Windows XP SP2 - Problems, Problems, Problems

"So my conclusion is to do a totall reformat if you want to WinXP SP2 to work nicely"

-I have done exactly this so I guess what chew says is true because I only have a minimal performance loss

 

Hi, regarding service pack 2, we generally run W2K on our network, but have recently tried XP with service PK2 on about 40 PC,s with no problem. Some issues affecting performance can be spyware viruses etc, ensure you have a clean operating sytem, if neccessary do a fresh install of XP first and this should resolve your speed issues. Hope this helps. Nick.

 

Thanks Ron for the info.

I had a look at the Security Centre and found everything Checked.

I didn't do anything at all I just had a good look at them (i.e. I did not Uncheck any of the boxes) because, after thinking for a while, I thought I could do with some Warning Alert really ... It kind of tell me what setting I am on.

But the yellow sheild with exclaimation mark (the one that constantly alert me to switch on automatic mode) sitting in my intray has now gone ... hmmm ... wonder if it was "annoyed" by me looking at the Security Centre about Alert setting ... LOL!

Cheers

Chew

 

I have always guessed that the sequence of actions in a reinstallation are crucial. unfortunately there doesn't seem to be universal agreement on how to procede. I think the route I took was the same as above, only with (6) and (7) reversed. In fact I was even a bit more conservative as I only installed my AV and firewall in step 5 and defered installing the rest until
step 8.

The above method may describe a better sequence, but really, if it is that criticle I would not be too confident in the stability of sp2. All the ITP's I know are still recommending not installing sp2. All things considered I think the sp2 requirement is a bit of a knee jerk reaction. I don't know how many computer's are connected to your company's network. I wonder if all of the company pc's running xp have sp2 installed? If they don't that tells you something.

As a final note, next time I feel the need to try installing sp2 I'm going to get another hard drive, so that when I'm done fooling around I can put my old drive back and get on with what I'm doing without the hours (days? weeks?) of trying to get back to ground zero.


-HandsOff

 

The reason why I installed all my necessary drivers before WindowsUpdate because for some unknow reason my Dell Inspiron 8100 laptop function properly ... I had the CD for Dell Driver Utilities but there is nothing to download ...

So I went straight to WindowsUpdate then after that I installed the driver for Printer and my Camera. That's all. I think that's the two driver I installed really.

Chew

 

re: SP2

SP2 does contain many security updates; but not for the end user. Security in the sense that Micro$oft is gettin paid. If your windows installation has any bootleg software, well SP2 will not be friendly to your comp.

Software developers need to get paid, in one way or another. During the SP2 installation your comp will send out WMI info in 16k chunks when network bandwidth is idle. I have not found a way to block this outgoing packets, hence their are over 30,000 ports that it choose to send out from. SP2 is securing Micro$oft's interests not yours. And in return for purchasing the software users can surf the net with IE with almost little or no pop-ups, malware, etc. Micro$soft will even provide anti-spyware software for free, for validated customers. The software works great!

In short, you can still drive a car without a license. But if you get caught, do I need say anymore?

To hear is to doubt....
To see is to be deceived...
To feel is to believe...

Yes, SP2 is micro$oft's spyware, seeking, searching, for all the would be Robin Hoods of software. Once installed, it compares your keys to a national database. Inventories your hardware/software, etc.

Micro$oft=The Biggest Hackers on the planet...galaxy...

 

if there iz any forum called sp2 haters forum i will be first in the line....those bloddy hags dont let me play games
thtz right they r indeed the biggest hacker i have ever seen

 

I am a proud man, but I am not unreasonable. I can compromise with the best of them. I did my best to extend the olive branch to microsoft. Just how low did I go you ask? Well, I actually installed there Microsoft "genuine windows" thing, and I let its notorious autoupdater have the run of the computer. This is the computer equivalent of bearing my soul to them. With there assurance that I have genuine windows + being allowed to sift through all my files and take anything they want with zero resistance from me I figured there would be two possible outcomes:

1) They would be satisfied that I have a right to use windows, and they do not need to torture my computer to get the information they want. My computer will give them anything they want without a fight. They would be happy. They would would spare me the fate that awaits the guilty.

2) The same as above, but replace the last two sentances with: Now that they got everything they want, they decide to torture my computer to make sure there isn't something more that they couldn't find.


