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Go Slow With Windows XP’s Service Pack 2
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As per the advice given by many cyber-pundits (including Fred Langa, in his latest column), when Microsoft’s Windows Update service offers you XP Service Pack 2, do nothing; wait a bit.
If you visit the Windows Update site, you’ll see that the look, and architecture of the site, has changed, as per information supplied earlier by VanRamblings. Be careful, though: Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols suggests that implementing Windows XP SP2 is almost as much work as installing a new operating system, and that Microsoft needs to get the word out — the sooner the better.
Thor Larholm, a senior security researcher with PivX Solutions, downloaded SP2 last Friday and continues to analyze it. The true test for the update will likely come in the next few months, he says, once those researchers’ efforts bear fruit.
“Give it a few weeks, or a few months, and you will see the first vulnerability announcements regarding Service Pack 2,” Larholm says. “Give it a month or two and we will also see worms that affect SP2.”
Meanwhile, IBM has told its employees not to download Windows XP SP2, which they feel could render existing applications inoperable.
Earlier today, Microsoft issued a list of nearly 150 software applications and games that may encounter problems with the Windows XP SP2 update, including Norton AntiVirus, and Macromedia Flash and Shockwave. e-Bay has announced XP SP2 conflicts with eBay toolbar & picture services.
Microsoft offers specific advice on the deployment, download and installation of Windows XP Service Pack 2. Of paramount importance: make a backup copy of all of your personal files, including documents, music, bookmarks, favourites, e-mail, and all other important data before installing SP2.
Here’s the C|NET editor’s initial review of Microsoft Windows XP SP2 …
“Like the Titanic’s passengers, Windows XP users often find themselves in choppy, dangerous waters — instead of hypothermia, think Web viruses; instead of circling sharks, quickly crawling worms.”
“Unfortunately, Microsoft’s lifeboats have been, until now, just dinky security patches that saved us from only a few attacks at a time.
“Last Friday, burlier rescue boats arrived in the form of Microsoft’s long-delayed Service Pack 2 (SP2), which will help all of us keep our heads above water. SP2 tightens your PC’s security with a new Windows Firewall, an improved Automatic Updates feature, and a pop-up ad blocker for Internet Explorer. Plus, the newly minted Security Centre gives you one easy-to-use interface for keeping tabs on your PC’s security apps. We suggest you pause before jumping ship, however.”
“We downloaded and installed SP2 and weren’t surprised to find a handful of conflicts with existing apps and wireless network settings on some of our test machines. Wait until SP2 is made available to your PC via Microsoft’s Automatic Updates service, expected later this month for most users. By then, Microsoft should have had enough time to work out the kinks.”
C|NET provides installation advice, and insight into new SP2 features. Well worth reading before considering the download of Windows XP SP2.
Here’s what commentators at the Seattle P-I blog have to say about SP2.
For more Windows XP Service Pack 2 installation experiences, click here.
If your using dial up and wish to install Windows XP SP2 but don’t want to wait around for hours to download it, you can always order it on a CD. In order to successfully install Windows XP SP2, you must order the CD in the same language as the version of Windows XP that is currently running on your computer. For Windows XP SP2 English the date available to order will be August 25th, so check back at the site link above on that date.
Toolkit to Temporarily Block Delivery of Windows XP SP2
Having read all of the above, if VanRamblings has scared the pants off you in regards of the deployment of SP2, in all good conscience we should let you know that Microsoft has provided a downloadable tool that will temporarily block delivery of Windows XP SP2 to a PC through its automatic Windows Update feature. Download the SP2 blocker, extract the file to a temporary folder, and click on the supplied XPSP2Blocker.exe file (or, alternately, in IE, simply click Open, and the patch will install automatically).
The mechanism to temporarily disable delivery of Windows XP SP2 will be available for a period of 120 days (4 months) from August 16. At the end of this period, Windows XP SP2 will be delivered to all Windows XP and Windows XP Service Pack 1 systems regardless. Blocking the download of SP2 will not affect the download of other Windows XP critical updates.
Newest Ad-Aware Personal SE Exposes PC Users To Grief
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Just days after Lavasoft launched new versions of its popular Ad-Aware security programme, PC World tests revealed a significant security issue that may leave consumers vulnerable.
Lavasoft posted Ad-Aware SE Plus and SE Pro 1.0, as well as its free version, Ad-Aware SE on August 9. The company revised the release on August 10, renumbering it to v1.02, and addressed the reported hole in its Ad-Watch component with the release of v1.03 on August 13.
Critical information: users who are running versions of Ad-Aware SE Plus or SE Pro earlier than the current v1.03, which is available now for download (see below), should re-download Ad-Aware, upgrading to the latest version of the application. This is Ad-Aware’s third update in a week’s time, but the most urgent. Simply running the software’s Web Update feature — which downloads the latest definition files — will not correct the problem.
Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition 1.03 is located here, ready for download.
