XP SP2 - are you brave enough ?

[SmartWombat]

Well, Microsoft have finally delivered XP SP2.

I realise I am totally letting the side down by reading the documentation.
MSFT have an interesting knowledgebase article http://support.microsoft.com/default...t=windowsxpsp2

Program name ........ PhotoShop CS
Program version ...... 8.0
Program vendor ...... Adobe
Processor type ....... 64-bit (NX)
Web site ................ http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/main.html
Issue or symptom ... Program installs, but will not start.

Hardly a major issue, as 64-bit applicaitons don't seem to run particularly well under Vista either. I was recoomended by the vendor of a Vista system I bought not to bother with 64-bit Vista as no applications work with it anyway and the Windows On Windows layer that lets it run 32 bit applications is slower than using Vista 32 bit.
So I'm not going to push the envelope with 64-Bit XP either

This makes interesting reading too: http://support.microsoft.com/search/...=&mode=r&lsc=0
That returns over 200 hits on "xp service pack 2 problems"

Enough to make me wait, and let other people take the jump and go to XP SP2 before I risk my computer with it.
That reminds me, I must make another drive image backup tonight ...

[mwfanelli2]

Enough to make me wait, and let other people take the jump and go to XP SP2 before I risk my computer with it.
That reminds me, I must make another drive image backup tonight ...

Yep, my home machine runs XP Pro and I won't be installing any SP until others have tested it for me.

As for 64-bit, that is really a waste for most people. Correctly stated, most apps are not written for 64-bit and manufacturers are very slow (if they do it at all) to create 64-bit drivers. I've noticed the same with multiple-core CPUs. Nice to have but not a visible difference, at least for me.

[Didache]

Here's an old one ...

Enjoy!
Mike


Bill Gates dies in a car accident. He finds himself in purgatory, being sized up by St. Peter.

"Well, Bill, I'm really confused on this call; I'm not sure whether to send you to Heaven or Hell. After all, you enormously helped society by putting a computer in almost every home in America, yet you also created that ghastly Windows '95. I'm going to do something I've never done before in your case; I'm going to let you decide where you want to go."

Bill replied, "well, what's the difference between the two?" St. Peter said, "I'm willing to let you visit both places briefly, if it will help your decision."

"Fine, but where should I go first?"

"I'll leave that up to you."

"Okay then," said Bill, "Let's try Hell first."

So Bill went to Hell. It was a beautiful, clean, sandy beach with clear waters and lots of bikini-clad women running around, playing in the water, laughing and frolicking about. The sun was shining; the temperature perfect. He was very pleased.

"This is great!" he told St. Peter. "If this is hell, I REALLY want to see heaven!""Fine," said St. Peter, and off they went.

Heaven was a place high in the clouds, with angels drifting about, playing harps and singing. It was nice, but not as enticing as Hell.

Bill thought for a quick minute, and rendered his decision. "Hmmm. I think I'd prefer Hell," he told St. Peter.

"Fine," retorted St. Peter, "as you desire."

So Bill Gates went to Hell.

Two weeks later, St. Peter decided to check on the late billionaire to see how he was doing in Hell. When he got there, he found Bill, shackled to a wall, screaming amongst hot flames in dark caves, being burned and tortured by demons.

"How's everything going?" he asked Bill.

Bill responded, with his voice filled with anguish and disappointment, "This is awful! This is nothing like the Hell I visited two weeks ago! I can't believe this is happening! What happened to that other place, with the beautiful beaches, the scantily-clad women playing in the water?!???"

"That was a demo," replied St. Peter.

[Didache]

Seriously, XP SP2 has been out for ages .. what do you mean just "released"?

Mike

[Franglais]

Is this a post from 2006 (or even 2005) that has somehow found it's way into 2008?

I just disconnected my last XP system. I don't need two desktop systems. I am now running only Vista (32 bits) on my desktop and my portable.

The advantages of Vista 64 bits (vs 32 bits) are :

1. It will support more than 4GB of RAM
2. It has better protection against viruses
3. It will run 64 bit applications

VISTA 64 bit won't run your normal applications any faster. The 64 bit applications are typically optimised to use more than 4GB or RAM. The only one I'm interested in is Microsft EXCHANGE (for testing) which won't install on VISTA anyway. I use VMWARE to create virtual 64 bit machines running under VISTA 32-bit (yes it works as long as the processor hardware is 64 bit). Performance is fine - with a quad core cpu, 4GB of RAM and 3 high-performance hard disks..

[SmartWombat]

Well my Windows Update just delivered XP SP2 yesterday.
I was shocked to find I was running a new version this morning !
I wondered why I suddenly got IE7 changes and other all kinds of "upgrades" installed in a rush.

It could well be that there is an error that's kept me living in the past.
Apart from old age and approaching senility, Mike, before you say it !

So, maybe my windows update has been in a time warp ?
Hmmm - time to check my registry settings.

I'm hoping that's all it is, and that I haven't got something that is blocking the WGA authentication. "Windows Genuine Authentication", huh - that is anti-piracy pure and simple ... but MSFT block updates if your system is not genuine.

That would stop me getting anything but security updates in future.
Although I have a hardware firewall, I still want extra security.

[SmartWombat]

Is this a post from 2006 (or even 2005) that has somehow found it's way into 2008?

Nope, looks like I have a system fault that failed to deliver the SP2 upgrade when I reinstalled my machine after its third hardware failure in two years.
Possibly after every hardware failure - have I been on SP1 all that time ?

I don't know what it was, but it proudly announced that SP2 was on my PC after windows update burst into life ... I am totally baffled why it kept me on SP1 !!


I shall start playing Jethro Tull "Living in the Past" in celebration of my late upgrade


Maybe I should wait for SP3 to be delivered some time in 2010 ??
Assuming every one else gets it this year :mad2:

[mwfanelli2]

Seriously, XP SP2 has been out for ages .. what do you mean just "released"?

Mike

I was assuming he meant the SP3 which has an estimated release date sometime this month or next along with Vista SP1.

[SmartWombat]

I was assuming he meant the SP3 which has an estimated release date sometime this month or next along with Vista SP1.

I'm watching for the SP3 Gold Release Candidate, I have a sacrificial computer to try it on ...

But no, it wasn't a typing mistake for 3 ... my computer has been weird since it started trashing the hard drive and I had to reinstall it. I've fitted extra cooling fans on the first reinstall, replaced the hard drives (they were faulty) on the second reinstall, and the memory upgraded to 2G on the third reinstall.

I am now sitting with fingers crossed, having seen the bugs list, hoping it's going to keep running.


Oh an interesting article I found, NEC are shipping Vista-to-XP downgrade kits ... but not in the USA.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=12041