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Microsoft Delays Windows XP Service Pack 2
Rinisari writes "DesignTechnica, among some others
, explains that Microsoft has once again delayed its release of Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, though only until August. Microsoft has declined to comment on the reason for the delay. Windows Update v5, however, is online and operational (and works with Service Pack 1!), although not officially so. I know many smaller education institutions are chomping at the bit with the looming release, as they are worried about compatibility with some of the new features in Service Pack 2."
Speculation that warez'd copies would still be allowed to update via Windows update were at least partly wrong. You may still be able to manually update Windows with an "invalid" product key but you cannot do it via the v5 Windows Update interface.
[Error number: 0x80244028]
Cannot validate the product key
The product key used to install Microsoft Windows may not be valid. For more information about why you have received this error message, and steps you can take to resolve this issue, please visit How to Tell.
Doesn't seem to work too well with Firefox, but I could just be an idiot. Can anyone cornfirm that it's still IE-Only?
If nothing else, at least Microsoft is trying much, much harder at security nowadays.
Hmmm, I guess MS has decided to take a little (read: tiny) more aggressive stance towards piracy, no more automagic updates for you. Although we do have an Action Pack subscription (XP Pro), so we do have more then enough licenses, we use XP Corp CD/Keys to ignore that stupid activation, but it looks like it came back to bite us in the ass.
Your hair look like poop, Bob! - Wanker.
It's probably better that they delay it, rather than come out with something that's not 100%. We are talking Microsoft though...by the time they got it to 100% we'd all be playing duke nukem forever =)
After all, Kazaa Lite is hard to find these days...
Always wait for service pack 3.1.
though only until August
correct me if i'm wrong, but i believe the original release was scheduled for june. when june came it got delayed until only july. now that we're in july it's been delayed just one more month....riiiight.
i for one will not be surprised to see it delayed until september next month. and who knows? maybe october after that....?
The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.
-Oscar Wilde
Just an opinion on the V5 Windows Update. Yes it does detect invalid products (my friends = owned). Does this mean Microsoft are getting more serious since they haven't done this before? I mean, if they could of stopped more users from using a product illegally, why not do it before cause from what I heard, rumors say crackers found a way to bypass this.
they cannot be stopped.
ActiveX is only supported by Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Hope this helps.
As I understood, it means that a bulk of IE users (the ones that don't download small "security updates", but only full SPs) will be vulnerable to well-known bug till (hopefully) August?
Well, now that just shouldn't even be compared to Mozilla's bugfixes.
(because who would be able to compare 24 hours with 24 days and not laugh to death?)
Anybody has a link to more info on the topic?
(And btw, this was the first thing I verified, too.)
Service Pack 2 Service Pack 3 was delayed.
Does anybody know whether these new changes/features (in IE and elsewhere) will ever make it into Windows 2000 (which at the moment seems to be the most preferred Windows at least in corporate environments). Win2k SP4 pretty much covered everything in XP SP1, but not much has been mentioned since then.
It's fairly ridiculous that this SP is delayed.. again... however, IMHO its a good move on their part, because (hopefully) it means that they are including more useful security fixes etc. in it. And its silly that those even need to be release this much after the fact, but they might as well get them all (well, most of them) in there now, so there's not SP2a, SP2b, SP2security patch 229q etc.
I recall an operating system that was fairly rushed to get out, called Windows 95, that really sucked. Hopefully, though this is only an SP, the delay will prevent rush-to-get-it-out-crappiness.
sigSEGV - doy!
sigSEGV - doy!
Hey, this means that Longhorn would likely get pushed back as well (if it ships at all). This gives us an extra month to make Linux a mainstream desktop OS before the NGSCB DRM (the RIAA's wet dream) ensures Microsoft forevermore. Hurry people!!
Unknown host pong.
to BobXP forced the delay...
