Tandem

gcbrowni

The vast majority of the worlds XP users don't know what their doing. Placing nag icons in toolbar will get the masses to use a firewall, update their patches, and load a virus checker. MS has raised the baseline for security on XP, and that's a Good Thing.

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From the day of his birth Gilgamesh was called by name.

Redjake

It works fine for me so far. Boy that's some blue text

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Off the record, on the q.t., and very hush-hush.

Pragma

Works great for me on all work computers, personal computers, and friends' computers I've installed it on (totalling probably about 50 or 60 different machines of varying hardware platforms).

soopafreek

i haven't installed it on any machines yet, primarily due to all the bug reports i've seen about application incompatabilities, gaping security holes and reductions in performance (from slashdot, neowin, news.com, etc.)

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aaarrrrrgggghhhh!!!!

tropple

Worthwhile only if you're a masochist.

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+++++++++++Boom!

brandon11983

HA! I voted "couldn't care less" because I couldn't. I can't believe they still make Windows machines.

*hugs his problem free Mac*

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Well behaved women rarely make history.

shadowalker

I have been using it sence the frist network beta release. I have had no problems with it to date. I like the fixes, there is less to worry about.

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I'll make ya famous!

irseg

I like it because I don't have to worry as much about browser hijacks when I look at warez or porn sites and forget to use Firefox. IE seems to be far more secure, so far.

Speed_Gibson

have to go with 'could not care less'
I used SP1 briefly several installations back and never have touched them again.
not worried about browser hijacks unless they get my Opera as IE is gone from this system.

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Started talking to yourself I see.
Yes, it's the only way I can be certain of an intelligent conversation.

Black Adder

Cataclysm

SP2 works fine on my fiancee's computer, and was working fine on my old Compaq. But it doesn't want anything to do with my new system I built.

Bill O'Rights

What do I know? I'm still running Windows 98. *shrug*

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"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony

"Hedonism with rules isn't hedonism at all, it's the Republican party." - JumpinJesus

It is indisputable that true beauty lies within...but a nice rack sure doesn't hurt.

Delirious

Works fine so far in the few days I've had it running. Nero gave me a warning message about an issue with it but I was able to burn fine.

Homey_V

Neither myself or any of my friends will touch it.
It totally fubared someones computer I know.

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You did what with a duck?

ninety09

I like the upgrade. I didn't have any firewalls before, but now I use the Windows one. Better than nothing I guess.

Tandem

Nothing wrong with that, I still know a number of individuals and businesses that are still using Win 3.1.
And they'd prefer not to change.

zero2

it's ok considering all the security vulnerabilities it fixes.

Flyguy

Working good so far.....

pan6467

It's fine for me. It messed with my monitor dimensions but other than that it's working fine. I did have to get an anti-virus and MS gave me several choices. I went with EZ, which gave a free 1 year download, don't know why figure all the A/V's are pretty much the same.

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I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

Obtuse

I'll give it a "worthwhile" vote for 2 reasons.

1. I've been running it for a month or so and haven't had any conflicts.
2. It may not be a secure as we would all like, but it is more secure than it was.

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Truth cares not for knowledge.

Y2KDREAD

it's ok if it works on your computer. But it does not add anything that special and the new security features don't work with some things (like the windows firewall will not work with the VPN)

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Signatures are for chumps.

Tandem

Y2KDREAD, then this will provide some comfort reading I hope. I'd meant to post this on the day of writing but completely forgot until I saw your post.

XP SP2 distribution accelerated, VPN problem fixed
Joris Evers, IDG News Service

23/09/2004 08:59:48

Microsoft will accelerate the rollout of Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) over the next month and has released the first official update for SP2 to fix a problem some users had with VPNs (virtual private networks).

As of Friday, Microsoft had distributed SP2 to roughly 20 million users through the Automatic Updates feature in Windows and the Windows Update Web site, a Microsoft spokesman said Wednesday. Most of these users are home and small business users, he said.

The software maker is accelerating distribution of SP2 to reach its goal of updating 100 million PCs through Automatic Updates by Oct. 18, two months after SP2 was first made available through the automatic update service.

"Microsoft is aggressively monitoring and managing the download of SP2 and will be increasing the number of downloads over time," the Microsoft spokesman said.

Microsoft has been gradually pushing out SP2 to users via Automatic Updates since Aug. 18 and is still adding localized versions of the security-focused update. SP2 is currently available in about 16 languages, according to the Microsoft spokesman. Microsoft has said it will offer the update in 25 language versions.

Shortly after Microsoft released SP2, a problem was detected that affected users of VPNs. Microsoft last month made available a temporary fix and earlier this week released a permanent fix in the form of an update, the first patch for the mammoth SP2.

The update, detailed in article 884020 in Microsoft's Knowledge Base, fixes a problem with applications attempting to connect to loop-back IP (Internet Protocol) addresses other than 127.0.0.1. SP2 blocks all those addresses and users see an error message.

Microsoft made a network installation package of SP2 available to enterprise customers on Aug. 9 and started automatic delivery to PCs running Windows XP Home Edition on Aug. 18. Automatic delivery of the service pack to Windows XP Pro machines was postponed until Aug. 25 to allow business users more time to block the update.

Microsoft has labeled SP2 a "critical" update and urges all Windows XP users to install it as soon as possible. As of March this year, Microsoft had sold about 210 million Windows XP licenses, not counting volume license sales to businesses. There are about 600 million Windows PCs in use worldwide, Microsoft estimated in July.

More information on the SP2 VPN issue is available at:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=884020

Pragma

Just as a heads up, SP2 includes over four hundred security fixes, modified behaviour for Windows to be more secure, etc. - in my view, that's something special and worthwhile.

Cycler

<p>I second that. I wish I had never installed it on my machine at home. No one else I know has had the problem of freezing or hanging I have had since its installation. At work I haven't installed because I am about to switch out machines.

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"I'm not even supposed to be here today."

"I assure you we're open."

Dragonlich

So, some of the people voting "worthwile" do so because it doesn't ruin their system? I'd say it'd be worthwile if it actually *adds* something to your system...

As for the one guy with the mac: my current system with XP is rock solid. I can have it running for days without a hitch, and haven't had a crash for over a year. Macs can be more stable because their hardware is pretty damn standard. Windows is just as stable with good hardware. (And FYI, I crashed a mac once. )

Tandem

I'm still running my original PIII-600 (384M) running XPSP2. It's never shutdown (with the odd exception for mandatory updates/installs) or powered off.

It runs 24x7 without a single hitch.
Why does it run 24x7 - I run SETI @ Home (my stats).

I've only even seen the system crash or old blue screen of death once, and that was when I accidently unplugged the audio cable and stupidly plugged it back in while the system was running - causing a hardware addressing failure (doh!).