SP2 what a bunch of @#$!!!

[Maurice N ~ MVP]

Hi Vince,

I gotta love your spirit & outlook. ;-)

It is definitely a necessity to disable (temporarily, until after SP is all done) any Antivirus + almost all user-added utilities / add-on-startups when applying a service pack to any flavor of Windows. It is not enough to simply close the AV. One has to insure it is disabled in MSCONFIG in the Startup Tab, plus the Services tab.

I really applaud you for this suggestion:
<q>
A simple question during the install process...
Have you Disabled your A/V program?...
before going forward would go a long way
to solving most of these issues.
</q>
At least this would be a last reminder. <g>

For anyone reading this who has not applied service pack 2 on their Win XP system:
keep this page handy
http://aumha.org/win5/a/sp2faq.htm

The pre-install recommendations link is a good start. make sure you don't have malware or other gotchas.

The "Doing the Installation" section is the meat & potatoes "how to".

The "Tidying up after Installing SP2" will save you HD space.

 

[xfile]

Hi,

Just to share with you based on my experiences.

I "disabled" all programs from "automatic update", regardless of who is the
publisher, MS, Norton, Adobe, and so on and so on.

To certain extremes, I also installed utility like X-Setup Pro to disable
programs from automatically loading itself after Windows startup - Windows
Defender now includes similar features.

In "theory", automatic updates and startup are "designed" for user-friendly.
In "reality", they have done more harms than goods.

Slow system performances, incompatibility, and unexpected errors are some
common faults from auto-start programs and automatic update.

Just think about this - You are doing in the middle of doing a report, and
an application is installing its major update on the background. Suddenly,
you see a message pop out and ask you to save all unsaved data and re-start
Windows. What would you think at that time? How many people would not feel
surprised and panic?

In addition, I personally dislike any "Internet traffic" are doing "behind
my back", and who knows what they have done for sure?

So I would rather to manually update and load the program when I needed it.

Finally, I even use the following criterion to evaluate if I can trust the
publisher of the program (mind it be a big or small company) - if they
provide an option for user to select if they want to automatically start the
program and installing the updates AND will honor the user's selection (some
do provide options but will load its program behind your back anyway).

Most "programmers" developed these features "based on the assumption" that
they are doing for user-friendly whilst it is to "save their own troubles".
But the question is, they only test in their own lab with their own
applications.

If they are using various applications as a "real" user for different
purposes and consider the above-mentioned scenarios, they would find options
for disabling these features are equally important, if not more important,
than providing these features.

Hope you have learned from this experience and never trust any publisher's
words for "automatic update".

One final note - I am not again regularly update for virus definitions,
Windows, and any program updates - and in fact, I do this at least once a
week. I am against the use of automatic update and worst of all, install it
as a default option without user's knowledge.

 

[MAP]

Steve and others who are not familiar with the various nuances of XP2
and other MS programs, could quite easily get a completely inoperable
system based on the vague and often times, cryptic nature, of
installation instructions. I too allowed SP2 to be installed
automatically on my wifes computer. Not knowing that Nortons and SP2
don't dance well together, the update proceded with disasterous
results.

After reinstalling windows XP2 pro, and later SP2, without nortons
being installed, the system seems to work fine, save one small
detail. It now won't allow Nortons to be reinstalled, failing the
installation on every attempt to install.

No biggie to me because I have never been a fan of Norton products. I
installed the defender beta2 product which went well. My only
complaint is the security center not recognizing defenders existance
or status.

Most people do not have the time or inclination to keep up with all
the fast paced developmental changes taking place today. One should
not expect them, (laymen), to understand the process.

One of the cardinal rules I learned in programming school, was to
make the programs as user friendly as possible, and if not possible,
do the critical functions first without input from the user,
automatically.

Some jarhead that designs these programs forgets that most will not
have a clue about the interoperability of various programs. So they
write pages of tech data for the end user to figure out, instead of
creating a program that will do all these critical checks
automatically and then prompting the user for input when it is
needed. A simple question during the install process...Have you
Disabled your A/V program?...before going forward would go a long way
to solving most of these issues.