I think here is when Linux idea kicks in. You can choose a Linux distribution and have many more headaches. For example, Debian is a great idea here. Or you can pay 100$ to Lindows every year for the software that is free. Another option is paying more than 300$ to Appache in 3 years, so that your computer can be upto date and secure. Of course you need to pay additional thousands of dollars for the hardware. It looks like options are even better to me.
You need to enroll in Remedial Trolling 1a.
"chomping at the bit with the looming release, as they are worried about compatibility with some of the new features in Service Pack 2."
I'm sure they're all worried about compatibility issues. Everyone is. But with school starting in August...and the release date in August...there's going to be zero time to work out the kinks before students start hitting the labs full force.
Wise men say, "Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza."
A-HA! See, that proves it! They're once again illegeally leveraging their monopoly!!
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
"I'm afraid now, I have somehow missed this message," says a Windows developer who asked not to be named. "Was it buried in too many marketing messages? Was it dependent on me searching it out?"
Was it SO OBVIOUS that you even had to be specifically told to test your apps on a new version of their target platform?
No news here. Next hot tip, some stuff may not work with the latest kernel image from linus and the gang.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
Heads up to you admins out there, the update to WindowsUpdate is more than trivial. Ability to (more easily) view patch install history, Admin options for downloading patches for multiple OS's, not-so-obvious new method of showing you exactly what you're installing...If you've taught techs/users to do this, they're going to have to be re-taught when it goes live.
Personally, since Microsoft doesn't seem to be releasing any more updates for NT4, I'd sure like to see them put out a Service Pack 7 so I don't have to go thru the steps SP6a - Post 6a SRP - Windows Updates every time I have to install a new component on an old NT4 system.
Give me my freedom, and I'll take care of my own security, thank you.
Virutal PC 7 is not coming until SP2 is out according to Microsoft so us Mac users can be assured the latest in security.
Or Microsoft is stalling because they're not finished with VPC7. One of the two.
Why don't they just release an XP interim security service pack? Surely they have enough already working in SP2 that they can get at least SOME of the fixes out the door sooner?
Cripes, even something that just defaults a user's firewall to "on" and obscure ports to "off" would be a head start.
Normally I'd say fine, the longer the better - lets me get Firefox into wider distribution
"chomp" is a variant of "champ" - so, unlike "intensive purposes" vs "intents and purposes", both "chomping" and "champing" at the bit are correct.
i also do the same thing, just because it makes management easier. Why should the big boys get all the breaks only because they have more $$?
...
If it gets to the point where this sort of thing is impossible, ill just be forced to move my clients to other less restrictive systems.. and have a bit more ammunition to back it up. " see, your support costs are increasing"
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Alright, a few weeks ago i walked my parents through setting up firefox over the phone. I don't want them touching IE with a 10 foot pole. I have heard there is an app from MS for running Windows Update without a web browser. anyone have any more details? any experience using it?
hfc.
All the fixes for known worms/vulnerabilities are out the door on windows update. Go get 'em.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
Universal joke ID cataloging system info...
Currently assigned universal joke IDs are as follows:
SLDT02004070900001 - "no yuo"
SLDT02004071000001 - "vlad farted"
SLDT02004071000002(x) - "YOU FAIL IT (it is x)"
SLDT02004071000003 - "omg ror"
SLDT02004071000004(x, y) - "In Soviet Russia, x y YOU!"
SLDT02004071000005 - "Imagine a Beowulf Cluster of these!"
SLDT02004071000006(x) - "x is dying."
SLDT02004071000007(x) - "Have you ever seen x? That's the kind of martial arts I practice, and you're about to get one free lesson!"
SLDT02004071000008(x) - "x. What's it all about? Is it good, or is it whack?"
SLDT02004071000009[x] - "wtf is this some kinda x talk?"; default x="nigger"
If you wish to tell these jokes in the future, you can simple refer to it by these UJID numbers and we'll all know what joke you're referring to.
The number system can be broken down like this:
AAAABBBBBCCDDEEEEE(x, y, ...)[z, ...]
