Someone recomended that I remove service pack 3 from my recent win2k install/upgrade & replace it with service pack 2. However the O/S came with service pack 3 on the install CD. How can I remove SP3 & reinstall SP2 if it never had SP2 in the first place?

I wouldn't remove SP3. I'm not sure exactly what problem(s) you have with your machine, but if the installation CD came preloaded with SP3 then it is unlikely that SP3 is the culprit in most trouble instances.

I would agree, why do need to remove SP3 anyway? I've found that it fixes many things in W2K. I don't think it'll be possible to completely remove SP3 unless you re-install W2K from a base copy. Even then you might have to wipe the existing installation to do that. The closest you could get without doing that would be to install SP2, if you can get a copy of it. This will not completely overwrite SP3 either, as some of the files that SP3 updates are probably different to the ones SP2 updates.

Mark speaks the truth. It may also be possible to secure a copy of Win 2K with SP1 and then update to SP2. As far as I know, unless you used Windows Update to move to SP3 (rather than installing it as part of your initial OS installation) then it is virtually impossible to remove SP3. Again, not clear on what trouble your machine has but I have reservations as to whether or not SP3 would cause it. Then again, stranger things have happened...

I wonder who the "someone" is that recommended this, and why? :)

I was told by THIS LIST to remove SP3 to correct another problem. The problem is that when right clicking the drive letter from My Computer, the Share & Properties options do not work. Nor do they work from the File menu. I was told that downgrading to SP2 & then back up to SP3 should fix the problem. Thusly: http://www.computing.net/windows2000/wwwboard/forum/43441.html Like I said, it's a very perplexing problem. But the problem with this list is that questions seem to drop off the face of the earth.. Out of sight out of mind. This is a big issue. So if anyone has an idea to fix the underlying issue, I'm all eyes.

Just do another Windows update. SP3 maybe installed now but there are probably newer updates available which may sort out the problems