Why is SP2 so big? It doesn't do much

[Mixxy]

Serious question - why is SP2 so big?

It's about (80 to 100 MB for users fully up to date with XP patches and is
200 plus MB for those who haven't been applying patches.

Let's say it is a average minimum of 90 MB. That is very big. Why is it so
large?

 

[NoNoBadDog!]

First of all, your statement "It doesn't do much" is totally wrong. SP2
consists of many updates and hotfixes combined into a single package. It
replaces a great number of system files with updated files that correct
security issues, compatibility problems, etc. It incorporates major
elements of SP1, and the hotfixes and critical updates issued since then.
It replaces the Windows firewall with a completely new (but still very lame)
version. It add the new Windows Security Center. It incorporates a pop-up
blocker to Internet explorer. It adds security to Outlook and Outlook
express. If you have an AMD64 processor, it adds Enhanced Virus Protection
that prevents certain types of malicious code gaining control of the OS
after a buffer overrun. SP2 updates approximately 5 million lines of code.
It does so much more than you can "see".

Bobby

 

[Satomi Shimohira]

NoNoBadDog!, the third-rate, loutish hotel receptionist, and corn miller,
aired:

First of all, your statement "It doesn't do much" is totally wrong.
SP2 consists of many updates and hotfixes combined into a single
package. It replaces a great number of system files with updated
files that correct security issues, compatibility problems, etc. It
incorporates major elements of SP1, and the hotfixes and critical
updates issued since then. It replaces the Windows firewall with a
completely new (but still very lame) version. It add the new Windows
Security Center. It incorporates a pop-up blocker to Internet
explorer. It adds security to Outlook and Outlook express. If you
have an AMD64 processor, it adds Enhanced Virus Protection that
prevents certain types of malicious code gaining control of the OS
after a buffer overrun. SP2 updates approximately 5 million lines of
code. It does so much more than you can "see".

Subtext: It fixes so many more Microsoft ****ups than you knew about.

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

To add:

The full size of SP2 is 266MB, not 80-100MB. What the OP is looking at there
is the average size of the express download from Windows Update. It only
contains SP2's specific security updates, and any missing critical updates.
The full package contains all critical updates since WinXP's original
release. Someone who has never or rarely updated will recieve a much larger
express package.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Jon]

So that you only have to click on one file to install, rather than 40 or 50
or so (not counted) critical updates post SP1

Jon

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

Serious question - why is SP2 so big?

It's about (80 to 100 MB for users fully up to date with XP patches and is
200 plus MB for those who haven't been applying patches.

Let's say it is a average minimum of 90 MB. That is very big. Why is it so
large?

What the hell did you expect it do?

ss.

 

[Guest]

First of all, your statement "It doesn't do much" is totally wrong. SP2
consists of many updates and hotfixes combined into a single package. It
replaces a great number of system files with updated files that correct
security issues, compatibility problems, etc. It incorporates major
elements of SP1, and the hotfixes and critical updates issued since then.
It replaces the Windows firewall with a completely new (but still very lame)
version. It add the new Windows Security Center. It incorporates a pop-up
blocker to Internet explorer. It adds security to Outlook and Outlook
express. If you have an AMD64 processor, it adds Enhanced Virus Protection
that prevents certain types of malicious code gaining control of the OS
after a buffer overrun. SP2 updates approximately 5 million lines of code.
It does so much more than you can "see".

Still a perfectly valid question as far as I can see. The only visible
things are the pop-up blocker, the security centre and the firewall.

When you think you can download pop-up blockers and firewalls in 3 meg
downloads, where's the other 84 meg going? We're there really that many
problems with XP when it shipped? Makes you wonder what you're paying
for exactly.

 

[ToolPackinMama]

NoNoBadDog!, the third-rate, loutish hotel receptionist, and corn miller,
aired:


Subtext: It fixes so many more Microsoft ****ups than you knew about.

LOL

 

[Apollo]

Still a perfectly valid question as far as I can see. The only visible
things are the pop-up blocker, the security centre and the firewall.

When you think you can download pop-up blockers and firewalls in 3 meg
downloads, where's the other 84 meg going?

We're there really that many problems with XP when it shipped?

Yes, and there will still be problems no doubt.

Makes you wonder what you're paying for exactly.

Yes

 

[Don Taylor]

Still a perfectly valid question as far as I can see. The only visible
things are the pop-up blocker, the security centre and the firewall.

When you think you can download pop-up blockers and firewalls in 3 meg
downloads, where's the other 84 meg going? We're there really that many
problems with XP when it shipped? Makes you wonder what you're paying
for exactly.

It might be something similar to Norton Antivirus. Every couple
of days they often download a substantial fraction of a megabyte
for an update.

