Question about SP2

Neos

Senior member
Jul 19, 2000
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I have been be-bopping along for a long time with my XP Pro, SP1, using Firefox, T-bird, Zone Alarm, and AVG. All is fine. I just want to make sure I am up to date.

I tried to load SP2 a week or so back - but it almost messed me up good - had to fall back on restore from within safe mode. I think I had a first edition - and it was buggy. Now I have a new SP2 download ready - but I am thinkng I need to be careful before I even try,

First off - why do I need SP2 at all? And if I do - is it my Zone Alarm that might be giving me troubles when I try to load SP2. Seems I read that SP2 does like after market firewalls.

Thanks
 

joshharrington

Senior member
Apr 17, 2005
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SP2...well at least for me I had a friend that installed it. He restarted his machine and it would just constantly reboot. Safe mode, same thing. So we had to reformat his machine. That was awhile back, and I loaded SP2 on my computer and I didn't have any problems. I don't know of any issues with ZoneAlarm and SP2. One last thing is SP2 is alot of securty updates that may be needed, and maybe not. Personally I would say it's up to you, give it a shot and see if you like it. You should be able to uninstall it afterwards if you don't like it.
 

Neos

Senior member
Jul 19, 2000
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Is that what it is - security updates? If that is the case, I will probably just stay put with SP1. I have not really had any security problems - probably because I run everything through a router and use ZA on top of that.

Thanks for the response. Maybe someone else will chime in here with a pro or con on SP2.
 

Brazen

Diamond Member
Jul 14, 2000
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It might be a good idea to uninstall Zone Alarm before updating. If you want to use Zone Alarm instead of the Windows firewall, just reinstall it afterwards if everything goes smoothly.
 

MrChad

Lifer
Aug 22, 2001
13,507
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Originally posted by: Neos
Is that what it is - security updates? If that is the case, I will probably just stay put with SP1. I have not really had any security problems - probably because I run everything through a router and use ZA on top of that.

Thanks for the response. Maybe someone else will chime in here with a pro or con on SP2.

SP2 has some significant changes to the XP kernel and supporting subsystems, many of which are designed to make the operating system more secure. These changes CAN NOT be obtained through Windows hotfixes alone. If you want the nitty gritty details, check out this TechNet article.

It's been out for almost 2 years now and should be a mandatory install for all XP-based systems.
 

mechBgon

Super Moderator<br>Elite Member
Oct 31, 1999
30,699
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My suggestion is to download the full-file SP2 installer, reboot into Safe Mode, and install SP2 while Windows is in Safe Mode to help prevent interference from security software. Before you do that, the conventional wisdom is to run an antivirus scan and an antispyware/adware scan.

Once you've got SP2 installed, you can also fully-enable the Data Execution Prevention feature like in this pic.
 

Canterwood

Golden Member
May 25, 2003
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Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
sp2 is necessary. Anything less is irresponsible.
A fully patched XP SP1 box would be pretty much equivalent to a fully patched Win2K SP4 box.

So are we to assume using Windows 2000 is irresponsible too?
 

n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
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Originally posted by: Canterwood
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
sp2 is necessary. Anything less is irresponsible.
A fully patched XP SP1 box would be pretty much equivalent to a fully patched Win2K SP4 box.

Not really. The Win2k box is fully patched, the xp sp1 box isn't. Being less than fully patched is irresponsible.

So are we to assume using Windows 2000 is irresponsible too?

Assume what you want.
 

Neos

Senior member
Jul 19, 2000
881
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Irresponsible in what way? I am having no real problems with SP1 - no security issues and such. I have downloaded a virus here and there, but have taken care of that easily - along with malware (Ad-Aware works pretty good). I also send no mail that my AVG does not scan.

So how am I being irresponsibel if I decide to just hang with SP1?

Actually, I want to do SP2, as I just want to be up to date. Just had issues before.
 

n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
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Originally posted by: Neos
Irresponsible in what way? I am having no real problems with SP1 - no security issues and such. I have downloaded a virus here and there, but have taken care of that easily - along with malware (Ad-Aware works pretty good). I also send no mail that my AVG does not scan.

How can you be absolutely sure? You can't, even with sp2. Your best bet is to be up to date with patches, use some common sense, and utilize other programs like anti-virus. You're doing some of it, it's irresponsible to the rest of the internet to not do it all.
 

Lemon law

Lifer
Nov 6, 2005
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From what I can read---sp2 is far more secure and plugs many security vulnerbilities---and I have been running it with no problems since it became available on my two XP systems----but its firewall is worthless and an unmitigated nuisance---although admittably better than nothing---sadly the sygate firewall I use which plays nice with my small lan is not on the sp2 firewalls list of supported firewalls---so I have to manually tell it I have another firewall I will support myself---which works most of the time. But any little change and the sp2 firewall wants to rear its ugly head and save the day---and then I have to hit it in the head and put it back to sleep.---gets annoying after a while.

And in the immortal words of Foghorn Leghorn---I want some permanent means to tell the sp2 firewall to just "go away boy---you bother me."---and the sp2 firewall is clearly a boy trying to do a man's job---its only a one way firewall---so it does a half ass job---and its not configurable.

Another problem is the size of sp2---at 50 MB--its not a fast download on dial up---with a too high probability that some of the data will get corrupted. Fortunately you can now request a free sp2 upgrade cd.

But go to any security site----they all say get sp2.
 

