SP2 pack, to install or not.

[Mictlantecuhtli]

I would perform a full system backup (using drive image, ghost, or something similar) and then install SP2 plus all new updates (there are loads) without delay.

I'd also like to add that I have had NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER with SP2, on the many, many systems I have installed it on.

So why full system backup?

In addition - I don't intend to start a war here, I'm just curious - I'd like to know if there is a good reason why SP2 is recommended (by a lot of people) to be installed on a fresh XP install, or better yet, to install a slipstreamed version.

If it updates, ie. overwrites, system files, then why wouldn't it work just the same if applied after installing other applications / drivers / updates?

To me it sounds rather absurd, just like people who uninstall old graphics card drivers when they buy a new, different brand, card. The new card doesn't use the different brand drivers, so why should they be uninstalled?

I know I'm seen as an anti-Microsoft person here, and maybe I'm just too stupid to understand this.

 

[Phantasm66]

Because I recommend doing a full OS backup (like making a drive image, or norton ghost file) of the OS before doing ANY major brain surgery like installing a service pack. In fact, it probably recommends that you do this before a service pack install, or an OS upgrade. In any case, if you have experience of doing this kind of thing with Windows, you DO backup first. That's nothing to do with SP2, its just generally good practice.

I even do backups in Linux of the whole OS before making major changes that might not be easy to undo.

None of this changes the fact that people should be installing SP2 without delay. There is nothing wrong with it, and holding off just helps the spread of viruses and other problems.

 

[LNCPapa]

And I make disc images of my OS X machines before I update to a newer version. After a few updates I decided it's just better for me to back up my applications & data and wipe the machine to install the updated OS. I prefer to do my windows installations via slipstreamed media as well and I uninstall video drivers when updating to newer ones (because most of the time the readme tells you to.)

 

[Phantasm66]

I have to do the same sort of things with Linux sometimes as well.

This sort of thing is NOT limited to Windows, and certainly not limited to SP2 installs.

 

[Phantasm66]

I don't intend to start a war here.

No one has any intention of a war. Its all just clean, respectable fun

However, I do have a problem with people coming here and posting things that are not true. OK, we can't all be right about everything, and there is so much computing in the world, but where its just out and out crap, I do have to try to set things right. I have a duty to this site to, because credibility is everything. If people think that we post utter BS here, no one will take us seriously. And this IS a very good site.

Anyway, I suggest that anyone who has not downloaded and installed SP2 to, but please try to backup with Drive image or something first. If you have issues after the install, post here with them, but do consider wiping your machine and doing a clean install and then installing SP2 first before you start blaming SP2 for your troubles.

All that said, if ANYONE has any data relating to an actual study or evidence of some sort that SP2 fails constantly for no good reason, and can give us a link to it, it will be on the front page before you can say "general protection fault."

 

[tbrunt3]

I agree with Phantasm66 here this is a very good site ..Probbly the best one left on the net ...

you need to back up everything when you are installing anything that has to do with your os.. It is a good idea to back up data least ever six months maybe more

So far Xp is probbly the best OS M$ has put out for a while

Sure some people like SP2 and have no problems with it and some have had problems with it ..I remember when people were having problem with SP1 untill they fixed that .. The only fact is is that sp2 does not like some apps this of course a Microsoft os we are talking about sometimes they jsut picky ..

Anyway this a great board with some great people with great knowledge some people have knowledge in security others more towards repair and trouble shooting this is how this board works ..

Keep up the great work

semper fi

 

[jshields13]

Phant, the last thing I want to do is argue with you. You have far more expertise than I do. I phrased my comments wrong to Maurice. I did not mean to make a recommendation, just a comment on how I personally felt about SP2. I'm sure that many people have had no problems at all. It is just that I have read articles in some computing magazines that tend to make me leary of it. I have not had any problems with my current setup, I update and run my anti-virus, spybot and ad-adware frequently and do not download any stuff that is questionable and I have both a hardware and software firewall in place. Since everything is working fine for me, I am apprehensive about adding an update that may hurt, not help, me. Since I am definitely NOT an expert, I am afraid that I might run into a problem I cannot fix. Since you work with people like me, I think you can understand my reluctance. Again, I'm sorry I got your dander up.

Jeff

 

[Phantasm66]

I'm sorry I got your dander up.

There was nothing you said that annoyed me. Please remember that you are more than welcome to post opinions here.

I was attacking the whole "SP2 is rubbish" thing in general, not anyone's specific postings.

And I am very glad we have people like you visiting here.

 

[Darth_Terra1]

I can understand jshields13 why you may be reluctant, but you wont know what will happen untill you install, it may install first time and you will have no problems, then again it may come across a problem, but to not install just in case is not a good thing, it's kinda like not crossing the street just in case you get hit by a car, if things do go wrong it's a good way to learn about solving PC problems most of my knowledge came from trial and error, as long as your not doing any major harm to components there is nothing wrong with it, and if things do go wrong and you cant solve the problem there is always the good folks on this site to help out .

 

[Phantasm66]

Don't get me wrong, I am afraid of a service pack install too (unless I've taken a full system backup with drive image) but SP2 is no more scarey and no more problematic than any other OS update I have done recently, no matter what the platform.

 

[Baywatchv8]

And if you are a security expert, and can provide evidence of what you say, nothing will make me happier than to post a retraction on the front page, along with a heartfelt apology.




Another very good point as well.


Bottom line is - THERE NOTHING WRONG WITH SP2, OK!!! Is all your crap machines having out of date drivers, dodgy pirated copies of XP (which may indeed, if it was downloaded, be a release candidate or beta), hardware from all over the place, viruses and spyware, crappy shareware, memory that was not tested with your motherboard. Face facts.

