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Windows XP SP2 In Release 571
mr_tommy writes "Service Pack 2 for Windows XP has been released to manufacturers (RTM), is available to MSDN customers, and will soon be available to all via Windows Update and Microsoft sites. At ~ 250 megs, the download is big, and Microsoft will be offering the option of getting it on CDs. The much awaited Service Pack comes with many security updates (new NX and DEP protection), extra features (firewall, security center), and improvements for Windows. New versions of IE and OE come with the release, as well as improvements in the wireless networking field. So far, the service pack seems to be very stable (no known major issues) and does seem to speed up most systems. A review of SP2 Final with some limited download links is available at Neowin.net. I'd urge all users (pirate users too) to deploy the service pack and benefit from the genuine effort Microsoft have made with regards to security in this release." We did cover this recently but since this is a major deal, we figured people would want to know more.
SP2 (Score:5, Informative)
Also, I've heard that the download is available from the new windows update site: here [microsoft.com] and several bit torrent websites(file name: WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe, MD5: 59a98f181fe383907e520a391d75b5a7, size: 278,927,592 bytes)
Re:SP2 (Score:5, Insightful)
Personally, I'm cautious enough that I'd rather download it directly from Microsoft than try to gain some perceived savings in downloading it from a 3rd party site.
Re:SP2 (Score:3, Funny)
That's what the MD5 hash is for. (Score:5, Informative)
That's the whole point of telling people what the hash of the file is.
Re:That's what the MD5 hash is for. (Score:3, Informative)
That's the whole point of telling people what the hash of the file is.
No, that's just to verify that the file you just grabbed is the same that the ancestor posted about. And now you. Point to a MS-site displaying the hash, then we'll get somewhere.
Re:That's what the MD5 hash is for. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:IBM? (Score:5, Informative)
IBM is recommending that its internal people not install SP2 yet -- not because of SP2, but because IBM's web apps might be broken. Windows used to tolerate that brokenness, but SP2 now demands proper compliance with the security rules of the platform. IBM is telling people to wait until they've tested the web apps and fixed any broken ones before shifting.
For my part, I don't understand why they didn't start fixing their apps months ago. The design of SP2 was fully fleshed out by the time RC1 rolled around. One of the reasons Microsoft sent out the RC's was so that businesses and partners could update their applications.
<irony>I'm a trifle puzzled by the delay: the fixes that SP2 requires are fixes that should have been in place previously; why would anyone delay putting in necessary security fixes in their code?</irony>
Re:That's what the MD5 hash is for. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:That's what the MD5 hash is for. (Score:5, Informative)
Re:That's what the MD5 hash is for. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:That's what the MD5 hash is for. (Score:3, Insightful)
Sure, 250 is a lot, but after a clean install of Mandrake 10.0 the updates were something around this 250 MB too (I don't recall the exact amount as it was a couple of months ago). Granted, this updated more than just the OS and core apps, but its still a heafty download.
Re:That's what the MD5 hash is for. (Score:5, Insightful)
Personally, I check MD5s and GPG/PGP signatures of the binary tools I use whereever possible, but not all of them are supplied with these so it's a little impractical. It doesn't hurt to be cautious though: do you really, absolutely, positively need it [whatever it is] RIGHT NOW, or would you rather wait for a guaranteed source that doesn't stand a chance of being the latest German beta/trojan/Goatse.cx vs. Tubgirl animated Flash EXE?*
Considering that installing a Service Pack (or equivalent OS update) should NEVER be taken lightly, I'd rather spend a few hours ghosting the machine and/or making sure that everything important was backed-up and verified, rather than rush to "be the first", especially in light of the previous Slashdot XP-SP2 coverage (as unscientific and unproved as the linked article was for that topic). Besides, wouldn't you rather that Microsoft paid for the bandwidth?
*(Of course all of this is hypothetical; I haven't checked the torrent or its source or tried to confirm the hash with a trusted source. It may very well be the real thing, and from the amount of news coverage starting to spread SP2-final does appear to be out.)
