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Microsoft Lists SP2 Incompatibilities
thejuggler writes "ZDNET has a story about how the new XP SP2 causes conflicts with over 50 applications and causes problems with others including some of Microsoft's own products. The 'glitch' as they are calling it seems to be that the Windows firewall system is turned on by default and blocks unsolicited connections to your computer. You have to unblock certain ports as your applications require to make the apps work again. They are calling this a glitch, but I thought we wanted everything blocked by default so we would have to choose what was unblocked?" The BBC has a story as well.
I snickered when I saw that list earlier today. Most of them are broken due to closed ports. Duh. Why not list every application that requires certain ports be open?
Any firewall can break any piece of software if it requires a port that is blocked.
even though Microsoft is doing the "Right Thing", a majority of average (Below average?) users will complain until MS is forced to set the firewall to disabled by default. It's sad, but true.
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Until someone logs into your network behind your firewall with an infected machine... If you ever have LAN parties or have a wireless network, you're exposed. Null
From what I've read, the problems are that MS has finally introduced some default security. They are blaming third party vendors for relying on ports to be open and such. While this may be true, there is also the fact that since they've been able to do it for years and years with Microsoft based OSs, there's no surprise that when they actually started locking stuff down, it did break other programs.
They aren't really "glitches"
And they have nothing to do with the actual code in the Service Pack (I've been running it fine since it was released on Winbeta).
If you took time to read the article, you'd find that the applications would work fine if you disabled the Windows Firewall. The applications fail because SP2 enables a firewall by default, and these applications do not work without an open port.
Anyone who tries to agree with the anti-microsoft FUD in the article above must be some kind of luddite or a really blinkered linux zealot.
Enabling a firewall by default in Windows is the greatest thing Redmond has ever done to try and make up for the horror's they've unleashed on the people of the world. Trying to spread even more FUD with the objective to stop people from applying this service pack is madness.
I am government man, come from the government. The government has sent me. -- G.I.R.
Not one comment on the fact you *could* even roll it back.. and probably without too much of an issue I'm guessing.. They *are* learning (slowly, and as much as people hate to admit here). It just takes time. Your DVD issue seems legit, but most of this stuff being broken due to close ports is hardly a glitch.. it's called security.. and I for one say kudos for doing the right thing (at least partially).
The whole Service Pack 2 thing here on Slashdot has gone way out of control. You have to stop bashing Microsoft for every single thing they do. This time they tried their best. Yes, it might not work 100%, yes some things will break, but this is the nature of a firewall, and it's definatly the nature of Microsoft. Would you rather Microsoft hadn't released SP2? I don't think so.
Also, to those of you wise enough to know if you'll have compatability issues, don't install SP2. It's clearly not for you. This is aimed at the average Joe user who browses the Internet, and checks his e-mail. It's designed to stop low level attacks instead of causing the next Blaster. Just because you are a Geek or a Linux guru does not give you the right to bash this, because it is not for you. There's a reason you're using Linux, right? Better security, etc? Stick with it.
And the final point, a lot of you are complaining about how the average user knows no better than Microsoft, and can't defend themselves against simple spyware. Then for God's sake, please go out and help these people! You wouldn't believe the number of people who come to me to fix their laptops about various problems (mostly spyware and viruses), and I always educate them on the matter. I don't just fix it for them, I make sure they understand exactly what they did wrong, and how never to repeat it. And to those of you who believe that they should be ditching Windows XP for Linux... forget it. It's not for them. They'll have no reason to switch over. You're preaching to the wrong choir. Talk to those who you know will be interested rather than the average user.
Given this dialog:How many users are going to click "Yes"? You think it is stupid if a user clicks "Yes" but do you know how stupid is it to allow the user the option to click "Yes" and ruin their computer?? Now change "Ruin your computer?" to "An application has request traffic on port 139. Open it?"
This is a simplified example yet this is whats happening. A firewall is supposed to stop network traffic inbound or outbound that isn't accounted. Allowing the user to sidestep this easily is as handy as asking if they want to ruin their computer: Yes or No. Even with the improved features I'm still going to get calls from Mom saying something complained it wanted access so she clicked "Yes" to get it to shut up. Expecting users to be savy enough to patrol their computers got MS into this mess with SP 2. Now people are suddenly going to be wise??? Something doesn't add up.
I am not knocking SP2 since there are great things going on here but as the old saying goes: Security is a process. SP2 still "enables" users to screw up their computers with a few more hoops to jump through. I would rather have my parents have to jump through a few more hoops before they hang their computer with all of the wonderful "rope" MS gives them but I'm still very bothered its easy to hang themselves.
Simply put, in my opinion Zone Alarm is right and SP2 is wrong. The firewall is there to stop unwarrented traffic not to conviently prompt you to disable it.