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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've not seen it mentioned anywhere, so maybe it's just a drive incompatibility issue, but when I installed SP2 RC1, I could no longer play DVDs - I would receive an error telling me that the TV OUT on my card must be disabled first. I rolled back to SP1 and bingo, everything would play fine again.
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.
Windows XP
They're forgetting about all the worms, trojans, and viruses that are going to need to be rewritten to exploit new backdoors in the OS.
:(
Those poor hackers...
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
microsoft corp of redmond,wa has filed an antitrust injunction against microsoft corp, also of redmond,wa for deploying 'service pack 2' - a cumulitive update for windows xp users, which has been shown to be incompatible with microsoft's visual studio and outlook.
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.
You know what happens when SP2 blocks a connection via the firewall? It let's you know. It also let's you take the option of unblocking the program straight away. I had this problem with X-Wing Alliance and Unreal Tournament 2004. When no servers came up, I thought it was my connection, but a quick-alt tab reveals that Windows has a pop-up that actually informs you that it's blocked the game/application. So, don't be too quick to bash. Turning the firewall on by default is a good idea. I mean, why don't you go bash ZoneAlarm or a similar firewall app? It blocks all access by default, and "learns" as you use your computer more, and that's all the SP2 firewall is trying to do.
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.
At present if you want other ports to open, other than these default services, you have to open the ports manually. however I would imagine this coupled action is handled by some .plist xml configuration file. So its probably possible for an application to add its own services to the sharing menu and have them coupled to the firewall if you turn the service on.
On my mac I do manually block the incoming and outgoing license manager ports for MS Office. If you dont and want to share the app on your laptop and desktop then you will lose any open edited docuements if you inadvertently plug them into the same network. I wonder if this lic manager is the reason why MS gave the firewall the ability for apps to open ports in the firewall and to have outbound connections?
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
See if you can find your favoirite bug on this list!
Best Buy can have you arrested
RTFA please.
The same applications would all stop working if you installed any firewall, hardware or software, router or ZoneAlarm.
This has nothing to do with QA testing - obviously if you enable a firewall, some apps are going to stop working.
Why on earth is it microsofts QA departments fault that you can't FTP if your FTP port isn't open on your firewall?
If you think that it really is MS's fault after actually reading the article - then yes, you should be shot. Twice. Darwin save us all.
I am government man, come from the government. The government has sent me. -- G.I.R.
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.
Parent poster embarasses himself and does not understand that "admin" != "root" on a macintosh.
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.