Most current view on SP2

[josie]

Due to a family illness I have been away from home (my PC) for quite
sometime and have not updated
to SP2 yet. I have been reading that it's worth waiting for a "better
version" of it. Is it truly safer for my PC to have it installed as it is
right now? I have all else up to date, AV, anti spyware, ZA SE, etc. I am
sort of edgy about updating and possibly messing up my OS with the
complications that one reads in ngs. Please comment. Thanks. Josie

 

[alegator]

I recommend that you update to SP2. If you patch your software regularly you
should not have any incompatibilities with SP2. And yes, your Windows SP2
will be safer, yet you have to keep patching it as updates are released.
Windows will never be hacker proof.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

SP2 is a solid, secure release. It is a major "Critical Update"
for Windows XP and updates over 5 million lines of code,
enabling much stronger security, stability, and affords a tad better
performance benefit. SP2 was extensively tested on hundreds of
thousands of various computer configurations over a period of
many, many months. I would encourage you to install it at your
earliest convenience since it renders SP1 virtually obsolete.

You may wish to view the following:

Top 10 Reasons to Install Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2)
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/topten.mspx

List of fixes included in Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811113&Product=windowsxpsp2

Learn About Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/preinstall.mspx

Changes to Functionality in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sp2chngs.mspx

What to Know Before You Download and Install Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/sp2_whattoknow.mspx

Windows XP Service Pack 2 Checklist
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/xpsp2.htm

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Jupiter Jones]

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect Your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.aspx

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:

| Due to a family illness I have been away from home (my PC) for quite
| sometime and have not updated
| to SP2 yet. I have been reading that it's worth waiting for a "better
| version" of it. Is it truly safer for my PC to have it installed as it is
| right now? I have all else up to date, AV, anti spyware, ZA SE, etc. I am
| sort of edgy about updating and possibly messing up my OS with the
| complications that one reads in ngs. Please comment. Thanks. Josie

 

[Ken Blake]

In

Due to a family illness I have been away from home (my PC) for
quite
sometime and have not updated
to SP2 yet. I have been reading that it's worth waiting for a
"better
version" of it.

You've been reading incorrect information. There will not be any
"better version of it," or any other version of it, better or
not. Service packs don't get released in multiple versions.

Is it truly safer for my PC to have it installed as
it is right now?

Yes. SP2 has *many* fixes within it, not just the
highly-publicized ones. Read here:
List of fixes included in Windows XP Service Pack 2

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811113&Product=windowsxpsp2

I have all else up to date, AV, anti spyware, ZA SE,
etc. I am sort of edgy about updating and possibly messing up
my OS
with the complications that one reads in ngs. Please comment.

I have three comments:

1. Newsgroups are places where you should *expect* to read about
problems. That's because those people who do have problems (and
there are always some, regardless of how good what you're talking
about is) come to the newsgroup for help with their problems. The
great majority of those who have problem-free installations don't
come to the newsgroups to say how wonderful everything is. As
someone once said, hang around a transmission shop for a while
and you'll think every car has transmission problems.

2. If you prepare properly for installation (Read
http://forum.aumha.org/viewforum.php?f=45) the risk of problems
is very small. Most people who have problems started out with a
machine with spyware on it. Make sure you are spyware-free first,
and the risk is very low. I have personally installed SP2 on
several machines, and I know many others who have installed lots
of copies, numbering in the hundreds in total. I am personally
aware of only one case where there were problems, and that was a
spyware-laden machine.

3. Despite all the above, there is always some risk. Nothing is
perfect, and nothing is foolproof. Installing any service pack is
a big step, and you should take appropriate precautions before
beginning--ensure that you have a backup of anything you can't
afford to lose.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Comments inline..

Due to a family illness I have been away from home (my PC) for quite
sometime and have not updated to SP2 yet.

I hope everything worked out okay.

I have been reading that it's worth waiting for a "better version" of it.

Well, there will be no "better version". SP2 is released, it will not be
revised.

Is it truly safer for my PC to have it installed as it is right now?

That is up to you. You should go through the following checklist:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/sp2_whattoknow.mspx

But know that most people who properly prepare their system do NOT
have trouble and that you should not judge how good SP2 is by messages
on this newsgroup - as this is a place where people come to post their
problems, not their successes.

I have all else up to date, AV, anti spyware, ZA SE, etc.

