Win XP SP2 CD Available For Free

xp sp2 cd?

anyone order the xp sp2 cd yet. I did today I am curious to see how long it takes. I already installed the IT version though.

 

Go here to get a free one mailed to you.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default.mspx

 

Thanks for letting me (and us) know MS "woke up" that order page again. I had it saved in Favorites, but as of only a day or two ago it was still showing only that "check back later this summer" thing.

 

I'll let you know BigC, I've ordered it now

As a reference, when I ordered SP1, I received it in 3 days ... it was shipped UPS. It's nice to get a little service considering all we have invested in M$.

dog -

 

Ordered mine to-day....just for the Hell of it......probably use it as Whiskey glass coaster...... ......coz I think it will be big, black and hairy and I be afeared of it...




Cochise,

 

Don't know whether dog's 3-day delivery was a freak, but if it winds up more like the 6 to 8 weeks they're quoting, then there should be lots of patches to it available by the time it arrives and you get it installed.

Actually that's a nice way to compromise on the question of whether or not to hold off installing it -- since us dialup users have no choice to speak of but the CD, the delivery delay will give them a chance to work on and issue critical-upgrade patches while we're waiting for delivery. And I imagine it'll be a repeat of SP1, with relatively rare exceptions the patches will be nothing to download & install compared to the main SP.

 

For UK delivery I was told to allow 28 days Mike....that's about normal for these parts...I'm so excited I can hardly wait...


Cochise,

 

Im on dial up and when i went to windows update yeasterday it told me that sp2 was available for download . I downloaded it and it was 82 .5 MB This took just over 4 hours only. I have heard some say that its 250 MB and more etc . however mine was only 85MB .

 

I suspect that depends a lot on how up to date your critical upgrades are -- if I understand correctly, the whole 265-meg (or whatever) package includes all previous upgrades, so if you're in good shape with those it apparently cuts the package way down.

I'm impressed, though, with your download time -- my typical connection is at 48K, and while I never really paid attention to actual transfer speed, about 10 megs an hour has been more typical for anything I download.

 

Yes it worked out at around 18-20 MB per hour. However I am down under when the northern hemispere is fast a sleep its daylite here . So perhaps less traffic ( not sure whether that really effects it or not ) I was pleasantly surprised at the ease of instalation .There are no issues as far as I am aware .The only thing I found was after instalation my ad watch SE monitor would keep alerting me of untold new additions to the registry and this kept up no matter how many times I gave permission . I had to adjust the ad watch monitor to automatic so as not to be hassled constantly. That sorted it out and every thing is flowing very smoothly. I have emailed for a CD as well . and they said it would be around 4 - 6 weeks also.

 

If you have SP1 installed, then the download is only about 80-90mB. Without SP1 then you have the much larger download.

I am very impressed, SPC, that you managed to stay on-line for that amount of time. Did you use a Download manager and Resume?

The most I go for is 10-15mB tops. Any more, my daughter downloads on her cable connection at College and burns to disc!

 

Interesting -- given the difference, it implies that SP2 (by itself) is quite a bit smaller than SP1 was.

 

Me too (though I hardly drink any whiskey any more )
28 days to delivery claimed for me (in Netherlands) as well - keep you posted.

rgds,
slam

 

In UK I think one of the pc mag will be handing out a free copy of SP2 next month ... or in their next issue.

Can't remember which mag now.

 

Don't tell me........I bet if the truths known you live a couple of doors down form Big Bill and he 'Skimmed' a disc into your yard as he passed in his Limo...Right?.......Some people are so lucky.............come on Ron, let's be knowing the truth...........



Cochise,

 

No haven't gotten mine yet. I was going to reinstall my xp pro and start fresh with the sp2 disc. I have installed the It network version but I had to restore and reinstall it again and after the second install it worked perfectly except that it took 18gbs of disc space in the process. well I turned off restore and it cleared the restore partition and now I am back to only 5.1 gigs on the Hdd. I guess the sp2 backed up the os twice plus what was already on the restore.

 

Mine copy came in 4 days, but the CD was stuck in the folder they sent it in and there's minor damage to the CD surface having to loosen it. Not sure if that will make any difference.

I'm holding off installing it until I see just what software will and won't work. A list posted someplace here says MS Word and Works won't function with SP2. I have Word 2002, and need it in my work. So, I'm putting SP2 away until I find out more. I also have McAfee Internet Security 6, with Firewall 5 Plus and virusscan 8. Both, according to McAfee are okay. The other stuff in that suite, I can live without if necessary.

 

Went into our local newsagents shop this morning and noticed the SP2 Disc stuck to the front of 'PC Plus' Magazine!......resisted the overwhelming temptation to buy it....



Cochice,

 

Mine arrived this morning (via Purolator, interestingly) -- about a week or 10 days from ordering, so it looks like MS is pretty consistently doing much better than the 4-6 weeks they've been quoting.

Question -- anyone figured out where the several gigs of backups are put, and if they can be safely trashed? All I could find was the uninstall info, which ran a few dozen megs -- I got rid of that, since I use Restore-IT and can "time travel" back that way if necessary. But it sounds like there's still a heck of a lot unaccounted for somewhere -- an additional 5 pct of my 40 gig HD is now in use, which mental math tells me works out to about 2 gigs.

 

all of sp2's back up is in restore. when I cleared restore I gained back 13 gigs from two sp2 installs the trash from both installs stayed in restore along with the regular stuff.

 

I got my sp2 cd at my local Staples store for free. It was in the software aisle next to Windows xp. So i didn't have to wait at all for it to be delivered thru the mail.

As far as i know all Staples stores should carry it, just ask if you can't find it. I have also heard BestBuy has the free cd too and probably Compusa also, but i haven't checked their yet i just heard they have them.

Don't really understand why everyone is getting them through the mail when you can just walk into most stores, that sell computers, and pick one up still for free of course.

The cd is 475mb. It contains sp1 too and some other stuff. But is well worth having IMO. You never know when you may need to reformat/reinstall Windows and for anyone on dialup it is a hugh help.

If i were you i would pick one up asap, because they may not be around forever. I missed out on the free 9x/me cd's because i waited too long and now i can't get them anymore. But i didn't miss out on this one.