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Block Installation of Windows XP SP3 and Vista SP1

Updated: 20 May 2008 | 6 comments
riva11's picture
+3 3 Votes
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Many companies are waiting to deploy the Windows XP SP3 and Vista SP1 on their computers. In case you have the same target and use the Microsoft Windows Update or WSUS for the patch management, you will have to block these Service Packs on your computers otherwise will be automatically downloaded.

Some helpful information is in the Ghacks article, at the following link: Block installation of Windows XP SP3 and Vista SP1.

An intersting tip is to create a script with the reg modification and using DS server run on the target client where you need to block this update:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
"DoNotAllowSP"=dword:00000001

Remember that you can re-enable the Service Pack deployment on the Windows Update, simply by deleting the registry key. The next reboot will start the SP deployment.

Paolo

Comments

craze's picture
20
May
2008
0 Votes 0
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Great article

I am definitely going to recommend this article to the network administrator and computer science supervisor on campus. The new service packs can open up alot of vulnerabilities that our school is not yet prepared for. Thanks!
PS: Helping the professor out is always a good, grade-wise :P

erikw's picture
21
May
2008
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Vista servicepack 1 is stopping SVS capturing

Also remember that Vista SP1 is getti g you in troubles when you wish to capture apps in SVS.
It simply will not work?

Regards
Erik
www.dvs4sbc.nl

Regards Erik www.DinamiQs.com Dinamiqs is the home of VirtualStorm (www.virtualstorm.org)

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Jordan's picture
21
May
2008
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Well that's really not

Well that's really not true, I've yet to hit something I can capture in Vista pre SP1 that I cannot capture in SP1 and I've actually been using SP1 since December.

There may be things that don't install that use to, but that's not an SVS issue.

If a forum post solves your problem please flag is as the solution

riva11's picture
28
May
2008
3 Votes +3
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Disable SymProtect before XP SP3

Some IT admins after Windows XP SP3 upgrade discovered a surprise, in the device manager there where missing network connections and the registry was full of thousands of bogus entries.

In case you have to deploy this Service Pack and use the Symantec products as reported below, you should disable SymProtect prior to installing the Windows XP SP3 upgrade.

An interesting article is published on gHacks.net.

[quote]If you are running the Symantec products Norton Internet Security 2008, Norton SystemWorks 2008, Norton 360 or Norton AntiVirus 2008 on a machine with Windows XP Service Pack 2 and want to upgrade to Service Pack 3 you should disable the SymProtect feature before doing so or your operating system could go kaboom. More precisely users would be left with an empty device manager and network connections window. This is apparently caused by a large number of bogus Registry keys starting with special characters that have been added to the Registry during the update.[/quote]

Link : http://www.ghacks.net/2008/05/28/symantec-disable-...

riva11's picture
09
Jul
2008
3 Votes +3
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Win XP SP3 Windows Update blocked

Update: please note that this tip prevents the Win XP SP3 update to be delivered over Windows Update.
In other words, you are allowed to install Windos XP SP3 a CD or downloading the package from Microsoft.

spazzzen's picture
29
Dec
2008
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Only for so long...

If I remember correctly, and assuming this is basically what the ServicePack blocker provided by MS does, then it will only block the service pack for 6-12 months.