Excellent. Then you are a great candidate for SP2. Still, go through the
page I listed earlier. I would also suggest checking with your hardware
manufacturers to insure they have no reported issues with SP2 and if
they have newer drivers/updates that may prevent you from having them
when you update.

I am sort of edgy about updating and possibly messing up my OS
with the complications that one reads in ngs. Please comment. Thanks.

I'll point out one last time that coming to a newsgroup such as this and
reading about problems and assuming everyone is having issues, so will
you - is much like going to a hospital and seeing all sick people and
assuming you are too. Or going to a mechanic and seeing all the problems
with cars and assuming all are bad or.. well, you get the idea. =)

 

[Guest]

In


You've been reading incorrect information. There will not be any
"better version of it," or any other version of it, better or
not. Service packs don't get released in multiple versions.




Yes. SP2 has *many* fixes within it, not just the
highly-publicized ones. Read here:
List of fixes included in Windows XP Service Pack 2

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811113&Product=windowsxpsp2






I have three comments:

1. Newsgroups are places where you should *expect* to read about
problems. That's because those people who do have problems (and
there are always some, regardless of how good what you're talking
about is) come to the newsgroup for help with their problems. The
great majority of those who have problem-free installations don't
come to the newsgroups to say how wonderful everything is. As
someone once said, hang around a transmission shop for a while
and you'll think every car has transmission problems.

2. If you prepare properly for installation (Read
http://forum.aumha.org/viewforum.php?f=45) the risk of problems
is very small. Most people who have problems started out with a
machine with spyware on it. Make sure you are spyware-free first,
and the risk is very low. I have personally installed SP2 on
several machines, and I know many others who have installed lots
of copies, numbering in the hundreds in total. I am personally
aware of only one case where there were problems, and that was a
spyware-laden machine.

3. Despite all the above, there is always some risk. Nothing is
perfect, and nothing is foolproof. Installing any service pack is
a big step, and you should take appropriate precautions before
beginning--ensure that you have a backup of anything you can't
afford to lose.

Our Computer Club has installed SP2 on all 16 Windows based classroom
computers. I have installed SP2 on both of my computers. When visiting Club
member's homes, I have installed it over ten times. All with no problems. Had
to download a couple of hardware drivers and set the firewall to permit
online games.

Download, install and set Mozilla Firefox as your default browser.
http://www.mozilla.org/ However, you must use IE6 for Windows and Office
Updates.

 

[Eric McG]

In josie <[email protected]> typed:

You've been reading incorrect information. There will not be any
"better version of it," or any other version of it, better or
not. Service packs don't get released in multiple versions.

FYI, there was a Service Pack that was updated:

Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6a
http://www.microsoft.com/NTServer/nts/downloads/recommended/SP6/allsp6.asp

Never say never.

 

[josie]

Wonderful comments from everybody, thanks a lot to all of you for taking the
time to "straighten up my thinking", I'm convinced. Will let you know how
it all works and specifically if it does work well, as like some of you
wisely said, more successes need to be heard from in these ngs. Josie

 

[Ken Blake]

In

FYI, there was a Service Pack that was updated:

Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6a
http://www.microsoft.com/NTServer/nts/downloads/recommended/SP6/allsp6.asp

Thanks for the correction. I wasn't aware of that. Still, it's a
very rare occurrence.

 

[Alex Nichol]

Due to a family illness I have been away from home (my PC) for quite
sometime and have not updated
to SP2 yet. I have been reading that it's worth waiting for a "better
version" of it. Is it truly safer for my PC to have it installed as it is
right now?

There will not *be* a 'better' version. Provided you take fairly simple
precautions, it will not give trouble - see advice at Installing SP2:
http://forum.aumha.org/viewforum.php?f=45

And provided you are not trying to install on a hacked version - it has
come out that one category of complaint arises from people installing on
a system that has been 'hacked' to evade Product Activation, Such
people are on their own until they restore a legitimate version and
activate it

 

[Alex Nichol]

Thanks for the correction. I wasn't aware of that. Still, it's a
very rare occurrence.

There was also XP SP1a, but that was just to omit the Java VM under
court order, and was in no sense 'better'

 

[Ken Blake]

In

There was also XP SP1a, but that was just to omit the Java VM
under
court order, and was in no sense 'better'

Yes, I am certainly aware of SP1a, but that, as you say, is a
completely different story.