Where AAAA is four character string assigned by me to uniquely identify a joke's source. For example "no yuo" was first cataloged into this joke library when it was spotted on slashdot, so its UJID begins with SLDT If you'd like to apply for a unique identifier string for your web site, please contact me.
BBBBB is a 5 digit value which specifies the year that the joke was originally cataloged. This joke cataloging system is designed to be y10k compatible.
CC is the 2 digit value which specifies the month that the joke was originally cataloged.
DD is the 2 digit value which specifies the day that the joke was originally cataloged.
EEEEE is the 5 digit value which is assigned sequentially per day. So the first funny thing that's said on any given day will be assigned 00001. etc. You may ask why this is only 5 digits. Well, its my theory that human civilization can only produce a certain amount of original comedy per day. I haven't established a precise upper bounds to this value, but all simulations appear to indicate that this value is well below 99999, so 5 digits should suffice.
(x, y, ...) is a parameter list for variable punch line jokes. For example when someone posts joke "SLDT02004071000002(life)" This should be interpreted as "YOU FAIL IT (it is life)".
[(z, ...] shall specify optional parameters; the default parameter shall be noted in the UJID definition. Example: SLDT02004071000009 with no parameters will resolve to "wtf is this some kinda nigger talk?"
WINDWWS XP SP2, or as some would call it, preleud to to long horn which, if M$ follows their delay patterns, should be relesed in 2010...maybe
Microsoft has found out that SP2 contains a huge security hole which may allow your OS to run completely trouble free and secure. They are working hard to patch this bug, which has been termed GOOB.ASAP (Going out of business), with faulty code as to require monthly updates, service contracts, partnerships with virus software detection companies and eventual update of hardware.
SP2 will also include a new feature which will bring back an old friend of ours. Ever since the demise of the blue screen of death, customer calls and upgrades have been down. They are working around the clock on a newly branded moire of death which they feel will be just as impactful as the origional blue screen but with a friendlier look and feel.
They are appologising for the delay in delaying your delayed computer experience.
flinging poop since 1969
so who the hell cares. migrate already
Then, go to http://v5.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ (not v4). Just remember to make backup before you upgrade in case anything goes wrong!
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
If I were so endowed, I'd mod you to the stars and beyond!
please mind your own business or fuck off.
I really hope your post was sarcastic. The movement is still behind after 10 years. Although it is gaining momentum, you're going to need a hell of a lot more than an extra month to make Linux more appealing to the unwashed masses.
We're working to resolve our technical difficulties, and will have our pages back up just as soon as we can. We apologize for the inconvenience, and thank you for your patience and understanding. ... i didnt think theyd be slashtdotted so soon??
... from the forgotten corner in europe
There are a couple of pieces that I'd like (e.g. the pop-up blocker), but for the most part, I really don't care and it's a problem that's best suited till later. I don't feel like piecing my way through the gpo that you'll need to setup to configure the "firewall" the right way.
I'm much more looking forward to Mcafee's next release which will include a buffer overrun protector and its own spyware killer(which I bet will work a bit better).
--pete
but why is M$ using students to develop their OS? I know summer interns come cheaper that full-timers, but come on!
SP5 would be worth it simply for rolling up all the critical updates and Sp4 into a single executable. This would allow machines to be setup and patched offline and not worry about as many network-level vulnerabilities, as well as taking a lot of the patching burden off of needing a relatively high speed internet connection.
I've always wondered why MS didn't produce minor-version service packs (eg, 4.24) that included the last major service pack plus critical updates released since then as a single EXE. Since SPs essentially unpack and run an executable, you'd think it wouldn't be too hard to mod that system to produce SP+hotfix rollups.
No seriously, one sneaked into my Athens Greece apartment and made a political statement about my Linux file server :-). Took me three
hours to stop using colourful language about
the locals, and three weeks to pluck up the
courage to clean it (hey I use telnet ok?)
I've been testing SP2 since RC1 and it's still pretty buggy... the new wireless features have issues with certain products from some major manufacturers, the added browser security has (in my case) created more problems than it solves, but the new firewall features and interface are VERY nice. I just hope they work the bugs out before release, as it stands now, it's no where near ready for release to the general public IMHO.
