Community Newsletter: Q&A forum: 9/2/05 Upgrading to Windows XP SP2: yes or no?

Answer:

Hi John. I can't say that it is necessary for you to install SP2 RIGHT NOW, but indications are that you will need it soon.

There are several good reasons to upgrade. First off, its free to download SP2; if you prefer, Microsoft will mail you a CD, also free. More importantly, last week's malware ripple affected mostly Windows 2000 systems ... but also on XP systems with SP1.
Unfortunately there will be more to come. You are probably already tempted to upgrade because of the advertised security improvements. And you probably already know that Microsoft puts its best efforts on the newest products, so it's a good jump to make. And I don't know about you, but I won't upgrade to the new Windows OS as soon as it is on the market. I like to wait a bit to let them work out the first bugs, so I plan on using XP with SP2 for a good while yet.

Preparation for upgrading: always plan for the worst.
It happens rarely, but if it happens to you, you want to be ready. The worst would be that programs stop working, your registry is messed up, or you computer slows down a lot. For the ultimate preparation, I make a complete copy of my main drive (the one with the OS) on a backup hard drive. I use Drive Image, but Ghost is also a good program.

My personal choice for an upgrade this big (make no mistake - SP2 is big) is to make a clean reinstall on a newly formatted drive. Since I set up my computers with a C:\ drive that only houses my OS and programs, this is easy. I format the drive, install a new copy of the OS, apply SP2 and then just reinstall all my programs. If you want to get geeky you can create a slipstream copy of XP to incorporate the SP2 files. If this interests you, just google it. You'll find quite a few sets of instructions for slipstreaming.

Since most of my data is already on other drives, all I have to do is make sure to do a new backup of Quicken, my email data, bookmarks (favorites) and any icons that may just be on the desktop - like my Zoom modem setup icon. I already know that I have my CDs and program keys - you will need those too. You know what programs you use and where they are - find all your data and make sure it is saved safely. Replacing all the programs may seem like more work, but a clean OS install will run faster. You can't help but pick up junk in your registry from things like uninstalled programs.

If you don't have your computer set up like mine, you need to backup everything someplace safe and then apply SP2. If all goes well, you don't need your backup ... but now you have a complete backup! This is good. If you experience problems with the SP2 upgrade, you can restore your full backup and contemplate making the upgrade another time.

Submitted by: Merry S.

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Answer:

John,

It sounds like you're fairly security conscious with the antivirus, firewalls and antispyware apps. Well done. As far as adding SP2 to your computer goes, the answer is probably. And I say probably only because there are a few apps that get broken. The good news on that is that most applications and utilities DO support SP2 or have been updated to do so.
Before going for it, it would be best to check with the vendor to see if the software supports SP2 or if any patches are required for them to keep working.

The only real non-conformist apps that are still broken by SP2 fall in the category of custom apps built for corporations. The usual reason for these problems not being fixed generally is due to money. The vendor doesnt want to do the right thing and fix the problem (for free, of course) and the corporation generally doesnt want to spend the money to pay the vendor to do the rewrite. And sometimes even the offer of money isnt enough to get the vendor to fix the problem.

The benefits of SP2

There are two main benefits:

1.) Your machine is better protected against various known exploits. Mind you, its not perfect, but it IS a general step in the right direction.

2.) Microsoft is phasing out support/new features for most pre-SP2 OSs including Windows XP up to SP1. Yes, Microsoft WILL support you if youve got only SP1, but they are herding the masses toward SP2. For instance, the new Antispyware beta requires SP2. And you can bet that new goodies (i.e.
the new modules that will bolt onto Windows XP from Vista) will likewise do so.

So the bottom line is it really necessary? Its not mandatory. You can muddle by without SP2 installed. But your machine will be at risk to a degree even with the firewalls/antivirus/antispyware installed AND you will be cut off from new technology and toys when they become available.

How to go about it...

The first thing to do is scan your computer for viruses and spyware. Be sure to do a full and thorough scan of the hard drive. Theres nothing thatll ruin your day faster than an install that goes bad because some virus or spyware prevents a file from being installed properly and trashes Windows.
And speaking of which

Just to be on the safe side, its generally a good idea to do a full and complete backup prior to doing the upgrade. Use whatever youve got to make a full and complete backup. Something along the line of Norton Ghost or Partition Magic or another, similar app that allows you to copy an entire hard drive to another partition or drive is generally best. While the installer for SP2 will back up your existing files (in case you want to or need to uninstall SP2 for whatever reason), a backup will save your hide should something go really wrong. And its generally faster to restore a backup than to reinstall Windows, all of your apps and recover your data.

