-------------------- August 23, 2004 -------------------- Answers to Your Service Pack 2 Questions It's been a week since my review ran of Microsoft's Windows XP Service Pack 2 update - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F09984658B4F3FAEAA8B0 , and somehow I've managed to catch up on both my sleep and my overflowing inbox. I've also followed the news of this update's progress, which I'll now share with you here. First, a couple of useful links. The first is Microsoft's list of programs that can have problems under SP2 - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F19884658B4F3FAEAA8B0 . The second is Microsoft's list of all the bugs fixed in this update - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F79B84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 . My Web chat from last Monday - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F89A84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 also includes a lot of useful information on SP2. Now, on to what I've heard from readers thus far -- starting with the most popular questions: 1) Will the new firewall in SP2 conflict with the one I run now? No. You can leave the current one running; SP2's will be turned on automatically, but you can then shut that one off.2) The download you pointed to on Microsoft's site has a warning about not downloading it if you only need to install it on one computer. Is it safe to use? Yes, it's safe to download and use that installer - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F68584658B4F3FAEAA8B0 -- it's the one I used to start my review. That 266-megabyte file simply compiles every possible update a Windows XP user might need; the version that's being sent down over Windows Update - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F78484658B4F3FAEAA8B0 will be customized for individual recipients for a smaller download. This method is not unusual. For example, Apple's recent 10.3.5 Mac OS X update comes as a 43-meg file - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F48784658B4F3FAEAA8B0 for people who have applied earlier patches and an 88-meg - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F58684658B4F3FAEAA8B0 "Combined Update" for those who haven't. 3) Where, exactly, do I order this free CD of this update? Not "where," but "when" -- as I wrote - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F08184658B4F3FAEAA8B0 , this CD-ROM won't be offered until later this month. Until then, Microsoft isn't taking orders. I would expect the order form to surface at the same address - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F18084658B4F3FAEAA8B0 where Microsoft took orders for an earlier bug-fix CD.4) I already run a firewall and an anti-virus program and download all of Microsoft's other updates. Do I need this one too? Thanks for doing the right things, but I think you'll want SP2 as well. It fixes many -- not all! -- of the problems that you must run those other security programs to fix. 5) The new Windows firewall doesn't really block outgoing traffic like ZoneAlarm or other third-party firewalls. Don't I still need those? You might. What the Windows Firewall does, to be more specific than I could get in print, is watch to see if applications try to open a port to accept incoming traffic. It will not stop applications that simply upload data directly, and if you want that capability you will need somebody else's firewall. Note that if you actually have occasion to use this sort of intrusion-detection capability, you're practicing emergency medicine -- your computer is already infected, and your firewall is only stopping the infection from spreading. To Download or Not to Download The single most popular reaction to my SP2 column, however, was not a question but comment -- that I am a fool for telling people to rush out and download any Microsoft update, especially one as big as this. Many readers went on to point out that some large companies, such as IBM, have told their employees not to install this update until they complete their own tests. I am fully aware of Microsoft's history of buggy releases -- but in this case, the bugs are already out there! They're in the version of XP that you're using right now. If I'd had any of my four test installs blow up or cause any serious malfunction, I probably would have told people to go slow. But they all went fine. (Contributor John Breeden, the senior editor for product reviews - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F88384658B4F3FAEAA8B0 at The Post's Government Computer News - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F98284658B4F3FAEAA8B0 magazine, told me Friday that 8 of 8 installs succeeded in his lab.) Furthermore, I don't see how the approach taken by large companies -- which can point to complex enterprise-grade applications that break in SP2 -- should guide home users with far simpler systems. Under all these circumstances, I can't in good conscience tell readers to hold off on an update and continue running a demonstrably less secure version of Windows just because "that's how we always do things." That's superstition, not journalism. That's not to say that SP2 will work perfectly on every computer. Like any update, it will not. I heard from three readers who got burned by it: 1) "I have 3 Win XP machines: Tablet, Media and Desktop. I tried the Tablet first since it contains the least critical info in my case. It went flawlessly. Feeling good, I tried the Media Center PC next. It made the machine unstable and would blue screen after 2-3 minutes of operation. Hmmm. At least the uninstall works flawlessly. I decided to try the desktop. It was rendered useless. It would blue screen when booting. At least I could boot in Safe Mode and uninstall the service pack." 2) "Well once the service pack was installed and I re-started my computer all hell broke loose. My machine would bring up the XP hourglass screen, and then shut down. It kept doing this over and over." 3) "I loaded it last night on 3 computers at home -- a 3-week old Toshiba Satellite laptop and two older (1-2 year) Dell Dimension desktops. It worked fine on the Toshiba and the older of the two Dells. [....] On the other Dell, there was a disaster. It downloaded fine and loaded onto the computer in about 30-40 minutes. Then, it asked to reboot and that's when disaster struck. When it came back on there was a dreaded blue screen with the message C00000135 and it told me that a file (I think it was