Hi Steve...
Thank God for people like you. I have spent pretty much the last couple of
months reading through the various posts here in these forums to hear SP2
criticised for playing havoc with users computers.
I am a self confessed computer nerd, but only to the point that I have a
finely tuned XP Pro machine that I spend a couple of hours a week making sure
is backed up/updated/virus free/adware free and that all my application
software is up to date.
I took the liberty of downloading SP2 direct from Microsofts update website
(even after reading the crap about it being 'only for IT professionals
deploying on a network') and was actually excited to see what it would do to
my machine.
As a precaution, I ran all the virus checking and spyware removal that has
ever been invented on this planet just to make sure my system was squeaky
clean (as we all should I hasten to add), and guess what.... SP2 installed
first time and has been functioning without problems ever since.
I sometimes can't help but feel real irritated when all some people can do
is get angry with the free updates that are offered to all (licensed) users
of XP, when usually these users are the ones who clog up these message boards
with postings about problems that could very easily be rectified by
practising a little common sense and good housekeeping with their PC's.
As a footnote to this rather long reply/essay(!), I would like to add that I
realise that not everybody is as 'up-to-date' as some of us, and there will
always be a contingent that can't, or won't, be bothered to learn how to use
their PC's to a level where SP2 wouldn't cause a problem, and it is only a
relatively small section of PC users who have the time or the inclination to
invest time for updating their machines in the way that, for example, I do.
It's interesting is that all of the people I regularly help with XP,
including family members and clients via remote assistance invitations,
haven't any problems with the installation of SP2. The only exception is a
laptop of a friend of mine who's XP insatallation hasn't even been connected
to the internet (let alone been updated) in the two years he's owned it.
This was the only machine I was a little concerned about intalling SP2 onto
for that reason and guess what? I had to remove SP2 cos it caused so many
compatibility problems.
If you've been kind enough to get to this point of my posting, thanks for
reading a rather drawn out reply to a point I feel rather strongly about (in
case you didn't realise!). Please, if you read this and have an opinion on
what i've said, reply. If you want to read a justification to my thoughts
then check out, in my opinion, the best windows website on the web:
http://www.winsupersite.com/faq/xpsp2.asp
Good luck guys, and remember, keep your PC up to date!!
Big Liam...
