Update SP1 before installing SP2?

[WhzzKdd]

Thanks for the various helpful follow-ups.

WhzzKdd: as you may have seen from my reply just now to Alias, I had
no joy with FAST (thanks for the acronym!) and am keen to get to the
bottom of why. Not sure I grasp this 32/64 distinction. Didn't even
know there *was* a '64 bit Windows'. When would I encounter that, or
want it? In this case, I used her 4-year old XP Home CD, then used the
266 MB SP2 WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe (which I downloaded on my
own PC).

Windows does have a 32 bit and a 64 bit OS. The 64 bit provides better
support for the 64 bit processors, but unless one is running software
actually written for the 64 bit enviroment, there is not a significant
increase in performance.

That being the case, MS had to re-code the FAST to handle transferring data
from the 32 bit OS to the 64 bit OS. There was a MS update for that software
change. So the reality is that may be dealing with as many as FOUR
distinctly different versions of FAST: RTM (Release to Manufacture), SP1,
SP2, and the 64 bit update (maybe only three - the RTM may be the same as
the SP1 - I don't know for sure). In my experience (like yours), they do not
play well togther. I've lost data myself to this MS mess-up.

So your data may have been compressed with SP1, and SP2 may not read it. And
if you compressed with SP2, with the upgrade installed, the SP2 may not read
it.

Here at my home office, I used to have all four versions on disk. Why? Just
in case. I think I lost one or two recently - bad floppy disks.

What I would suggest doing is putting the CD that came with her computer
into the system, and when the menu comes up, go to the option for Perform
Additional Tasks, and run the FAST wizard from there. It is possible that
your data was compressed with that version. If that doesn't work, then get
the upgrade to the latest one and install it, and try again:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...18-cbdb-47c0-b7c2-77c4cc37a450&DisplayLang=en
(This was a non-critical update, but I've run into a number of computers
where the user installed it "just because it came from Microsoft", even
though they have no intention of ever going to a 64 bit system.)

 

[Terry Pinnell]

Outlook has a big problem with IE7 if you use HTML in Outlook. IE7 makes
typing really slow and very, very frustrating. Personally, I only use
IE6 for Windows Updates and do all my Internet surfing with Ubuntu Linux
on another machine, being as there isn't one single Linux virus in the
wild. Not one.

I use Firefox myself, but my wife seems happy enough with IE6.

Sorry, I have never used FAST. I just back up the data on an external HD
and after reinstalling XP, put the data back. I manually configure
settings which really doesn't take that long and may even be less time
that you've spent fighting with FAST.

No question about that. On this (admittedly limited) evidence, FAST
seems poorly named ;-)

 

[Terry Pinnell]

That paragraph contradicts everything that I have ever been told about
Service Pack 2 by Microsoft, and I would suggest that you disregard
it.




If you have the complete SP2 download then I suggest you just install
that. SP2 is a complete package and includes all critical updates
from the original release of Windows XP up to the date of SP2.

Of course once you have installed SP2 then you still need to go to
Windows update because there are a tremendous number of updates that
are post-SP2 which you also need to get installed.

And before you install SP2 you might want to look at the following web
site:
Service Pack Installation Checklist
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spackins.htm

Good luck
Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada

Thanks. As you see from my later posts, I did disregard it, and all
went well.

 

[Terry Pinnell]

Windows does have a 32 bit and a 64 bit OS. The 64 bit provides better
support for the 64 bit processors, but unless one is running software
actually written for the 64 bit enviroment, there is not a significant
increase in performance.

That being the case, MS had to re-code the FAST to handle transferring data
from the 32 bit OS to the 64 bit OS. There was a MS update for that software
change. So the reality is that may be dealing with as many as FOUR
distinctly different versions of FAST: RTM (Release to Manufacture), SP1,
SP2, and the 64 bit update (maybe only three - the RTM may be the same as
the SP1 - I don't know for sure). In my experience (like yours), they do not
play well togther. I've lost data myself to this MS mess-up.

So your data may have been compressed with SP1, and SP2 may not read it. And
if you compressed with SP2, with the upgrade installed, the SP2 may not read
it.

Here at my home office, I used to have all four versions on disk. Why? Just
in case. I think I lost one or two recently - bad floppy disks.

What I would suggest doing is putting the CD that came with her computer
into the system, and when the menu comes up, go to the option for Perform
Additional Tasks, and run the FAST wizard from there. It is possible that
your data was compressed with that version. If that doesn't work, then get
the upgrade to the latest one and install it, and try again:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...18-cbdb-47c0-b7c2-77c4cc37a450&DisplayLang=en
(This was a non-critical update, but I've run into a number of computers
where the user installed it "just because it came from Microsoft", even
though they have no intention of ever going to a 64 bit system.)

Thanks, I'll try that at some stage, if only to satisfy my curiosity,
and also to hopefully get FAST working when I install *my* next PC
sometime.

 

[Alias]

I use Firefox myself,

So do I but with Ubuntu, not Windows.

but my wife seems happy enough with IE6.

She's not as likely to go to the sites you and may visit ;-)

No question about that. On this (admittedly limited) evidence, FAST
seems poorly named ;-)

For me, backing up data is easier manually than with a Wizard and easily
confirmed.

MS has a problem with some of their names like Outlook Express and Outlook.

Alias

 

[Plato]

At http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/sp2_whattoknow.mspx I read
"Before you install SP2, get your version of Windows completely
up-to-date with the latest performance and security updates. Go to the
Microsoft Update, click Express Install, and then install all high
priority updates listed."

No, one can just install SP2 which contains all the updates in SP1

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=windowsxpsp2
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/winxpsp2.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...be-3b8e-4f30-8245-9e368d3cdb5a&displaylang=en