If youve got a brand name PC (HP, Compaq, Dell, Gateway, etc), you might want to check the vendors web site for any updated drivers that may be available and any information from the vendors site regarding how adding
SP2 might affect your machine.

Once youve got all of that done and out of the way, then you can proceed to Windows Update and do the upgrade. Or to make life simpler for future reference, you can always download the entire SP2 package from Microsoft and burn it to CD. Either way, plan on setting aside a few hours to do it. The upgrade is rather large and will take a while to download even with broadband. A good plan would be to start the download before you go to bed and let it do that part while you sleep.

Also, if youve got a laptop, be sure to plug it into the wall before starting. The last thing you would want to do is run out of power while youre downloading or installing something like SP2. A broken download only means so much lost time but an install that goes south because the battery ran dry can really hose everything. (You DID do that full and thorough back up, right?)

Once its done installing, rebooting, etc you should be good to go.

Submitted by: Pete Z.

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Answer:

There's been mixed feelings about updating to ServicePack 2 (SP2), but i would definitely recommend it.

Firstly, there are some updates which are not available via windows update, such as the pop up blocker in windows xp, the add-on manager and the information bar (which they nicked from mozilla ).

According to Microsoft, this is what they have changed:

Windows Firewall, Setup, Resultant Set of Policy, Windows Update, Internet Explorer Feature Control Settings in Group Policy, Internet Explorer URLAction Security Settings in Group Policy, Internet Explorer MIME Handling Enforcement, Internet Explorer Network Protocol Lockdown, Internet Explorer Local Machine Lockdown.

I know this is a bit techy, but by looking at it, you can see that it covers mainly internet related items, which results in Improved Security.

Although most of the items in the service pack are related to security, there are some useful features (and some useless ones, like removing the professional bit from the boot screen - getting rid of the one reminder that we paid that little bit more for it ).

There's been many useful updates to Internet Explorer, such as the information bar, which puts everything in one place. Before this was in place, you had to check your third party pop up blocker to check whether that pop up that was blocked was one that you wanted, while you had a box nagging you in the middle of the screen to install an active X control. Now, you get a little yellow bar at the top, which when clicked, gives you info about which pop ups were blocked, which active x controls are needed for a page, and if any files have been started automatically, they will be sent up there for you to review. This gives you more control, as you cannot get a box popping up while typing, and typing a space (saying OK to download something completely dodgy) and infecting your computer - I had to reformat before because of this happening to me!.

Also, as I have mentioned already, it integrates a pop up blocker into IE, which although seems small, it means one less application running, and a small amount of your system resources gained back. Also, the Add-on manager allows you to control what addon programs are run with IE, which can help if one is causing your browser to crash, or if it was installed without your permission.

The biggest difference to the system after installing SP2, is the Windows Security Center. This allows you to monitor your Firewall, Antivirus and Windows Updates, all from one place. The Security Center will automatically notify you if you do not have a firewall installed (which you probably will, because it turns the XP firewall on by default, making your computer more secure when connected to the internet), if you have no antivirus protection, or it is out of date, and if there are any new Windows Updates to be installed (which there are bound to be at some point!). ** You cannot miss the security center, because it is thrown in your face after installing sp2 **

There are also lots of things happening behind the scenes, that you will never (or very rarely) get to know about, like network and memory protection.

Also, with service pack 2, you will be getting the latest drivers for your hardware. For example, sp2 comes with bluetooth drivers, which makes installing bluetooth devices easier, and newer drivers, which can come in handy if you are having problems with older drivers.

Before installing Service pack 2, Check your computer for unwanted software, as this can simply clog up your system - ie. if you have any pop up blockers installed. Also, ensure that everybody else is logged off of the computer, and that your account is a computer administrator.

