Windows XP SP2 - Problems, Problems, Problems

From the story here

And from the story here

 

I have still have not installed SP2, I have just heard of too many stories were it messed up peoples systems. Graded I have also heard many were it works fine. But my computer runs great and I do not want to compromise that, plus I am a very safe surfer so I am not really concerned with the security it offers. I will probably not install it until I re-install windows, and by then SP3 might be out!

 

Actually I myself use SP2 and have only slight problems, namely some search related, antivirus related (ignorable) and a reboot issue (happens if I have non-WHQL drivers).

EDIT:- I must add that the slowdown caused by SP2 installation is very much noticeable even on my PC with 1GB RAM. You should probably not install it if you have less than 512.

As mine is a gaming PC I found this annoying, I had to use several services tweaks to get it working nice and fast again, and it STILL isn't as fast as SP1.

 

ONCE UPON A TIME......
I said I would never install SP2....I sent for the Disc (Just to see, like you do)....it arrived....and I just couldn't hold back.....so I loaded it.....I had it in my OS for 2 weeks...I personally found it to be like finding a 'Spitting Hooded Cobra' in my bed.....so without more ado.....I oiked every living vestige of the thing out of my OS....and now, I'am romping along like a good 'un, with my (Happy to say) behind the times Computer, going at the speed of light and singing it's happy little head off.....AND WE'RE ALL LIVING HAPPILY EVER AFTER...The End.

Just my unbiased opinion you understand, (Just in case Bill finds out where I live )


Cochise,

 

Wow, see its reasons like this that I just do not want to install it. I have 758 Mb’s of ram with a 2.2 P4 but if I noticed ANY slowdown I would be pissed. I love the way my machine runs as is and don’t want to mess it up.

I also got the SP2 CD a while back but managed to resist installing it.

 

I was cleaning a SP2 system a couple of weeks ago that still ran slow and occasionally locked up after removing the malware. I tuned services per Black Viper and then defragged. Helped somewhat but still sluggish. Only after disabling Data Execution Protection did the system speed up noticeably and stop locking up. This was a Celeron 1.3GHz with 256MB RAM. Instructions for disabling DEP: Configuring System-wide DEP Options. Hope it helps. I have seen no performance loss or errors on my SP2 systems (two of which have SONY dual-layer burners and NERO).

Nick

 

I refuse to put SP2 on any of my XP boxes or laptops. I have read way too many issues with it (like every single SP2 release in Microsoft's history). I think I'll just wait until SP3 comes along.

I have my system fine-tuned and I really really don't want to have to redo a lot of my hard work because the programmers at MS think it's a good idea to turn on crap I have purposly left off or uninstalled.

 

I definitely noticed a slowdown with SP2 upon first install, but a very thorough defrag resolved the problem. SP2 is so large primarily because nearly every system executable has been recompiled to incorporate some of the new compiler-based security tricks (stack overflow guards, etc). When you go to update to SP2 all of these new files get thrown on your harddrive once initially in compressed form, then unpacked onto the drive and installed during the upgrade. Usually this involves some file fragmentation and less than optimal harddrive file placement. After the defrag, I haven't noticed any other lingering performance issues, and yes I have software DEP running for Microsoft signed system files.

 

It's more like a whole new operating system catches the feel of it that's for sure. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that my computer runs much better on sp-1.

The bad parts are

- You know things aren't the same, but instead of having the differences explained, you have to find out by trial and error.

- Isn't it possible for microsoft to just make the default settings less irresponsible than before? was it really necessary to do that who security center 3 ring circus?

- Hearing everyone saying how secure they are now with sp-2. Oh, really? I guess you won't be installing firewalls, av's, th's, anit sw, hjt, swb, swg, firefox, ect...The truth is you take away our private armies and sp-2 wouldn't last a hot second. But I am more vulnerable without? I sort of doubt it. The reason I have all my security programs in the first place is that without them my machine gets infected and starts to run the way it does when SP-2 is installed!

- I appreciate it, really, when microsoft comes out with patches that enhance security. But what I would really, really, really appreciate, is if instead of offering to send me an SP-2 cd, they would send me a cd of XP SP-1 with all of the security patches already integrated into the program. Now that would be something to celebrate!


- HandsOff

 

That was my experience. After a defrag, I noticed no difference.

Nick

 

You know, I don't want to start an all-out flamewar here or anything, but for all of the moaning I always hear about SP2 and Microsoft's updates, blah, blah, blah... I always have to ask... Hasn't anyone else ever had experience keeping up with Linux security patches on RedHat or Mandrake? Haven't you ever used a tool like rpmdrake? I don't know about you guys, but I get tons of stuff on a fairly regular basis listed as "security updates". I guess I'm the only one getting these, eh?

 

I'm sure Linux has its share of problems. We're all doing a combination of what works best for us, and what we think is going to a responsable way to protect our system.

It's fun to badmouth microsoft, I admit it. It's even funner to hear people defend microsoft's conduct. But appart from that, we in the forums try to understand the issues and when something doesn't make sense, or seems downright wrong we say so.

I wouldn't call my self an expert, I just go by the feel of things sometimes. You hear everyone saying restore points good, you know you gotta go out and get a good non-microsoft system back-up software and then deactive the restore and purge its contents. You read "allow indexing service to make searches faster..." written by microsoft. That's a clue. Bill gates is practically shouting deactivate it on all drives and disable the service. You see windows had a zipping utility. After you get WinRAR or something it can be trashed.