"...online and operational (and works with Service Pack 1!).."
One would think this should be a requirement, it reads like more of a bonus.
boycott slashdot February 10th - 17th check out: altSlashdot.org
Due to the Mozilla security hole I've had to manually walk my family through installing FireFox 0.9.2 on all of my family member's PCs (I had installed 0.9 when it was released). The problem, now, is that WindowsXP Automatic Update (which I long ago set up along with automatic virus updates) will (obviously) not update FireFox. Is there any way to get FireFox to auto-update (anyone want to write an app to do that?).
Just wondering...
The RC2.040610-1520 that I downloaded two weeks ago works perfect. On an 600 Mhz Celeron HP Omnibook XE3 with 384 Mb RAM it just works. I installed it since I had some issues with XP before and wanted to clean install the whole machine when I thought of SP2.
Installed it without a hitch and my system is running smoothly ever since.
I just hope Microsoft will let people install the final version over the RC2.
See http://communities.microsoft.com/newsgroups/defaul t.asp?icp=xpsp2&slcid=us.
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
Will SP2 be installed if the user has his or her PC set to automatically update?
Should I assume that friends and family will all call me on the same day asking "what the hell is this firewall thing asking me all these questions?"
It's as good as a Service Pack.
AutoPatcher.com
The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.
--Aristotle
Silly me... I opened the v5 link up in FireFox and sat there wondering why it wasn't working. DOH!!
Firefox you moron!
Three days?! Three whole days? Hackers are more efficient than that. Hell, I'm sure hackers will know of some vulnerabilities three days before its officially released.
Every time you post an article on Slashdot, I kill a server. Think of the servers!
However, the correct phrase is not "chomping at the bit." I believe it is "champing at the bit."
I do realize it's not your error, but rather it's the editors' error. Perhaps next time.
suggests SP2 will be a support nightmare.
One company tested the beta and 5,000 remote machines couldn't connect to their home office any more. The CIO said, "It will break the company".
Richard Steven Hack - This sig is TOO GODDAMN SHORT TO DO ANYTHING USEFUL WITH! MORONS!
Runs fine on my system. Has an awesome popup blocker and extra security tools. Not one POP Up gas gotten through.. Yet.
Last I checked, the problem wasn't whether I had permission to use RPC, it was a buffer overflow in the service that caused the exploit. It didn't matter whether or not I had permission to use RPC -- the mere act of sending a (malformed) packet to the service resulted in an crashed (or compromised) operating system.
All of the patches only serve to hide the RPC port unless it is in use. In fact, it makes any remote RPC applications much harder to deploy.
Maybe they're hoping that the NX extensions will imit to vulnerability of the buffer overflow exploit -- if you're using a processor which supports NX extensions...
I'll still install it, just for the popup and ActiveX blocking capabilities. But I have no illusions it will fix any of the other problems.
Uh-oh
...
*snip*
Windows Update cannot continue because a required service application is disabled. Windows Update requires the following services:
Automatic Updates enables detection, downloading, and installation of critical updates for your computer.
Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) enables faster, restartable downloading of updates.
Event Log logs Windows Update events for troubleshooting. To ensure that these services are enabled:
*snap*
so much for turning off services that you dont want and running things manually
Why?
While copying the proprietary software may not be legal, giving your money to the software hoarders who impose this artificial restrictions on your freedom certainly isn't ethical. Of course, thanks to the GPL we have a course that is both legal and ethical.
Try updating and not rebooting right away... you can't get rid of the Icon on the systray... and every five minutes or so it'll nag you to reboot.
Fucking POS.
