Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Fury on August 09, 2004, 12:31:59 pm
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So it was "out" last weekend already but now its downloadable from MS download servers.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=049c9dbe-3b8e-4f30-8245-9e368d3cdb5a
Details and everything is available through the link. I've heard SP2 will be available in WindowsUpdate on 25th. Even if I had a modem, I would download the network install and burn it to a CD, or make a slipstream. (http://www.neowin.net/articles.php?action=more&id=94) Would save a lot of time when there is no need to download it every time after a reinstall.
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Installed several days ago - happy with it now that the themes issue is solved.
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Anyone else with any experience. I'm not switching till I know its not going to mess something up. My system runs smoothly....added protection is a great thing (and I've read what it does and doesn't do) but I already run a very tight ship.
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what should i do if i'm already installed the beta version, uninstall and install this package ? :sigh:
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Officially you should do a sysem restore rollback...
Unofficially i simply installed every release on the top of the other with no problems at all...
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ok unofficially sounds much better ;D
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I cannot guarantee the unofficial way will work for everyone, especially with such big system updates...
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who can guarantee the official way :P
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Not me for sure, but if you ask for assistance tell them you used the official one, or they will simply say to reinstall correctly...
I've beta tested it and worked always pretty fine for me...
If you got a bluetooth phone you can also have fun with that feature ;)
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Originally posted by IceFire
Anyone else with any experience. I'm not switching till I know its not going to mess something up. My system runs smoothly....added protection is a great thing (and I've read what it does and doesn't do) but I already run a very tight ship.
Don't know how reliable one anecdote is, but some info from Slashdot:
1) Broken Thief III such that when I load levels, my computer crashes.
2) Screams bloody murder when an app opens a port - except for loopback - but even when I explicitly wanted that port opened it still raises a dialog.
3) Messed up MSN Instant Messenger's hotmail addin so it now links to Outlook and Outlook Express even though I don't even USE Outlook.
4) Messed up my MSN Instant Messenger buddy list by trying to group them into random categories I didn't even want
5) Installed more gooblygook into Windows Media Player that asks for copyright protections etc that I don't want and makes me go through the configuration screen all over again
6) Added a popup blocker I didn't want - that I can't easily turn off - into IE - that conflicts with Google Toolbar - instead of one easy click to get a popup on a site that you were expecting to pop up (such as a separate chat window for customer support), you now need to go into the options to turn popup blocking off, then click the google toolbar... twice the hassle.
Number six sounds pretty annoying, seems like IE's popup blocker sucks. I suggest sticking with Mozilla/Firefox or Opera.
By the way, you can acquire the SP using bittorrent as well. Microsoft's servers are fairly quick so I'm not sure if it'll be necessary.
http://sp2torrent.com/index.php
For those among you who're paranoid, make sure to check the md5 hash and MS's digital signature. MD5 Hash: 59a98f181fe383907e520a391d75b5a7
Edit: Here's another thing to watch out for
If you have a processor that supports NX, SP2 will not be compatible with some programs, especially dynamic recompilers.
As R. Belmont pointed out to me on a different message board, dynamic recompilers allocate memory, fill it with x86 instructions, and then jump to it. NX specifically prohibits executing allocated memory, so dynamic recompilers should crash in SP2 on processors that support NX.
Expect this feature to break many current emulators (Mame will be fine.) The feature supposedly can be turned off in Windows, but since I don't have a processor that supports NX, I don't know where one would do so in the interface. The newer Athlon chips - specifically, the Athlon 64's, and future Pentium 4s, support NX, so keep that in mind when upgrading to SP2.
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FreeTerran, you should back up and be prepared to reinstall from scratch. Just in case.
Number 6 isn't quite correct, there should be a warning that pops up when a popup is blocked which you can click on to let it through. Somewhat similar to Mozilla/Firefox I believe. That may have been disabled though; it was in the RC's but I think they scaled back a bit to prevent widespread failures.
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Alcohol 120% or 52% users should know that there is slight incompatibility during SP2 install which was noticed back in RC2 but apparently the problem's not in MS's end...
