Question : SP2

Does anyone know what happens in XPpro to SP1 and all the updates when the imminent SP2 is installed.  Are they removed, overwritten or left on the drive?

Answer : SP2

No, you're not being concerned for nothing.  Traditionally, removing service packs was not an exact science and as a result some things broke.  Today, with new ways to capture installations, removing service packs is a lot more successful.  When a service pack is installed, the system is inventoried and also any third-party system files.  All this information is logged - every single detail.  As well, these files are copied to the uninstall folder.  Removing the SP is all about simply unregistering files, replaying the logs in reverse and restoring the state prior to the install.

System restore *should* return the system to the previous state, however, the mechanism of System Restore itself is updated with the SP too - so I cannot be certain without a doubt that it would be flawless (although it should be).

As for the AMD issues, it's all about the Antivirus memory protection scheme that AMD has built in to their 64-bit processors.  They have incorporated the ability to use the NX flag that marks parts of memory as non-executable - this is also known as DEP - Data Execution Prevention.

I think your processor will not cause any problems for this update.  However, before making any changes of this magnitude to any system it is always good procedure to back up all your data in the event of an irrecoverable system crash.

Cheers,
NM