This couldn't have worked out better if the Linux community had planned it. 1) Numerous recent IE exploits convinced thousands of people to try different browsers. These people (and likely a lot of their friends) have now realized that IE != The Internet. 2) Now, MS cuts off security updates to some of those users and other users who either got XP from a friend or bought a "bargain" PC from a fly-by-night outfit that used corporate keys. 3) The type of people mentioned in #2 don't like paying a lot for stuff. What are they going to do now as an upgrade path?: Try Linux for free, and/or pay several hundred dollars for an XP license? Now, ever Linux user out there, here's your mission: Burn a dozen copies of Knoppix and hand them out to everyone that has issues with SP2. I see converts in them thar hills.
On a dutch version of XP I downloaded it (30 minutes pay for doing nothing) and only after that it said that it was for english versions only.
You know, I spesificaly remember hearing that windows would no longer require service packs...
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
They probably didn't feel comfortable with their level of testing thus far and wanted to do more. I imagine they're jumping through hoops to support to the more popular apps. But really, software makers should just get with it. I'm not gonna run anything that won't run with SP2.
I'm leaving my tech support job at the end of July. Thank you, Microsoft, for delaying the SP2 release until August!
Woo-hoo!
Autopatcher.
If you install something and don't restart, it reminds you every five minutes. Very annoying.
Lets just face it, this looks like its going the way of the new Tomb Raider game. Eidos kept pushing it and pushing it back.......... Lets hope it doesn't suck.
http://www.macinhack.com
Nope... Windows update doesn't enable ICF. Go reread the grandparent post again.
Pathetic. Sounds like a win for open source. Microsoft is coming to terms with their past API/ABI mistakes.
But now Microsoft has armed itself with a huge list of illegal CD keys ensuring that not only does the SP2 not install, but also destroys the computer hard drive by rendering it unusable.
t ory.jsp ?storyid=53153
Read here.
http://www.techtree.com/techtree/jsp/shows
After reading about XP SP2 and Windows Update v5 on Slashdot, I had a chance to play around with them. While I'm impressed at both the operating system and the updater as of late, I have to be honest and say you've failed to address the number one problem plaguing the computer industry: ignorance.
The average Joe--your primary customer--doesn't know about Windows Update. This person doesn't know about service packs. This person doesn't care to know. In fact, when you tell this person about how critical these updates are, the average Joe is going to say "I don't care."
I've been in the industry for quite some time. I've tried to explain it using jargon...using layman's terms...using fruity Powerpuff Girls language...EVERYTHING. The end user--soccer mom and Grandpa--just don't care. They don't see the importance of updates to software.
Maybe what they need is a scare tactic? YOU, Microsoft, tell them that they are a liability on the Internet. Their documents, taxes, pictures, money, passwords, et al are vulnerable to theft. Their machines are turned into zombies which wreak havoc on innocent Net users....use the new buzz word terrorism as it will get their attention. Nah...they won't listen after 6 months again.
Is the answer to cripple the operating system unless it phones home regularly? Was this part of the original plan when XP dialed home? Nah...won't work. You have millions of XP installations out there already which do not even have updates from 2001....there's no way those users will even think about updating to enable a mandatory update.
Remember this for your next Longhorn meeting.
Maybe they found some bugs in it. It's happened before where Windows service packs broke more than the fixed (Winnt 4 service pack 2!). They might have found a bug in it nasty enough that they want to squash it before release. If so, the delay is a good thing. Putting out a patch that breaks boxes is not good.
wonder if the crackers have patience for this. another wait before a whole new offering of potential exploits.
I am sure their patience will eventually be handsomely rewarded.
It is human nature. People reach a threshold of awareness,based on the accumulation of factors like past data aquistion, native ability to reason, societal norms, etc, etc, and even contemplating anything past that point triggers almost instantaneous cognitive dissonance, with the most probable result of disbelief, as in "well, I just don't believe that, so you must be wrong". Not a refutation of the data or analysis of the accumulated data-merely a "belief". I can think of two very good topics-which I avoid on this forum just from this reason- that if attempted to be discussed here will trigger immediate "beliefs" type statements over just plain jane looking at the data and analytical statements.