I have one of those pirated copies of XP. My brother-in-law gave it to me just after the release of XP. I am getting ready to purchase a new-in-box copy from Newegg, can I "repair" the OS without losing info or does it require a complete format and reload?

 

[Maurice]

Oops, Baywatch, in my opinion, not a good idea to admit having a ****** copy on an open forum, a while back, I said that I had d/loaded games, what a flea in the ear I got, from several members, & rightly so, I saw that afterwards, never again did I do this,&if I remember correctly, got a mild ticking off from a staff member. Knowing them over the years though, they'll be firm but fair, especially as you say that you intend to replace it with a genuine disk.
I might just get a comment myself, for putting in my five cents worth!, as it is, offending word or words may be edited out in this post by TS's auto system

Maurice

 

[LNCPapa]

Actually - I think it was an excellent post Maurice. Back up your data Baywatch and put a clean/legit OS on there. Wouldn't want any remnants of shady business on your machine would you?

 

[Maurice]

Whadya mean, Indiana man, "shady business" on my machine??......how dare you, er, oh, I see what you mean, sorrreee!
Only kidding, once I was almost persuaded by a friend to use that sort of disk to install XP Professional replacing XP Home that I still have, in the end we fell out, we had too many arguments about computers.

Maurice

 

[Maurice]

This is not a reply, hope it's OK to place it here, it is relevant, in a way. A friend in Canada keeps telling me of problems she has with her computer, funnily enough, she seems to have problems, perhaps due to SP2, I keep telling her about TS, & at last I think she is about to sign up, her name is Edna Becker, retired, with her husband in Western Canada, if she doesn't appear in a little while, I'll give her another nudge, she's an old friend, & won't mind.
I sent her a virtual copy of this thread, so she now knows what the site set-up looks like.

Maurice

 

[Spike]

here's a good (and relatively recent) reason to keep your XP patched up...

http://netrn.net/spywareblog/archives/2004/11/19/warning-major-exploit-underway/

and the video mentioned on that page looks like an absolute nightmare!

http://www.benedelman.org/scripts/video/?v=security-111804 or in WMP directly... http://www.benedelman.org/spyware/security-111804.wmv

 

[Maurice]

Thanks Spike, [from Bridgend, & called Spike?] joking apart, now you've got me worried, I see on the site you've shown, that Bullseye Networks are a possible source of viruses, & on my PC, they pop-up unbidden.
I have Ad Aware, & run it often, also AVG, ditto, plus the XP firewall, am I in much danger with Bullseye/, should I click on their facility to unsubscribe, or will that cause worse problems?
I'll throw it open guys..........!

Maurice

 

[Spike]

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. My PC is due for a re-format sooner or later, just as soon as I can get my DVD burner working to back up my files. Before I format, I'll visit those sites and see what happens/how difficult things are to remove.

 

[olefarte]

Thanks Spike, [from Bridgend, & called Spike?] joking apart, now you've got me worried, I see on the site you've shown, that Bullseye Networks are a possible source of viruses, & on my PC, they pop-up unbidden.
I have Ad Aware, & run it often, also AVG, ditto, plus the XP firewall, am I in much danger with Bullseye/, should I click on their facility to unsubscribe, or will that cause worse problems?

I can't get Spike's link to open for some reason, but I think I've seen that before, and Bullseye/BargainBuddy is bad news. Look at this, and then click on the link at the top, "Information on BargainBuddy".

More than likely, you've got Bullseye/BargainBuddy or some other like program in your program files, and you might see something related to it in your Talk Manager Processes. Have you ever run Hijack this? If not, you might consider running it and other related things, following RBS instructions here.

There are so many "free" programs out there, that are not exactly what they appear to be, even things like "free" wallpaper and screen savers, that you need to careful of. You've been around these forums for a while, and you've probably seen most of the GOOD free programs mentioned. Some so called spyware removal tools, are in actuallity, adding spyware themselves. I am always careful when looking at free programs and do a little research before biteing.

 

[Spike]

I've just attached a zipped save of the page, just for you Olefarte. lol

 

[olefarte]

I've just attached a zipped save of the page, just for you Olefarte. lol

Thanks Spike. You know us old guys. LOL

I tried the link again just now and it works, go figure.

 

[Maurice]

Olefarte, I've just run Ad Aware, quite a few Bargain Buddies, all low risk, & one Bullseye, vendor; "other", risk high, I deleted all, of course.
I have searched my program files thoroughly nothing suspicious, all recognisable, ordinary, that I definitely loaded myself.
Going back to my previous question, would it be wise or unwise to unsubscribe on the Bullseye page, old friend?
........Hey, you've just admitted that you're another old guy, wow!

Maurice

 

[olefarte]

would it be wise or unwise to unsubscribe on the Bullseye page

I really don't know what the correct answer to that is. But I would think it wouldn't make anything worse, as you already seem to have it, but it may not make any difference either, because things like this are very persistant.

 

[Maurice]

There are so many "free" programs out there, that are not exactly what they appear to be, even things like "free" wallpaper and screen savers, that you need to careful of. You've been around these forums for a while, and you've probably seen most of the GOOD free programs mentioned. Some so called spyware removal tools, are in actuallity, adding spyware themselves. I am always careful when looking at free programs and do a little research before biteing.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for the warning, Olefarte, I shall keep my eyes open, I used to be keen on loads of screensavers, but not any longer, so that's no problem, the fake spyware "removal" tools shook me, I shall be very wary in future, thanks

Maurice