SP2, My Perspective So Far...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Susan
  • Start date Start date
S

Susan

Being the first to install and use SP2 may not be a good idea until way
after the dust settles...

My four clean installs of XP Home and Professional over the last couple
years is that after using the Internet wizard the firewall is enabled by
default...I have never seen it disabled. In fact, I either called M$ or
posted very early on to learn where and how to disable it.

First of all I use a router that has a built-in firewall that cannot be
disabled--really. Secondly, I still use the latest version of Zone Alarm
Pro for Privacy. Third, I use the latest Ad-aware for spy stuff. In some
cases if I had XP's firewall enabled (which I never do) I would be triple
fire-walling one machine and double fire-walling the other.

My conclusion so far... For my situation based on what has been discussed
about SP2 there is no reason for me to install it now.

What I want to look through is a comprehensive list of XP Home and
Professional bugs that SP2 fixes--that would be far more interesting to see
and more reason to install now if something I hate has been fixed?

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

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

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

| Being the first to install and use SP2 may not be a good idea until way
| after the dust settles...
|
| My four clean installs of XP Home and Professional over the last couple
| years is that after using the Internet wizard the firewall is enabled by
| default...I have never seen it disabled. In fact, I either called M$ or
| posted very early on to learn where and how to disable it.
|
| First of all I use a router that has a built-in firewall that cannot be
| disabled--really. Secondly, I still use the latest version of Zone Alarm
| Pro for Privacy. Third, I use the latest Ad-aware for spy stuff. In some
| cases if I had XP's firewall enabled (which I never do) I would be triple
| fire-walling one machine and double fire-walling the other.
|
| My conclusion so far... For my situation based on what has been discussed
| about SP2 there is no reason for me to install it now.
|
| What I want to look through is a comprehensive list of XP Home and
| Professional bugs that SP2 fixes--that would be far more interesting to see
| and more reason to install now if something I hate has been fixed?
|
| Susan
 
I installed SP2 yesterday over an existing Windows XP SP1
installation. After performing a Disk Cleanup and Defrag,
I must say this computer is performing better than ever.

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

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Susan" wrote:
|
| Thanks Carey. What a huge endeavor. I didn't see anything that caught my
| eye though--I have a very bare-bones no frills machine. I do think it
| might be best to apply SP2 after the next clean install and to do it from
| Windows Update. It will happen but I won't be the first on the block.
|
| Susan
 
Carey Frisch said:
I installed SP2 yesterday over an existing Windows XP SP1
installation. After performing a Disk Cleanup and Defrag,
I must say this computer is performing better than ever.
Click to expand...

Well...that is the easier and maybe normal way and if the results are good
then I should take that approach too. After all, one can always do the
clean install approach as a last resort. Most important might be to wait
for the right opportunity so that should something bad happen you don't
have to spend the rest of the day or night fixing because you need the
application now. Thanks. I'll look for it next in Windows Update. I'm
sure it will show up there one of these days soon.

Susan
 
I do think it
might be best to apply SP2 after the next clean install and to do it from
Windows Update.
Click to expand...

A word of caution: going online without at least SP1 is a dangerous
thing. I've seen a system with brand a new clean install pick up
viruses in the short time it takes to go online just to get updated
virus definitions. In this case, applying SP1 before going online
would have prevented the infection.

SP2 contains the latest protections. If you have it on a CD, I'd
suggest using it on any clean install before going online.

Just my $0.02,
Jeff
 
But you may not be the typical user.
The typical user needs SP-2 to help protect their computer.
You are free to put your computer at risk but most people prefer safe
computing.
 
Actually I am perfectly capable of securing my computer without MS's
intrusive assistance. I have been beta testing SP2 for several month for
several of my clients who provide customized software to many major firms
across North America.
It was decided by overwhelming consensus to NOT support SP2.
All of our clients have been informed to stay with SP1 or switch to Linux
which will be fully supported.
I have no choice to go along with the people who pay me to survive in this
world.

Testy
 
There is nothing SP2 does that an ordinary user cannot do for himself. Of
course most people don't and as usual have screwed things up foe the rest of
us.

Testy
 
There is nothing SP2 does that an ordinary user cannot do for himself. Of
course most people don't and as usual have screwed things up foe the rest of
us.
Click to expand...

yes, DAMN Microsoft for doing something to help the majority. How
typical.
Is that what you're saying? Sure looks like it.
Sounds pretty stupid if you want to know the truth. If that's the way
you treat the customers who "pay you to survive," my guess is that
you'd best be looking for a job in a different field.
 
