SP2anonymous said:
People have been telling horror stories about their
computers needing xp re-installs after installing sp2 by
the windows update download method. Some of this involves
AOL. What they say is that the CD version is safer. Is
that true?
The CD version is comprehensive, so it will replace items that may have
been wrongly assessed as not needed in the update version. And it
avoids the possibility of other changes having been made in the time
since the process was initiated. Personally I think that method a
mistake, and would avoid it if at all possible.
Troubles mostly arise from interference by third party software,
especially if it is a type that plays deep in the system, like Norton
and maybe AOL. Best way of all (but more work) is to start with a clean
fresh XP, immediately install the SP2 and then go on to install third
party things like AOL, Norton and so on. It ought not to be necessary,
and usually isn't. but is the fall back if things give trouble
