You are not offered the option to install Windows XP Service Pack 3 when you use Windows Update or Automatic Updates

When you use the Windows Update Web site or Automatic Updates, you are not offered the option to install Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3).

Important This article helps you fix the problem in which you are not offered the option to install Windows XP SP3 when you use Windows Update or Automatic Updates. This article does not address Windows XP SP3 installation issues that might occur when Windows Update or Automatic Updates does offer Windows XP SP3 to you.

This problem has one or more of the following causes.

Cause 1

Windows XP SP3 is already installed.

Cause 2

Windows Internet Explorer 8 is already installed.

Cause 3

Your computer is in an environment where the network administrator manages the installation of service packs and updates.

Cause 4

The following conditions are true:

• Your computer uses an AMD processor. Additionally, the copy of Windows XP that is running on your computer was deployed by using an Intel-based Windows image.
• Your computer previously used an Intel processor. Additionally, your computer is running Windows XP. Then, you later upgraded your computer to use an AMD processor.

Cause 5

You have one of the following Symantec products installed:

• Norton System Works
• Norton 360
• Norton AntiVirus 2008
• Symantec Endpoint Protection

Additionally, the version of the Symevent.sys file is earlier than 12.5.4.1.

How to determine the version of the Symevent.sys file

1. Open the following folder:
   %Windir%\System32
2. Right-click the Symevent.sys file, and then click Properties.
3. In the Symevent.sys Properties dialog box, click the Version tab.
4. On the Version tab, notice the version number next to File version.

To troubleshoot the issue in which you are not offered the option to install Windows XP SP3 by Windows Update or by Automatic Updates, follow these steps. If one of these steps resolves the issue, you do not have to continue with any additional steps.

1. Determine whether Windows XP SP3 is already installed.
   
   If Windows XP SP3 is already installed, Windows Update and Automatic Updates do not offer Windows XP SP3 to you. However, you might not know that Windows XP SP3 is already installed. For example, if multiple people use your computer, someone else might have installed Windows XP SP3.
   
   To determine whether Windows XP SP3 is installed on your computer, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, click Run.
   2. In the Open box, type winver.exe, and then click OK.
   3. In the About Windows dialog box, note the Windows XP service pack level. If the service pack level is "Service Pack 3," Windows XP SP3 is already installed.
      
      For more information about how to determine the version of Windows XP that is installed, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
      310104  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310104/ ) How to determine the version of Windows XP in use
2. Determine whether Internet Explorer 8 is installed on your computer. If Internet Explorer 8 is installed, you must uninstall it before you install Windows XP SP3.
   
   Note Windows XP SP3 should be installed before Internet Explorer 8 is installed. Installing the programs in the reverse order will prevent you from removing Internet Explorer 8 later. Therefore, if Windows Update or Automatic Updates detects that Internet Explorer 8 is installed, Windows Update or Automatic Updates does not provide Windows XP SP3 as an installation option.
   
   To determine whether Internet Explorer 8 is installed, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
   2. In Control Panel, double-click Add or Remove Programs.
   3. In the Add or Remove Programs dialog box, note whether a "Windows Internet Explorer 8" entry exists under Currently installed programs.
      If the "Windows Internet Explorer 8" entry exists, Internet Explorer 8 is installed on your computer.
   To remove Internet Explorer 8, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
   2. In Control Panel, double-click Add or Remove Programs.
   3. In the Add or Remove Programs dialog box, click the Windows Internet Explorer 8 entry, and then click Remove.
   For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   957700  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/957700/ ) How do I uninstall or remove Internet Explorer 8?
3. If your computer is in a managed environment, contact the network administrator to determine whether the network administrator has deployed the Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool to prevent Windows Update and Automatic Updates from delivering Windows service packs to your computer.
   
   The "More information" section provides steps for network administrators to enable Windows Update and Automatic Updates to deliver Windows service packs to a single computer if network administrators have deployed the Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool.
4. We recommend that you use Windows Update to determine whether you have to install the update that is described in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 953356. The Windows Update Web site checks your system to determine whether your computer requires update 953356.
   
   If your computer requires update 953356, you will have the option to install this update.
   