** note for laptops only: ensure that they will have enough power - sometimes it will not be sufficient to install from a battery, so using an AC adapter is recommended. **

You must also ensure that your computer meets the minimum requirements (if it doesnt meet these you shouldnt be running xp anyway! but its best to check...):

a 233 mhz processor (pentium 2 recommended)
64mb of RAM (128mb recommended)
1.8gb of hard drive space during installation (for the temporary files).

You must also have one of the following operating systems installed:

Windows XP Home/Pro
Windows XP Media Centre Edition (or the 2004 version)
Windows XP Tablet Edition

You CANNOT install service pack 4 if you are using a 64 bit version of windows XP. If did not get it especially, or you do not have a 64bit processor (ie. AMD 64), then this should not be a problem for you.

Finally, remember to back up your files, as with any major update/installation, things can go wrong (ie. if you have a powercut half way through), so it is important to ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP!

Then, once you have backed up, go to the windows update website, and download sp2. It is a good idea to stay with your computer through the install, in case you are prompted for any information. Once downloaded, just close any other programs and install... simple as that...

Submitted by: Brian M.

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Answer:

John,
A service pack is basically a set of all the previous updates bundled into one. This makes it convenient to update your computer with all the latest protections in one installation. This might come in handy if you reinstall windows. Microsoft does not, to my knowledge, clearly state if continuously updating SP1 offers you all the benefits of SP2. However they recommend using SP2 over SP1.

SP2 is not just a set of updates or patches. It actually creates new and different security measures using newer software technology. It covers up a lot of holes in SP1. It has been known to protect against viruses that attacked SP1 computers even after they were patched with the specific virus protection. The Download.Ject virus is a good example of this. Microsoft issued a number of patches for SP1 to protect against this virus with little success whereas SP2 was totally immune to it. In addition, the "Windows Firewall" that comes with SP2 is a far better version of the "Internet Connection Firewall" that comes with SP1.

SP2 is also made in such a way that it makes the automatic updates run better than they do in SP1. So not only do you have the latest service pack, you even get the latest updates in an efficient manner.

Another thing to keep in mind is that updates for SP1 will cease after September 2006. You will eventually have to switch over to SP2.

There were initially compatibility issues with certain softwares. Some of the softwares that microsoft initially warned of were
Microsoft Business Solutions CRM Sales for Outlook 1.2
Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 8.0
Computer Associates Network Management Software
Visual Studio .NET
Microsoft Operations Manager
SQL Server
Hummingbird Exceed 7.0 and 8.0
Veritas Backup Exec 9
Macromedia ColdFusion MX Server Edition 6
McAfee NetShield 4.5 Tools For The Update Tool
among others.
However most softwares work fine even after the update. I personally never had a problem. The
newer softwares are sp2 ready.

Certain types of hardware too caused a problem initially. The main problem was the blue screen of death seen after installing sp2. This was due to the BIOS of the computer being incompatible with SP2. Most computers up to 5 years old should be fine. It might be a good idea to download the SP2 by running the windows update as it will check your system configuration and tell you if your computer is fit to run sp2.

Before installing SP2 back up all your important information - documents, photos etc. This is a precautionary measure. Then run an antivirus software followed by some antispyware softwares. You want to make sure the system is clean before you install SP2 over it.

Service Pack 2 is a major upgrade compared to most previous service packs issued by Microsoft. And it has been accepted very well by the IT community. I dont see any reason not to installl it. The installation only takes about half an hour so I would do it if I were you.

Submitted by: Gary P. of Atlanta, GA

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Answer:


Service Pack 2 is a huge leap forward in safe and secure computing. Probably the most important service pack ever designed by Microsoft.

The first thing you notice is the introduction of a Security Centre on your PC

It is primarily designed to ensure that your Firewall, Virus Scanner and Windows Automatic Updates are always turned on and available.

There are also massive updates for Internet Explorer and Outlook Express.
To quote McAfee "Outlook Express is the biggest single culprit involved in the spread of viruses"

All new PCs now have Service Pack 2 installed as standard.

It does not take long to install and as an added bonus, you also get a great new edition of Windows Movie Maker, and the best Pop Up Blocker of all time with the upgraded Internet Explorer.

I have installed it on an EMachines 330 and the only preparation i needed was to upgrade the RAM to a minimum of 256MB

If you don't , your PC will crash because it simply won't be able to cope with the upgrade.

The only other preparation is to run your Anti-Spyware program prior to installation.

