Xp Sp2
 

I've applied my Beta version of this SP to a low risk laptop. With this version you must back up your existing set-up. In fact, Microsoft don't even give you the option of not backing up! There's confidence for you.

First impressions are that the new security measures are going to cause some grief at first until we get used to the changes.

Read about it HERE

Oh, and it didn't do the most important job I wanted from it. That is, fix the problem described in this bulletin .

Yep, I've made a mental note to take some leave when it goes into production - I particularly do not like the fact that it switches the firewall on by default - do you know if it warns you first? And does it check if you have an existing firewall such as NIS?

amowf

amanoffewwords,

All the reports I have say that it activates the Firewall without telling you it is doing so.

Take Care,

Richard

That's what I suspected http://www.stopstart.freeserve.co.uk/smilie/cussing.gif

Absolutley Right!

ICF was enabled by default without any prompt.

This showed up in:

Start>Settings>Network Connections>Internet Connection etc...

As I work behind a hardware firewall in the router and ZoneAlam Pro it is hardly necessary to use the Windows XP Firewall as well!

Microsoft does come up with some funny ideas.

Wassamatta wit' you guys?

Enabling ICF by default is an excellent idea. The average punter has no idea what a firewall is and couldn't turn it on to save his/her life! Smartarses like us can always turn it off!

Mac,

'cause the average punter is going to call me like crazy when the windoze firewall is activated through a windows update and starts having arguments with their install of Norton Internet Security or whatever s/w firewall they already have.

Or starts denying access to/from other computers on their home network without any apparent reason (to them).

I just think Microsoft should have a warning of the possible consequences if it is switched on - it isn't always the right choice.

Something along the lines of "Windows has detected blah blah blah and if you say yes you might grow an extra nose etc etc." - add a "recommended" choice for the average punter, and you're done.

Just my opinion anyway,

amofw

ps. hope the sun's still shining down there - I'm off soon!

Sorry folks - I have to agree with Mac.

Nearly 90 percent of XP pressings whether retail or oem for the trade have never been updated or patched - not even once. You all know with absolute certainty that XP contains the code to establish this with total accuracy don't you?

Now use your skill and judgement to estimate what percentage of that 80+% will have installed third party software firewalls and the nano percentage going for a hardware firewall:D :D

I've said it before and I promise it is without any sneering you are entirely unrepresentative of computer users.

Regards
Rob

If 90% of Windows users are ignoring the updates, despite the warnings, so be it - if you own a computer you need to take responsibility for it - same with motorbikes as I was reminded by a copper once - just because I don't know how it works it doesn't mean I'm not responsible for the maintenance.

Ditto in the aviation world, ignore NOTAMS at your risk and peril.

So, who care cares about the risk takers, the rest of us "responsible" (even if we are unrepresentative) users would surely like to know when a critical service is activated - after all Microsoft warns you of the consequences of de-activating the firewall, so why not a warn us when IT decides to switch it on "for your own good"?

amofw

People haven't figured out that you need treat a computer more like a motorbike than a TV. The average user just expects the computer to work and has no idea about updates, viruses or security in general. Many of the recent virus outbreaks wouldn't have been half as serious if most Windows users had a proper firewall installed and activated, and had applied the monthly patches put out by Microsoft. You are right in that Microsoft should have provided a warning, but it should still default to on. The average user will probably just click okay and forget about it. As Towers pointed out, most users haven't installed any patches or updates, and only use the software that comes on their computer, thus no firewall and possibly a virus scanner that will stop updating itself after 90 days.

goates

Rob,

If most users do not update, patch, etc., they will not be loading SP2 either. :rolleyes:

Take Care,

Richard

Existing users may not, but all new computers will come with it, and there will be a few that do get the patch. This still isn't going to help all the users still using Win98 anyways. I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft really pushes this update with an advertising campaign of some kind.

goates

Well, Ive taken it off - at least for the moment. It had to go and I'll now wait for the next mailing.

Nothing too serious, you understand, but I got fed up with the start-up error message telling me that the VirusScan Console hadn't started.

But it also knackered my e-mail procedure across the LAN.

With a minimum of three workstations in a P2P LAN, BoxA is the sender/receiver of e-mails. On BoxB and BoxC, to send e-mails they are composed as normal and placed in the Outbox. The Outbox is then "moved" to overwrite the Outbox in BoxA using a batch file.

BoxA sends the e-mail using the same Account details.

Except that SP2 won't allow this.

In the linked document above in my first post - updated on 20 Feb 04 - no explanation is offered about how to avoid this. So I'll wait.

Stop whinging.
 

(My bolding)

"Experts" should RTFM, and be aware that this is BETA under discussion...

amofw - always a worry when a poster gets their own signature wrong :rolleyes:

SP2 Delayed Again
 

...from one of my Newsgroups by e-mail so can't post a link; slightly edited to shorten it:

Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, which Microsoft had previously said would be out in June, is going to be delayed. Press reports state that Microsoft has delayed the service pack till July, but I know that internally there's already talk that it will most likely be August before SP2 will be released, and possibly later!