Some of my associates don't have a life, and don't mind tinkering
with their computers. For me however, I'd rather tinker with my wife
and boat and not a poorly designed and worse, a shoddily written
program upgrade. Believe me; when My wife is unhappy about her
computer not working to her satisfaction, I become an avid fan of
technical bulletins and any other quick fix option that might be
available. I really don't care to become an expert on anything
dealing with computers, except how fast I can turn the stupid thing
off.

For those of you having the pompous attitude against Steve and
others, are as much a part of the problem as you are a solution.

Vince

Defender Beta 2 (formally Microsoft Anti-Spyware Beta) is an Anti-Spyware
program, not an Anti-Virus.

 

[Uran Idyut]

Reading instructions seems to be a weak point with you. You may be better
served using a:

M Moron
A Accessible
C Computing

Consider switching to a computing platform with fewer options. The extra
button on your mouse may be too much of a distraction.

 

[Guest]

Spyware, anit-virus, firewall, whatever; Do you think something called a
security center, (security center being the operative and somewhat mutually
exclusive term), would have enough security sense to figure out what security
features are running on a single machine? Or is more along the lines of
having another pretty little button to push. I always wondered why we call
them computers.

 

[Guest]

SP2 ran as an auto update, to which Dell later said conflicted with the bios
of the inspiron 9100. What would you suggest I read after the fact? I could
write the operating system, and build the computer myself and not have these
issues, but I prefer to help keep the economy running so some people can find
an excuse to be employed, using my hard EARNED money.

 

[Joe]

XP SP2 does not deserve the "@#$!!" you directed at it (nor do the people
that worked so hard under great pressure to make it as quickly as possible).

You should direct that expletive at the people that made Automatic Update a
requirement: script-kiddies, virus-writers, spyware authors, irresponsible
linux root-level users, etc.

From the Dell web-site regarding upgrading to XP SP2 for the Inspiron 9100:

1) Run spyware-removal software
2) Update anti-virus software
3) Update firewall software

In other words, the first steps to take are -- from a computing
standpoint -- irrelevant. No need for spyware-removal software to write a
word-processing document, or play a game, or balance your checkbook. No
need for anit-virus software to calculate prime numbers. No need for
firewall software to send an email.

There is no need for any of that software in order to use the computer to
accomplish your goals.

That software is needed for reasons completely unrelated to what the
computer was designed for, and why you obtained it.

The problem is not the computer, it is not the operating system, it is not
the bios, it is not even Automatic Update.

The problem is people.

 

[xfile]

Hi,

I actually agree to run (manually) anti-virus and/or third-party software
update first.

This is not just for removing possible viruses, spywares that might cause a
problem. My experience shows the more important purpose is to update those
software so that they are more compatible with SP2 or any other major OS
updates.

Too often, problems are caused by the background operations of anti-virus
and/or firewall programs that cause incompatibility with the new OS updates.
So, I would also recommend to check vendor's site and MS site for following
update instructions - this is why "automatic update" is such a bad idea.

Agree with the rest.

 

[Guest]

You must have the lowest I.Q about Windows XP Service Pack 2 !!!

I have used Windows XP SP1 and it was absolute !&@^!(@ !!!
Used Service Pack 2, and I stopped receiving 'Messenger Spam', I get more
security updates and more compatibility with programs, and it comes with a
FREE and LOW MAINTANENCE firewall! We all know what Windows and Microsoft
Update is for - too bad you can't pick up most of our logic - At least you
understand SOME!

You completly stuffed up on installation. I stop AVG scanning my system.
Everything worked.
------------------------
Get to Microsoft.com and reinstall Windows XP SP2.
And please remember to quit ALL programs using the hard drive.
------------------------
I recommend everyone to update their computers using Microsoft Update.
http://www.windowsupdate.com

Mozilla Firefox Users:
www.windizupdate.com