I use Ad Aware by Lavasoft. Free, fast and extremely good.

Another added bonus with Service Pack 2 is that your PC can download updates in the background without interfering with anything you are working on at the time.

When it has downloaded the updates, it installs them and even turns your PC off when it has finished.

Hope you find this helpful John and it goes without saying that i highly recommend installing SP2 to anyone.

Submitted by: Syd L. of England

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Answer:

SP2 PROBLEM ?

Here is my personal answer: I am not IT and my task is not to go out of the subject; there is no point in explaining all pros and cons for updating to SP2; John is asking a simple question, a concrete one, so the answer has to stick to it:

First of all:
If you do not update to SP2, you will not be able to keep your PC up-to date as the other updates are presupposing SP2 installed, only compatible with this update, whether you find this appropriate or not, there is no choice. It is not advised to do so because a lot of other programs are only compatible with Windows XP + SP2; if SP2 is lacking, the program will fail installing or malfunction.

If you do not update to SP2, some security patches created by Microsoft to prevent being hacked by an intrusive person , will not install ; this is Microsoft procedure answering to threats caused by holes in the former non patched system; moreover, remember that IE is PART of Windows , whether you like it or not , security threats caused by surfing the web are real not fictitious; there is no control about the extent to which Microsofts patches are really responding in full to this threats; gaps are discovered about once a semester; nevertheless this is the answer of Microsoft corresponding to the OS it spreads out.

There is, in short, no way to bypass the updates. The only other choice, which is no real choice is to keep your PC exposed to piracy; you may be stolen from very confidential data and anyway you do not want to know that maybe somebody you do not know may take control on your PC when he likes to do so. Updates cannot give you any complete protection but you raise the risk by bypassing the updates.

Now SP2, versus personal firewall.
As you describe the situation, that is YOUR situation, in terms of use of new abilities directly used by the customer, SP2 gives you NOTHING; I explain: Usually , people did not wait for Microsoft to consider implementing an efficient firewall, and moreover SP2s firewall is a minimal protection (I tell you why below); moreover SP2s firewall is not very much configurable; it is to some extent but the risk of incompatibilities, the risk of not allowing programs to access Internet is greater; if you know exactly what you are doing, thats fine you may minimize these risks, even reduce them to zero, but as the protection offered by this firewall is minimal (inbound requests are protected but not outbound which maybe manually configurable but why bother???), the best answer is yours: a router with an internal firewall AND a personal firewall; if you are satisfied with Zonealarm, thats fine: Microsofts SP2 firewall is much less than Zonealarm.

What are the risks of an Upgrade: this is a serious question with no simple answer: in my case upgrading just put my configuration out of work. Period. I had to make a complete reinstall; it worked fine on another computer; I am unable to tell you exactly what happened in the first case; I would consider the following steps:
At the beginning of the install process (of SP2) a restore point is automatically created; create another one BEFORE installing; your own restore point, just in case and do backups of personal data (e-mails in particular, license Keys for your privileged software etc); if you are in the situation I met, namely, no reboot, no access to Last Good Configuration, no restore process available, you will have to reinstall Windows, then UPGRADE to SP2, then reinstall your software; in this case, the backups you did will save your life, not your time but thats it; be prepared FOR THE WORST. As you have to know, if there is a single path to the worst situation, things will evolve exactly THAT way.

Now, let us be optimistic; suppose the install process works; before installing, of course, I forget to mention, Deactivate ANTIVIRUS AND FIREWALL; this is an absolute precondition; the best would be to close all your programs but deactivation does not follow from closing Antivirus and Firewall; MOREOVER check any option in these TWO programs which decides NOT to LAUNCH them at reboot!!! So assume everything works fine; the PC reboots and before the welcome screen you will have an huge announcement that SECURITY CENTER OF MICROSOFT is now installed on your PC; you may already configure it, or which I would choose, let the PC reboot completely, that is open your desktop and go to Control Panel; you will see a new icon (you cant miss it!): thats the Security Center; after opening it you will have to make your choices; I would advocate in your case NOT TO LET WINDOWS manage your antivirus and Firewall, the first one is innocuous because Windows DOES NOT INSTALL a new antivirus (this is an option, that you may adopt or not and anyway you must install a NEW Software in this case; what is funny is that this Security Center does not always detect an antivirus if this is not the one it recommends ..!!!!) REMEMBER that DEFAULT is to let Windows firewall activated.

