Service Pack 3 msi??? or network install?

[oalcock]

Hi guys,

most of our xp machines in school need to go onto service pack 3. What is the easiest way to do this? is there an msi for group policy? or something like that?

Thanks

[cookie_monster]

I used WSUS to do 180 of our clients last month it seemed the easiest way. It worked like a charm.

[Hightower]

What kind of network? RM have released an update for CC3 networks which is fairly straight forward, but I would have also thought M$ would release this to WSUS servers allowing you to easily roll it out to a Vanilla network if that is what you use.

[SYNACK]

Yes, if you extract the exe there is an MSI, we used this method of pushing it via GPO for SP2 and it worked fine in our environment. You would want to assign it then reboot the machines at the end of the day to install it though as it does take its tims.

As above WSUS works fine too.

[oalcock]

We aren't a CS3 network. We can use WSUS, how can it be done through WSUS?

[cookie_monster]

Do you have WSUS already? If so enable the service packs category and it will come down, simply approve it and test on a few boxes. Once you're happy roll it out to all clients, I'd recommed doing it at a time when it will have less impact as it can take upto an hour to install.

[chazzy2501]

Another Advantage of using WSUS are that you can get reports if any of them fail to install SP3 and find out why. + it will retry.

[jgcracknell]

The only thing I have found recently with WSUS is if the machine image wasn't up to date with various basic updates (and preferably Microsoft Update ActiveX installed) it doesn't want to play ball. Update it manually and it works.

One of the ways we deployed SP3 was to create an account with raised priviledges and have it install the EXE on login script and reboot. Used ABTutor to login to save time and having to visit each machine.

J.