SP2 delayed

[Rex_Mundi_Incarnit]

Right, Service pack 2 from microsoft for windows xp was supposed to be available today, and i have been kinda hoping to get it. Not surprisingly its delayed till Aug 25th. How sad, but at least i hope microsoft uses this extra time wisely by fixing some issues with this new service pack. See here (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;884130&Product=windowsxpsp2) for a crazy extensive list of programmes that may go haywire on a pc with SP2 :robot: :puzzled: If you wanna know more, check out this site: http://bink.nu/ Still the Service Pack must be good for something; its 250 MB! or thereabouts. Maybe it's all just random bytes, ha ha ha :grimreape :silly:

[acozz]

Grrr. I had a hard drive failure a couple weeks ago and since it got fixed I've been waiting for SP2 before installing a bunch of programs. Now I'm going to have to wait forever.

Also if Visual C++ 6.0 or Office XP do not work there will be hot death. I think they'll work though.

[Tokelil]

Well SP2 has been available from Microsoft for a week or so and has been shiped to manufactures. Its only the autoupdate thing that has been delayed for the time being.

And about the list, alot of the problems are because of the firewall in SP2. Not really compability issues, but you need to open ports/allow the programs to connect to the internet for them to work probably. (Like any other firewall)

If the list was real compability problems I would say Microsoft had some real nasty internal problems... Half the list is Microsofts own products. :)

Edit: The link to SP2 is on the bink.nu website.
About the size of SP2, you probably wont have to download 270MB when SP2 hits the windowsupdate site. Its only the offline version which is that heavy. (SP1 offline version is around 170 MB I think, but when updating to SP1 from windows update I only download 30-40 MB)

[jkrzok]

If you don't wnt to wait and are willing to put up with a large dl, SP2 is available at

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=049C9DBE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en

MS says it's for networks but it will work on individual 'puters.

This has every security update since SP1, even the ones you may have dl already. When this hits Windows Update you'll only dl what you need. I hear the lower limit is some 75MB. Still large, but smaller than the 270 MB now available.

PC Magazine has also located a link to the SP2 Express Install, a 1.5MB download that analyzes your system, determines exactly what modules need to be downloaded, and installs them.

http://www.download.windowsupdate.com/msdownload/update/v3-19990518/cabpool/xpsp2-express_2bb70ca1c5503d32f9ab7a15d69c147e24208bde.e xe

PC Mag has not as yet successfully installed SP2 using Express Install. When it attempts to contact the server and download additional installation modules, it reports that it could not establish a connection. This could be due to a temporary overload on the server, or it might simply mean that the server side of Express Install hasn't yet been enabled.

[jkrzok]

After reading that list of software problems I am soooo glad I haven't installed SP2. There are a number of titles on that list I use day in day out.

However it is kind of nice to see Realplayer on the list :)

[hedge]

After reading that list of software problems I am soooo glad I haven't installed SP2. There are a number of titles on that list I use day in day out.

However it is kind of nice to see Realplayer on the list :)
Meh I've been running sp2 for a few days now and have a few of those programs on the list, but i haven't noticed any program doing anything weird.

One problem I am having (as well as some others if my google searching is right) is with the 'enhance pointer precision' option in the mouse options. If you have it enabled, the pointer seems to have a mind of its own much of the time and starts slowly making its way to the top left corner of the screen :confused: .

[jkrzok]

Meh I've been running sp2 for a few days now and have a few of those programs on the list, but i haven't noticed any program doing anything weird.

I just as soon would let others work out the bugs. It's one thing to play with a media player and try to work the bugs out. An SP is a whole different beast. A bad service pack update could end up costing me time and $$$$. I don't really care if Unreal Tournament goes bad but some of the others are close to critical. I also imagine the list is far from complete. Frankly, I don't trust MS. The challange seems so high if the goal is to be completely backwards compatible with everything currently runable on XP.

[Todd The Kiwi]

I just as soon would let others work out the bugs
cool so i'm not the only one that will be avoiding this
i know someone who has a 'not legal copy of xp'
with a 'not legal serial number'
is this person going to have to do anything spectacular to his pc in order to run sp2? :skull:

[Heigar]

cool so i'm not the only one that will be avoiding this
i know someone who has a 'not legal copy of xp'
with a 'not legal serial number'
is this person going to have to do anything spectacular to his pc in order to run sp2? :skull:
If microsoft blacklisted the serial then yes it might be an issue ,if not then it should install ok.And there is really no way of telling until they try to install it.The only things that might happen is it will reset the activation or it just won't install.Unless it's a corporate version then it just won't install.

[Todd The Kiwi]

Unless it's a corporate version then it just won't install.
thanks man
i'll reiterate this to him :biggrin:

[Rex_Mundi_Incarnit]

I'm going to wait as well until SP2 arrives on the automatic updates site. Something just doesn't feel right about it just yet and i dont want any trouble even if it's only a mouse that starts going where it likes to go (probably to the microsoft website he he).

[Todd The Kiwi]

even if it's only a mouse that starts going where it likes to go (probably to the microsoft website he he).
eeek! don't say that man
i have a microsoft mouse ha ha ha:cross-eye

[Sheepeh]

I deployed SP2 on my home network throughout it's beta, and they are all happily running the Final now. Not a single problem. The so-called imcompatiblities are mostly due to increased security, such as the "new" Windows Firewall. Turn off the firewall, problem solved. Or of course, you can just open the ports you need, like you would with any other firewall.