Anyway, SP2 cannot copy atapi.sys when you have Alcohol installed, regardless of it being currently running or not. You need to go to \Windows\System32\drivers and delete atapi.sys, then hit retry until SP2 continues installation. SP2 creates a new atapi.sys which is the same as the one you deleted, at least sizewise.
I've been testing both RC1 and RC2, I can say that SP2 is pretty good. Definitely a recommended install regardless of how good your system is. Like with any software out there, installing it may screw something. But MS had quite a long testing period and such occurences should be minimal at least.
It is true that SP2 may break some apps and games but patches will be out soon. And people who are annnoyed they need to do some setting changes after installing SP2 are just bad whiners. Big deal, just do the setting changes and be done with it. Everything can be turned off if necessary, including XP firewall and IE pop-up blocker.
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Should I DL this release? Or wait for the smaller one?
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In my opinion it would be for the best to download this and then burn it to a CD-R or slipstream it.
Slipstream is the best choice, then comes burning the SP2 network install to a CD-R, then comes express installation.
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I'm assuming the network install is just SP2 in one file. right?
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Network install = 272 Mb package containing the whole SP2.
Express install = Downloads only whats needed, ~80 Mb possibly.
Slipstream. (http://www.neowin.net/articles.php?action=more&id=94)
While network install is big, benefits really outweights it. If you slipstream the network install package or simply burn it to CD-R for later use, you can then install it whenever you want to. Without the need to download it again should you need to install it, most likely after you have reinstalled XP.
Slipstreaming is really good, basically if you install XP with slipstreamed SP2, you have SP2 installed out of the box.
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ok, ok I'll bite,
what's slipstream?
oh, and aparently after sp2 this sound (http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/blackwater/unencoded.wav) gets emmbedded into every sound that gets played :)
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Bobboau, how about clicking the slipstream links?
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Most issues should have been fixed, really.
XP SP2 had at least 1000 MVPs as testers, and many of them are some of the biggest nitpickers i've ever seen...
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AFAIK sp2 will show up on the Windows Update site on the 25th, but users with Autmatic Updates enabled will start to see it from today. MS are rotating the ip ranges though to prevent their servers getting hammered, so it won't be everyone straight away.
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The only thing it broke was media player.
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Originally posted by Zarax
Most issues should have been fixed, really.
XP SP2 had at least 1000 MVPs as testers, and many of them are some of the biggest nitpickers i've ever seen...
Although;
Lines of code in XP estimated ~40 million
IIRC, there is an average of 15 errors for every thousand lines of code.
So....probably not there yet. Albeit i'm very glad I never got XP if it took 3 sodding years to get it to this state - any software which requires a 3 year long patching process to solve major issues, probably should have been developed for 3 years longer.
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I'll wait to hear how my brother finds the installation at work (he works at IBM Global Services Australia, I expect they'll be installing SP2 across their network pretty soon). ;)
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Setekh, IBM said they will apply SP2 with some delay, so you may want to get it personally...
Aldo, i've been testing it for the last 6 months and had few issues, most of them related to other beta software.
Also, SP2 adds quite a lot of new features...
Bri_Dog: Can you PM me about your WMP problems?
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Originally posted by Zarax
Aldo, i've been testing it for the last 6 months and had few issues, most of them related to other beta software.
Also, SP2 adds quite a lot of new features...
See that bottom line? That's where big bug list number 2 will come from......:nod:
I can tell you now, they will not have fixed every bug in the existing code. That's the way it is with a program that size.
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Well, surely it's not bug free, but it's well tested for sure, so you won't find any major issue hopefully...
The WMP issues are in part MVPs fault (that includes me), who switched en masse to WMP10 testing... That does not mean they will be ignored, but that feedback on it will take a little longer...
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Originally posted by Bobboau
oh, and aparently after sp2 this sound (http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/blackwater/unencoded.wav) gets emmbedded into every sound that gets played :)
What...the hell is that? :wtf:
And, is it doing that exclusively in WMP or also in stuff like Winamp, as well?
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Originally posted by Zarax
Bri_Dog: Can you PM me about your WMP problems?
Check yer PMs :)
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JC... That's the sound of the irony...