Re:SP2 (Score:5, Insightful)
I infer from this that you'd trust any other download from BT? Why?
what are the odds that some jerkweed is going to attach backdoor warez to that download?
About the same that some jerkweed is going to attach a backdoor to any other torrent you download.
BitTorrent and validity (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:SP2 (Score:5, Interesting)
I don't agree with the original tinfoil-hatter's reasons, but consider this: If I host a BT link to the patch, I can put a dummy 250MB file in its place. If someone tries to download it, I know that they have an unpatched version of XP. And now I have their IP address, and I know it will take them a while to get the official patch.
Granted, it isn't like you are giving them Admin password or anything, but it is information.
Re:SP2 (Score:2)
If your concered about the about someone planting an trojan disguesed as sp2, the checksum is 59a98f181fe383907e520a391d75b5a7 *WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe
Re:SP2 (Score:5, Funny)
599go6t2ch0a56s4u1ck76e82r5!1337
Re:SP2 (Score:5, Informative)
Secondly, all official Microsoft updates, including service pack 2 are digitally signed by Micrsoft to prevent tampering.
My advice: Grow a little, do some research before you post, and take off your tin-foil hat. It looks incredibly silly.
Re:SP2 (Score:5, Funny)
Woah! You only think that because you made the mistake of taking your tin-foil hat off.
Your mind is theirs now.
Re:SP2 (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:SP2 (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:SP2 (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:SP2 (Score:5, Insightful)
Some MD5 verification apps for W32.
Here [openoffice.org]
Here [kennethballard.com]
Here [slavasoft.com].
There are others.
Big Push with the Automatic Updates (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Big Push with the Automatic Updates (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:SP2 (Score:2)
Re:SP2 (Score:5, Informative)
Windows XP SP2 [microsoft.com] - more details about the file here [microsoft.com]
Interestingly, it's 272.4mb, not 266.01mb as the 'leaked' release was...
Re:SP2 (Score:4, Informative)
Learn some math.
Re:SP2 (Score:3, Interesting)
At best, you're being pedantic with this in attempting to defend the initial point. At worst, you're just trolling.
BitTorrent? (Score:2)
Re:BitTorrent? (Score:4, Informative)
http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=117069&cid
Re:BitTorrent? (Score:2)
Suprnova (Score:5, Informative)
Makes sense (Score:2, Funny)
odd or even (Score:5, Funny)
The short answer (Score:5, Funny)
Yes.
Re:odd or even (Score:2)
Release date? (Score:2)
Install it now (Score:5, Funny)
RTM? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:RTM? (Score:4, Funny)
SFU RTFM
WRONG it is RTSM (Score:2)
250MB!?!? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:250MB!?!? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:250MB!?!? (Score:4, Informative)
Yes they do. As of this release/Windows Update 5, in fact. The size, as is pointed out a few posts down, is cos this is the administrative edition which contains everything. You won't need everything unless you're running a vanilla XP install that hasn't had SP 1 or a single hotfix installed.
Re:250MB!?!? (Score:5, Informative)
That's the administrative install version that covers everything - including Windows Media Center edition, Windows Tablet PC Edition, etc. If you download the client version, it'll only download the files you need.
Re:250MB!?!? (Score:5, Interesting)
- Oisin
Re:250MB!?!? (Score:5, Informative)
I'm not in the habit of making things up -- except perhaps this [slashdot.org] -- but an excerpt from http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxp pro/maintain/sp2chngs.mspx [microsoft.com]:
-Oisin
Pirate users click here! (Score:5, Informative)
Daddypants agrees.
sitting (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:sitting (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:sitting (Score:3, Funny)
While it may work pretty well (depending on your own definition of that) it is certainly NOT a godsend.
It's certainly not a "godsend". If anything it is just an annoyance that most people (who will even get it installed) will shut off if they can.
Re:sitting (Score:5, Insightful)
What an utterly pointless comment. It doesn't "yell" at you for not having antivirus software, it announces, and quite rightly too. Who the hell else is going to yell at the countless morons who unknowingly infect their machines by clicking on every EXE that arrives and are not prevented by having up to date AV software. Next time you check your inbox pal and delete the countless virus spam messages, think about how you'd like to "yell" at the tit who sent it to you.
