Re: SP2 Kills PC & Windows XP Copyright

From: Rock (rock_at_comcast.nospam.net)
Date: 09/24/04 

Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 15:01:05 -0700

trickydicky wrote:

> What an interesting thread.
>
> SP2 trashed my 802.11g wireless broadband router connection (the software
> not the hardware) it also rendered a number of applications inaccessible
> (Corel Draw 8 - not very up to date but pretty mainstream). Windows Explorer
> ran at a snail's pace and the hard drive bagen to refuse to boot.
>
> My restore points also failed by the way.
>
> Now I'm not a power user but I do maintain separate hard drives with
> programmes on c: and data on d: It helps when I upgrade machines and it
> means I can format C: with confidence. I also took a precautionary backup of
> data onto CD before I started.
>
> Having spent 3 hours (no exaggeration) on the phone to MS support in
> Northern Ireland I was no further towards a recovery. The support technician
> informed me that problems with wireless networks and broadband connections is
> a common theme with SP2 upgrades.
>
> I finally invoked the tried and tested remedy - I formatted C:, reinstalled
> XP (which was an upgrade but only needed a quick peek at my ME disk).
> Installed SP2 from a cover disk (cost me GBP 6.49 and a short trip to the
> newsagent) and spent a happy afternoon installing essential software whilst
> whistling the MS corporate song (not).
>
> It's quite cathartic clearing the decks and spring cleaning the office
> whilst waiting for installations to complete. SP2 runs fine now. With the
> same software and hardware. All I can conclude is that the programmes
> installed into XP SP1 got in the way of SP2's clean installation. It appears
> that maybe, even when you disable Norton and Wireless Networking something is
> still left resident to trip up SP2.
>

Your statement, "All I can conclude is that the programmes installed
into XP SP1 got in the way of SP2's clean installation." says volumes.
With all due respect for the problems _some_ people are having and their
grief, there is no way an upgrade of this magnitude -- and of the
operating system no less -- can be expected to cope with all the myriad
permutations. I am neither an MS fan or basher. I don't see how it can
work for everyone no matter how much testing is done.

> Shame on Microsoft for not getting it right - 802.11g has been around for a
> while as has Norton.

Norton (and in general Symantec products) has caused many problems not
just with SP2. Read the newsgroups and see how many issues are related
to a Symantec product. So it's not only an issue of how long it's been
around but how well coded the product is.

>
> Shame on MVP's for being unsypathetic and arrogant (too many millionaires
> forgetting to be human).

I'm sorry but -- MVP's being millionaires? Some might, I don't know,
but certainly not from being MVP's.

>
> Shame on the arrogant geeks who delight in picking holes in others when
> their talents could be so much better employed with helpful advice.
>
> Well done to the majority voices of compassion and reason. The truly clever
> ones exhibit a social intelligence as well as technical competence.
>
> Have a nice weekend. try to get out and breathe some fresh air. It's only
> a computer after all.
>
> Trickydicky
>

Loading