Slashdot Mirror
Windows XP SP2 Goes Gold
writertype writes "PC Magazine reports that Microsoft has released Windows XP SP2 to PC OEMs after a two-day delay. A package of stories, complete with an exploration of the new update, is here. The best way for users to get the update, according to Microsoft, is to have Windows Update turned on; a CD version will be made available." Reader Critical_ writes "With all the news of SP2 being delayed, it seems like Microsoft may have pulled a rabbit out of its hat by releasing RTM on its WindowsBeta site. Neowin has a screenshot of the download page and MSFN has the release information. The final build is 2180. For those who can't download it for whatever reason, Microsoft is giving away free CDs here. Happy installing."
http://shit.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/08/06/2 015257&tid=201&tid=128
C:\>
Here's a little more info about the file. Size: 278,927,592 bytes MD5: 59a98f181fe383907e520a391d75b5a7
..then make sure you don't have 'automatic updates' on otherwise all hell will break lose.
We got wind of the decision to push it out via that channel just in time to switch windows update off via a group policy. Which is lucky otherwise we'd be looking at a lot of dead machines on monday morning (putting up a eula is *not* going to stop users installing it... most of them click blindly on anythign they're asked).
276 Seeders, 1300 downloaders
60 seeders, 300 downloaders (Requires fileshack.org account)
6 seeders, 60 downloaders
1 seeder, 10 downloaders
p.s., I still hate the color scheme on it.slashdot.org
No.
As to the famous "3 out of 5" comment, this post explains that problem better than I can. Basically, the guy who published the original article appears to have installed spyware on his system, and then he's blaming MS because his spyware doesn't work.
According to that msfn.org site, Microsoft has now announced that SP2 will install on all but the PCs that were also blocked from SP1.
So, if SP1 will install, so will SP2.
In the interest of preventing other people from getting their computers hacked into to form a botnet and DDOS the planet, check out how to change the CD key and a list of CD keys.
SCO employee? Check out the bounty
The 271 MB Torrents are .rared up into multipart archives while the 266 MB Torrents are the raw exe (maybe with a .nfo or other small file). Links are to a suprnova mirror.
This is my sig. There are many like it but this one is mine.
According to a post on neowin:
Filename: WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe
MD5: 59A98F181FE383907E520A391D75B5A7
The one I'm getting on a torrent has a SHA1 hash of:
GOUP55QNJCXB6LCP52RHCENPLTWKHRHW
-- thalakan
There is every valid reason for it.
For a start, they're testers and our software won't even begin to install for a non-administrator.
btw. you need to realize how automatic updates work - you do *not* need to be an administrator to use it. They download in the background and and are made 'live' by a scheduled reboot overnight. You could have all your users as 'guest' and you'd still be hosed.
If it didn't work like that it'd be pretty damned useless... you'd have to pay someone to manually log in as an admin and update the machines which defeats the object of automatic update.
...like destroying the MBR, and thus, LILO...
Granted, I'm running GRUB (on a Gentoo system), not LILO, but can't you just boot off a LiveCD and reinstall LILO to the MBR? I seem to remember doing this a couple times during my time spent dual booting...
I installed the beta of Windows Update v5 on a computer with a warezed copy of Windows XP, and while it installed fine, it wouldn't let me check for updates because it detected the pirate product key.
Interestingly, I tried to connect just now, and it downloaded the final version of Windows Update v5 and let me download an critical IE security patch. It looks like they've softened their stance again (throughout SP2's long and storied development cycle, they've been back and forth over whether they'd allow pirated copies to grab the update).
No, we let automatic update do it. That's what it's for.
Our MCSE refuses to touch SUS with a bargepole. there are some valid reasons (it requires a dedicated server and large hard disk, and we can't spare the hardware) and some just because he hates it it didn't work when we trialled it.
It's pretty pointless anyway as the company is on a fast leased line so a proxy like SUS is just sucking up administration time.
This is the MD5 sum from WinBeta. (Found at neowin.net)
WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe 59A98F181FE383907E520A391D75B5A7
As per the Windows XP SP2 RTM press release this is how they are going to do it -
The timing for customers to receive the Service Pack 2 download through Automatic Updates depends on a number of factors, including the customer's Internet usage, location, language and the level of Internet demand for Service Pack 2. Automatic Updates uses spare Internet capacity to progressively download updates without interfering with daily PC use. Microsoft expects to distribute Service Pack 2 to approximately 100 million PCs through Automatic Updates over the next two months.
The progresive download feature being talked about refers to the "Background Intelligent Transfer Service" BITS. BITS transfers files using leftover bandwidth. For example, if you are currently using 60 percent of your bandwidth, BITS will only use the remaining 40 percent. BITS also maintains file transfers when a network disconnection occurs, or a computer needs to be restarted: When the network connection is re-established, BITS will continue where it left off.
Yeah, but that article is just from some little shit blog. You don't know if you're getting the real thing unless you get it directly.
It isn't a missing or currpted Windows file, it is a report of a missing file named 'winserv.exe'. That file isn't a part of Windows but rather spyware with a (surprise) deceptive name. It shouldn't be on the system at all.
SUS runs fine on a Win2k server. You can tell it to redirect clients to microsoft's site for the actual downloads (so that you approve what updates are ok to be downloaded, and clients automatically go and download them from MS). All it is really is a couple of ASP scripts. It runs the IIS lockdown tool when you install it (i think that's why they recommend having it on a dedicated server).
That's a good point, as long as the digital signatures are correct you should be OK.
My other car is first.
http://134.129.142.12/WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.e xe
edu mirror. 100mbit, athlon 1800xp, 1gig ram. leech away.
Your hash sir: 59A98F181FE383907E520A391D75B5A7
Simon.
You don't need to. Right click on the downloaded file, go to Properties | Digital Signatures, select the (single) Microsoft Corp signature and click Details. Now go and make a cup of tea.
;)
When you return to your pc, there will be a window saying if the signature is valid or not.
Of course, this information is completley useless if you haven't veritied the authenticity of the certificates already on your system that are a part of this particular chain of trust, or if you don't trust any part of the software doing the data vertification and result reporting.