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SP2, the Upgrade You Need: Part 1 Fear not, this OS upgrade is not as scary as you might think. |
Steve Bass Wednesday, January 12, 2005 |
| You haven't upgraded to Windows Service Pack 2 yet, have you? Well come out from under the covers. No, really, you can stop trembling. SP2 won't hurt you. In fact, it might already be on your PC--and doing it some good. And even if you have upgraded, this three-part article will provide a couple of post-SP2 things for you to do, as well as fixes for some problems you're still facing. |
| The Slow Upgrade Path to SP2 |
| The key reason to upgrade to SP2 is for security. (I know you know; I'm
just trying to forestall a question from my editor.) It was released in
August 2004. For those of you who waited, now's a good time to do the upgrade.
Why now? That's easy: Most of SP2's problems have been resolved. Not all,
of course, but most. The funny thing is that I used to be the first on my block to upgrade Windows. I liked nicking myself on the cutting edge, pushing past everyone else for first dibs. That was cool years ago; now I consider it BS. On my production PC, I'll wait around until the bugs and hassles are worked out by someone else willing to risk a hosed system. What's also funny is that for some people, and their perfect PCs, an operating system upgrade goes smoothly. I've always resented them for it. Because for others (I'm raising my hand in case you weren't looking), there's always something that goes awry. But when I tried the upgrade on three PCs, I had mostly good luck--and that's what I think it takes. Upgrades on two computers were uneventful; on one, the only hassle was that Windows Update stopped working. Don't misunderstand me: I have to try new stuff as it's released, but I do it on a test PC, one with a ghosted image to bring order back to the system. And yes, I still like the excitement of trying new products, even to the extent of trying out an alpha (pre-beta) version. Dig This: I've got a Flash
game to keep you jumping. It's easy. As the plane moves across the
screen, click Jump and then Chute. Just pay attention to where the landing
pad goes and the strength and direction of the wind. Good luck. |
| Take the Plunge |
| If you're not convinced that you need to upgrade, take a minute and read
"Is XP's Fix Safe?" It's written by Scott Spanbauer, who's honored
with the role of PC World's SP2 expert. Among other things, Scott provides
links for SP2 online resources and gives you a sense of what other PC World
readers have experienced with the upgrade (scroll to "The SP2 Index").
It sounds like a Dave Letterman routine, but "Microsoft's
Top 10 Reasons to Install Windows XP Service Pack 2" is also
worth a look. |
| Ready to Roll to SP2 |
| First, if your PC is set for automatic updates, check to see that your
machine hasn't already been upgraded. Do that by looking at System Properties
(go to Control Panel and click System, or hold down the Windows key and
tap the Break key). If you see "Service Pack 2" on the right side
of the dialog, you can skip down to the "Squeeze SP2's Security Settings"
section below. If your PC doesn't have the SP2 upgrade, I have advice for you in "Your XP Service Pack 2 Survival Guide." In it I explain the steps to take for a smooth upgrade. (Before upgrading, wait until Scorpio is in the western sky, Venus and Mars are aligned, and there's no full moon.) I also cover booting to Safe Mode before doing the upgrade, and dealing with firewalls and antivirus software. Spend a few minutes with it to get some background. I want to emphasize one point I mentioned in that column: You need to disable your antivirus and anti-spyware programs, and any other tool that may watch for changes in your Registry. Otherwise, there's a good chance SP2 will balk. Before you attempt the upgrade, spend some time reading Stu Johnson's "Fix Windows XP SP2 Installation Woes." In this Bugs and Fixes column he explains why a spyware scan before the upgrade is critical. You can grab a free CounterSpy spyware scan at Sunbelt Software's site. Dig This: For a stunning, birds-eye view (literally) of an eagle soaring, check out this Discovery Channel page that provides footage from two lightweight video cameras strapped to an eagle in flight. Very cool. |
| Squeeze SP2's Security Settings |
| Alliterations, aside, if you've successfully upgraded and aren't having
problems, I have a few articles to help you make the upgrade better. Scott also wrote "Tweak Windows XP SP2 Security to Your Advantage." It's an extensive and thorough piece that explains how SP2's Security Center works and how to modify the settings so they're less annoying. He goes into detail about SP2's boring firewall (I still use Zone Alarm), the pop-up blocker (insidious... I use Google's Toolbar pop-up blocker), and Automatic Updates (useful and essential). Microsoft has a page worth a look, entitled "What
to do after installing Service Pack 2 (SP2)." Lemme guess: Continue
ignoring Linux? |
| Help With Trouble |
| In case you do have a problem with the upgrade, a useful Microsoft
article to tuck away is (and it's a mouthful): "How to use the
Automatic Recovery feature to recover your computer if the Windows XP Service
Pack 2 Setup program is not completed successfully."
Okay, that's enough for now. In my next column I'll deal with recent SP2 security hassles. In addition to writing PC World's Home Office column, Steve Bass is the author of "PC Annoyances." Sign up to have Steve Bass's Home Office Newsletter e-mailed to you each week. Comments or questions? Send Steve e-mail. |