Well, geez, if they are going to punish me anyway, I may as well go back to my old policy not allowing any information at all to transmitted to microsoft that can be avoided.

 

I know what you mean when you say 'bootleg' software, but, I get the impression M$ thinks ANY software that doesn't have their fingerprints all over it, IS bootleg.

No matter how many times I have explained I had to get a new hard drive, Dell only gave me an OEM, it's a hassle to do anything at Windows Update. I finally quit! I'll find another way, then I find during an update they put .NET on too! It was like having two separate programs pulling constantly for domination of the other, XP vs .NET, every place I went they said you can't run that with both of those on, well, then WHY did M$ feel the need to put in on!! No more auto updates!

And still I have problems, with services that aren't even supposed to be on my maching, but, stopping them stops my puter. With SP2, most of them are back on the next time I boot up. How many progs must I have to keep them off? It's tiresome, I want to do OTHER things with my puter than fight M$ and their ideas of what I should be doing!

Every time you try to cooperate, it's like you are being punished for doing so! So, Hands, I know how you and your computer feel- CRAZED!

 

The problem of services has existed ever since XP was released. If you visit http://www.blackviper.com, you may see just how much services there are.

The problem is, these services are started automatically (i.e. starts automatically at startup) whether the user needs it or not! It *should* be set to Manual (i.e. it is started when the user executes an application that requires it and closed when the application is closed) but I dont think thats M$ idea of things.

 

IMHO the problem runs much, much deeper in the area of services. The problem is, like most other aspects of Windows, you can never be more than about 80-90 percent sure what services should be running. Yes there are guidelines, but they are just general. In the case of blackviper, it seems to me that he regards as useless a number of things that a lot of people need for their internet to work right. COM and COM+, many say disable, I say disable at your own risk. MS volume shadow copy, and Volume shadow copy...Manual? I don't like not knowing if a service is running, my guess is disable. Fast User Switching sounds good doesn't it? Not to me. It depends on Terminal service running which is questionable...Arrrrrrgh.

Okay if you do auto setup network connections (typical as they say) you get a whole lot. Microsoft network connections, QoS packet server, Microsoft file and printer sharing...netbios...but who knows, you may actually need them.

The only thing that almost makes it worth it in the end is if you can hear the sound of silence.

I am of course referring to the cessasion of constant hard drive writing that you will hear when you have finally found the combanation of services (and firewall settings) that keep microsoft at bay.

I don't know how it is for you, but for me it is always a surprise. after hours of agonizing decisions you just make one little insignificant mouse click and it happens. you reboot, it boots up fast! you click add/remove programs and they populate faster than rabits.

Oh, to feel that heady sensation just one more time!

-HandsOff

 

In the end, we all share something common - we end up saying "what the heck" or "why me"

 

im not sure what u guys r doing wrong or rite..but i know someone who's pc is hot as a pizza !! Bootlegged isnt the word im sure the sreensaver is bootleged anyhow no problem whatsoever SP2 updates and all.pc runs like a dream .this is with most stuff pirated cracked or whatever..so i guess MSoft arnt that smart. and im not up with stat's but im sure 1/3 of the population run craked software ..or windows itself just from what i seen alone?? MSoft should be more concerned about worms and protecting ppl not hacking them....MD

 

well you may be right MD-

They may not care if i stole xp. They may just want to see if i am worthy of stealling xp.

as for stealing my info, I'm sure its just a ploy to keep my mind off what they are really up to.

as for your pc running like a dream. Well I don't know how one can be sure. One would have to have a standard to measure against. The perfectly running xp computer. If they ever find one.


- HandsOff

 

I don't know about you guys. But my Dell Inspiron 8100 comes with the original WinXP Home Ed OS and as far as I know they are OEM by Dell from Microsoft. The rest of the stuff are freewares or licensed. Can't affort some fancy software really ... I don't play games btw. Only game is the pin ball that comes with the Microsoft.

But if Microsoft is going to charge me for Microsoft AntiSpyware (at the moment Beta) ... I am going to move on. They have got enough money from me already ... So I am not prepared to be squeeze further. I will continue to use freeware as much as I can if they want to squeeze.

In order to beat off bootleged or pirated cracked stuff Microsof got to be realistic in their pricing policy. Get real.

If they want to price their software in US$ and apply it to say ... some 3rd world countries they must be having a laugh. The price of their software practically cost an arm or a leg for those people.