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QUESTION! As dumb as this may sound, does sp1 have to be installed still or does sp2 include sp1 fixes as well...
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You don't need SP1...
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Wait for Windows Update and it will tell you what you need to download, which usually is around one third of the whole network package...
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Yeah but you need to do that every time you reinstall XP. If you download the network installation package once and then burn it to a cd, you don't need to download it again.
Besides, slipstreaming is the way to go.
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I sure hope this patch fixes the worlds problem with adware and spyware...
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The only patch that would fix that would be one applied to Bill Gates nose and mouth so he couldn't breathe
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The way to solve the spyware problem is watch what you install and don't use IE.
Anyone know if IE actually got any CSS feature additions in SP2? I could *really* use :before pseudo-selectors and content properties. I'd like some decent float support too. Proper block model would be helpful too.
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Originally posted by Kamikaze
Anyone know if IE actually got any CSS feature additions in SP2? I could *really* use :before pseudo-selectors and content properties.
SP2 or any service pack as you'd know is a 'FIX' in general, its not usually for adding new features, and when they do its limited to specific applications, IE is not one of them. From what I've read on the Microsoft website in the past, they have no plans in updating IE6 with further revisions or upgrading the browser to conform better to the W3C specifications.
Originally posted by Kamikaze
I'd like some decent float support too.
There are work-arounds to this, checkout the wiki (http://css-discuss.incutio.com/) @ css-discuss.org (http://www.css-discuss.org/).
Originally posted by Kamikaze
Proper block model would be helpful too.
Once again work-arounds. I think a lot these specs by the w3c could be better adapted by browser-makers, but in this day and age it's unlikely support will get any better than it is. :)
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Actually it seems like MS has put the IE team back together. Sounds like there could be a new stand-alone IE before Longhorn is out.
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Programs that may behave differently in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=884130&product=windowsxpsp2)
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Originally posted by Mr. Fury
Programs that may behave differently in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=884130&product=windowsxpsp2)
LOL. That list is SO long! Nearly all of the games that I play are on it. I am not going to be installing SP2 any time soon...
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Compatibility mode to Win2k or 98 fixes almost everything...
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Not as long as I expected actually...should be alright.
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This is getting annoying, now. Windows Update is shouting at me, telling me to install SP2, but I'm afraid of it screwing over everything. :nervous:
Originally posted by MatthewPapa
LOL. That list is SO long! Nearly all of the games that I play are on it. I am not going to be installing SP2 any time soon...
Really? I only spotted two games on that list... :nervous:
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Just get on with it. Its not like it will magically fix itself even if you wait a month or two if there will be a problem, MS will not release a new build of SP2.
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Yeah, good point. I can't shake the reluctance, though... even IBM Global Services Australia (where my brother works) is refusing to put it onto their networks. :nervous:
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I've tested it since the early betas... Aside from some LAN problems it works like a charm...
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Setekh, its the way of all companies who care about their business critical apps and systems working like they should. They will install SP2 eventually but not until they have 99% it does not screw up anything.
End-users and companies are different thing.
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Yeah. I followed your advice, but to my surprise the Windows Update requests have just gone. No downloading started. Very strange. *shrugs* I'm sure I'll be fine. ;)
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MS is still cycling IP address ranges to prevent download servers from getting hammered.
Download (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=049C9DBE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en) SP2 and either burn it to a CD or make a slipstream. (http://www.neowin.net/articles.php?action=more&id=94)
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Originally posted by MatthewPapa
LOL. That list is SO long! Nearly all of the games that I play are on it. I am not going to be installing SP2 any time soon...
You might want to re-read the title. MAY behave differently != will behave differently. That just means that they're going to run a little different. That does not mean that anything on that list will not run properly. Stop being so damned paranoid and install the damn service pack already. Several programs that I use are on that list, and I have yet to see them crash.
btw, there is a known issue concerning windows update v5. On some systems, SP2 b0rks the scanning engine by unregistering msxml3.dll. This is a very simple fix by going to your run prompt and typing in the following:
regsvr32 msxml3.dll
That will re-register the DLL and windows update will function normally.