The most important is to deactivate any control of Microsoft Security Center on the Firewall; it will tell you that you are NOT protected; do not care about that warning.
So you are now with your new configuration; where is SP2? Somewhere in your PC; you may discover one folder in the system folder which refers to SP2 and that will be it; you will never notice it and you will be able to further update your PC.
Best regards

Submitted by: Olivier G.

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Answer:

John,
I think you would be well advised to upgrade to SP2. One never knows what subsequent windows updates or other software may rely on it. Personally, I held off for a long time so I could be apprised of any significant glitches that could occur.

First, I made the decision to upgrade. I started in the business almost 50 years ago and I believe that it is important to keep systems current.

Second, I ordered the free CD. I like installing from CDs and prefer them to downloading.
Somehow I think I have more control, especially if I need to reinstall.

Third, I made sure all my software, windows, drivers, and BIOS were current.
It's a good idea to do this anyway.

Fourth, I cleaned up my system. I ran spy sweeper, registry first aid, Norton win doctor and disk defragmenter.
It's a good idea to do this every week.

Fifth, I made a complete backup of my hard drive. I strongly recommend an external hard drive. If you do not have one, perhaps you could borrow one.

Sixth, I set aside some time to install the update and said a prayer.
It's a good idea to do this anyway.

I did it! No glitches.
I think those who have problems likely have not kept their systems in good order.
Remember: You can't mechanize a Mess!

Submitted by: Joe S.

E-mail submission sent Fri 8/26/2005 7:40 AM

As I understand it SP2 should have all pervious windows updates provided in 1 service pack. Things to watch out for when installing SP2 is spyware, adware, and viruses; if you install SP2 and your system is not free of all spyware it is very likely the install will not complete successfully or will impact your computer in a negative way once completed. I did a lot of experimenting with SP2 when it was first released and had a bit of trouble getting it to work right because I wasn't using "clean" systems. I've found on older machines SP2 can slow them down a bit. By older I mean systems with a 1GHz or below processor and less than 256MB of RAM. Just remember just because you install SP2 doesn't mean it will fix all your problems there are now 20+ windows updates since SP2. The best way to secure your system is to stay up to date to the best of your ability.

Mike R. of New Orleans, LA

My Dimension 8300 still has SP1 installed. My new Dell XPS gamer system has SP2 installed. Some of my games will not install on the new system, but install and play perfectly with the SP1 on the older system.

Several of my programs will not install either. My Roxio 7.5 is slightly slower loading on the newer faster system.

Great answer Miguel. But you do not address the important issue of compatibility with major 3rd. party softwares and that is preventing me from upgrading to XP2. I hate to download patches for my many 3rd. party software. Anyway most of my softwares are old versions so not all patches can fix all the compatibility bugs.

Thank you.

Salem.

Never has anything wrecked so much on our computers as SP2 on existing WinXP installations. Struggled for a year, finally backed up data, reformatted and reinstalled WinXP on my October 2001 Dell 4300 P4 (no SP2). Everything is perfect again. I use Foxfire as it became a necessity when SP2 destroyed IE6 functionality, especially graphics. Yes, I unsuccessfully did all those things they said to get graphics back, but now I can spend my time productively instead of fighting SP2. Quickbooks Payroll Free once-a-year tax chart couldn't be backed up, so had to plead with India to get new copy without paying another $200 mid-year (a one-person payroll). So, be careful. I don't do anything complicated, and it really was murderous. If you want it, get it on a new computer pre-installed and never go on-line with it. That's what my husband has. His XP SP2 notebook runs fine. He uses a Dell Win98 for on-line. His WinXP desktop with SP2 is a complete mess. He is reformatting for 3rd time and will not go on-line again with it, nor install SP2. He uses it for games, but gets the downloads from the Dell Win98 machine. I'm hoping I live long enough to see another good Windows release.