winserv) could not be found." I hate getting e-mails like these; I don't like feeling like I've led any reader off a cliff. Unfortunately, bitter experience with Windows -- and Macs -- has taught me that these things will happen sometimes. A previously functioning operating system can implode from an update gone awry. Or it can implode without help from any update. In the end, it's basically an issue of playing the odds: What are the odds of SP2 hosing your machine, and how do those compare with the odds of a virus or worm doing the same while you wait for some later release of SP2? I would wager that for most users, the second chance is greater. So I must stand by my recommendation. The usual caveats do still apply; back up your data first and engage in whatever good-luck ritual you deem appropriate before starting the update. Good luck. -- Rob Pegoraro ([EMAIL PROTECTED] - [EMAIL PROTECTED] ) -------------------- Advertisement Get your news just the way you like it. - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F78D84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Add your favorite columnists and topics to a washingtonpost.com newsletter delivered to your in-box each morning. It's a free and easy way to make sure you never miss a thing. Personalize your e-mail today - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F88C84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 and enjoy customized articles tomorrow. -------------------- SUNDAY'S PERSONAL TECH FEATURES FAST FORWARD T-Mobile's Sidekick II Strikes a Functional Balance of Voice, Data Uses - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F58F84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Wireless-industry types like to talk about "smart phones" as if these souped-up, Internet-capable, multifunction cell phones all have the same IQ. But they don't. – Rob Pegoraro Help File: DVD Region Codes; Software Deals Via E-Mail - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F68E84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 WEB WATCH High-Speed Users Move Into Majority - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F28984658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Web users with fast broadband connections have finally muscled aside dial-up users to form a majority of the American Internet population, according to Nielsen/Net Ratings. – By Leslie Walker A CLOSER LOOK Prices Fluctuate in a Flash - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F38884658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Prices for flash memory cards -- the little modules used by digital cameras, handheld organizers, MP3 players and cell phones to store pictures, music and other data -- are headed down -- way down. – By Mike Musgrove GAME AND SOFTWARE REVIEWS Hot Shots Golf: Fore!; Ghosthunter; Replay Radio - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F98B84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 STAYING SAFE ONLINE Computer Naivete Costs a Bundle - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F08A84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 A comment from my daughter marked the start of a large headache, one that launched an odyssey that has taken $800 and roughly 48 man-hours over nearly three weeks to end. – By Kathleen Day A Digital Doctor Treats Computer Contamination - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F9B584658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Take Care to Guard Your Windows - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F0B484658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Computer Users Need a Good Backup Plan - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F7B784658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Skepticism Is the Message for E-Mail - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F8B684658B4F3FAEAA8B0 When to Leave What Closed - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F3B184658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Geek Speak - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F4B084658B4F3FAEAA8B0 More News and Features Online Ticketing, a Business Model Looking for Legs: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F1B384658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Online ticket sales made up only 4.3 percent of total movie sales last year. But the percentage of online sales tripled in the past three years, and growth should continue at least through 2008, the most recent data from Jupiter Research show. (Post, Aug 22) Keeping an Eye on the Skies: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F2B284658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Four all-weather Web sites track storms and provide general forecasts -- and, ultimately, help travelers. (Post, Aug 22) .COM No Frills, but Everything Else Is on Craigslist: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F0BD84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 In addition to seeking jobs and housing, Washington area residents have used Craigslist in recent weeks to get rid of a dental chair cluttering a Potomac garage, hunt for long-lost childhood pals in Alexandria, find a Korean tutor in Gaithersburg, and locate a bilingual justice of the peace to perform a wedding in French and English. (Post, Aug 19) Let's Get Digital: What SLR Users Need to Know: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F1BC84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Camera manufacturers now make full six megapixel digital SLRs for less than $1,000 that stack up nicely to both their digital and film brethren. (Post, Aug 15) QA: Digital SLR Cameras - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F8BF84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Recently Released Videos and DVDs: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F9BE84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Bon Voyage; Connie and Carla; The Mayor of Sunset Strip; New York Minute; Taking Lives; More... (Post, Aug 17) ON THE WIRES Xbox to Stop Making Some Sports Games: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F5B984658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox video game business will lay off 76 workers and stop making some sports games, the company said. (AP, Aug 20) XBox, EA to Stage Interactive World Cup: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F6B884658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Microsoft