Sp2

[taxexile]

i have got the sp2 cd sitting here and i am contemplating whether to install the bugger.

i am barely computer literate

my sony laptop,with xp pro, is running like a dream.

the xp firewall is switched on.

norton antivirus is humming away in the background.

i am not on any networks and use the computer mainly for word processing,playing dvd's,and visiting a few sites regularly on the internet.

i am careful and dont open suspicious e-mails or download music or porn.

a security check done by steve gibsons "ports checker" has pronounced that i am invisible and that it would have been easier to get into mother theresa's knickers than into my computer.

after reading a lot about the problems that installing sp2 can trigger and how it can slow things down i am wondering what are the real benefits of sp2 , and would i be better off leaving things as they are.?

any comments gratefully received.

thanks.

[lopburi3]

Although most experts did advise waiting a few weeks, if you were a careful user as you seem to be, I would suggest it is about time. It will update your system and you will be ready for future updates (which in the case of the jpg thing have already been done).

I did it after waiting a month or so and had to boot about three times to get back to normal but have not had any trouble other than that - did find Kazza lite not working last week but not sure if that was SP2 or something else. I do not use the built in firewall but have installed a new ZoneAlarm in the last couple of weeks.

I have not noticed anything slower but on my 500 Celeron nothing is that fast.

[Firefoxx]

A firewall can take care of active attacks on your computer (via RPC ports, etc).

An antivirus program can take care of any virus programs that you might download or receive in attachements.

But you've still got a vulnerable spot, which has of late been the most vulnerable point of windows: Internet Explorer.

If you can protect explorer, either by vigilant patching or other means, then you need not worry too much (your antivirus and firewall won't help). Or you could switch to an alternative browser like Opera or Firefox, and quit worrying about attaks on IE.

I've tried SP2, and it works well enough that I've decided to install it on all new computers. However, I have also decided that all existing installations don't need to be changed to SP2.

[Axel]

Actually a very good question. I downloaded at home for over 12 hours and another 3 to install. (56 K modem )

Running ok, but took a lot of space on the hard disk, over 500 MB in an i386-folder. Perhaps a stupid question, what happens if I delete these service pack files?

First thing, I could not view any mpeg/mpg - clips as SP2 decided, too dangerous and could have a virus. Checked and changed this after cponsoluting MS FAQ.

2nd: Most of the attachments I want to open have a warning now(are you sure to open?) For some extensions can switch off the warning by clicking "don't show me this anymore..." Some, like mpg cannot. A bit of a nuisance, and too many extra-clicks.

[Highwayman]

I think most of the bugs have come to light by now. I downloaded it a few days ago, 4 hours on dial-up, maybe half an hour to install. So far no problems but l was already running decent security levels so nothing has really changed for me. Maybe if you didn't have much security in place before, then the higher default levels that come with SP2 might be a surprise, more so to someone still using programs like Kazaa etc.

[lemon]

i agree that most of the bugs have come to light now...but have they fixed them yet? i dont think so and not for a good while i should think...i recently installed xp sp2 onto a new 3GHz pentium 4 and had nothing but probs with all sorts of things - games, webcam, virtual cd drive etc until i took it off and just put the sp1 version on instead - now it all works fine

[RDN]

I went to the Windows Update web site and instead of downloading SP2, I requested they send me the CD, which they did - right here to my address in Thailand. Amazing service. Installed it, no problems.

Now Outlook Express doesn't even download pictures in emails unless you tell it to. So you can delete the spam from your Hotmail inbox without even waiting for all the pictures to appear.

But I must add that I was a bit pee'ed off with the .NET update. This was a big update, and not critical. But I needed it for Gmail. So I download the 23 MB update on my 42 Kbps modem link. Forget how long it took - bloomin' ages. After I installed it, I went back to Windows Update just to make sure everything was OK, and then I find there is a CRITICAL update that is required to fix the .NET update that I just installed! So another 10 MB update needed. Why the f*** couldn't they fix the first update? Or at least warn you that after installing the non-critical update, you have to install a critical one. Stupid!

[waldwolf]

Some useful Microsoft links, should you decide to install SP2, then have problems:

How to remove Windows XP Service Pack 2 from your computer

How to help protect your computer if you decide to remove Windows XP Service Pack 2

The AutoRecovery feature lets you recover from an unsuccessful installation of Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2

Good luck

[kabal1234]

I would install it if I were you. I love SP2, think it's great... unfortunately it craps on the VS.NET debugger so I had to uninstall it

[francois]

hi'

I have waited a little time before to look closer to it ...

then I downloaded the full pack for IT and techies (267mb).

then install it, no problem so far

I do think that when you check on windows they tell you SP2 update ...

and then when SP2 is on, the gdi update, and that's all

so, I think that if you have only SP1 on, you may be vulnerable to the jpg bufferoverflow,

is SP2 more secure, I ain't sure but, as windows said, it's a security update, as all MS update, it's far to be perfect, but at least they may have correct some major security problems ...

they surely could have done it better but this is MS

it's true that some games are not running ok, but I do think that it's mainly due to the directX update to 9.0c ... may be the next one will be better

anyway, better to get the full update by download it before or get on cd like RDN did.

the online update is a bit risky, the scan they are performing may be incomplete and then generate some side problems, due your own settings.

MS is working on SP3 already ...

is a this a thing to do?

yes, unless you have specific programs that don't work with it and you need them for your job ... (imho)

cheers

francois

[Crushdepth]

Maybe they've fixed it now:

Microsoft Fixes Vexing XP SP2 Incompatibility

[kabal1234]

taxexile, don't be too concerned with some overly paranoid responses in this thread... the vast majority of users experience no problems with SP2.

[sas_cars]

I think it's of no use for a normal computer user.It even slowed down my 1.5Ghz computer.And bugged with my VGA card.So I uninstalled it and very happy without it

[waldwolf]

Should you have problems with a particular program after installing SP2, check the program manufacturers website for updates and/or patches. Many software manufacturers have already released "fixes" to these SP2 problems.

[Mr_Happy]

No problems on four systems, my systems seem faster on SP2 it does replace all previous patches. So you can do a vanilla install and then patch directly to SP2.

[Highwayman]

PC World article.

Is XP's fix safe?

[taxexile]

many thanks for all the replies and advice so far.

i haven't installed it yet though.

i have installed adaware and spybot which get rid of "stuff" and will trawl through all the information on sp2 that i can find before installing it.