SP2

[bharkins]

Just read about some problems that jeffandtammymac were having. In a referenced forum thread along a similar topic, someone posted that SP2might be a culprit causing P2E problems. I have not installed SP2 yet (because I use Firefox) but has anyone had any P2E problems after an SP2 install? I have the MS CD of SP2, but am gunshy at the moment, and not sure what it would do for me since I don't use IE.

Bill

[Igor]

PicturesToExe works with SP2.

The only possible problem was with earlier versions before v4.31 (with v4.31 and v4.40 all is OK) when main program of PTE (not slide-shows!) could don't work on Windows XP with SP2 on Opteron/Athlon 64 bit CPU if you had highest level of NX-protection. With v4.31 and later all is OK.

Also all .EXE files of slide-shows created with any versions of PTE work OK on Windows XP with SP2.

[Ken Cox]

Bill

there are lots of old wives tales about sp2 floating around the net

if you are unsure of installing it get yourself a qualified technician that is wallet friendly and intelligent - have him do a house call and install it and check out your systems

there were +- 10 security patches for xp lastweek -

see

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/default.mspx

http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,...,1764479,00.asp

and how long do think it will be before firefox becomes vulnerable??

- so the longer you put it off the older your other equipment is and you may not be able to get drivers for it

ken

[Conflow]

Answer to XP-SP2 Problems

I hate being the 'Devils Advocate' concerning this thread - but I have to disagree with the

prior comments made - SP2 still gives problems to many PC Users, particularily when it starts "downloading" Programs and EMails with Attachments.

This has nothing to do with PTE or other Programs nor EMails -

Its all to do with 'User Knowledge & Experience' and not reading the XP-SP2 Instructions

If you buy a New XP-SP2 PC - its all in the Manual - Read it !

If you 'Retro-Install' SP2 into an existing PC then strange things start to happen, such as :-

...I can't open an EMail.....I can't download PTE.....I can't Login to My Favourites...etc,etc.

There is a 'simple answer' to all this when one realises that SP2 actually 're-configures' your PC.

On the 'Standard Install of SP2' it sets your IE. Privacy & Security settings to High Custom Level,

and as a consequence it tends to take over what IT ALLOWS YOU TO DO, it fact it makes the

Internet virtually un-usable which comes as a hell of a shock to most users.

Adding to the confusion is the lack of...Plain English Instructions from Microsoft ?

The Software Site www.webattack.com provides simple 'Pictorial Instructions' as to setting up

your SP2 for full Internet functionallity.

I have a 'copy' of this which I can send to Igor or someone prepared to put it on a Website

with due acknowledgements to WebAttack .Com

Hope this helps our less experieced Members.

Brian.Conflow.

[Ken Cox]

but Brian

if you have an intelligent and qualified person do the update and explain what security changes it makes the problems should be minimal

i wasnt qualified to do it i hired it

ken

[Conflow]

Hi Ken,

I completely agree with you - problem being - that many people simply 'download SP2' in

good faith and expect Microsoft to offer some 'Plain English Support' with the download.

Thats a reasonable expectation with any 'Product Upgrade' downloaded or otherwise ?

Anyway, the www.webattack.com - Pictorial Instructions on SP2 are intended to make

good those "omissions" and make the SP2 Product more Internet friendly.

Brian.Conflow.

[Ronniebootwest]

Hi Brian,

I had a look on the web site but could see no reference to the SP2 help to which you refer.

Since you have a copy, could you email it to me please???

Ron (ronniebootwest@aol.com)

[Ken Cox]

Ron there are many "jewels" here

http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/Inst...tallxphome1.htm

his site is very popular

there is a black version as well as a white version

switch on left side column to change

ken

[Ken Cox]

quote

In the News ====

by Paul Thurrott, thurrott@windowsitpro.com

Special Report: Microsoft to Offer Free AntiSpyware, Major IE Update

for Windows XP

Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates

surprised analysts yesterday during his keynote address at the RSA

Conference 2005 security show in San Francisco when he announced that

his company would offer its Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware product to

consumers for free and issue a major new version of Microsoft

Internet Explorer (IE) for Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) users

later this year. Previously, Microsoft had pledged to not ship a new

IE version until Longhorn, which is due in May 2006.