Windows has its strong points, the strongest being that you can effectively replace most of it.

People say MS-Word takes too long to load. No way! I just timed it. Between 1 and 2 seconds. For real. and my computer aint exactly new. I love Word. I think its the best thing microsoft makes. Oh, I have turned of all the automatic crap and the dancing paper clip. To me Word is a microcosm of its host XP. They work great, as long as you don't get duped into believing a) you have a problem, and b) they have the cure.


- HandsOff

 

Well, What I meant by 'noticeable slowdown' was that my startup times had increased and general performance was a bit low, but now that I see it, games have none or negligible difference, I do appreciate SP2's security thingies, but the amount of services for the same are too much!

 

No noticable change has been made to my system at all since installing SP2 apart from the added security features which are welcome

Jimbob

 

You're too lucky to be human...What demi-god are you? Spill the beans!

 

One which spends too much time on the computer

 

SP2 messed up my machine. So i sit there for hours downloading it ona dial up connection, broad band isnt availible were i live. Then only to find it disables my dial up tones and stops my little trafic light in the corner from showing when im connected, so i cant check my connection speed or the number im dialed to. I had it only for a total of 5 minuites then had to do 2 system restores to fix get it off. Its also messed up my aol not that im botherd cos im getting rid of it soon but measn i have to format my machine. It didnt help me at all. I only wanted it for the pop up blocker any way. Cant believe i wasted so much time downloading it.

 

Actually SP2 messed up my Modem drivers which is why I always install all my drivers only after installing SP2 first. Something's insanely evil with SP2...

 

WIN XP SP2 made me want to go back to 98SE,
(I can dual boot to 98SE anyway, thankfully.)

SP2 made my whole system behave VERY strangely
ALMOST IMMEDIATELY!

I yanked the plug on it and restored to SP1 version
after about an hour of it's nonsense.

The Adware/Spyware thing that comes with it is
a bad joke. AVOID IT LIKE THE PLAGUE!

The way MS runs their show, I think I'll wait for
"Service Pack 10".

Maybe they'll have something worthwhile by then Eh?

 

Nahh...Service Pack 10 will advertise a banner to upgrade to the latest Windows every moment in your face.

It will say that XP is no longer supported, please upgrade to Windows whatever....

 

Oh Yeah, that's right, they only support their stuff
"For awhile", (I.E. as long as they feel like,) LOL!

 

For now, I'm going to continue running WIN XP SP1
with all my after-market toys up and running.

Including, but not limited to:

AVG Anti-virus.
Sygate personal Firewall.
Adaware SE.
Spybot search and destroy.
Spyware blaster.

They've kept me out of trouble in the past and will
more than likely keep me out of trouble in the future.

You better believe it!

 

Passing Through,

We reached the same conclusion about leaving SP1 in place. I wanted to go back to SP1 about 5 minutes after the install of SP2, however, I figured I would give it a few days.

I honestly do not understand the hypothesized security improvements. I do see the negatives:

- Familiarity with all of the optimal settings is negated. Some services are renamed, and worse still some of the the formerly shut down ones seem to have been tied as necessities for services you do need.

- The security center just gets in the way.

- The IE improvements do very little IMHO. You would not have much of an internet experience if you did not install SWB, SWG, Bugoff, WWDC, IE spyad, SS&D, and more...Even if you do, you still will not be as safe as browsing with firefox.

- It appears that WMP-10 (which if you didn't notice adds yet another running service compared to WMP-9) and SP2 combine in their automatically predetermined fashion to allow the installation and activation of trojans in .wmv, and .asf. Thats right, video files can be a threat. The DRM of WMP-10 gets fooled into thinking you do not have rights to a video clip download which is embedded with a trojan. SP2 then goes to internet to download the DR's but instead is diverted to a site that plants a bunch of adware on your computer. (I personally had 2 such infected files, 1 a .wmv, and 1 a .asf file. Panda found the trojans. Since I don't use WMP-10 or SP2 I guess i was not in much danger)


Your real security is not ever likely to come from microsoft. Almost every program they make is designed to actively seek out the internet and allow file sharing, remote assistance, automatic login to sights, usage date, automated updates,Alexa tracking, hidden IE history files, computer clock updates...

I don't know about you but I want the designer of my security programs not to be the same one that is trying to break in!

And along those lines...so Microsoft is developing Antispy products that will be sold separately from windows. Boy, I really see the incentive for them to improve XP's security and lessen the need for their new product!

The only new service I would like from Microsoft is legal service. If they get away this, they've got the best lawyers on earth!


-HandsOff






-

 

I have installed sp2 on many pc's for a lot of people and have had only one problem and it was corrected by installing an updated driver. I have not percieved any slowdown of any of the comps that I installed sp2 on. All I can think of is that the comps that I read about that have all of the problems with sp2 just weren't configured right to install sp2. I do know that there is a compatability problem with some Dell computers and sp2 but that is a hardware thing. And there are some AMD processor computers that have problems with sp2. But the majority of computers that are configured to run sp2 don't seem to have many problems. I know some do have real problems with sp2 but there are way more that have no problems than the ones that do have issues with sp2. On the outside chance that you might have issues with sp2 is not really a good excuse not to install it.

bigc

 

SP2 and AMD processors...hmmm - I have an Athlon64. Can you tell me more about this? Its just that my startup times have increased, but program performance remains the same.

Regards,
Firecat