Windows XP Service Pack Three and HP Computer Problems

e-Week reports:

eWEEK readers report the problems they encountered installing Windows XP SP3 on HP desktops with AMD processors.

For more than a week, eWEEK readers have been responding to two articles about the difficulties of trying to install Windows XP Service Pack 3 on Hewlett-Packard desktops that use microprocessors from Advanced Micro Devices.

The first of these problems with SP3 on HP PCs was documented by bloggers, such as former Microsoft employee Jesper Johansson, who as far back as May 8 began writing about an endless reboot cycle that occurred when installing SP3.

A number of readers also reported encountering difficulties after they tried to install SP3. Customers with those AMD machines reported a number of problems, including endless rebooting, when they tried to install the SP3 service pack. The problem seems to stem from the fact that HP used the same images for AMD-based PCs that were used with Intel-based hardware. It appears that the patch looks for an Intel driver that is not included with AMD-based desktops.

HP is working on fixing the problem. For now, a company spokesperson has urged users not to download SP3 until HP and Microsoft can create a fix for it.