You can show them all the data that's out there, which would lead to a most probable and inescapable conclusion, but if that conclusion falls outside their pre conceived and comfort level psychological and intellectual "pain" threshold, what they can handle psychologically, like when "good germans" refused to believe they were actually getting on cattle cars when just a few months previous they were leading apparently normal lives- they will resort-drop back to- a belief system that is more a religious or cult-like type response over a logicistical system.
What has happened to you makes it easier for you to see potential wrongness in the making on some subjects. Same thing here, makes it easier to see, therefore you tend to react swifter and stronger, especially with warnings to others, because "been there, done that, seen that" is a powerful teacher and will drag you past your pain/comfort threshold level pretty effectively, and once you've been dragged past that point you can never go back to a previous level.
It's not that people can't see natively, they could, just no actual frame of reference yet, and it's just that all people have a threshold past which they will-not see, so that turns it into a can-not see. Everyone's threshold is different, and on different subjects.
On really, really big and easy ones though, yes, you got to wonder sometimes why these thresholds are apparently so abysmally low.
I haven't booted my legal Longhorn machine in a while. Does anyone know if it can access Windows Update now? It had been giving messages in the past about Update 5 still being in Beta.
Thanks!
-Patrick
"They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
On the server side, it took about 5 minutes to configure the firewall to allow the web and/ or database server to listen for incoming connections. Again, not really a big deal.
I think the only place there will be compatibility problems is on the "install this great free adware/ dialer" pages. But then again, social engineering and uninformed users are the source of most of the problems anyway. I mean, don't get me wrong, I don't really like MS either, but I think the compatibility fears with SP2 are somewhat overblown.
Why don't they just release an XP interim security service pack?
Thats why they have two release candidates for Service Pack 2 available. You can download RC2 right now from Microsoft's website, and you don't necessarily have to use Windows Update to get it. You can bypass that by downloading the network package.
SP2 Delay?
Bill & Ballmer have seen the light!!!!!
SP2 has been delayed now that Microsoft is going to OpenSource!!!
However, I also don't care about legality in a situation like this.
I paid for enough copies. If they want to complain that I used the wrong serial number, they can take me to court. And ill bring along all the retail boxes with me to show the judge. I doubt any jury around would be finding me guilty of anything.
Personally I think there is cause for a class-action suit against them for giving particular parts of their customer base an unfair advantage by the disbursements of 'enterprise keys' that require less support overhead then 'retail keys'.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Here in the US we have the greates freedom money can buy. Seriously, your money could nowhere be more free than here. Buying a dictator in some lame banana-country doesn't kick, but bribing senators of a nuclear superpower rocks, I tell you.
Dont put it past them.. "you must register" will become "you damned well better register" before its all over..
Remember they dont have to support unregistered customers if they dont want too....
---- Booth was a patriot ----
If you're using BDE apps, you might want to test running multiple executables simultaneously, because in our case, it doesn't work. We get an error that says "cannot load driver". Both Borland & Microsoft have been notified, but so far there is no fix.
it's "champing" at the bit for f@#$'s sake.
Please, let 5 years in an english degree count for +5 funny.
As far as problems with Windows Update due to "bad keys", there is a program available that will correct this. I will not be posting a link to it for obvious reasons. I believe it's available via a torrent. I have one version called "winxp-keygenpack.rar" and another one called "xp sp1 keychanger sp2 keygen and product key viewer.rar". There are problem a dozen different file names you can find if you search a little.
Btw, I've tested it on many machines and have had no problems so far.
Many software companies do just as you are suggesting, but I don't see them doing that on a large scale for home users.
I think another result will come down the road: Microsoft will dump the home consumer PC market.
They will stick with large ticket companies that provide the real revenue, and with embedded markets such as the Xbox and future winterms for home broadband use.
The general home user is a borderline loss for them and I don't see them continuing to bother forever, at some point it wont be worth them staying in. They already don't support the home market much.. its all about big corporations with their high dollar MOLPs.......
---- Booth was a patriot ----
My system: HP pavilion ze4200, Laptop, XP-home, 1.7ghz celuron, 192mb ram.
