Is Service Pack 2 really that bad?

Computers & Internet Forum

So we did the upgrade on the computer. My nephew tells me DO NOT use the Microsoft upgrade Service pack 2 because it is horrible. I am just curious as to what all the programmers here think about it.

Have your nephew come around and describe what's so horrible about it. Ultimately you're going to HAVE to do the upgrade because it's full of security fixes and when the next "critical" update comes along, you're going to have to put all that in anyway.

Way I figure, you're already stuck in microsoft-land, so you may as well roll around in it and get it all over you.

He heard from his friend who programs that it keeps a lot of software from running. I am a bit skeptical about the friend, so I wanted to know what real programmers think about it.

SP2 is believed to plug many holes and open many others (as I have heard). If you use wireless, then I do not recommend it. It has reduced a lot of the leeway I had when connecting to a wireless network. Other than that, I have not faced too many problems, except my computer is now slightly slower.

M.

Here's an email floating around our group at work from last August:

Just received an advisory about SP2 causing about 40 programs to suddenly stop
functioning. Most of them appear to be of no concern to home users, but on the off-
chance that you MIGHT be using one or more of them, you might want to visit:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=842242

and check out the complete list of programs affected and what to do about it.

Just port firewalling!? Come on, people!

Sean, I doubt many home users know about how ports work, or even what they are.

M.

Yeah, I just don't think people who don't understand such basic things should be advising others as to what to and not to do with their computer. It's like receiving psychological advice from a teenager.

Yeah, so someone hears a glimmer about a problem with SP2 and assumes the worst.

When you get the facts from the source, Microsoft, it will put it in perspective.
Go to the source people, not some generic well, ya ok, you may as well, and
holes, holes, holes....2K had holes, XP probably does too.

People have problems, they publish white papers.
You could actually think they actually design a piece of crap OS on PURPOSE?
Well, I wonder that too.

How else do they know there is a problem until the consumer discovers it FOR them??? So, how else can they come up with a solution???

No, why?

And I expect a joke....

Oh and what in the world is windows me?
A product of the 70's "me" generation.
I give up, come on tell me.

No, you are mistaken if you expect a joke. Windows Me was released because they could not complete Windows 2000 on time. So they made some really crappy changes to 98, put it in a new box, labelled it Windows Millenium and released one of the crappiest operating systems ever in Microsoft history.

M.

I'm not expecting a joke, we just have to give the geeks a chance to show off!!!!!!!

Yeah, like a portal to another world or something....cyberspace is soooooo overrated.

Get me through port 80 or bust....so I can waste some more precious time!!!!!!!!!! with people I don't even know!!!!

I did not show off. There is a difference between correcting misleading ideas and concepts and flaunting one's skills.

M.

What exactly did you correct? That Microsoft came out with a white paper on problems with SP2? It was information pure and simple. How is that "misleading ideas and concepts????"
I didn't explain the meaning and so somehow that makes me an amateur? How laughable is that.

Geeks can be so darned egotistical and it shows in this thread.

I am tired of the hostility on this discussion board and how it tries to turn me into being the same.

Rising above the manure.

If you feel I am hostile, it is not my intention. I responded to your claim that Microsoft does not ship out a piece of crap on purpose, and I showed you that they can and they have.

If you want, here is one more example: If you remove Windows messenger from the Windows startup list (even using msconfig), the messenger process still runs when Windows loads up. Please don't tell me that Microsoft does not know that this happens.

Those who know me here know that I am above manure 99.9 % of the time. I know you don't care what I think, but maybe you should do some introspection yourself. Temet Nosce.

M.

Well Oh well another member down the drain. My my people are so touchy.

D

My neighbor is coming over to fix a problem on my computer today. He knows more than my nephew so I will see what he thinks as well. He doesn't program, but he does networking and builds computers. I had no idea that this would cause such a ruckus in here. Perhaps when we get the second computer up and running later this year we will install SP2 on it and not on this one.

I didn't mean to cause a ruckus, but some people just can't take criticism and correction.

M.

Really, the ruckus was quite under control until SWTT took offense to something that had nothing to do with her...

I think it was your creepy ass Gollum avatar Might as well go back to being a loveable funky monkey.

Chodder you have a good point,
but alas I can only strike it as me being a dummasss.

I will be sure and triple my medication tonight.

And Sean, please be more specific when you insult someone.
I cannot be tripling my medication forever.
Lo siento mucho. Je regret.

Yeah well I can dish it out and can't take it.
I work with these nasty computers all day and I take out my frustration with them in the computer forum.
I detest Microshaft as much as any one else here, or more!

And I don't need or want a fore skin thank you. hee hee

And where are the "love boat" threads on this forum anyhow?
I just don't feel the love here....except from Becker....he's fulllll of the love.
Maybe you can ask Whidden to come up with one.

Whidden has been on a saucy nasty Shakespere mode of the last few days.

Saying naugthy things to ALL SPECIALLY us girls in flowery prose he copies from the internet. He called Fuscia a saucy tart. I felt left out.

I was playing about the Love boat, ain't no such thing here. Its guts and no glory.Play the cards ya got dealt. Chodders right its that nasty new avatar it scares all of us.
D

That means SEAN you are ASSUMING and you know what that means.Ha
D

No no no - I never assume. I simply presume to deduce.

Ok fuss is over but please direct me:

Yeah, thanks. I have a real special place in my heart for you too, right at the top and to the left a little.

I been trying to figure out the human anatomy and this don;t make sense Buddy.

D

When I was all ticked off....I was going to reply to that in this manner:

"You might want to have that checked by a proctologist."

Please just take that as humor.

The problems with SP2 would not affect standalone home PC's.
It may affect computers running certain online games. (Listed at the bottom of the white paper).

SP2 may affect certain programs that they list, but only in reference to network connectivity.

So unless someone has a large home network, it would be safe to say that it would be ok to load it on a home PC....as you have already attested to, Heavens11.

I think that with all the vulnerabilities of 2K and XP, Microsoft may have overcompensated. And this has affected network connectivity in some ways with SP2. It's the fine line with network operability....you want to be able to share information.....but you also want to insure you only share it with designated targets.

SP2 works and people who are comfortable with their understanding of how software works and with their ability to modify its configuration shouldn't have much of a problem. But the bottom line is that Microsoft's desire to be present on every computer on the face of the world and an indiscriminating manner in which port-blocking is implemented would blow away network applications of those who are not so comfortable. My guess is 50% of AOL users will be quite disappointed when AIM ceases to function or they can no longer stream audio from music servers, etc.

Whether the move was necessary/justified is debatable. They are, after all, doing this in a desperate (good luck getting THEM to admit it) move to cover up the piles of security weaknesses that are introduced within their own software.

I just want to say thank you to everyone for the information. I think I now can feel safe to download SP2. I do not use AOL, and the friend of my nephew is no Sean or M by any stretch and they know what they are talking about here.

Thanks to every person who answered. I value every anwser.

Thanks M. We are installing a new firewall very soon, the updated version. I have not downloaded the SP2 yet. So, now I feel much better about doing it.