I have a similar isue to the one Mark has experienced. I had no problem with my Polaroid digicam (basically a glorified USB storage device) until I installed SP2 on my laptop, at which point the My Computer function froze every time I tried to access the device; if I ran Task Manager it did nothing no matter how long I waited, and then the desktop locked; this meant I couldn't shut down unless I disconnected the power supply and removed the battery. Not good for the computer, not good for my stress levels, and ultimately not good for the collective mental health of the planet. So it's very hard to say definitively whether such upgrades are a good idea or not. I think you have to assume that stuff like SP2 is provided with good intentions, and nothing is ever entirely bug-free, but trying to negotiate the hazards and drawbacks is a nightmare if you're not a dedicated computer buff and basically want a hassle-free life. Computers seem to be unique in that they are essentially household durables like TVs, stereos and refrigerators, and yet there are no communities out there dedicated to making your freezer or juicer or coffee maker malfunction or self-destruct. I find the extent and intensity of malice towards Windows users quite staggering.
So, I suppose this is a long-winded way of saying that the more functions you want your computer to perform - now it's word processor, now it's a video editing suite, now it's a firm of accountants, the more hassle you're going to have to deal with.
Keith, Hastings, England.

My Fujifilm S5100 digital camera can function as a web cam as well. For several months I searched forums, help files, and the Fujifilm website for instructions, drivers or software to make it work.... Then after uncontiously upgrading to SP2 it magically started working....

Of course, now repartitioning the hard drive to test different linux distros has become a nightmare. Since SP2 I've lost the entire contents of a 190gig partition TWICE!!! Thank god for recovery software! I now have a separate 200gig drive and am looking into NAS so XP SP2's new NTFS alterations don't screw things up again.

I don't have time to read all of the posts. I apologize if this matter was previously addressed.

A friend of mine always runs 2 partitions on his hard drive with 2 separate (but the same) operating systems. When trying to upgrade both partititions to XP SP2 he was only able to upgrade one of the XP's. Seems that SP2 "registers" the software with MS which prevents pirated copies from being able to get updates. In this case, someone legitimately running his XP (twice) on 2 partitions is also thwarted. Must be illegal to run XP twice on the same computer?

Anybody else hear that SP2 registers your software in this manner?

Only solution here was to wipe out everything and reinstall Win2000 on both partitions.

Microsoft Windows o/s is so blithely accepted by so many people that it's hard to think back to when an operating system was supposed to work FOR the user instead of the other way around. It is a sign of the times that Mr. Gates has become so fabulously wealthy on the deep frustration of so... many... people!!! It is now at the stage where it is not so much a problem as a condition! There's no way out. Sure, sure... Linux, Apple... it's a different world there, and you're out of synch with the other billions of users. But we have eaten of the fruit of the Dark One, and now we are his minions. Just put your head down, and memorize the Hotfix numbers and a brief synopsis of what each one does and how each one interacts with all the previous ones. Oh. And if you have a problem, report it to the MS police so they can create another drove of Hotfixes for you to memorize.
Still... Linux... hmmmm. Maybe... maybe...

I am sorry that this message is not on the present subject. However, I am trying to get in touch with the member "eye2fun". I am very interested in his/her activity of fixing up old computers for seniors. I am a computer mentor at a nearby senior center and I would love to get involved with providing computers for deserving seniors.
Please email me at prentiss105ATyahooDOTCom

Don

Question from John: ''I am running Windows XP SP1 and wonder if it is really necessary to upgrade to SP2''? Answer: No! Your computer will still run and most likely survive even with the force, fear and scare tactics used to make you upgrade.

I run Windows XP on just a few of my own computers, besides the many installs on customers computers. I let them decide and then I update it with all patches and fixes for them. I personally have SP-2 installed on just one of my computers, but have installed it over a dozen times (that's just on my own computers). The reason is because of #1- Blue Screen of Death, #2- Driver Conflicts (especially with certain ATI Video cards), #3- I'am a heavy duty computer user and a normal ''Windows XP'' installation for me lasts about 6 months. Mostly I end up uninstalling SP-2 or restoring it to the point before it was installed. But thats the OS, and when you take an OS that belongs in the ''Looni Bin'', and try to patch it up with files (SP-2) half the size of the original install disk, that's what you get. I still have ''Windows 98 SE'' (for over 7 years) running on a newer computer where I merely pulled the hard drive out of old one and put in the new one. Win98 simply re-installs itself, with some new drivers added of course, but it runs great and I still use it. Try that with a ''Winblows XP'' hard drive, let alone with a SP-2 upgrade installed ( I might add even if you run a repair on XP you will still need to reinstall SP-2, not need to, MUST reinstall at this point, just to uninstall it.)! That puter with a 2.8 GHz proc. and a gig of ram blows the dual boot XP partition install out of the water on speed, same puter.