I don't particularly care for the pop-up blocker and I can't imagine that most users will care for it either.Another ridiculous thing to say. The popup blocker was the most requested feature, and anytime anyone dissed IE in the past, it included that particular lack. Where do you get these ideas from?
This is going to be a big hassle for people who don't know what they are doing and it's likely going to be a big hassle for everyone else too.
Another ridiculously empty statement: yes, it may be hassle for some people, but they have to learn somewhere. How hard can it be to click "next", "next", "finish"? For every person that goes through installing it, it means _less_ hassle for the rest of us, not more. At this point, it is clear to all that you are just engaging in pointless FUD, either for the sheer fun of trolling or perhaps regrettably, you are as dumb as you sound.
- Oisin
Please... (Score:5, Insightful)
I swear among all OSes, AIX is the only OS that has figured out how to pack near perfect patches. M$ still has alot to learn from IBM, even in 2004.
Missing features... (Score:5, Funny)
Only being half sarcastic, actually.
Already disabled the firewall (Score:5, Informative)
I imagine things will continue as they have. No firewall. No spyware, no trojans, no 0wn3d machines. Just proper patches and Mozilla.
Re:Already disabled the firewall (Score:2, Interesting)
Maybe you didn't like it, but I imagine Zone Labs [zonelabs.com] are feeling pretty nervous right now...
Re:Already disabled the firewall (Score:5, Funny)
Signed,
Nigerian Scammer
Re:Already disabled the firewall (Score:5, Funny)
Fool, that's your localhost address. Your real address is the one assigned to a physical adapter. For example, mine is 192.168.10.20. Feel free to hack me all you want.
Re:Already disabled the firewall (Score:3, Interesting)
Yes I told microsoft, if they listened is another story.
(Incase anyone is interested it was linksys wireless print server WPS54GU2)
Firewall, schmirewall (Score:3, Informative)
Mirrors... (Score:5, Informative)
-Ares
Re:Mirrors... (Score:4, Informative)
SP2 = Slashdot Posting 2? (Score:2)
List of patches (Score:2, Interesting)
How to change your pirated XP key (Score:5, Informative)
Re:How to change your pirated XP key (Score:3, Interesting)
So, use some elbow grease.
Re:How to change your pirated XP key (Score:3, Informative)
Service pack or what it should have been? (Score:5, Funny)
Quick question about system restore (Score:5, Interesting)
Slashdotting the Internet? (Score:5, Funny)
I guess this is the nuclear attack we've been waiting for to see if this whole "Internet" concept really works.
Re:Slashdotting the Internet? (Score:3, Funny)
MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THE MD5, SIZE, SIG (Score:5, Interesting)
Slashdot Poll - what will we see first? (Score:4, Funny)
i was hoping on HL2 =(
I use Gentoo (Score:2, Funny)
Does it work on pirated workstations ? (Score:3, Interesting)
Good job (Score:5, Informative)
The new security center looked nice too, I can't imagine many people misunderstanding it.
Is there any danger (Score:2)
I hope he updates it. (Score:5, Funny)
This is not stable (Score:5, Informative)
So be warned. If you are running third party SQL based software this service pack may break it.
AbortRetry
Damn, now I need to create an account
Microsoft software breaks Microsoft software. (Score:5, Insightful)
Microsoft says Installing Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) will prevent Microsoft CRM versions 1.0 and 1.2 from running correctly [microsoft.com]. Version 1.2 is the latest.
More Microsoft CRM stories: Shortly after Microsoft began using its Customer Relations Management software, we got a call from a Microsoft representative inviting us to a meeting in New Jersey. This caused some confusion until the rep said the Microsoft CRM database showed we were based in New Jersey. (Correct answer: Oregon.) Last Friday we got a call from someone at Microsoft who invited us to a local meeting. Three minutes later we got another call from the same person. She didn't realize she had called the same number.
Re:This is not stable (Score:5, Informative)
Perhaps they didn't receive any assistance because all of the information they need is already on the web and has been on the web for the past two or three months?