"Our primary goal is to improve security and safety for all our

customers--consumers and businesses, regardless of size--through a

balance of technology innovation, guidance and industry leadership,"

Gates said. "We're committed to continued innovation that addresses

the threats of today and anticipates those that will undoubtedly

emerge in the future." In addition to the Windows AntiSpyware and IE

news, Gates also pledged to release a paid, managed version of

Windows AntiSpyware for businesses, announced the completion of the

long-delayed Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA)

Server 2004 Enterprise Edition, and briefly discussed the company's

antivirus plans.

Microsoft's decision to release Windows AntiSpyware for free is a

good one: Arguably, the many security problems in its IE application

are largely behind the growing malware threat that Windows users face

today. "Spyware ... is something we need to nip now," Gates said. "We

made the decision that all of our Windows licensees should have

[antispyware] capability." Gates noted that more than 6 million

people have downloaded the free Windows AntiSpyware beta since it was

released in January. He also noted that the free Microsoft Windows

Malicious Software Removal Tool, which is automatically downloaded

from Automatic Updates and Windows Update, has been installed and run

on more than 133 million PCs since the first version shipped in

January.

News of a new IE version--which Gates said will be called IE 7.0--

was also unexpected, mostly because the company had routinely denied

that it could ship such a program before Longhorn. As recently as

November 2004, Microsoft Director of Windows Product Management Gary

Schare went on a press tour to discuss misconceptions in the press

about IE security. He told me at that time that Microsoft wouldn't

ship a major new IE version until Longhorn. That's all changed:

Responding somewhat gallantly to customer requests, Microsoft is

changing its browser strategy and will release IE 7.0 in 2005.

The decision to ship a new IE version comes with many caveats.

First, IE 7.0 will be available only to XP SP2 users. Customers using

earlier versions of XP or other Windows versions need not apply.

Microsoft justifies this decision by noting that only XP SP2 includes

the underpinnings necessary to secure IE 7.0. Also, although Gates

noted that IE 7.0 will include major new security enhancements,

including technologies to combat phishing, malware, and spyware, he

was tight-lipped about whether IE 7.0 would include major new

functionality. Many customers, for example, have been asking

Microsoft to add the tabbed browsing capability that's common in

other browsers, such as Mozilla Firefox. Finally, Gates noted that

the same IE 7.0 version that it will ship later this year would be

rolled into Longhorn in 2006.

As far as XP SP2 goes, however, Gates had nothing to report but

success. More than 170 million copies of XP SP2 have been distributed

to customers worldwide, Gates said. And 77 percent of the 800

enterprise customers Microsoft polled recently told the company that

they're committed to deploying XP SP2 within the next 6 months.

Gates also announced that a beta version of Microsoft Update, the

online Web service that will eventually replace Windows Update and

update all supported Microsoft applications, servers, and services,

will appear in mid-March. Also, the long-awaited Windows Update

Services (WUS), which replaces Microsoft Software Update Services

(SUS), will ship in the first half of 2005: This tool will help small-

and medium-sized businesses develop a patch-management

infrastructure inhouse for free. And the enterprise edition of ISA

Server 2004 is finally complete, Gates noted. ISA Server 2004

Enterprise Edition adds enhanced manageability, scalability, and

availability, according to the company.

As for Microsoft's expected antivirus solution, Gates had little

to say. It will be a "broad consumer offering," he noted, that will

be available by year's end. That date's a lot later than many people

had expected, with some analysts predicting that Microsoft's

antivirus solution would soon ship in at least beta form. Gates

didn't discuss licensing or pricing, nor did he offer many details

about the enterprise antivirus product based on Sybari technologies

that the company will develop.

Despite the amazing array of security-related announcements, Gates

didn't express much confidence that the company would absolutely be

able to repel every electronic attack. "I'm very optimistic [that] we

will be able to mitigate the security problems," he said. That's

nice, but it's a far cry from an unequivocal pledge to end the pain

Windows users feel.

[Ken Cox]

Ronnie

see

http://techrepublic.com.com/1200-22-530395...tml?tag=nl.e064

lot of xp install stuff

ken