Where to I find a list of problems with Windows XP components?

[Mark F]

Where can I find a list of problems with, and reasons not to
install, various Windows XP components and Microsoft add on
products?

I have just updated my systems from Windows XP Service Pack 1
to Windows XP Service Pack 2, but I didn't install a few of the
things that I knew were undesirable in the past.


I know that there were problems with Internet Explorer Version 7,
but I am not sure what, if any, things that worked in IE V6 don't
work in IE V7.

I know that in the past no one want to use Windows Media Player 11
because, at the least, it wouldn't let him have full access to
his own made with his own camcorder. Has this issue been fixed?
(I know that there are further DRM problems, but I don't copy and
use any things on other machines except for my own stuff.)
(It is easy to use Google to see that the general DRM problem
still exists, but I wasn't able to find out if the problem
that caused one to not have access to his own original
materials was fixed.)

I know that there were problems with NET .Framework V2 and V3
as compared to V1.1, but I didn't track them, and I would like
the latest information on what is still broken even with the
latest patches.

I know that various other things that used to work in older
versions of Microsoft Office have been broken at some point later
versions, but I don't know the current status with fixes.
(I have about 3 different later versions of Microsoft Office
that I got with new computers in 2002, 2004, and 2007
but I have been using a version from 2000 because some things
were broken in later versions and I lost track of what the
issues were along the way.

Is there a site that collects things that used to work
with Microsoft software that got broken in later versions?

Thank you.

 

[Anteaus]

Don't know of any definitive one, though http://www.theeldergeek.com has a
lot of useful info about which services are needed, and which aren't.

Personally I use Guliverkli's Media Player Classic instead of WMP. Looks a
bit like the media player you got with Windows 95, but looks aren't
everything, and this unassuming little program outperforms any version of WMP
hands-down. Useful site is http://www.free-codecs.com where you can get this,
plus codecs to use with it.

I wouldn't bother with IE7, instead I would get Firefox, Seamonkey or Opera.
IE6 is riddled with security flaws, and whilst IE7 is somewhat better in this
respect, it also introduces a raft of other problems.