Needless to say, I don't use the computer partition with the SP-2 upgrade too often on the net and always keep a spare on a Dual-Booted partition just in case. Microsoft won't allow you to install XP w/SP-2 and other MS updates more than one install per license, even if it is on the same computer (duh). Especially now (since Billy isn't keeping up with the other rich kids in the world), you have to validate your installation, in effect registering it so it becomes a one time use peice of software (they claim you don't have to register it, bull). OK, so it's not quite that bad yet, but one running installation is all your allowed per license even on the same computer. Microsoft and many other companies, are headed for Consummer-itis, a disease spread by Corporate Greed! Where the next version of windows will probably be time limited and virtually controlled by Microsoft's Online Update program. Big Brother is here, just not in the form of the government alone! Music and film industry are already regulating how, when, and where you use their products in the world and on the net. I thought this country was founded on the principle of ''Personal'' (like in live people not corporate enities) Freedom and Choice! Corporations with our government as a puppet, are taking away those freedoms more and more everyday, especially in the world of the Internet. They use virus scares, and security compromises to push us further into a corner and deprive us of our freedom. Thank God for the Linux Community and an OS that is not so tightly controlled, is very secure, and doesn't require you to do anything more than just use it. On top of that, it is a clone of the very OS (Unix), Most of the Corporate Gods use. You can bet on the fact that even Microsoft runs Unix machines somewhere in their organization!

After reading the winning reviews since C/Net begin this web feature, I'm wondering if those winning front page reviews are really just ''Corporate Decoys or Come-Ons'' designed and furnished by our ''Corporate Big Brothers'' to look pretty and dress up the front page! Absolutely none of them are negative in any way towards companies like Microsoft with ''Winblows XP'' (sorry for the mispelling in case a MS corporate cop sees this). Remember we still sorta have ''Freedom of Speech''. Not that all the divisions in Microsoft are all bad, just the ''Windows Division'', because of lack of competion. In China (in that cutthroat business environment), MS Windows would just be an also ran. It would be here too, if our government would do more than slap the hand of ''Corporate Perps'' (perpetrators), greasing their palms with greenbacks. Now if you look at some of MS's other Divisions (where they have competion and they have better leaders), you will find some better products, like in MSN or the Gaming Division with Xbox being sure to give Sony a run for their money. We still need to watch out for the biggest brother of them all in ''China''! ''Lenovo'' Computers, which recently aquired (bought) IBM's Personal Computer Division, is now #3 behind Dell and HP in computer sales worldwide. They haven't even started to sell Lenovo Computers outside of China. Yet! In two years ''Lenovo'' is slated to be number ''One'', more than doubling their sales by selling their brand to the world (Is a Lenovo puter in your future? Probably)! How much do you spend on items made in China? or, What do you have that wasn't made in China? Not much! With our help (Money), we are seeing rise to a ''Giant'' that has been sleeping for centuries. With an over 700 Billion Dollar yearly trade surplus, they won't kill us, they'll buy us! Even Japan the little Island Giant, we helped raise from the last go around is suffering from the same sort of trade deficit with China.

I know what does this all have to do with a lame SP-2 upgrade, that is sure to slow down your computer (if not crash it), attempt to control ''YOUR'' computer with lousy add-on programs that just plain don't do the job they're supposed to do. Any number of firewalls, virus programs, spyware programs all rate better than ones coming out of Microsoft. Control is what Microsoft Windows Division is seeking because it's power and use in the world is waning. Hopefully as in the past when Giants are no longer able to control us they fall. "Winblows OS" is the one that needs to die along with the noose it has around our necks. I see a light at the end of the tunnel and it's NOT ''Winblows Vista'' (ooh!). If (another spoiled brat) Steven Jobs would get off his throne (toilet) and start licensing Mac OS-10 for use on other brands (now that they're going to be using Intel Processors), they may even be able to help topple the giant. What I'm hoping for and it seems to be coming true is that more of you out there begin to see the ''Light'' that Linux is now bringing to the world and instead of installing SP-2 you give Linux a try. Start surfing the net with confidence and No Fear that something is going to bite you. There is a flavor for everyone and most are offering you a free look with a bootable CD. You don't even have to install it to appreciate it's ease of use. They are called ''Live CD's'' that decompress on the fly and are capable of running on even the newest of equipment. You'll be shocked on how much of your hardware runs right, the moment you've logged into this Linux OS. Sound, keyboards, mice, video cards, network cards all run the moment your in! Open the Web Browser and your on the net instantly. All off of a CD you record for free! I have enclosed various links below.
Oh yea I'm 57 and about as geekatized and gamerized as any kid on the block. Been puterizing for over twenty years. That's bound to drive you alittle batty. heehee Cheers!

