Vista Tutorial - Should I update Office XP Service Pack 3 on Vista

I am not techy im afraid but I have received an "important" update message
from MS suggesting I download this Service Pack. The thing is I have got a
new latop that is running Vista and am unsure why this has been brought to my
attention.

Could anyone give me any ideas as to what I should do?

Thanks in advance for your time and patience with a newbie !

Rob

Dolls--

Precisely what update are you referring to? SP3 is the latest SP for Office
XP. Is this some other Office update?

Are you sure the message is from MSFT? Who does it say it's from and what
does it offer you to download--what's the download link?

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...1-eb966bcdfb5e

CH

"dolts" <dolts@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:9B1191B3-F520-4FCA-9B39-0D40913F9FDE@microsoft.com...
>I am not techy im afraid but I have received an "important" update message
> from MS suggesting I download this Service Pack. The thing is I have got a
> new latop that is running Vista and am unsure why this has been brought to
> my
> attention.
>
> Could anyone give me any ideas as to what I should do?
>
> Thanks in advance for your time and patience with a newbie !
>
> Rob

Dolls--

Something to always keep in mind about MSFT and updates:

1) MSFT never mails an update to you via email unless you have had a support
episode in a narrow frame of reference where an MSKB has announced a narrow
niche fix for a particular problem and they call these non-regression tested
hotfixes. They are not made publically available, although anyone can call
to request one based on an MSKB, and they may fix a problem or may not.

2) If you get an email purporting to be MSFT with any update per se, do not
use it. MSFT does mail links to downloads and updates, but not the raw
update itself.

3) MSFT does have a service available from http://technet.microsoft.com that
a lot of us use to get alerted to the monthly hotfixes or emergency hotfixes
in advance often, but they don't email hotfixes --they are linked to a msft
download site and they are PGP code protected as well.

4) Check for any updates for your Office version (yours is XP right now and
it is fully supported on Vista--Vista goes back to at least supporting
Office 2000--at a site I consider very helpful for fixing and keeping up
with Office--
http://office.microsoft.com

From that site you can search for Office XP questions or updates and you can
run the updater as well.

I wasn't clear if you'd gotten an email for an update to Office XP or one
purporting to be an SP4 which doesn't exist. I don't keep up with every
single Office XP update, because I use Office 2007 but if we can help
further, post what update it says it is and the source of this email.

An unsolicited email with a hotfix in it--I don't buy as legit. There have
been years of people mocking MSFT and sending unsuspecting people updates
that were executables that were viruses, worms, blended threats or malicious
scripts so I'd like you to get updates from legit sources for Office/Vista.

hth,

CH

"dolts" <dolts@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:9B1191B3-F520-4FCA-9B39-0D40913F9FDE@microsoft.com...
>I am not techy im afraid but I have received an "important" update message
> from MS suggesting I download this Service Pack. The thing is I have got a
> new latop that is running Vista and am unsure why this has been brought to
> my
> attention.
>
> Could anyone give me any ideas as to what I should do?
>
> Thanks in advance for your time and patience with a newbie !
>
> Rob

If you mean you have a legitimate link to *SP3 and your question was mean
should I update TO SP3 for Office XP then sure. Use the link I gave you
which is from the MSFT Office download site.

CH


"dolts" <dolts@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:9B1191B3-F520-4FCA-9B39-0D40913F9FDE@microsoft.com...
>I am not techy im afraid but I have received an "important" update message
> from MS suggesting I download this Service Pack. The thing is I have got a
> new latop that is running Vista and am unsure why this has been brought to
> my
> attention.
>
> Could anyone give me any ideas as to what I should do?
>
> Thanks in advance for your time and patience with a newbie !
>
> Rob

Hi Chad

first of all, many thanks for your time in trying to help me. Im at work at
present but when i get home will post the link. The request came when i asked
MS to do a live update search and this download was brought up as "important"
plus there were 3 Vista downloads.
dolts

"Chad Harris" wrote:

> Dolls--
>
> Precisely what update are you referring to? SP3 is the latest SP for Office
> XP. Is this some other Office update?
>
> Are you sure the message is from MSFT? Who does it say it's from and what
> does it offer you to download--what's the download link?
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...1-eb966bcdfb5e
>
> CH
>
> "dolts" <dolts@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:9B1191B3-F520-4FCA-9B39-0D40913F9FDE@microsoft.com...
> >I am not techy im afraid but I have received an "important" update message
> > from MS suggesting I download this Service Pack. The thing is I have got a
> > new latop that is running Vista and am unsure why this has been brought to
> > my
> > attention.
> >
> > Could anyone give me any ideas as to what I should do?
> >
> > Thanks in advance for your time and patience with a newbie !
> >
> > Rob
>
>

This sounds like it could be legit then, and I wonder if it was that you
have previous service packs but need SP3. If I'm not mistaken from memory
those service packs all depend on having their predecessor(s) installed
first.

CH


"dolts" <dolts@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:65995678-066B-4CCF-8656-6B8D76092769@microsoft.com...
> Hi Chad
>
> first of all, many thanks for your time in trying to help me. Im at work
> at
> present but when i get home will post the link. The request came when i
> asked
> MS to do a live update search and this download was brought up as
> "important"
> plus there were 3 Vista downloads.
> dolts
>
> "Chad Harris" wrote:
>
>> Dolls--
>>
>> Precisely what update are you referring to? SP3 is the latest SP for
>> Office
>> XP. Is this some other Office update?
>>
>> Are you sure the message is from MSFT? Who does it say it's from and
>> what
>> does it offer you to download--what's the download link?
>>
>> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...1-eb966bcdfb5e
>>
>> CH
>>
>> "dolts" <dolts@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:9B1191B3-F520-4FCA-9B39-0D40913F9FDE@microsoft.com...
>> >I am not techy im afraid but I have received an "important" update
>> >message
>> > from MS suggesting I download this Service Pack. The thing is I have
>> > got a
>> > new latop that is running Vista and am unsure why this has been brought
>> > to
>> > my
>> > attention.
>> >
>> > Could anyone give me any ideas as to what I should do?
>> >
>> > Thanks in advance for your time and patience with a newbie !
>> >
>> > Rob
>>
>>