Windows XP Service Pack 2 Due In August

[Phantasm66]

Microsoft said Monday that the long-awaited update of Windows XP will be sent to manufacturing in August, a month later than expected.

"Windows XP Service Pack 2, or SP2, will contain a number of new features. Most of the improvements deal with security. One new feature, for example, is a Security Center that provides a view of a PC's key protection settings. An improved firewall and other tweaks are also planned."

 

[Masque]

Now to see if it lives up to its' hype.

 

[Arris]

I've been running the Release Candidate 2 for a while.
IE finally has a pop up blocker, and the security center is more of an annoyance than anything else. To play games I generally stop my virus protections real time scanner as it causes lag in game, and this always pops up saying "Your virus software is not running, click here to fix this problem". Can't say I'm a fan of the new fisher-price Security center...

Plus I haven't been able to install Call Of Duty since updating to XP SP2 RC2

 

[SOB]

doesn't sp2

harbor the next generation of direct x...........therefore needing the drivers to push it, as well as the patch (far cry) to activate it's usage.........

 

[BrownPaper]

SP2 is supposed to include DirectX 9.0C.

 

[olefarte]

Hey, you are right BrownPaper. I've been running RC 2 since it came out and never noticed that. Don't see any difference, yet. Come to think of it, I hope that's not why some of my games have started to stutter. I've been blaming it on graphics card drivers.

 

[BrownPaper]

I hear that DirectX 9.0C has SM 3.0 that will be good for Nvidia 6800 users with the soon-to-be released FarCry 1.2 patch.

It could possibly be directx that is causing the stuttering since it's still beta. Then again, Cat 4.7 with 4x TAA causes GTA Vice City to slow down a little bit at 1280x960 on my system. I ditched Mcafee for Kaspersky at the same time though so I'm not sure if I'm imagining things.

 

[Rick]

I've been running SP2 RC2.. No complaints.

The security center dashboard crap can be disabled if you don't like it. I sure don't like it very much myself, but I'm sure it will help a lot of computer nitwits out there.

 

[Unregistered]

When August rolls around they'll say they have delayed it until September. I wonder which will come first, SP2 or Duke Nukem Forever.

 

[SOB]

hehe

:haha: oh, by the way..an interesting piece as to what was necessary to piece together far cry's new patch http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/far_cry_sm30/ plus a ripped version of directx 9.0c http://www.iamnotageek.com/articles.php?aid=85&page=1&topic=DX_9c not to mention drivers for shader 3.0@ http://www.guru3d.com in the drivers section.