It's Coming!
Vol. 1 - No. 5
It’s Coming!
Windows XP Service Pack 2 (“SP2”) is coming soon to a computer near you. This is the 800-pound gorilla of Service Packs. It includes a lot of features that are helpful, but at the same time has been responsible for a variety of problems and incompatibilities with software programs of various kinds. And unless you are careful, you will not be able to stop it from being installed on your computer.
There’s no evil conspiracy at work. SP2 is just a big set of software changes. There are tens of millions of computers running Windows XP. It’s not possible to foresee every possible problem on every possible computer. So opinions have run hot and cold about whether to install SP2.
Up to now, Microsoft provided a way for administrators of large Windows installations to prevent the installation of Service Pack 2. By setting the value of a specific “key” in the Windows Registry, you could prevent SP2 from being installed when a user visited the Microsoft Update Web site. This was intended to give system administrators the ability to prevent deployment of SP2 into big corporate networks until they could test and prepare for it. Large IT departments didn’t want individual users downloading SP2 from sources like Windows Update, encountering unexpected problems, and then flooding the IT help desk with calls.
As of April 12, 2005, this Registry key is now being ignored by Microsoft’s updating software. If your computer runs Windows XP and does not have Service Pack 2, it will soon be installed when you visit Windows Update, or possibly automatically.
That means that you will most likely receive SP2 over the next few days unless you handle automatic updates from Windows carefully. This URL from Microsoft’s Web site, describes how you can control this update:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sp2aumng.mspx
Please read this article carefully. Making the wrong clicks will install SP2 even if you don’t want it, or will prevent it from being installed if you do.
Why might you want to approach Service Pack 2 with
some care?
- It’s big. Downloading it will take about an hour on a cable-modem
connection. It would take much longer than that on a dialup line. You
might do better by ordering the service pack on CD and installing it
that way.
- SP2 might cause trouble with some part of your computer’s operations:
perhaps the wireless network, or some of your programs. There’s
likely nothing that cannot be undone if need be. However, if you really
depend on your computer, trying to track down such a problem can consume
a lot of your time and effort.
- You might be waiting until some specific software you use is ready
for Service Pack 2. If you depend on a specific program: payroll, accounting,
MRP, etc. that doesn’t run with SP2, you will want to hold off.
Talk to your software vendor if this applies to you.
- You just aren’t ready yet. For example, you should be certain to have a trustworthy backup of your entire system before you install Service Pack 2.
Why should you take steps to obtain Service Pack
2?
- It makes your system more secure. IT pros argue back and forth about
how true this is (particularly those with a preference for GNU/Linux
and open-source software). But SP2 includes a lot of changes to make
life better for you.
- It’s supported. If you want to continue to obtain software updates
for Windows, you will want SP2. Recently, I have begun to see updates
which are only appropriate for XP SP2 systems. As more updates appear,
non-SP2 computers will far farther behind.
- It can make life online much easier. I’ve found that those annoying pop-up ads are nearly eliminated because of what’s added in SP2. There are other changes, as well, that I know can help ordinary people who don’t have an IT Help Desk to rely on.
What to do now
Back up your system. Completely and totally. We can show you how to do this if you aren’t comfortable in this area. This is good advice regardless of circumstances, but it’s really important if you move to SP2. There are so many changes in Service Pack 2, that any pre-SP2 backups you’ve made may not restore correctly after SP2 is in place (I discovered this first-hand). I tell my friends to treat SP2 like a new version of Windows.
After you upgrade to SP2, back the system up again. That way you can begin to use SP2 knowing that you can undo things later if something isn’t right. Both pre- and post-SP2 backups are useful if you encounter any difficulties after the upgrade.
Consider setting your Automatic Updates preference so that you are notified of updates without having them installed automatically. You can choose to install when you get the notification, or you can hold off. It’s more work for you, but it gives you more control over changes to your computer. And it’s safer than simply applying updates by hand if you remember to check for them.
Do you work for a big organization? Then this advice might not apply to you. Talk to your network administrators about Service Pack 2 and how you should protect your computer.
While you’re at it, order SP2 on CD even if you installed it online. Down the road, should you need to install Windows again, having this Service Pack at the ready can save you a lot of download time later.
Please note: Any trademarks and trade names of others mentioned in this message are the property of their owners, and not Stoney Hill Associates, LLC. We respect the intellectual property of others. The information provided is believed to be reliable, but we cannot guarantee that the procedures and information given here will work correctly for your specific situation.
If you would like help with a computer or software problem you face, contact us. Send an email to request@stoneyhillassociates.com.
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