[DavidJ14]

LOL i hate sp2 so much i removed it burn it

[mike5532g]

Smooth sailing so far. Clean livin' I guess.

[nooter]

I have had no problems.

[WhitPhil]

From a recent newsletter:

"When Windows XP SP2 was released last August, a lot of respected tech gurus [and some not-so-respected tech guru wannabees like myself] strongly recommended NOT upgrading for a while. In fact, I wrote a Tourbus post last August showing you how to download and install a free Windows XP SP2 blocker program to prevent Microsoft from automatically installing SP onto your computer.

Well, that blocker expires on Tuesday, April 12th. After that date, you're getting Service Pack 2 whether you like it or not. If you have Windows Update set to automatically check for and install any critical updates, Microsoft will automatically install XP SP2 onto your computer sometime after April 12th. And even if you don't use Windows Update's auto 'call home and download' feature, after April 12th Windows Update will stop working until you download XP SP2. [Updates will still be available, but Microsoft won't let you get them until you first download and install Service Pack 2.] April 12th is pretty much the drop-dead date for Windows XP Service Pack 2 deployment.

And, honestly, that's not a bad thing. While I've yet to upgrade my desktop, my laptop has been running Windows XP SP2 since November with nary a problem. And I'm not alone. Millions of people have safely made the jump to SP2. And XP SP2's built-in security features are so beneficial that there's honestly no legitimate reason for you NOT to upgrade to Service Pack 2.

Reread that last sentence: There's honestly no legitimate reason for you NOT to upgrade to Service Pack 2. Your XP computer NEEDS this upgrade. The real question is whether you want Microsoft to install it for you or if you want to install it yourself. Well, the next six words are the most important six words in this entire post:

***YOU WANT TO INSTALL IT YOURSELF!***"

How to safely upgrade to SP2

[jd_957]

no problems here. came preinstalled on a new computer.

[Stoner]

I updated to SP2 on my mother's laptop.
It broke Interner Explorer lol!
Good excuse to instal FireFox

Nothing else was affected, so all's well that ends well

[past tense]

no trouble for me

[AvvY]

I hear a lot of people get problems with intalling SP2 - but what if you did a clean install and the first thing you did was install SP2? That is what I have done. Well... I got WinXP Home Sp1.a preinstalled, got most of my basic programs installed before having my broadband connection installed, then installed Sp2 ASAP. And no problems.

As I see it, if there isn't anything there for it to mess up (as in a clean install) then how can it have ill effects? Maybe I am making things seem too basic, but anyway.

Late,

[alex_holker]

As I have said in similar threads before, it provided no benefits I didn't already have from 3rd party software, didn't fix the problem I installed it to fix, and caused its own annoyances.

Alex

[marioh]

I haven't had any issues with it on my personal PC's.
We haven't rolled it out yet here at work. It breaks/reduces functionality of a few of our in-house software applications and some of our software products.

[Rollin' Rog]

They are not going to be able to restrict updates to people without SP2 or they will get a firestorm of protest -- the result will likely make the internet a less safe place with all those unpatched systems.

Moreover there is currently a workaround to Windows Update -- the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec.../mbsahome.mspx

Get the 1.2.1 version now, before they go to the 2.0 version which WILL use Windows Update.

MBSA provides direct links to Technet articles and downloads specific to your XP configuration.

For what it's worth I have installed SP2 on two systems. On one (Dell laptop) I encountered a serious issue which was not yet covered by Dell. It was correctable. On the desktop, it broke one application, an older version of PowerDVD.

Other than that I have had no problems and rather like it. Eventually you WILL need it for one reason or another.

[dugq]

It didn't cause me any problems, but I didn't really benefit from it either, I don't use IE, I use a third-party firewall etc.

On the otherhand, for the typical man on the street, who uses explorer without much knowledge of security its definitely a good thing.

Plus the new winsock and explorer rereg fixes are pretty sweet

[jillian2]

There was nowhere to vote "Yes" so I had no choice but to vote "No" when in reality I like SP2 a lot better . Have had no problems so far. "Yes" would have been my answer.

Jillian

[CouchMaster]

SP2 solved a lot of problems for me - no downside yet...

[Alan18]

Hasn't caused any noticealbe bad.... or good.....

Alan