Which SP2 installation?

[josie]

You may have had this answered here before but I missed it. I'm getting
ready to update to SP2 and have the options of downloading from the
Automatic Updates site or from a disc I ordered from Microsoft. Is there
any advantage to doing it either way? I read somewhere that going
through the website was better in that it scanned your system for necessary
files already existing in the system and then it might not be be necessary
to
download these files. That it'd make the download and installation faster
and smaller.
Is it accurate ? Did I get that right, so that I should go with the
Automatic Update?
Thanks. Josie

 

[Andre Da Costa]

The Disk does the same thing too. But with the website, if you already have
a majority of the updates, it just downloads whats necessary to update it
Service Pack 2, So if you have all updates from October 2001 upto say July
2004, it just downloads what you didn't get for August and September 2004.

The CD is really for persons with low bandwidth who don't have fully updated
XP computers, and prefer the CD for a quicker update rather than having to
download it through the web and risk the download image for SP2 becoming
corrupt.

If you have most updates, just do the Express installation.

Andre

 

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

You may have had this answered here before but I missed it. I'm getting
ready to update to SP2 and have the options of downloading from the
Automatic Updates site or from a disc I ordered from Microsoft. Is there
any advantage to doing it either way? I read somewhere that going
through the website was better in that it scanned your system for necessary
files already existing in the system and then it might not be be necessary
to
download these files. That it'd make the download and installation faster
and smaller.
Is it accurate ? Did I get that right, so that I should go with the
Automatic Update?
Thanks. Josie

Hi

It's actually better to install it from the SP2 CD...

 

[Phil]

If you have a sp2 cd already then there's no need to goto windows update and
download then install. You already have it downloaded.......... it's on the
cd. The cd will only install what you need as well.

 

[Torgeir Bakken \(MVP\)]

The Disk does the same thing too. But with the website, if you already have
a majority of the updates, it just downloads whats necessary to update it
Service Pack 2, So if you have all updates from October 2001 upto say July
2004, it just downloads what you didn't get for August and September 2004.

The CD is really for persons with low bandwidth who don't have fully updated
XP computers, and prefer the CD for a quicker update rather than having to
download it through the web and risk the download image for SP2 becoming
corrupt.

If you have most updates, just do the Express installation.

Hi

The Express installation still needs to download 70 MB (or more),
and more things can go wrong with Express installation from the Web
than with the full SP2 installation file (266 MB) method, so I would
have chosen the full SP2 installation file every time (at least if
I had the CD at hand already or had bandwidth enough to download the
266 MB without any problems)...

 

[Guest]

Either way is fine. CD is more reliable (due to obvious reasons) ...

How to successfully install Windows XP Service Pack 2:
http://www.fixyourwindows.com/winxpsp2install.htm

Good Luck!
---
Spyware/Virus Removal and Prevention:
http://www.fixyourwindows.com/windowsxpsolutions.htm
(Links to online virus scans on the same page)

How to optimize Windows XP, 2000, ME
for the best performance (Step-by-step Visual Guide):
http://www.fixyourwindows.com

 

[joan]

Thanks to you all for taking the time to comment. I forgot to mention that I
have a DSL fast connection so that slow downloading risks are not an issue,
and I do have all critical updates installed up to the release of SP2. Given
this situation it seems from your responses that there is no gain in either
installation choice except for the fact that I have the CD handy and can do
it whenever I want. Thanks again, kind people.

 

[Alex Nichol]

You may have had this answered here before but I missed it. I'm getting
ready to update to SP2 and have the options of downloading from the
Automatic Updates site or from a disc I ordered from Microsoft. Is there
any advantage to doing it either way? I read somewhere that going
through the website was better in that it scanned your system for necessary
files already existing in the system and then it might not be be necessary
to
download these files. That it'd make the download and installation faster
and smaller.

It makes for a smaller download, but more chance of things getting wires
crossed. I would only do it that way as last choice. If you have the
free CD on order it should come quite soon - or there are some at places
like Staples or on magazine cover disks.

Read up a bit on Installing SP2 at:
http://forum.aumha.org/viewforum.php?f=45

 

[josie]

Excellent resource, thanks a lot. Josie

It makes for a smaller download, but more chance of things getting wires
crossed. I would only do it that way as last choice. If you have the
free CD on order it should come quite soon - or there are some at places
like Staples or on magazine cover disks.

Read up a bit on Installing SP2 at:
http://forum.aumha.org/viewforum.php?f=45

 

[Guest]

You may have had this answered here before but I missed it. I'm getting
ready to update to SP2 and have the options of downloading from the
Automatic Updates site or from a disc I ordered from Microsoft. Is there
any advantage to doing it either way? I read somewhere that going
through the website was better in that it scanned your system for necessary
files already existing in the system and then it might not be be necessary
to
download these files. That it'd make the download and installation faster
and smaller.
Is it accurate ? Did I get that right, so that I should go with the
Automatic Update?
Thanks. Josie

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Get the CD is you happen to have a slow dial-up Internet connection.

I would locate and download the complete network install version of SP2.
This way, you can burn it to CD and have it ready whenever you re-format
your system.