A word of caution: going online without at least SP1 is a dangerous
thing. I've seen a system with brand a new clean install pick up
viruses in the short time it takes to go online just to get updated
virus definitions. In this case, applying SP1 before going online
would have prevented the infection.
Click to expand...
Well, SP1 doesn't protect against blaster and later viruses. What I
generally do is install base, install any SPs, install virus checker,
install the latest virus defs, install Ad-Aware and Spybot.

THEN I connect to the network, from behind a firewall if possible, and
download the latest patches from MS. That's not ideal. If I have the
latest patches locally I put them on first, but I think it is
reasonably safe to go to WindowsUpdate at that stage.

Cheers,

Cliff
 
Then you are doing a disservice to your clients.
You have also said "I do not have and never will have SP2 installed."
So you have already ruled out the use of SP2.
That is really amazing that you can so firmly suggest SP2 is no good
since the RTM was only set yesterday.
You are the only one I know who would claim to thoroughly test a new
Service Pack in a little over 24 hours.
Testing of prerelease versions is a start, but is not an adequate
test.
Hopefully your clients IT departments will rethink your unsound
advice.

I am sure you would not care to post your clients names for fear of
embarrassing them?
But I am also sure that if they make a judgment based on 24 hours of
testing they are not foolish enough to post their own shortcomings for
all to see.

To wait for testing of the final product is one thing but to discount
it so quickly is nothing less than irresponsible on their part.

No doubt they will be one of the organizations we hear about when the
next vulnerability is detected and they will be as unprepared as you
have assured them they need to be.
 
I beta tested SP2 since the begriming and attended several TechNet sessions
for Developers. The results I stated were a collaboration of over of 75
consultants.
And yes my clients do require confidentiality due to the security needs of
their respective businesses.
You seriously need to improve your reading comprehension skills. Nothing
which you suggest appears in my post.

Testy
 
You just stated "Nothing which you suggest appears in my post."
Or perhaps you are grasping at the technicality it was not in this
post.
But you did state it in another recent post.

So, you deny stating this: "Nope. I do not have and never will have
SP2 installed."
Which was in your post about 7 hours ago in the SP2 Behavior...
thread?

Some can be implied by your statement "I do not have and never will
have SP2 installed."
You can not test it at all much less adequately test without
installing.
You also can not make an informed recommendation without ever using
the final version.

You question my comprehension while forgetting what you yourself wrote
a short time ago?
It seems you have revealed a lot in your various recent posts.
 
I admit I know nothing about SP2 but from what I have read and the many
posts on the subject it appears that the primary purpose of the release is
to provide protection (additional protection) against viruses, hackers and
the like. Unfortunately, MS track record of recent times is so abysmal that
no matter what they seem to do is second best. OK so they will 'improve'
the firewall, but my understanding is it will not be anywhere as good as
third party firewalls and I strongly suspect the concensus will be to
install a third party firewall. Similarly their attempts to protect the
system against viruses (obviously of the known variety) will still require
us all to instal a third party AVP and keep it up to date. I suppose I
could go on but what is the point? From what I understand, and I freely
admit my iunderstanding may be well off base, this new release really will
change very little as far as 'protection' is concerned yet this appears to
be the principal, but perhaps not the only reason, for the release.
 
Susan said:
Thanks Carey. What a huge endeavor. I didn't see anything that
caught my eye though--I have a very bare-bones no frills machine. I
do think it might be best to apply SP2 after the next clean install
and to do it from Windows Update. It will happen but I won't be the
first on the block.
Click to expand...

Seems sensible to me. Too many people rush to install things on the day they
are released and end up in a horrible mess because in their rush they
tripped over a problem. I wish everyone were a bit more cautious.

Rob
 
Well, SP1 doesn't protect against blaster and later viruses. What I
generally do is install base, install any SPs, install virus checker,
install the latest virus defs, install Ad-Aware and Spybot.

THEN I connect to the network, from behind a firewall if possible, and
download the latest patches from MS. That's not ideal. If I have the
latest patches locally I put them on first, but I think it is
reasonably safe to go to WindowsUpdate at that stage.
Click to expand...

The bottom line is it's best to install as many protections as
possible before going online. Your scenario is about as safe of a
process as could be expected.
 

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