Is Windows XP Service Pack 2 worth it?

[Legalaid5]

I've been reading numerous posts everywhere about the pros and cons of installing the Service Pack 2. Bottom line, is it really a CRITICAL update? Will it affect my ability to use filesharing programs like Kazaa and Piolet?

I plan on living with Service Pack 1, unless I am convinced otherwise, so what do you recommend?

Thanks.

[rainbowdemon]

I'm staying with SP1 too.

[rebirth]

I've heard SP2 limits your connections to the internet, throttling, and sometimes blocking, p2p access to the net. Get it if you plan on never sharing again. (until a underground hotfix is released)

[Legalaid5]

F... that. I'm sticking with SP1.

[DainBramaged]

I've heard SP2 limits your connections to the internet, throttling, and sometimes blocking, p2p access to the net. Get it if you plan on never sharing again. (until a underground hotfix is released)

LOL. Do a little research first.

SP2 only limits connections to inactive hosts. Yup, people who are gone. You don't want to waste time trying to connect to clients who aren't there anyway. I will assume here that people are using a firewall other than XP's built-in, cuz that's a joke.

In any case, your claims are largely unfounded.

[thongsai]

u have to install sp2 if u wanna play games that require directx 9.0c. for some reason the regular installer dont work and only sp2 will give it to u. i already patched the sp2 and my p2p is still good

[rebirth]

LOL. Do a little research first.

SP2 only limits connections to inactive hosts. Yup, people who are gone. You don't want to waste time trying to connect to clients who aren't there anyway. I will assume here that people are using a firewall other than XP's built-in, cuz that's a joke.

In any case, your claims are largely unfounded.

P.S. Do a little reading b4 you bash my post, bitch. I said "I've heard." Not that I follow what I've heard as gospel. Thanks. Now I've HEARD your shit.

[Christoph]

Sp2 is great!my Xp is faster now and I never had problems with p2p!if you want to get the hotfix,downlaod www.xp-antispy.org,there you can disabel connection limit AND do not forget that SP1 did that too!!!!!!*lol

[ROMANTICGUY50]

I'm staying with SP1 too.

So are We! In one word NO! I am staying with SP1.All the bad eports that I have heard about SP2. All the driver Updates and the like that are required for the update's aren't worth it in my opinion I can pay 30.00bucks to get it done. With the restrictions that come with in in regrard to connections. I had it on my computer and I lost all connectivity to the internet. The same thing happened to a friend of mine as well. His LAN connection failed after a week. He had an E Machine and their website offers NO support to the upgrade. I called HP and they were not much help either. They told me to call SP2 support cause they could not help me either. So until they get it all togeather which will prob be a long time I will as my fqamily will will stay with SP1 I had to reformat my hard drive. No one bothered to tell us about the updates required before the upgrade to XSP2 It comes and it downloaded automaticly. Plus with all the comments I have heard about SP2 in the negative I will stay with SP1 for now.

REMEMBER TO VOTE IN NOVEMBER--FILESHARING IS AT STAKE

[davec8]

From what I've read about SP2 the majority of the patches in it are for the firewall. If you have a different firewall like myself(Norton) and have the windows firewall turned off there probably isn't much point. Chrisoph's link doesn't work. Thongsai's link has nothing to do SP2 from what I can see, it's a gaming site. If you do DL SP2 and want to open more connections you can find the fix here http://www.lvllord.de/?lang=en&url=tools

[Vampmon]

XP SP2 works fine :)

[Crazy Horse]

I am of the addage "if it ain't broke..don't fix it". I have my holes plugged by other means and am quite comfortable with my settings the way they are. I am going with Romantic Guy on this one and am going to leave well enough alone.

[FrozenShadow23]

It kills nmap, I don't like that. I'm not using SP2.

[CompuGeek]

</tin foil hat off>

1. You can live without SP2.

2. SP2 can cause problems if it isn't applied to a fresh/clean installation of Windows. The best way to get SP2 is to slipstream it into a Windows CD and do a clean install.

3. The connection limit is a feature, not a bug:

The TCP/IP stack now limits the number of simultaneous incomplete outbound TCP connection attempts. After the limit has been reached, subsequent connection attempts are put in a queue and will be resolved at a fixed rate. Under normal operation, when applications are connecting to available hosts at valid IP addresses, no connection rate-limiting will occur. When it does occur, a new event, with ID 4226, appears in the system’s event log.

Why is this change important? What threats does it help mitigate?

This change helps to limit the speed at which malicious programs, such as viruses and worms, spread to uninfected computers. Malicious programs often attempt to reach uninfected computers by opening simultaneous connections to random IP addresses. Most of these random addresses result in a failed connection, so a burst of such activity on a computer is a signal that it may have been infected by a malicious program.

Basically, Bit Torrent et al. usually work just fine under SP2.
*IF* you have unusually slow downloads, then install the patch others have mentioned.

4. If you decide you don't want SP2, you should sill encourage everyone who has problems with popups, spyware, and viruses to install it.

:fire

[Christoph]

www.xp-antispy.org to patch your connection problem after SP2