   For more information about this issue, see the "Cause" section, or click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   
   
   953356  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/953356/ ) Error message after you upgrade a computer that uses a processor other than an Intel processor to Windows XP Service Pack 2 or to Windows XP Service Pack 3: "STOP: 0x0000007E"
   To use Windows Update, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
   http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com)
5. If you have Norton System Works, Norton 360, or Norton AntiVirus 2008 installed, and the version of the Symevent.sys file is earlier than 12.5.4.1, you must update your Symantec product before Windows Update or Automatic Updates will offer the option to install Windows XP SP3. You can run the Symantec LiveUpdate tool to update your Symantec product.
   
   For more information about how to update your Symantec product, visit the following Symantec Web site:
   http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/sharedtech.nsf/docid/2006060207314913 (http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/sharedtech.nsf/docid/2006060207314913)
   Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.
6. Install the stand-alone version of Windows XP SP3.
   
   If Windows Update or Automatic Updates still does not offer Windows XP SP3 as an installation option after you follow the previous steps, you can download and install the stand-alone version of Windows XP SP3. The stand-alone version of Windows XP SP3 does not verify the issues that prevent Windows Update and Automatic Updates from offering Windows XP SP3 to you.
   
   Warning Before you install the stand-alone version of Windows XP SP3, make sure that you have fully read this article. In some cases, Windows Update and Automatic Updates protect your computer by not offering Windows XP SP3 as an installation option. For example, if Internet Explorer 8 is installed on your computer, you might not want to install the stand-alone version of Windows XP SP3, because you will be unable to remove Internet Explorer 8 later without first removing Windows XP SP3. In this scenario, remove Internet Explorer 8 before you install the stand-alone version of Windows XP SP3.
   
   Important note for Microsoft Dynamics users
   • Before you install Windows XP SP3, you must install a hotfix for Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System.
     
     For more information, see the "Information for users who use Microsoft Dynamics GP together with Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS) Headquarters or with Microsoft Dynamics RMS Store Operations" section.
   
   To obtain the stand-alone version of Windows XP SP3, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
   http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=5B33B5A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4 (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=5B33B5A8-5E76-401F-BE08-1E1555D4F3D4)
   For more information about additional options for obtaining the stand-alone version of Windows XP Service Pack 3, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   322389  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322389/ ) How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

Information for network administrators who have deployed the Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool

Network administrators who have deployed the Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool can enable Windows Update and Automatic Updates to deliver Windows service packs to a single computer.

To have us fix this problem for you, go to the “Fix it for me” section. If you would rather fix this problem yourself, go to the “Let me fix it myself” section.

Fix it for me

To enable the hotfix automatically, click the Fix this problem link. Then, click Run in the File Download dialog box, and follow the steps in this wizard.

Fix this problem
Microsoft Fix it 50220

Notes

• This wizard is temporarily in English only. However, the automatic fix also works for other language versions of Windows.
• If you are not on the computer that has the problem, you can save the automatic fix to a flash drive or to a CD, and then you can run it on the computer that has the problem.

Now go to the "Did this fix the problem?" section.

Let me fix it myself

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: To enable Windows Update and Automatic Updates to deliver Windows service packs to a single computer, follow these steps on that computer:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
3. In Registry Editor, locate and then click the following registry subkey:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate
4. Double-click the DoNotAllowSP registry entry.
5. In the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, type 0 in the Value data box, and then click OK.
6. Exit Registry Editor.

To see frequently asked questions about the Windows Service Pack Blocker tool, visit the following Microsoft Web site:Now go to the "Did this fix the problem?" section.

Did this fix the problem?

Check whether the problem is fixed. If the problem is fixed, you are finished with this article. If the problem is not fixed, you can contact support (http://support.microsoft.com/contactus) .

Information for users who use Microsoft Dynamics GP together with Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS) Headquarters or with Microsoft Dynamics RMS Store Operations

If you use Microsoft Dynamics GP together with Microsoft Dynamics RMS Headquarters or with Microsoft Dynamics RMS Store Operations, you may encounter the problem that is described in the "Problem description" section. This behavior is caused by a problem in the ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) interface.

To work around this problem, install hotfix 952287.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Microsoft provides third-party contact information to help you find technical support. This contact information may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this third-party contact information.

The third-party products that this article discusses are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, about the performance or reliability of these products.