Microsoft's SQL Server with XP SP2 FAQ [microsoft.com]
Q. How does Windows XP SP2 affect SQL Server?
A. SQL Server will have access to the local subnet by means of file and print sharing, which will enable access to named pipes, also known as multi-protocol, that use Port 445. TCP/IP and UDP will be turned off by default. Applications that connect to a SQL Server database by means of a network will not be able to accept or make connections. This setting change helps protect the customer system by making it resilient to malicious worms that send port requests to a computer in an attempt to create a denial of service attack.
Q. What if my application needs SQL Server to listen to the network?
A. In cases where your application needs to use TCP/IP or named pipes to access the network, we recommend that you set up access on an as needed basis. We also recommend that for TCP/IP, you use a static port assignment. For applications that use a named instance of MSDE with dynamic TCP port selection enabled, you can open the UDP port 1434 and the TCP/IP port as appropriate. For named pipes, we recommend that you use the Windows Firewall tool to open file and print sharing with Port 445 enabled. Microsoft does not recommend the use of multi-protocol to connect to SQL Server or MSDE.
Small warning (Score:5, Informative)
As R. Belmont pointed out to me on a different message board, dynamic recompilers allocate memory, fill it with x86 instructions, and then jump to it. NX specifically prohibits executing allocated memory, so dynamic recompilers should crash in SP2 on processors that support NX.
Expect this feature to break many current emulators (Mame will be fine.) The feature supposedly can be turned off in Windows, but since I don't have a processor that supports NX, I don't know where one would do so in the interface. The newer Athlon chips - specifically, the Athlon 64's, and future Pentium 4s, support NX, so keep that in mind when upgrading to SP2.
Re:Small warning (Score:3, Informative)
Previously this was unenforced, but if you're going to be developing this kind of application for processors with NX support, the least you could do is adhere to the damn specifications.
-SG
It fixes the holes, but does it break the fixes? (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm really not looking forward to dealing with this major of a Windows architecture switch, if only for the fact that most Windoze users love to find a brick wall and slam into it, even if that means insisting on using VirusScan OuttaDate straight off their Restore Disks labeled "Year 2000 Compliant!" Thanks Microsoft, long overdue fixes for Windows and job security all in one.
Jonah Hex
250 megs? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:250 megs? (Score:3, Informative)
Now it's stable?!?!? (Score:4, Insightful)
Does anyone have a GM they've tested yet?
I'm still worried about having everyone install it right away... Will probably recommend to wait until September.....
Thanks for any additional info!
-m
Re:Now it's stable?!?!? (Score:5, Funny)
Windows XP SP2 is for Computers running Microsoft's Windows XP. It won't run on anything made by General Motors.
Re:Now it's stable?!?!? (Score:4, Informative)
An issue to note (Score:5, Informative)
Someone sent a friend of mine a BSOD graphic after they installed SP2 on their computer. Their computer now needs a fresh install. Though I like to do a fresh install whenever an SP update comes out (good for the soul).
please be accurate in the headline so (Score:5, Informative)
the 260MB download is only for the full network install...the msdn download includes tools and comes in at over 400MB.
folks using automatic updates are apparently looking at a 70-90MB download as the updater reads and downloads only what is missing.
and also point out the svc pk update cd will be mailed FREE OF CHARGE around the world.
What about W2003? (Score:2)
Ugh, big download (Score:5, Funny)
Oddness (Score:4, Interesting)
Not that I'm complaining, SP2 kicks ass, but a usable IE is a long way away
Re:Fast download! (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Fast download! (Score:2)
You can always order the CD from MS. I believe they are giving them away.
Re:Fast download! (Score:5, Informative)
Re:What? (Score:3, Interesting)
Also, Microsoft has updated their background downloading, so supposedly modem users can download this in the background (over a long period of time).
Re:Windows security alerts (Score:5, Informative)
Ok after that trollish intro, do this:
* Open Control panel
* Open "Security Center"
* Click on "Change the way security center alerts me"
* Turn off any alert options like virus scanning or firewall that you do not have or do not intend to have installed.
* Tray icon goes away!