I did a fresh rebuild, the system seemed to be very snappy. I loaded XP SP2 RC2, system seems to run noticable worse.
It seems to take longer to boot to the point where it is usable. After I long on, it seems to several minutes before I can do anything. It froze up on me to where I had to yank the battery - which is something it never used to do. Everything feels more sluggish. Maybe it would be different with a higher end system.
Also, I don't see how to turn off new features, such as firewall, or virus checker.
Thank you for you letter and concern.
I am sorry to inform you but you got the URL wrong.
Wouldn't it be microsoft.com that you are looking for?
I apologize I don't have in hand their forward address.
However, we from Slashdot, hope that you are successful in contacting Microsoft.
regards,
Slashdot User #766636
This post may contain confidential and/or privileged information, and is intended solely for the nerd(s) above.
If you have read this message in error, please shoot yourself immediately (try the temple).
Unauthorised copying, disclosure or distribution of the material in this post is strictly prohibited if not just downright sad.
from InformationWeek
Need I say that's pretty beefy!
If MS can't get people to patch their OS when its free, what will people do when it costs money to path their OS?
This will effectively do two things:
1) Ensure 99% of all Windows bugs remain unpatched
2) Lead to more warez tools to allow the 5% people smart enough to not pay MS any money to update without paying any money.
The interim release is out - its called RC2! If you want a stable SP and as many of the incompatibilities fixed as possible I guess y'all have to wait.
you buy an off the shelf PC, and it comes bundled with a version of ms windows. you're buying not only the hardware but also a licence to use the included software. the PC vendor is really responsible, cuz you bought "their" package. i went through a quite a few losing arguments with NEC cuz i had to load the damn OEM supplied win95 disk and uninstall all the crap everytime i had to reinstall the OS. and ms just said i bought a "system" from NEC and that was that.
so i tried a linux distro. and till i learned how to use it, it was just as crappy as any version of windows. linux is a lot easier to drive once you get the hang of it. i bleve that's the dreaded *nix learning curve. i don't see anyway around that obstacle.Serenity now, insanity later.
"Why don't they just release an XP interim security service pack? Surely they have enough already working in SP2 that they can get at least SOME of the fixes out the door sooner?"
/.
Sounds good in theory but when MS releases a SP and two days later has a security update or two to issue they get a bunch of bad publicity and a long and humorous rant thread on
No, the right thing for MS and its customers is to wait until all of the important issues are ironed out before releasing. I am sure that all of the remaining work has to do with compatibility and making sure the top apps don't have any issues when systems are upgraded to SP2. People tend to get annoyed when an OS upgrade breaks an app or two they use regularly. Most people would rather have a vulnerable machine then deal with lost productivity because of an update.
I followed the link to step up to v5 of windows update on my girlfriends system.
A few minutes ago the system informed me about a new update. It's installing "Windows XP Service Pack 2" as I type. This is the earliest August release Microsoft has ever had.
Marques Johansson
My bad, dogs... In the status window it reads "Installing Windows XP Service Pack 2, (Release Candidate 2)..."
That's what I get for saying something nice about MS...
Marques Johansson
i know i should just ignore your comment, but i can't help it.
yes, i use slackware personally. but my parents, friends, and relatives won't let me convert them to linux. so i install a warezed copy of windows xp pro corp on their computers when ever they break. i did get most of them to switch to mozilla, and whenever i visit them i run spybot/spywareblaster/adaware and the latest autopatcher.
i still feel dirty because i know that even by infringing microsoft's copyright i'm still supporting them. (if only defeating microsoft were a simple matter of not paying for their software...) unfortunately this situation is good enough for my relatives. and it's really not that much of a pain to get around microsoft's latest "anti-piracy" attempt and keep the systems i maintain relatively usable and secure.
i guess i do feel a little bit good about installing windows for free for friends and relatives. i know at least a few of them probably would pay for windows licences if i didn't help them. but i'm not naive enough to believe what i do really hurts microsoft at all (i wish it did). maybe it would be better if i just told everyone they need paid-for copies of windows or else i can install linux for free. but then their computers would just remain broken and i'd feel bad for being a jerk to people i care about.
i think cowboy neal is still working on implementing the -1 Martyr mod option so you'll just have to mod me as a troll or something.
