Should I install Windows XP Service Pack 2 ???

[morosco]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 1:44pm

I've been reading good and bad things about the "upgrade". I've heard that it funks up some applications (including some Microsoft applications!). I've also read that it's mainly an anti-virus program and an improved firewall. I currently have McAfee for my anti-virus and ZoneAlarm for my firewall. What should I do? Accept the upgrade and hope for the best? Will I even have a choice after a certain amount of time?

[morosco]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 1:45pm

Oh no. Wrong board. I wanted to put this on the off topic board. Help?

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 1:46pm

They'll move it.

[musicalfandukie]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 1:48pm

i hate xp all together..i will probably just stick to 98 the rest of my life..lol

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 1:53pm

The only thing I hate about XP is that every time I click on Internet Explorer, I get SO MANY pop ups. It is not as bad now that I have Internet Security, but before I couldn't go to a website without 5 pop ups appearing at a time each time I clicked. Then my computer would freeze, or a window wouldn't close, and I had to restart my computer.

[morosco]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 2:03pm

Hey Millie: The upgrade is supposed to help eliminate pop ups. Another good way to eliminate them is to use www.google.com as you homepage and download the google toolbar. For me it's eliminated 99% of those pesky pop ups.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 2:07pm

I used to have the toolbar and it helped, but I still got popups. I even got popups that read "Do you hate popups?" or "This pop up is not supposed to be here..." which is kind of ironic.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 2:15pm

Yeah, I'm on Windows 98 (2nd edition) too. It still crashes and has lots of bugs, but it's still the best version of Windows made yet. Much better than the cartoonish travesty that is XP.

Next time I get a computer, I'm getting a Mac.

[Plum]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 2:16pm

I'd hold off on installing it, morosco. Didn't Microsoft stop distributing it due to all the bugs?

Oh, and XP never gave me problems. It's actually quite stable. And with the Google toolbar I eliminated almost all pop-ups.

[Jussoc]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 3:54pm

Here is the deal, the nes XP-SP2, was rush releashed by Microsoft, and so will be very suseptible to hackers for the next 3-8 months. So I suggest holding out on it until that time, and let other people figure out the problems before you do.

The good thing about it is that Microsoft rewrote all of the XP code, and now this new hardware is like nothing the computer world has ever seen before. This also means that all programs written before 2001 will not run on the new super-system. Ah well out with the old, in with the new.

Oh yeah, and about the Google toolbar, it may stop pop-ups but it also contains a butt-load of spyware that can invest your computer.

[Plum]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 4:36pm

Jussoc- I know Google has some tracking stuff going on, but will it still "infest" my computer if I opted out of getting extra features?

[Plum]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 4:39pm

Okay, nevermind. I did my own research. Google toolbar is not spyware. Like I said, you can opt out of tracking (which is an extremely mild form of tracking anway, used merely for page ranking), and you lose a bit of functionality. Google isn't deceptive about this, and doesn't install crap behind your back. It's not spyware or adware at all.

[Jussoc]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 4:39pm

Your right Plum, maybe I exageratted a little. Sorry:)

[Plum]

Posted: 8/23/04 at 4:49pm

No problem- paranoia is a good thing online, considering how many "respectable" companies like AOL, RealNetworks, and Hewlett-Packard really do screw you over with extra programs.

[joeyjoe]

Posted: 11/22/04 at 3:20pm

Sooooooo, i have yet to install SP2... does anyone have any updates as to the performance of SP2? i've searched the Microsoft Knowledge base and can find nothing very recent regarding the fixing of any bugs and what-not... right now, i am ignoring the auto-update dialog that keeps popping up until i know that this product is fixed...

[umgeoboy]

Posted: 11/22/04 at 3:23pm

Ok I have installed it, since this is computer is not owned by me and I was forced to.

First Service pack 2 slows down your computer a bit. (only negative that I have seen)

On the positive side. It has a much better firewall, blocks pop ups which is awesome, and seems to have a better virus protector.

[BWIDB Charlie]

Posted: 11/22/04 at 3:24pm

SP2 automatically installed on my computer, don't ask!

I had a hell of a time configuring the new Windows Security to actually allow my Norton Internet Security Pro to work. I personally don't like the "additions" of SP2, but that's me. I still have to work hard to see a pop-up window (such as "click here to view the Woman In White clip.")

Oh well.

Charlie
[e-mail]

[BT]

Posted: 11/22/04 at 3:32pm

This is why I use a mac. I heart my powerbook.

[Plum]

Posted: 11/22/04 at 4:37pm

I finally installed SP2 yesterday, and my main objection to what it's done is that it tried to get me to download Office Updater- which took half an hour on a high speed line- then told me I'd need my Office, then Works, then who knows what other CDs in order to install it. I had the Office CD with me but (oops) the Works CD is at home. And goddamit that's annoying.

Otherwise, though, I don't mind the firewall or security stuff. I just tell the computer not to install any updates without my approval and everything is just fine.

[timote316]

Posted: 11/22/04 at 5:04pm

Here's my experiences lol:

I download SP2, and it messed up my computer. Everything ran slowly if they did at all, it was terrible. I uninstalled it. Well, the next day at school, I found out I had to install it onto my laptop, or else I couldn't get onto the network. I installed it a second time, and its fine. I have absolutely no problems with it.

As for the popups, the best thing I ever did was download Mozilla Firefox. This, coupled with a good sweeping program that eliminates any and all spryware, has ensure pop-up free use. Its excellent, I highly suggest Firefox (just go to firefox.com to get it, totally free). For those wondering, Firefox works just like IE, and even has extras, such as tabbed browsing. lol, I could go on forever. If you want to know more, PM me.

Wow, I'll stop now, as I sound like a Firefox-salesman/shill lol

[Caroline-Q-or-TBoo]

Posted: 11/22/04 at 5:49pm

the dude who did our computer said NOOOOOO, so, yea