Now, some people are all getting exited [sic!] about this, and I agree, it has taken WAY to long for Microsoft to come out with this service pack.

The first delays occurred because Microsoft decided that SP2 should have a whole set of new security features. This is of course a good thing. The latest delays are caused because SP2 is breaking some software functionality with Microsoft products (would they have delayed it if the problems would have been with other developer's products?). Apparently ASP.NET & Visual Studio 2003 are among some of the products having problems, but there are also reports of Outlook 2003 & Outlook Express "hang-ups" when opening messages.

Lets just hope that Microsoft does a thorough job in beta testing this Service Pack, and will only release it if they are confident that it is "good to go", and not because of some arbitrary date that was set by someone.

SP2 for Windows XP will most likely be causing problems for some users. There's no way around it. You cannot test for all the variations in software & hardware installed on users systems, but Microsoft should take its time to minimize it as much as possible.

End of quote.

Looks like it's being released on MSDN tomorrow and as an automatic update from Tuesday (on a limited basis) and then full-blown release from the 25th.

I think I will turn off my automatic updates and let other people find the problems with SP2.
I know, don't tell me, I am flapping my arms like a chicken.

I wonder whether the upgrade will do something clever - such as detecting and destroying illegitimate copies of MS software.

That'd wipe the smile of those smug so-and-sos who think that they're sooo clever to have acquired pirate versions of genuine software!

BEagle,

The only Pirated software, are old cracked versions of WinXP Betas. Those were never able to download updates to begin with.

Then there are abused CD-Keys like the one that starts FCKGW...... Which had be shut off my M$ with the release of SP1.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the release of SP2.

Take Care,

Richard

Isn't it doing well!

One or two programs that may behave differently in Windows XP Service Pack 2

And one or two that seem to stop working after you install Windows XP Service Pack 2

Feeling lucky?, download it here :uhoh:

well i've had SP2 running on this comp for a few days now with no problems so far.
You do get the option of turning the firewall off and using your own on boot up also it drops another icon in your control panel ( security centre ) where you can make any adjustments you may need.
Also found p2p, ftp, networking and torrents easy to set up. Just hope it stays as easy and gives me no unexpected problems with other progs as i use them

:ok:

Its in the news again:

BBC News

For the most part I haven't had any problems. It seems to have reset the user permissions on the profiles I had set for my brothers (I have XP Pro) and my IIS setup. So far all the programs I have run worked just as they did before.

goates

Charles,

All I can picture in my head is Clint Eastwood as Harry Callahan from the 1971 classic Dirty Harry:

http://www.norcalmovies.com/DirtyHarry/dh12.jpg

:D :D :D :D :D

Richard

Richard, I was thinking about that whn I wrote it, but I guess the words should have read:

"I know what you're thinking, punk. You're thinking, did he test it six times or only five? Well to tell you the truth, I forgot myself in all this excitement. But being as this is a .2 Service Pack Special, the most powerful software upgrade in the world and will blow your installation clean off, you've got to ask yourself a question: do I feel lucky? Well do ya, punk?"

Fortunately, I'm off on holiday now, so I'll probably return to some chaos since I always drum it into my customers to install the windows updates without fail. Fortunately some don't really listen to me.

Cheers
Charles

Charles,

Have a great holiday. We will hold down the fort for ya. ;)

Richard

So today is the (UK) day then?
I realize I have set my Windows XP Fam to 'autoupdate' :uhoh:
we will see, I'll let you's know of the outcome.

BBC latest

I have my Auto Updates set to On but it has'nt downloaded? Been online quite a bit the last few days. What's the story?

Release for XP Home was last week, Release for XP Pro is on the 25th.

Downloaded the network administrators version, put it on disc, took several hours on my 128k cable, installed it on one machine and still trying to see how it responds. Noticed few little things.

I am running an update on a notebook now. My guess is it will be downloading for a while.

It will be interesting to see.

Take Care,

Richard

When will Windows XP Service Pack 2 come out? I just ran Windows Update but it said nothing avaliable for download. Thanks in advance.

B-HLQ,

It has been available for download since 10th of August, you can download the full version here:

Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers

Take Care,

Richard

B-HLQ - It should be available today (Aug. 25) on Windows Update. You could download the full network instal Richard linked to or just wait for the Windows Update version which will probably be smaller, depending on what you have installed.

goates

It is now available on Windows update :uhoh:

I got this today:

Windows Update has encountered an error and cannot display the requested page. You may find the following resources helpful in resolving the problem:\

Just loaded it and I am still here. :ok:

Yes, got it. Had to turn off the XP firewall, virus checking, and update stuff. It was far too eager, didn't recognise AVG, and wanted to update automatically without me getting to see. I don't trust MS that much!

Something also keeps trying to bring up the dial-up networking. Not found out what (and at 3.30am not going to look now). If whatever it is can't see the ADSL connection, it must be a firewall thing.

It also put IE and all the MS tat on the taskbar. Soon removed that!

It seems to have resurrected Messenger as well :*

I got it today too :) Thanks for the replies guys.