So if the price is high and people cannot affort it ... what next? As you know if there is a demand there is a supply ... from the blackmarket ...

The higher Microsoft fix their price for the ordinary users the more blackmarketers are attracted to creating bootleged stuff ... like the bees to honey. That practice cannot be prevented no matter how Microsoft try to pressure 3rd world gov'ts. Will never work.

The best strategy for Microsoft is to lower their price to affortable 3rd world pricing ... but again that is not feasible too ... because many people will buy it from 3rd world ... LOL!

So the reality is that ... bootleged stuff will always be here so long as the price Microsoft set is sky high.

 

To recap, my sp2 stratagies to consider-

The Himas method where you install over a clean updated sp1

The Chew's IT strongarm method. where you apply sp2 immediately to a clean xp install and perhaps defer installation of updated drivers until after sp2 is installed.

The Marja method where it is paramount to mirror Microsofts ethical high standards w/ regard to piracy issues. (to be on the safe side I will include owning software made by companies other than Microsoft to be considered contraband).

My own proposed o/s revolving door method, where you buy a new hard drive and instead of doing the New York Times crossword puzzle every Sunday, you exchange hard drives and try your luck at installing sp2, then replace your old hard drive until the following Sunday.

Well, there is a forth method. We all know what it is. We all know it is foolproof. It may actually represent the true purpose of sp2. Following in the footsteps of Microsofts major o/s releases, there is only (ownly?) one real solution:

Buy a new computer!!!


- HandsOff

 

Well I dont know - but I had SP2 installed when I did this.

Back in January, I replaced my motherboard, CPU and soundcard, and added RAM, and to my surprise XP would not boot - not even in safe mode where the drivers arent loaded!!!

On the other hand, my cousin did it just fine once, upgrading from a P3 to a P4 on his XP SP1 machine....What went wrong

 

I meant with sp2 pre-installed. It's not that there aren't other ways, but this is the one sure way. years ago it used to be alot more difficult to assemble computers. There is more standardization now, but i dont know if you can ever be sure until you flip the switch if all the parts work well together.

Have you ever noticed that you can never learn what you need to about a component, until after you purchase one?

I want to build my next one, even though I know there will be some issues involved. The only thing that might stop me is (once again) if I need software that is bundled with the computer. it's always priced so high that it almost forces you to buy the Gateway, or whatever package. Do you remember how much XP and XP- Pro cost in 2003?


-HandsOff

 

im not sure my sp2 runs ok compared to sp1 about the same i run p3 with 360mb ram..80 gig all ok here!! No bootlegging though ..lol ..Mind u i have got stuff of other ppl programs? shareware etc..with there consent..As for bootlegging..well i once had a pc tech come out yrs ago to fix somethign all his software was burnt pirated its wayyyyyyyyyyyyy Bigger then Msoft realise?? MD

 

I really want to build one. For a while it seemed like you couldn't match the quality and price of the top computer makers. Now those prices seem pretty high. High enough so I will add up the cost of my dream machine parts, and I'm pretty sure I will get more for less building my own Tower of Power!


-HandsOff

 

I've built my own computer and it sure cost a hell of a lot less than the Dell PCs.

 

It's GATEWAY! and I got more than just the computer. they held my hand through many long nights when my computers life was hanging in the balance.

They also provide current drivers, advise you on hardware upgrades, ect...They will put up with just about anything! You didn't need that maybe. I on the otherhand soaked it up like a spong. They are worth it if you are not that knowledgeable about computers. I'm happy to say that now I have seen the light. I have the power! But I can't knock their service. I just feel ready to move on...


-HandsOff

 

Well, in my country, Dell is the only PC manufacturer who buildsPCs according to user specifications - and it also happens to have the best support.

Compaq, HP and IBM are OK - but Dell ranks the highest for me.

There are some other local brands, but their reliability is so poor that some of them had PCs which failed within the first 10 days after purchase!!!!

 

Windows XpSP2 sucks! I say that because my kids can't read this. I have crashed and burned four times now. It freezes, hates everything; Well, it is horrible and I am not a computer wiz or rich. First I thought it was my dsl(which isn't great either, but this is definately windows. I stripped my computer of everything and rebooted and guess what? Still stinks. I really feel like an unliscensed surgeon operating god knows where. Like anyone needs that. Any super computer heros around?