Is Service Pack 2 "safe" Now?

[freemonkey]

I've got a PC with WinXP that has never been connected to the internet, and since I had no major problems with it, I never installed SP2. And then, with all the issues so many people had with it, I was not planning on installing it.

Well, I'm getting ready to upgrade some things, and I've read that I will have some certain issues unless I install SP2.

My question is this: Have the problems with SP2 been resolved? Or does it still suck?

[Leesifer]

I hope they've been resolved. We're rolling it out at work at the moment.

[MonCapitan2002]

At work, the computer I am assigned to has Service Pack 2, I believe. I haven't had any problems with it.

[ceptimus]

I've installed it on quite a few PCs lately. No problems yet.

:crossed:

[freemonkey]

Okay, next question: Can I download and save to one computer (win98, for instance) and install it on the other? Or do I have connect the XP computer to the internet?

[Corona688]

If it's similar to Windows 2000 SP4, I believe you can download it and move it from computer to computer if you get the "network" version. Which makes no sense at all -- the "network" version is the huge all-in-one version that doesn't need to talk to a network, while the other one is the version that needs to use the network to download!

Of course I can't tell for sure since the bastard assholes at Microsoft have disallowed Firefox from even downloading service packs.

[edit] After fiddling with Konqueror to make it pretend to be IE, I see that Microsoft wants to install and run ActiveX controls to "verify" your computer. Fuckwits. I'm sure it must be available somewhere else...

[edit of the edited edit] Ahah. The "Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers", called "network" because it doesn't use it. It's big, 260M (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=049C9DBE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en)

[freemonkey]

If it's similar to Windows 2000 SP4, I believe you can download it and move it from computer to computer if you get the "network" version. Which makes no sense at all -- the "network" version is the huge all-in-one version that doesn't need to talk to a network, while the other one is the version that needs to use the network to download!

Of course I can't tell for sure since the bastard assholes at Microsoft have disallowed Firefox from even downloading service packs.

[edit] After fiddling with Konqueror to make it pretend to be IE, I see that Microsoft wants to install and run ActiveX controls to "verify" your computer. Fuckwits. I'm sure it must be available somewhere else...
You're fucking kidding me! Those fuckers.

That settles it, when I finally do get my laptop, it'll be a Mac. Probably. If they still them by the time I get one.

[Corona688]

If it's similar to Windows 2000 SP4, I believe you can download it and move it from computer to computer if you get the "network" version. Which makes no sense at all -- the "network" version is the huge all-in-one version that doesn't need to talk to a network, while the other one is the version that needs to use the network to download!

Of course I can't tell for sure since the bastard assholes at Microsoft have disallowed Firefox from even downloading service packs.

[edit] After fiddling with Konqueror to make it pretend to be IE, I see that Microsoft wants to install and run ActiveX controls to "verify" your computer. Fuckwits. I'm sure it must be available somewhere else...
You're fucking kidding me! Those fuckers. No joke. The small version, they've tied into Windows Update; another feature added long ago to the ever-bloating IE. The "network" no-network version doesn't seem to need it, downloading now. Check my edit.

[freemonkey]

That's an awful big file you linked to, Corona688, Maybe I'll download tonight. The biggest issue I think I'll have without the upgrade is this:

Some 1 GB free RAM came my way, so I'm gonna use it. Sony tells me there's an issue where the computer won't go into hibernation with 1 GB or more RAM without SP2. I like hibernation, but I don't know if its worth all the hassle.

Yeah, so I went to MS support site and could not get anywhere near SP2 because I wasn't using IE. When I clicked the "Send Us an Email" link, so I can tell them why I don't want to connect to the internet with that computer, and why I will NOT connect using Explorer, and why I don't want to give them access to my computer, lookee what I got! Jerks.

[freemonkey]

Ah, you can order it on CD (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default.mspx). We'll see how much they charge.....