Ok.....if anyone else happens upon this thread due to being stuck unable to apply SP3 in XP and not finding SP2, the google term you want is xpsp1_en_x86.exe. Somehow I had that file stored with a bunch of other drivers and setup stuffs. This time when I went searching, I found an erroneous thread that claimed there was no offline SP1 installer, which led me on the chase for SP2, which led me to more dead ends. Whatever moron posted that erroneous info should be shot.....old forum posts without answers and with wrong information is the bane of my existence, as time goes on the internet gets cluttered with more and more garbage that wastes the time of those of us that actually know what we are doing and are careful to clean our traces to not leave dead ends lying around for other people to get stuck on!

I won't post a direct link at this time, because who knows how long it will be good, or if I can trust whoever uploads it, but I will say a google search for xpsp1_en_x86.exe should lead to a download of that specific file, and when I run it, it still works and installs SP1, leaving me able to go on to install SP3.

JonnyGators wrote on 2020-11-06, 04:10:

I can't help but wonder.....has everyone gone insane!?!?!?!?!? […]
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I can't help but wonder.....has everyone gone insane!?!?!?!?!?

All I want is to get SP3 installed on my XP install. However, SP3 REQUIRES AT LEAST SP1 TO ALREADY BE INSTALLED!!!!!!!!

Everywhere I go looking, high and low, there are ABSOLUTELY NO SP1 OR SP2 INSTALLERS TO FIND ANYWHERE!!!!!!!!

I can't tell you now how many places I've read responses to people looking for SP2 to the effect of, just install SP3.

Well....I would.....IF IT WOULD LET ME WITHOUT A DAMN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND SP2 INSTALLER!!!!!!!

Could someone for the love of god please, please, post an SP1 or 2 installer already!?!?!?!?!?!?

This should get you started .

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/f … ca-e1ecfb7d89a7

Check the checksum before using anything you find .

Isn't the ideal way just to slipstream SP3 into the installer using nLite? That doesn't require SP1 and SP2, does it?

JonnyGators wrote on 2020-11-06, 04:10:

I can't help but wonder.....has everyone gone insane!?!?!?!?!

That kind of attitude is going to make people even less likely to help.

This is not a paid technical support hotline. It's a forum where hobbyists share their experiences with each other in their free time. Temper your expectations accordingly.

OP: Learn how to post questions, see: How to Ask Questions the Smart Way

Split posts to new thread.

SP2 can be found at https://windows-xp-service-pack-2.soft32.com/

It was on the first page of a Google search.

Jorpho wrote on 2020-11-06, 05:10:

Isn't the ideal way just to slipstream SP3 into the installer using nLite? That doesn't require SP1 and SP2, does it?

This is what I did. And I ended up using XP with SP2 pre-installed or with SP1 pre-installed as a base as this was just easier. I'm not even sure if I have any XP disks which came without any of the SPs pre-installed.

Btw, been a while since I last used nLite but iirc the SP that came pre-installed on the disk was basically irrelevant if one wanted to slipstream a more recent SP.

Not sure what slipstream means....just playing around with installing and upgrading different OS's, which sometimes requires tracking down difficult to find files when randomly getting an error that something is required that is no longer readily available through automatic updates or from micrsoft's site. Point is, a google search looking for Windows XP sp1 installer led me down a rabbit hole of misinformation or broken links. A google search for xpsp1_en_x86.exe leads you right to the file. I'm all set, and I just want to make sure the answer to my specific problem is documented here in case others are looking for the same specific thing.

JonnyGators wrote on 2020-11-12, 03:06:

Not sure what slipstream means....

So use Google and find out. Or have you gone gone insane!?!?!?!?!?
https://www.nliteos.com/nlite.html

Jorpho wrote on 2020-11-12, 05:04:

JonnyGators wrote on 2020-11-12, 03:06:

Not sure what slipstream means....

So use Google and find out. Or have you gone gone insane!?!?!?!?!?
https://www.nliteos.com/nlite.html

Almost completely off-topic : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dztASu74U6w 😉

More on topic : https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/8289 … tallation-sourc