causes the computer to enter a continuous reboot after Service Pack 3 is installed.

• Windows XP Service Pack 3 is very simple to install because all you have to do is download the package from Microsoft’s Download Center and use the installation wizard to complete the setup.