Windows XP Service Pack 2 is Available to All (1 Viewer)

Here's the link:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

This is for the 266mb English Network Install. It should be live on Windows Update in a week or two if you want the Express.

Mike Liebold

Thanks for the heads-up
Here is more info about what is new
Learn About Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/preinstall.mspx

I'm on dial-up. When can I order the CD?

I don't see a link to order it on CD yet, they still have not posted it on the Windows XP site. As soon as I find it I'll post it here for you.

Mike

I'm not going to be in such a big hurry to install service pack 2 until I see lots of people install it with no issues or at least begin to flush out the issues.

Got it, installed it, no problems so far, but neither do I see any really big benefits.

Well, the main benefit to us is that it will probably get a lot more people using the windows firewall and auto updates since they have to actively turn them off instead of them being off by default.

Scrub what I said before. I am starting to see a few issues now. The PC I installed it on - despite still being on the same workgroup now refuses to show up other machines on the network unless I map directly to them. Connection to my router seems to hang at times and the ICF has an annoying habit of turning itself back on sometimes (I use ZoneAlarm so don't need it).

I can't see any reason for the workgroup problem and if I happens again I'll be bumping back to pre-SP2.

Not sure why the workgroup disappeared, but perhaps you might want to try disabling the Application Layer Gateway service and the Windows Firewall service, that should keep the firewall from turning on, and maybe will let you see the other pcs on the network. I also turned off the security center, since it was getting on my nerves insisting that I needed antivirus software when I already have symantec corporate Antivirus installed. Other then that it was working well in my configuration and on a few pcs on the company network with all settings normal.

WARNING: IBM has not approved SP2 for use yet.

I would be very careful here and really wait until it has been out for a while.

I work on an IBM ThinkPad and an IBM service rep today told me they are still analyzing/testing the stability of the new code. They are likely to issue a message to IBM PC owners to hold off until testing is complete.

Just don't want to see anyone have to fix items later on...

If you have to turn off all of the security features contained in service pack 2, what's the point of installing it. I already do microsoft patches, I don't want to use microsofts firewall, I have it in XP if I wanted it. I don't need service pack 2 to turn it on. I just have a bad feeling about sp 2. I think I can manage the security of my desktop fine on my own.

I am in exactly the same boat as Lee Scoggins. In fact, I was discussing this very same thing today with some fellow workers and the general concensus was to wait, a good long time.

F*ckin thing has disabled my Norton Anti-Virus version 8. Symantec's website said they won't have a fix for version 7 and 8 for a few more weeks yet. Damn. They do have a fix for Norton Anti-Virus 9 though.


Jeff

Thanks.

http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/Microso...-30992199.html

This news stories illustrates the same shortcomings I was worried about and that Jeff Remer discovered.

And it is not completely compatible with Intel components and wireless?

No thanks until they get the bugs out.

Hard for me to see the benefit when I spent $150 on virus, firewall, and spyware protection...

The main client I work on is waiting three months and even then they'll have trouble because of the size.

Lee Scoggins is right, it would be best to wait. You might just save yourselves alot of headaches. Search for SP2 on Techimo or any other PC forum and you will see there are already some issues with it.

Just my 2 data points: I've installed it on two systems at work and at home with no ill effects.

The new Windows Security Center is different on each one, the difference being because the work computer is a domain member, so Microsoft assumes that the network administrator is on top of things and won't show the user the at-a-glance status of the firewall, antivirus, and autoupdate.

I've installed on 3 computers and all are working perfectly. The Security Center won't communicate with Norton, but Norton is still working fine so I just told the Security Center to stop bugging me about it. The third computer uses AVG and the Security Center works happily with it. Also, two of the computers are setup on wireless networks and I've had no problems with them since installing SP2.