*** The one computer I still have ''Windows XP with SP-2'' on (Slipstream installed! which if you read the license aggreement closely, is a license violation), is my New Custom Gaming Computer with a AMD 64 X2 4400+, but I also run Mepis Linux with Transgaming's ''Cedega and Point to Play'', where most games installed on the ''Windows XP'' drive are playable on the ''Linux'' install. Only had this beast for three weeks, so should get another 5 mo. use out XP install. Don't forget to have all your newest equipment drivers handy and especially those Sata drivers on a floppy (no less, hee heee), before installing ''Winblows XP SP-2''! Mepis OS (Linux) is ready right out of the box and is a much simpler install.
*** http://www.mepis.com/ = Reason to Love Linux for the Future! Download SimplyMepis, burn to a CD, run it, and you'll be using Linux even on the newest machines, without even installing it. You'll be test driving this OS in minutes! Simply Amazing!
*** http://www.transgaming.com/news.php?newsid=156 = Making the switch to Linux easier everyday for gamers worldwide! Play your favorite games on Linux right from your ''Winblows'' partition.
*** http://smb.sygate.com/download/download.php?pid=spf = Although Sygate was recently purchased by Symantic, they still offer the best Free firewall out there for ''Winblows''! *Address is a direct download link.
*** http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/bootitng.html = Terabyte's Next Generation Boot-it NG! Simpliest graphical boot and partitioning software on earth! Recover, restore, boot, manage, and even ''Clone'' your hard drives especially if using still using ''Winblows XP''.

I heard so many horror stories from associates about the mess they had after downloading SP2 that I avoided it completely. My Dell laptop runs smooth as silk without the update, and between my linksys firewall and Norton Anti-Virus, I keep virus and security breech free. Save yourself the headache!

Miguel,

Relative to your number two reason to upgrade to SP2, specifically the statement that Windows Firewall will act as an emergency backup, Microsoft's website at:

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/firewall.mspx

specifically states that ''Using two firewalls on the same connection could cause issues with connectivity to the Internet or other unexpected behavior.''

This appear to be in conflict with the use of the Windows XP firewall as a backup to another software-based firewall.

I was unable to find any other information on the Microsoft site that actually described the ''back-up'' functionality.

I agree, this would be very cool, but is it actually implemented?

Keith,

The issue of what how SP2 renders a user's XP or XP SP1 disks useless has not been addressed. What happens if a re-installation is necessary?

Hello
First of all sorry for my English which are poor
I have a PC and a laptop. The thirst one had XP SP1 and the laptop had XP SP2 preinstalled. I use a GIS program from ESRI ArcGis 9 . After a clear installation on my PC ant a full upgrade from Microsoft, included SP2 it was imposimple to install the program. I checked the ESRI site I did all I could do and nothing could come out. So I uninstall the SP2 and I continued the installation with no problem. I have to say here that the reinstallation was due to major upgrade to my PC. After that updating my PC the SP2 was installed because accidentally I turned on the upgrade of Windows. Everything was working perfectly until I had to install an extension to the same program. The same problem the installation stopped at the point that some modules had to be registered. The same happen when I try the repair option of the installation package.
In the other hand at my laptop I had no problem installing or repairing the same software.
I am not an expert on computers but I think that a behavior like that of a software, is not acceptable. I fear that other thinks might happen under our awareness that make us waste to mach time and effort to keep our pc running smooth against the time we spent working for what we have them.
If that particular program that I work, which is essential for my work could run at apple system I for sure should have an apple machine which may be much expensive but it save you time and mental effort.
Thank you for your time
Gannis Arnellos
Forest engineer