Canterwood

Golden Member
May 25, 2003
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Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Originally posted by: Canterwood
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
sp2 is necessary. Anything less is irresponsible.
A fully patched XP SP1 box would be pretty much equivalent to a fully patched Win2K SP4 box.

Not really. The Win2k box is fully patched, the xp sp1 box isn't. Being less than fully patched is irresponsible.
You're not seeing my point.
Someone running a patched XP SP1 should be at no greater risk than someone running a patched Win2K SP4 box.
Neither has had the code rewritten like SP2 has, so they should both be as vulnerable.

Therefore, security wise, and by your analogy of XP SP1, running Win2K would also be just as irresponsible as it hasn't had the security measures put into like XP SP2 has.



 

Neos

Senior member
Jul 19, 2000
881
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From the laptop.
Well, I did it. I loaded the SP2 - from Safe Mode. Now when I boot into the OS I have no icons, no tray. I done a Google and it told me to go to services.msc and disable DCOM Server Process Launcher - but the icons do not stay on in safe mode. They come and go.
Is there a way to access services.mcs from the command prompt OR some other idea). Right now I can't even get it back to the way it was.
 

Robor

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: Neos
From the laptop.
Well, I did it. I loaded the SP2 - from Safe Mode. Now when I boot into the OS I have no icons, no tray. I done a Google and it told me to go to services.msc and disable DCOM Server Process Launcher - but the icons do not stay on in safe mode. They come and go.
Is there a way to access services.mcs from the command prompt OR some other idea). Right now I can't even get it back to the way it was.

Did you try? Works here. :)

 

Neos

Senior member
Jul 19, 2000
881
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Originally posted by: Robor
Originally posted by: Neos
From the laptop.
Well, I did it. I loaded the SP2 - from Safe Mode. Now when I boot into the OS I have no icons, no tray. I done a Google and it told me to go to services.msc and disable DCOM Server Process Launcher - but the icons do not stay on in safe mode. They come and go.
Is there a way to access services.mcs from the command prompt OR some other idea). Right now I can't even get it back to the way it was.

Did you try? Works here. :)

I thought I did. Regardless, I was able to access the SP2 un-install file from my task manager, and it is putting it all back to SP1 (hope, hope).
OK...rebooting - I am back!!
YEA!!!!!!
 

n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
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Originally posted by: Canterwood
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Originally posted by: Canterwood
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
sp2 is necessary. Anything less is irresponsible.
A fully patched XP SP1 box would be pretty much equivalent to a fully patched Win2K SP4 box.

Not really. The Win2k box is fully patched, the xp sp1 box isn't. Being less than fully patched is irresponsible.
You're not seeing my point.
Someone running a patched XP SP1 should be at no greater risk than someone running a patched Win2K SP4 box.
Neither has had the code rewritten like SP2 has, so they should both be as vulnerable.

Therefore, security wise, and by your analogy of XP SP1, running Win2K would also be just as irresponsible as it hasn't had the security measures put into like XP SP2 has.

Then yes. Win2k users are irresponsible and should be removed from the internet.
 

Canterwood

Golden Member
May 25, 2003
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Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Originally posted by: Canterwood
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Originally posted by: Canterwood
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
sp2 is necessary. Anything less is irresponsible.
A fully patched XP SP1 box would be pretty much equivalent to a fully patched Win2K SP4 box.

Not really. The Win2k box is fully patched, the xp sp1 box isn't. Being less than fully patched is irresponsible.
You're not seeing my point.
Someone running a patched XP SP1 should be at no greater risk than someone running a patched Win2K SP4 box.
Neither has had the code rewritten like SP2 has, so they should both be as vulnerable.

Therefore, security wise, and by your analogy of XP SP1, running Win2K would also be just as irresponsible as it hasn't had the security measures put into like XP SP2 has.

Then yes. Win2k users are irresponsible and should be removed from the internet.
Ouch!!! Thats a whole load of businesses gone down the can then.

But then in reality its Microsoft who are the irresponsible ones for not putting out a SP5 for Win2K with the enhanced security updates that XP SP2 had.

 

Neos

Senior member
Jul 19, 2000
881
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Hey - guys. Yall quit fussin'.

Now that I am back to SP1 - am I at risk? Have I been living a dream - thinking I was secure?

I wish I could load SP2, but apparently it does not like my setup.
 

Canterwood

Golden Member
May 25, 2003
1,138
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TBH, with the security you have in place, you are actually a lot more secure than most of the general public who are using XP with SP2.

The fact you're not using Internet Explorer for example has already increased your security significantly.

The only time you might start being at risk is when support finishes for SP1 (which is shortly I think) and there aren't anymore security patches released.
 

Neos

Senior member
Jul 19, 2000
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To me that is not a biggie, as I have never been one to download patches too much anyway.

Thanks for the advice and help. Everyone.
 

stash

Diamond Member
Jun 22, 2000
5,468
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Support for XP SP1 will end on October 10, 2006. http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifean19

That will be the major difference between a fully patched XP SP1 system and a fully patched Windows 2000 SP4 system. After Oct 10, there will be no more security updates made available for XP SP1.

Install SP2.
 

Neos

Senior member
Jul 19, 2000
881
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I would - but it does not want to go. I am sure that I will try again, when I get more info.

Thanks.
 

Lepard

Senior member
Mar 31, 2005
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Why don't you try slipstreaming SP2 onto your installation disc, backup any important files and folders, format and then reinstall Windows again?