The only reason the list if that big is so MS doesn't get a long line of newbs shouting "I installed SP2 and now such and such is not working without my interaction like it was before" - and we all know where that approach to "automate everything" got MS, don't we?

SP2 is a GOOD THING. Go forth, my dark minions, ghost your drive if it makes you feel safer, but upgrade!!

[Roj]

I deployed SP2 on my home network throughout it's beta, and they are all happily running the Final now. Not a single problem. The so-called imcompatiblities are mostly due to increased security, such as the "new" Windows Firewall. Turn off the firewall, problem solved. Or of course, you can just open the ports you need, like you would with any other firewall.

The only reason the list if that big is so MS doesn't get a long line of newbs shouting "I installed SP2 and now such and such is not working without my interaction like it was before" - and we all know where that approach to "automate everything" got MS, don't we?

SP2 is a GOOD THING. Go forth, my dark minions, ghost your drive if it makes you feel safer, but upgrade!!I learned my lesson with NT SP6. There was an official "a" and an unofficial "b". I'll wait until XP SP2 "d".

When it comes right down to it, SP2 doesn't have a darn thing to offer me.

[Aaron]

I deployed SP2 on my home network throughout it's beta, and they are all happily running the Final now. Not a single problem. The so-called imcompatiblities are mostly due to increased security, such as the "new" Windows Firewall. Turn off the firewall, problem solved. Or of course, you can just open the ports you need, like you would with any other firewall.

Sure but Windows is designed for the 'consumer market'. It's the 'best of breed' in this area (as Roj will strongly argue).

Things should 'just work'. The fact they don't in SP2 (for various programs) is a bit of a problem for the 'consumer market'.

Most people don't know what a firewall is let along what a port is.

Aaron

[Aaron]

I'm going to wait as well until SP2 arrives on the automatic updates site. Something just doesn't feel right about it just yet and i dont want any trouble even if it's only a mouse that starts going where it likes to go (probably to the microsoft website he he).

Haha when you said 'something just doesn't feel right about it just yet' I thought back to the Matrix movie - when Morpheous tells Neo

"I know exactly what you mean. Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain. But you feel it. You've felt it your entire life. That there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is but it's there, like a splinter in your mind driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"Microsoft has you"

:silly:

[jkrzok]

SP2 doesn't seem to offer me anything. I'm behind a strong firewall, update my virus scanner daily, and don't use IE. If anyone has any reason to upgrade immediately.... please post.

[Sheepeh]

Sure but Windows is designed for the 'consumer market'. It's the 'best of breed' in this area (as Roj will strongly argue).

Things should 'just work'. The fact they don't in SP2 (for various programs) is a bit of a problem for the 'consumer market'.

Most people don't know what a firewall is let along what a port is.

Aaron

That's precisely who needs this kind of thing though. That's why so many zombie pc's send so much damn spam and crap around the net. I say kudos to MS for stopping it and making people LEARN something if they want to use the net in this way.

To use the old analogy, you can't get in a car without knowing how to drive it properly, mow a few people down, and then claim that it should have "just worked" and it isn't your fault.

While I'm quite sure Roj knows his stuff enough to be pretty damn sure his PC isn't infected with IE's best friend The Spyware and Trojan Zoo From Hell, most numpties PC isn't. Even though SP2 won't be that effective at brute force stopping of the crap, it will force a few people to learn something about the inner workings of their computers and clean them out.

In short, it's mostly an UberPatch with all the security stuff in, and it changes the default settings to what they should have been in the first place. If someone wants something that could potentially be risky (as in running with no firewall, hosting a webserver) they have to do just a little research, and do it themselves. If they can't/don't want to do that, are they going to keep their computer secure themselves or cause more of a problem? Hmm.

[Roj]

Sure but Windows is designed for the 'consumer market'. It's the 'best of breed' in this area (as Roj will strongly argue).

Things should 'just work'. The fact they don't in SP2 (for various programs) is a bit of a problem for the 'consumer market'.

Most people don't know what a firewall is let along what a port is.

Aaron
I'm not a gambling man but I'll bet big money that this Service Pack will be the company's biggest folly. This thing is going create the biggest support call flood in the history of computing - period - and Microsoft is now beginning to fathom that.

Automatic Updates are now turned OFF on all the machines in my home network - I don't feel like cleaning up the mess.

[jkrzok]

I'm not a gambling man but I'll bet big money that this Service Pack will be the company's biggest folly.

Even bigger than Bob?

[Roj]

Even bigger than Bob?
VBob was a fizzle (and even so still haunts us today - where do you think Clippy came from?).

This one is gonna be a bang.

[Aaron]

Even bigger than Bob?

Yeah Bob was bad.

http://toastytech.com/guis/bob2.html

"Bob was not useful enough to justify its initial sale price of almost $100." :silly:

[acozz]

Oh man, Bob was way ahead of its time.

[Hanzo]

Well for the people wondering about if it installs on not so legal versions, it does. The only drawback is that for some lame reason my version of StyleXP is not compatible with SP2.

This SP is intended to secure computers that are online 24/7 owned by persons that think that having many pop-up windows comes from defective hardware.