Windows XP Service Pack 2

[LChisum]

Anyone else get this downloaded and installed? I fired up my laptop a couple of days ago, and the download started. (Something like 254 meg, I believe it's a complete replacement for most of the XP system software). It installed fine, the only problem being that I use Microsoft Broadband Networking software, which has to be updated also, before it will work with Service Pack 2. Therefore, I was left with no easy networking/internet capability on the laptop. Fortunately,. I was able to download the MS Broadband update to my desktop, write it to a CD, and load the CD into the laptop to restore networking. No matter how hard I try, I can't get SP2 to download to my desktop. I understand that Microsoft has some phased distribution system, which may be based on registration date. My laptop OS is a year older than the desktop.

Larry

[krygny]

I always disable automatic updates of any kind from any software I install. I think this is especially important with Windows Update because I prefer to pick and choose the updates I need and I don't like to be the first on my block with a Microsoft patch. I usually wait weeks or months to see if there are any problems. I still haven't installed SP1 because It doesn't have anything I really need. Windows Update will automatically give you a whole bunch of patches you don't need. If you're not technically savvy, install only the critical security updates. As far as so-called recommended updates, if you read the description and you don't know if you need it, then you probably don't.

[john802]

LChisum - If I were you, I'll wait until MS fix some of the kinks of SP2. There are a couple of 3rd party softwares that have problems w/ SP2.

[gopilot]

My auto updates told me it was ready for download but when I went to install it, it never seemed to complete its install..

I checked to see and my computer still says service pak 1 installed not 2..

They only way to get service pak 2 is to leave your auto updates turned on. Hopefully I will get the rest of this service pak 2 whenever Microsoft decides to send the rest.

[LChisum]

krygny and john802:

Good advice! I am also skeptical of major software updates from any vendor. I normally have the Windows automatic updates turned off. I turned them on for my laptop just because I wanted to try SP2 on it, since it is advertised as a major restructuring of XP. Before proceeding, the install does set a restore point, and back up all system files to be replaced by SP2. One could theoretically uninstall SP2 if it had problems. The whole download/install process took several hours on my relatively slow laptop. With the exception of the MS Broadband Networking application I mentioned, I haven't seen any other problems with it so far. I did
turn off the newly featured firewall included with SP2, since Zone Alarm works very well for me.
Automatic Windows update does offer the user options in notification and installation of updates. I can't seem to get SP2 on demand for my desktop, so having one of the automatic options on may be the only way to eventually get it downloaded.

Larry

[tim.s]

I got the update "bubble" a couple days ago too. But my told me to wait because she got a warning message from our ISP earlier in the day. The warning message said that the ISP was working on a patch which we needed before installing the Microsoft SP.

I feel bad for not posting a warning, but I figured it was just our ISP with the problem. I guess it's Microsoft with the problem (like I didn't already know that).

[dconder]

I got the same thing at my business. We have SBC DSL and they sent me an email saying several things would not work with the service patch and they were scrambling to get a patch out.

[LChisum]

Originally posted by dconder
I got the same thing at my business. We have SBC DSL and they sent me an email saying several things would not work with the service patch and they were scrambling to get a patch out.

This may be what you're referring to:

"Service Pack 2 provides a series of security enhancements for the Windows XP operating system. These new updates and features may cause SBC Yahoo! and other software on your computer to behave differently.

Based on our testing, SBC has determined that some users will experience changes after loading Service Pack 2 when using the customized SBC Yahoo! Browser, Parental Controls, SBC Yahoo! Web mail, and Instant Messenger. SBC and Yahoo! have prepared an update for these software components that you should load to ensure compatibility with Service Pack 2."

I have SBC Yahoo also, but don't use any of the functionality they reference.

Larry

[PNW-Pilot]

Originally posted by gopilot
They only way to get service pak 2 is to leave your auto updates turned on. Hopefully I will get the rest of this service pak 2 whenever Microsoft decides to send the rest.

Not true, you can always go to http://www.microsoft.com/technet and from there download the network install version. Same thing as you download, but if things go wrong you can continue to reinstall. A bonus for us network admins.

You might wnat ot try this version and see if you fair better. It is the same SP2, just packaged so you can download and then install on multiple computer with downloading through windows update dozens of times.

[krygny]

If you're running a NAT router / firewall, it seems Microsoft may have knowingly broke the connection.

http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105_2-5321783.html

The article mentions a fix, but if you're not comfortable editing the registry, I wouldn't try it.

[PNW-Pilot]

Originally posted by krygny
If you're running a NAT router / firewall, it seems Microsoft may have knowingly broke the connection.

http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105_2-5321783.html

The article mentions a fix, but if you're not comfortable editing the registry, I wouldn't try it.

It actually breaks a NAT only L2TP (VPN) connection. For normal users who do not VPN into work, which has to be using NAT, for the "BUG" to develop, will work just fine as they have before.

Most of the problems occur when DSL developers use custom software to get DSL working on computers. It's mostly from new security settings which the public wants, funny thing is the DSL providers have has weeks during the beta to test thier software, they just now annouce problems.

[hop23]

Microsoft has opened the floodgates. Since 8/18, SP2 was being distributed by Automatic Update only to XP Home Edition users. Now, it is available to XP Professional users and is readily available on the Microsoft download site.

[john802]

Does anybody know the steps to slipstream SP2 to the original XP Pro cd? I'm able to slipstream SP4 to my original windows 2000 Pro and also SP1 to the original window XP Pro. I don't know if the steps are the same.

Thanks,
-john

[hop23]

Originally posted by john802
Does anybody know the steps to slipstream SP2 to the original XP Pro cd? I'm able to slipstream SP4 to my original windows 2000 Pro and also SP1 to the original window XP Pro. I don't know if the steps are the same.

Look here.

[john802]

I found a good site that details the steps needed to slipstream a SP2 to windows XP Pro cd and it works!!! Here is the link to the site.