Is Windows XP Service Pact 2 worth waiting for?

dan · Post by **dan** » Mon May 03, 2004 3:28 pm

hi,
I'm not sure when to upgrade to a more silent HD than the horribly loud WD60BB. Since I plan on doing a new clean install with windows XP, as my current install is rather buggy and slow with missing files and dead links, filled with spyware and incompletely uninstalled applications, should I wait for windows to release SP2 for windows xp before buying a new HD?

i know that SP2 is mostly a security and pop-up blocking fix, which is not an issue for me since i only use a dial-up 56k modem. Are there significant bug fixes that enhance system stabilty? and performance? any links to bugs fixed?

Post by **MikeC** » Mon May 03, 2004 5:05 pm

Thses MS pages provide some details.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodte ... xpsp2.mspx

Not sure if it is worth waiting for; I suppose one clear advantage will be the elimination of the umpteen updates that have to be downloaded for WinXP installs currently. I know that on slower connections, this would take forever. I am on broadband, and even so, spend typically the better part of a morning to take care of WinXP updates every time i do a new install (too often).

mpteach · Post by **mpteach** » Mon May 03, 2004 10:10 pm

i know of several free programs that can completley copy an entire hard drive.

You could copy all the partitions and information from your WD to your new HD. It could take several hours to copy but once you start the program you dont need to come back till its done.

When XP SP2 comes out, then do the reinstall.

silvervarg · Post by **silvervarg** » Tue May 04, 2004 12:09 am

If microsoft keeps their promise they will release SP2 before mid summer, so the waiting time is not too long. To minimize work I would probably wait.
Judging from the few tests I have done with SP2 RC1 I think they have done a few very important improvements with bugfixes to Internet Explorer.
In fact it actually makes this browser usefull again.
The release candidate does have a few bugs, so I would defenatly wait for the real release.

sensei · Post by **sensei** » Tue May 04, 2004 12:27 am

silvervarg wrote:If microsoft keeps their promise they will release SP2 before mid summer...

dan · Post by **dan** » Tue May 04, 2004 12:32 am

hey silvervarg

i know you from my cpu cooling thread. i also put a thread on how to drill holes in a case as well as ones on silent.

my first thread was "my fanless silent TULATIN CELERON SOYO TISU"

i don't think security is an issue for me, as i log on once or twice a day from a dial-in modem, and i limit myself to no more than 30 minutes online.

my current XP install is buggy and programs, but not the OS itself, freezes quite often. the install is i think 2-3 years old.

since security is not an issue for me, my question is whether SP2 fixes bugs involved with stability and speed, the "traditional" bug fixes. i'd like my XP to be more stable and reliable through bug fixes. the link only talks about security.

Post by **Rusty075** » Tue May 04, 2004 6:36 am

I think a fresh install will solve your problems. The SP's are primarily just a roll-up of security fixes, with a few useless extra features thrown in just to make it prettier.

Do the fresh install now. If you still have instability issues after that, its unlikely either of the packs will solve them.

mpteach · Post by **mpteach** » Tue May 04, 2004 9:02 am

I think the service pack is only a library of all the hotfixes and updates with some new widows utilities thrown in. Thats basically what spk 1 was.

EDIT:I think spks are faster to install and dont require a gazillion reboots like installing 50 updates takes. I could be wrong though.

sthayashi · Post by **sthayashi** » Tue May 04, 2004 9:04 am

My MS bluetooth mouse required SP1 to be installed. I don't know if you similar hardware, but it's something to keep in mind.

dan · Post by **dan** » Tue May 04, 2004 10:20 am

does anyone know if SP2 supports Mount Rainier/Easy Write specs?

that would be nice

dan

silvervarg · Post by **silvervarg** » Tue May 04, 2004 12:12 pm

Dan:
my current XP install is buggy and programs, but not the OS itself, freezes quite often. the install is i think 2-3 years old.