SLDT02004071000002(humour)
I suspect that if MS attempts to stop letting users in with invalid keys, our hacker friends will target non-patched machines with z0mbie w0rms that flood the MS update sites.
:)
Now, wouldn't THAT be interesting?
"...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
I just sent the folowing link to my assistant in the labs...
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=17169
I was really hoping that WUS (even a beta) would be ready by August. Once again we'll be 'dorm storming' and mega-patching the student computers, cleaning out the spyware, installing our anti-virus, Firefox, etc.
Last year, it took an average of 15-20 minutes per machine to prepare them. I wonder how bad it will be this year.
The worst part of it was the international computers. Not being fluent in Korean or Japanese can make things REALLY HARD when you're trying to clean up those computers and get them on a network.
"...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
...it should be DAMN SKIPPY for us!
In other news:
For those still using NT 4.0, don't forget that MAC's OS 10.4 will include a neato NT 4 Migration Tool. Sort of like that wonderful Novell Migration tool MS used to include.
"Sometimes irony can be pretty ironic."
"...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
The service pack isn't final, so it probably has a buttload of debug code running so it can generate more useful error logs when Windows screws up. Of course, a boot speedup tool could help as well, such as Microsoft's BootVis or DriverHeaven's TuneXP (both are free, use Google to find them).
Somehow, it's just not the same... :-(
All of these IE exploits have finally allowed me to make some changes here. We were using ISA with Authentication enabled for our filtering system.
;)
The advantage to using Auth is that you can control individual users or group rights. But what I've been finding is that students just give their logins to anyone that wants them and since MS networks (unlike Novell), cannot control multiple logins with the same account, it's just pointless.
This is important because Mozilla doesn't like Auth. Proxies very much. It'll work, but everytime you open up a browser fresh you have to click 'ok' to authenticate.
Well, Auth. is OUT! Mozilla, here we come. It's also solving other issues we had here like the students using XP Home or older Macs in the dorm rooms. Hell, I'm even looking to move a few Linux internet terminals in the main rec room. Dare to dream!
MS has only themselves to blame. With these delays, the administration here and I have no choice now but to go with other options....
Not that I'm weeping uncontrolably, you understand...
"...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
Yep. Come September I'm going to be deep in the throes of Dorm Storm. I can guarantee that I will spend no less than two weeks getting all the girls connected to the network.
That includes cleaning out their spyware-ridden machines, getting the latest Windows Updates (GOD! Why do they take so long to install?!), and installing the Sophos client - our anti-virus solution.
"...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
I do want to wait until the end of the day... considering I have 10 apps open right now.
just in case you wanted verification. The XP Pro retail version has the same Activation mechanism as XP Home.
The truth doesn't care what I think.
Ok, your makeing my point exactly. YOU have gone through the trouble of pirating windows for them. There are the characteristic aunt Tille users. They don't want to do anything XP pro does not do right out of the box. If they did they'd be at the level of pirating XP themselves. As soon as they reach that level of comfort and knowleage with the PC it really would be easier to install a Linux Distro. They aint there yet so they should stick with what they know. Its also ok if they don't ever want to get there.
Now you should NOT BE HELPING THEM STEAL. Just because something is made by people you don't like and they charge to much for it does not give you the right to RIP them off to help your friends out. You should tell them look I would love to help you with your computer. You can buy a copy of windows or I can install a linux distro for you and point you at the documentation but I won't break the law. That is not being a jerk that is being a responsible citizen who respects the law and is avoiding exposing himself and friends/family to unneccecary liability. Its then there decision wether they buy Windows so you can help them, let you give them Linux and show them what they can read to learn or head off on their own.
Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html