I don't think any company could hire enough competent people to
churn out a good part of a megabyte of new software every few days.
But there is an alternative. Suppose they had written a hundred
different programs to make this work. SUppose they only needed to
change a single line in each one. The old promise that dll's were
going to mean that windows programs were going to be smaller than
pre-windows programs never happened. When they recompile all 100
of those programs they then have to send you the complete 100
programs all over again.

So, there might be 100 massive screwups in XP that are supposed to
be fixed with SP2, actually there were estimates that there were
many thousands of massive screwups when XP was first shipped, but
be generous here, one per program, Microsoft changes a line or
two in every one, more in some of them, recompiles all of them
and now has to send you 100 different megabyte or multimegabyte
programs for the update, even though often only a half dozen bytes
really got changed in any one of them.

 

[Ken Smith]

Make me a nice cuppa in the morning. Is that too much to ask?

 

[NoNoBadDog!]

Did you even bother to read what I posted? Are you that dense?

Bobby

 

[NoNoBadDog!]

Who really cares what you consider useless?

The question was related to the size of the SP2 download. That has nothing
to do with what you think.

Bobby

 

[JAD]

like the size of ones head has nothing to do with ones intelligence...

 

[Guest]

So, there might be 100 massive screwups in XP that are supposed to
be fixed with SP2, actually there were estimates that there were
many thousands of massive screwups when XP was first shipped, but
be generous here, one per program, Microsoft changes a line or
two in every one, more in some of them, recompiles all of them
and now has to send you 100 different megabyte or multimegabyte
programs for the update, even though often only a half dozen bytes
really got changed in any one of them.

Delta compression should fix that in the future, which is part of what
SP2 does.

I have a feeling we'll still see bloody large updates from MS though.

 

[Aquila Deus]

First of all, your statement "It doesn't do much" is totally wrong. SP2
consists of many updates and hotfixes combined into a single package. It
replaces a great number of system files with updated files that correct
security issues, compatibility problems, etc. It incorporates major
elements of SP1, and the hotfixes and critical updates issued since then.
It replaces the Windows firewall with a completely new (but still very lame)
version. It add the new Windows Security Center. It incorporates a pop-up
blocker to Internet explorer. It adds security to Outlook and Outlook
express. If you have an AMD64 processor, it adds Enhanced Virus Protection
that prevents certain types of malicious code gaining control of the OS
after a buffer overrun. SP2 updates approximately 5 million lines of code.
It does so much more than you can "see".

But:
- It stills use a lot of RAM
- It's still as slow as it used to be
- Still has virus, adware and spyware!
- As u wrote above, the new firewall is still lame
- Where is tabbed interface for IE?

So what's the difference?

<snip>

 

[Dave C.]

- Where is tabbed interface for IE?

It's called Mozilla. -Dave

 

[NoNoBadDog!]

And Aquila Deus is still having problems adjusting to his new
anti-hallucination drugs.

Prove your claims of SP2 containing Viruses, adware or spyware.
I dare you to validate a single claim you have made.

You can't, can you?

Shut up and crawl back into the hole you came out of.

You are a loser and a moron.

Bobby



///SNIP////

 

[Dave Senior]

Because Microsoft products are half complete!. Microsoft is a publictly quoted company accountable to its shareholders. It has to sell products to generate revenues which should exceed previous period's. The only way to achive this is to rush products even if they are defective knowing that there are people out there prepared to buy anything that has Microsoft logo on it!!.

We have had patches virtually everyday since 09/11/2001 (mm/dd/yyyy) when XP started hitting the high street shops. But this wasn't enough for MS so we had SP1 (128 mb), and now SP2 (272 mb). This is still not enough and now you also need SP1 for .Net Framework 1.1. This should put you on alert that MS products can never be trusted. Read my signature below.

Serious question - why is SP2 so big?

It's about (80 to 100 MB for users fully up to date with XP patches and is
200 plus MB for those who haven't been applying patches.

Let's say it is a average minimum of 90 MB. That is very big. Why is it so
large?

--
I use non Microsoft products wherever possible which requires no activation.

I use Netscape 7.2 as my default browser which has everything I need for my work.

I believe in good Financial Management!! I do not believe in enriching rich jerks!

 

[David Maynard]

Because Microsoft products are half complete!. Microsoft is a publictly
quoted company accountable to its shareholders. It has to sell products
to generate revenues which should exceed previous period's. The only
way to achive this is to rush products even if they are defective
knowing that there are people out there prepared to buy anything that
has Microsoft logo on it!!.

We have had patches virtually everyday since 09/11/2001 (mm/dd/yyyy)
when XP started hitting the high street shops.
Hardly.

But this wasn't enough
for MS so we had SP1 (128 mb),

SOP for any software house to do a rollup.

and now SP2 (272 mb).

Same thing, except it also adds new functionality that's almost enough to
have been called WindowsXP SE and sold as a new release.

This is still not
enough and now you also need SP1 for .Net Framework 1.1. This should put
you on alert that MS products can never be trusted. Read my signature
below.

If you think Linux is 'update free' then you're in for a big surprise.