This sounds like your problem might be with some programs or possibly with one DLL file. You could try to make a repair installation of your OS.

mpteach:
I think the service pack is only a library of all the hotfixes and updates with some new widows utilities thrown in. Thats basically what spk 1 was.

This is close, but not really the entire truth.
A typical hotfix is to close down one or more fetures in windows. So it is more of a workaround for a bug. In some cases it is really a fix for the problem.
The general recommendations from microsoft for companies is NOT to install hotfixes unless you need to. The reason is that they usually create as much problems as they solve.

Service packs is tested to a much higher degree that hotfixes. They typically contain much larger rewrites and more real bug fixes instead of workarounds.
Since they should fix all known real serious problems they will to some extent contain the same as many hotfixes.
The general recommendation is to always try to install the latest servicepack.

wgragg · Post by **wgragg** » Tue May 04, 2004 1:23 pm

Having to manage a number of WinXP machines and being in the process of upgrading about 20 more to XP, I can tell you from experience that installing a service pack right after release can be a dangerous thing to do. I have seen more things go wrong after an install than I care to think about, so I prefer to give it some time to shake out problems that were not caught in beta.

Now if it provides something that you just have to have right now, that is another thing, but make sure you are well backed up.

Wendell

shathal · Post by **shathal** » Tue May 04, 2004 2:36 pm

That's why a service pack should be TESTED before being rolled out in a company.

It's amazing the number of people out there (not having a go at you here) who simple "roll out" a Service Pack - company wide (!) - without testing, assuming that "it'll be OK..." and then find themselves shocked when some apps break horribly.

As an end-user though, there should be little to fear, by and large.

dan · Post by **dan** » Tue May 04, 2004 4:07 pm

how do you do that?

thanks

trodas · Post by **trodas** » Wed May 05, 2004 12:13 am

I did not like XP at all, so I sticking with Win2k. But hey, even there and even ServicePacks DO break some things. From service pack 4 (or even from certain hotfixes, as the SP is mostly just a collection of the hotfixes!) even patched 3DMark 99 to work on W2k - did not work anymore

And since the benchmark is interesting and unlike the others doing interesting tests, I believe that this alone is strong-enought reason for me to stick with SP3 instead of SP4.

So, waiting for SP2 for XP and hoping that is "fixes things so much" it seems to be to be too overroptimistic. Most M$ fixes have drawbacks. Sometimes even larger that the problem itself. As others suggested, its much better to wait for some more final version and give it proper testing, before rushing to new SP as soon, as its released.
It's the best way.

So fix your problems ASAP by reinstalling and don't wait for miracles - they never come true.

nick705 · Post by **nick705** » Wed May 05, 2004 1:12 am

MikeC wrote:Not sure if it is worth waiting for; I suppose one clear advantage will be the elimination of the umpteen updates that have to be downloaded for WinXP installs currently. I know that on slower connections, this would take forever. I am on broadband, and even so, spend typically the better part of a morning to take care of WinXP updates every time i do a new install (too often)

For anyone (like me also) who frequently formats/reinstalls WinXP and is tired of repeatedly downloading shedloads of critical updates and hotfixes, have a look here.

Post by **MikeC** » Wed May 05, 2004 7:39 am

nick705 wrote:For anyone (like me also) who frequently formats/reinstalls WinXP and is tired of repeatedly downloading shedloads of critical updates and hotfixes, have a look here.

Hey thanks for the link! This looks well worth trying. Could eliminate hours of Win install drudgery!

shathal · Post by **shathal** » Wed May 05, 2004 9:49 am

dan wrote:how do you do that?

thanks

How does one do what?

Test/validate a service pack?

dan · Post by **dan** » Wed May 05, 2004 1:04 pm

don't wait for miracles - they never come true

that's for sure.

Is Windows XP Service Pact 2 worth waiting for?

Is Windows XP Service Pact 2 worth waiting for?

silvervarg

speaking of updates

You could try to make a repair installation of your OS.

Re: You could try to make a repair installation of your OS.

don't wait for miracles - they never come true