Talk:Service pack

Cumulative?
Are Service Packs usually cumulative over other service packs? For example, if I have Windows 2000, do I just need to install SP4, or is it SP1, SP2, SP3 and then SP4?

It is really up to the software provide what they want to include in the service pack -- It can include previous service packs or require them. For instance Windows XP SP3 requires SP1 (it does not require SP2.)

Does the list of available service packs make sense?
A big part of this article is a list of the service packs currently available for Microsoft products. While this can be useful information in itself I don't think it should get too long and that it belongs here in Wikipedia; by the way it is the sort of thing that will require continue maintenance. What about removing it and add a link to Service Packs at the end of the article? --Gennaro Prota 18:55, 7 January 2006 (UTC)

Windows firewall
The Windows firewall was already present in Windows XP, preceeding Service Pack 2 - SP2 just added to its functionality. --65.147.20.114 14:02, 15 January 2006 (UTC)
 * Thanks for your constructive comment. Yes, Windows XP already ships with a software firewall. Whether the SP2 one is a "new" firewall or an "enhancement" to the original one, however, is arguable, to the point that you will find ambiguities about this on the Microsoft website itself. To be sure, one should know if they have rewritten it from scratch or not ;) In the end, I decided, for now, to remove explicit mention of "new" features of SP2. It should be noted that our Windows Firewall article supports your interpretation and I'm not sure whether that is intentional or not. In any case, the point of my original comment was that over time service packs have become an "occasion" for software houses to deliver enhancements to their products which are not bug fixes; in this context the question of whether the Windows firewall is "brand new" or "renewed" is moot, being it not a bugfix anyway.

Customization
I'm customizing my boot screen to personalize my computer. Unfortunately, I'm not too sure about continuing. I was given 2 versions of the boot screen, a Non-Service Pack version and a Service Pack 1 version. According to the instructions, I must install the corresponding version (if I have Service Pack 1, I install the Service Pack 1 version), and I recently had Service Pack 1. When I installed Service Pack 2, Service Pack 1 was replaced (as usual). However, now that I have Service Pack 2, I'm unsure which to use (the non-service pack version or the SP1 version). If I make a mistake, my computer will crash and be unbootable. Which should I use?
 * Nevermind, I realized Service Pack 2 is not compatible with SP1 and the Non-SP Version.

Windows 98 SE
"Many companies, such as Microsoft or Autodesk, typically release a service pack when the number of individual patches to a given program reaches a certain (arbitrary) limit."

"A notable exception to this 'rule' concerned Windows 98 SE"

What are these talking about? Josh (talk | contribs) 19:18, 29 October 2007 (UTC)


 * Windows '98SE essentially was a Service Pack to the original Windows '98 but released as a paid, new version, rather than a free update. I would think this is probably what some people mean. It did introduce some new features, like Windows XP SP2 did, but was largely a bug-update. 86.161.196.216 (talk) 22:14, 1 December 2010 (UTC)

Mostly a windows term
It seems to me that "Service Pack" is mostly a term used by Windows OS and Windows software. On the Mac side, we don't say "Service Packs". We simply say "updates".

From a user perspective, Windows lingo looks more technical while Mac lingo seems more friendly.

The term "service pack" seems appropriate for a technician or someone with a tool belt. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 154.20.65.141 (talk) 21:14, 28 January 2008 (UTC)


 * It is probably mostly a Windows term, but Windows has "updates" too; a Service Pack is a collection of updates. Apple sells you the next point release of OS X for $129 every year or two, and with that kind of turnover there's no need for Service Packs.

I agree that "service pack" is mostly a Windows term, but it also applies to Office. I just removed a link to a non-MS site offerings downloads of service packs for Windows & Office, and added a link to a MS Windows SP page, since it would seem most users would benefit from getting the correct information on Windows SP's from the company responsible for the bits. Let me know if there are concerns. —Preceding unsigned comment added by RE OBrien (talk • contribs) 18:56, 29 July 2010 (UTC)

Windows XP Service Pack 3 (KB936929) has got bugs
When installing the pack it says there are other applications being running. I thought that I have closed down all the apps.

This demonstrates that the installer is not intellegent enough to directer me what the exact problem is, right...???--124.78.209.178 (talk) 12:48, 6 December 2009 (UTC)

This time I did update and again, the following problems occurred
 * Auto update - give me the message of 另一应用程序已打开或正在使用文件 c:\windows\system32\autoconv.ece. 请关闭所有其它应用程序,然后点击"重试" This is the same problem as above.  I tried and it fails


 * manual update - I downloaded patch from
 * http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=68C48DAD-BC34-40BE-8D85-6BB4F56F5110&displaylang=en

The message says ''Setup cannot update your Windows XP files because the language installed on you system is different from the update language "确定"

It looks like that it does detect the problem this time. However, the patch does not auto direct me to the right website for me to do manual downloading the file which is language compatible--222.67.212.133 (talk) 07:51, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

I'm tired of doing search again to obtain the patch that is right to the language, as this is the Microsoft inside problem which should be solved within.--222.67.212.133 (talk) 07:53, 12 February 2010 (UTC)

Why the hell does this article completely fail to mention that Longhorn (Vista and later) service packs are NOT cumulative? 117.20.3.177 (talk) 07:31, 2 September 2013 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 09:59, 30 June 2021 (UTC)
 * Windows XP SP2 French CD.jpg