Corp.'s XBox video game system will team up with software maker Electronic Arts Inc. to stage an online Interactive World Cup tournament later this year, the companies announced Thursday. (AP, Aug 19) 'Madden' Tops 1.3 Million First Week: - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F2BB84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 "Madden NFL 2005," the latest version of Electronic Arts Inc.'s pro football video game franchise, sold more than 1.3 million copies in its first week of release, the company said on Thursday, citing internal figures. (Reuters, Aug 19) INTERACTIVE GUIDE 2004 Laptop Guide - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F3BA84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Check out reviews of five laptop models from Apple, Dell, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba. Also included are key stats -- price, processor and memory, storage, communications, expansion and support -- on each model. Rob Pegoraro's Laptop Column: The Rightness of Lightness - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F1A584658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Feature Story: Muscle Laptops Dominate a Market That's on Hold - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F2A484658B4F3FAEAA8B0 washingtonpost.com's RSS Refining Paperless News - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F9A784658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Instead of wearing out your Web browser's "refresh" command to check for the latest updates, a Really Simple Syndication program can fetch the news for you. (Post, March 14) Sign-up for free washingtonpost.com RSS feed - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F0A684658B4F3FAEAA8B0 -------------------- WIFI SPECIAL REPORT Getting Online, On the Road - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F5A184658B4F3FAEAA8B0 There are numerous options out there, from coffeehouses to hotels to schools to restaurants -- but many of these WiFi-blessed establishments don't advertise this amenity, or note it only by slapping a tiny sticker on their window. -The Washington Post Here, There, WiFi Anywhere - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F6A084658B4F3FAEAA8B0 (The Washington Post, 4/25/04) Getting Connected With the Hot Spots - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F3A384658B4F3FAEAA8B0 (The Washington Post, 4/25/04) -------------------- Read Rob Pegoraro's Past E-Letters Let's Talk About Computer Security - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F4A284658B4F3FAEAA8B0 (Aug. 16, 2004) Microsoft Completes XP Upgrade - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F2AD84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 (Aug. 9, 2004) Calling Out the Copy Controllers - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F3AC84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 (Aug. 2, 2004) More Stories - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F0AF84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 -------------------- Personal Tech Reviews and Features Main Page - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F1AE84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Desktop PCs - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F7A984658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Digital Cameras - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F8A884658B4F3FAEAA8B0 DVD and Video Reviews - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F4AB84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 E-Music - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F5AA84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Games - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F5D584658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Handhelds/PDAs - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F6D484658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Home Entertainment - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F3D784658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Internet Service Providers and WiFi - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F4D684658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Laptops - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F9D184658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Wireless Phones and Plans - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F0D084658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Columns and Special Reports Rob Pegoraro's Help File - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F7D384658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Leslie Walker's .com - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F8D284658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Cynthia L. Webb's Filter - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F6DD84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Shannon Henry's The Download - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F7DC84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Cybersecurity - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F4DF84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 The War on Spam - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F5DE84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 -------------------- E-Mail Newsletter Services To sign up for additional newsletters or get help, visit the E-mail Preferences Page - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F1D984658B4F3FAEAA8B0 To unsubscribe, visit the E-mail Preferences Page - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F2D884658B4F3FAEAA8B0 (do not reply to this e-mail). For feedback, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Technology Newsletter . For advertising information, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Newsletter Feedback . To subscribe to the print edition of The Washington Post newspaper, click here - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F8DB84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 Privacy Policy - http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7RT04529F9DA84658B4F3FAEAA8B0 -------------------- Copyright 2004 The Washington Post Company http://letters.washingtonpost.com/W7GT06B8CD03084658B4F3FAEAA8B0 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/BCfwlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kumpulan/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
