For those technically minded amongst you;

Windows XP Service Pack 2 is on release now to network administrators and will shortly be churning out via the Windows Update service to users all over the land who run either XP Home or XP professional on their computers.

I have been testing this at work today prior to us releasing and there are a few things to know about;

This is a major security relatated release. It comes with a number of updates to the personal firewall that is built in to XP and also some big changes to internet explorer. Pop ups are now blocked by default so things like personal messages on P&B won't be obvious to you unless you add P&B to your list of "allowed pop up sites" when prompted by Windows.



The ten top reasons for updating to SP2 (Which is totally free);

1) Help protect your PC from harmful attachments.

By alerting you to potentially unsafe attachments, SP2 helps guard your computer from viruses that can spread through Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, and Windows Messenger.


2) Improve your privacy when you’re on the Web.

SP2 helps protect your private information by applying the security settings that guard your PC to the files and content downloaded using Internet Explorer.


3) Avoid potentially unsafe downloads.

Internet Explorer download monitoring and the Internet Explorer Information Bar warn you about potentially harmful downloads and give you the option to block files that could be malicious.


4) Reduce annoying pop-ups.

Internet Explorer Pop-Up Blocker makes browsing the Internet more enjoyable by helping you reduce the unwanted ads and content that pop up when you’re browsing the Web.



5) Get firewall protection from startup to shutdown.

The powerful, built-in Windows Firewall is now turned on by default. This helps protect Windows XP against viruses and worms that can spread over the Internet.



6) Take control of your security settings.

The new Windows Security Center allows you to easily view your security status and manage key security settings in one convenient place.



7) Get the latest updates easily.

Enhancements to Windows XP’s Automatic Updates feature make it even easier to access Windows updates. Plus, new technology has been added to help dial-up customers download updates more efficiently.



8) Help protect your e-mail address.

Improvements to Outlook Express help reduce unwanted e-mail by limiting the possibility of your e-mail address being validated by potential spammers.




9) Take action against crashes caused by browser add-ons.

The new Add-On Manager in Internet Explorer lets you easily view and control add-ons to reduce the potential for crashes and enjoy a more trouble-free browsing experience.





10) Go wireless without the hassle.

SP2 improves wireless support and simplifies the process of discovering and connecting to wireless networks in your home or on the road


There you go


ps: Could all the Linux/Mozilla users please stop sniggering

Its a big download. i think they are planning to send out cds with it on it.

With Microsoft's not so hot record of releasing these things, would it be advisable to wait a few weeks whilst bugs are ironed out?

whens it out and how much is it going to cost

will it be an automatic update and roughly how long does it take to download?

ive got broadband but not sure if it will take a while

I've stayed with Windows 98 SE plus Zone Alarm Pro, Ghost Surf and System Suite 5. Never any problems. Windows XP is a load of SH**e

I'll be waiting until the inevitable security holes in the initial SP2 release are rectified before I download. I'll give it a week.

where do u go to download it

Any ideas how it will react to virus scanners and other firewalls? You would hope that it had all been tested properly but then again it is Microsoft we are talking about. I just felt reading the post that maybe users might end up with the same sort of senario you get when you run two virus scanners on your system and they get in each others way.

Also could this be construed as Microsoft trying to corner the Anti Virus market as well as their operating system monopoly?

XP SP2 will stop 50 software packages from running properly on your PC. There is a list somewhere on the MS website.

There is no "beta" for SP2 - it is on release to network administrators and manufacturers and has been for quite some time. The release via Windows Update was scheduled for 16th August so should have started to rollout yesterday.

The firewall is now switched on automatically on network, dial-up, VPN connections alike but can be switched off if you have existing firewall software running.

If you do retain the Windows Firewall then it does the same job as zonealarm, ie: if it wants to block ftp software from using port 21 it will tell you and give you the option of opening that port for that program

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