Re: SP2 - Do I need it?

From: Mike Brannigan [MSFT] (mikebran_at_online.microsoft.com)
Date: 09/28/04 

Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2004 12:27:24 +0100

"Frank" <Frank@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:22F215E2-07A0-4FB9-83AB-34AAAFA29DA6@microsoft.com...
> Thanks for the advice, Mike. I have a disk with SP2 on it, and was going
> to
> install... but when I looked at his message board with all the problems
> people have been having, and all the steps you have to take before you
> even
> start the installation, it's a bit scary! Especially for a pc which I
> believe is not open to any of the attacks the service pack is supposed to
> protect against. I accept that something I copy to the pc *might* have
> malicious code which would be detected by "Data Execution Prevention
> (DEP)",
> but is the trade off worth the hassle of the install? I'm yet to be
> convinced.
>

Frank,

Remember looking at these newsgroups is kind of like sitting in the ER at a
hospital - all you see are injuries and accident victims. This does not the
millions of people outside the hospital are horrible injured or ill. All you
see here are the problems which are a fraction of the installed base. (even
accepting the number of people who don't know where the "hospital" is)
You should also understand that the SP was not jus about security - it is
about improving the overall heath of Windows XP in terms of stability,
compatibility and performance.
Just look at al the fixes included in SP2 as well as the fact we used our
latest compiler technologies on the code to try and get even more
optimization out of it.

http://support.microsoft.com/search/default.aspx?InCC_hdn=True&Catalog=LCID%3D2057%26CDID%3DEN-US-KB%26PRODLISTSRC%3DON&Product=&KeywordType=ALL&Titles=false&numDays=&maxResults=25&Queryl=List+of+fixes&Query=List+of+fixes&QuerySource=gsfxSearchRt_Query&srchExtraQry=Windows+XP+Service+Pack+2+%28SP2%29 

-- 
Regards,
Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights
Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups
"Frank" <Frank@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message 
news:22F215E2-07A0-4FB9-83AB-34AAAFA29DA6@microsoft.com...
> Thanks for the advice, Mike.  I have a disk with SP2 on it, and was going 
> to
> install... but when I looked at his message board with all the problems
> people have been having, and all the steps you have to take before you 
> even
> start the installation, it's a bit scary!  Especially for a pc which I
> believe is not open to any of the attacks the service pack is supposed to
> protect against. I accept that something I copy to the pc *might* have
> malicious code which would be detected by "Data Execution Prevention 
> (DEP)",
> but is the trade off worth the hassle of the install? I'm yet to be 
> convinced.
>
> "Mike Brannigan [MSFT]" wrote:
>
>> "Frank" <Frank@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:830ADA05-55B9-4624-AF2A-D3D2953D6B9B@microsoft.com...
>> > Thanks, everyone!
>> >
>> > For your peace of mind (and my own!), I have no intention of connecting 
>> > my
>> > home pc to any other computer, via the internet or otherwise.  The only
>> > potential for infection will then be diskettes, flash drives, CD's etc,
>> > which
>> > I can scan with my anti-virus software.
>> >
>> > So the consensus would therefore be... No need to install SP2!
>> >
>>
>> No, you should still consider SP2 for all the bug fixes and the 
>> improvements
>> in security for all you applications that are running including 
>> technologies
>> such as DEP etc; as well as the genrall stability and code performance
>> improvements made in SP2.
>>
>>
>> -- 
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Mike
>> --
>> Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]
>>
>> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
>> rights
>>
>> Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
>> newsgroups
>>
>> "Frank" <Frank@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:830ADA05-55B9-4624-AF2A-D3D2953D6B9B@microsoft.com...
>> > Thanks, everyone!
>> >
>> > For your peace of mind (and my own!), I have no intention of connecting 
>> > my
>> > home pc to any other computer, via the internet or otherwise.  The only
>> > potential for infection will then be diskettes, flash drives, CD's etc,
>> > which
>> > I can scan with my anti-virus software.
>> >
>> > So the consensus would therefore be... No need to install SP2!
>> >
>> > "Mike Brannigan [MSFT]" wrote:
>> >
>> >> "HillBillyBuddhist" <hillbillybuddhist@shoescolumbus.rr.com> wrote in
>> >> message news:uTqrzpHpEHA.1300@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>> >> > "Frank Thompson" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in 
>> >> > message
>> >> > news:1bf801c4a476$1f70d140$a501280a@phx.gbl...
>> >> > | My home pc is NOT connected to the internet (I do all my e-
>> >> > | mail/browsing on another pc).
>> >> > |
>> >> > | All the features included in SP2 seem to be to do with
>> >> > | security issues, so do I need SP2 if I only use my pc
>> >> > | stand-alone? Or are there any other improvements that
>> >> > | aren't being advertised?
>> >> > |
>> >> > | Thanks,
>> >> > |
>> >> > | Frank.
>> >> >
>> >> > Here is a list of fixes that are included in XPSP2.
>> >> >
>> >> > http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=811113
>> >> >
>> >> > As you can see it is an impressive list that addresses many more 
>> >> > issues
>> >> > than
>> >> > just online security.
>> >> >
>> >> > That said, *in my opinion* if I had a computer that was not and was
>> >> > *never*
>> >> > going to be connected to the Internet, and was performing well I
>> >> > wouldn't
>> >> > bother to update it. In other words if it was always going to be a
>> >> > standalone computer performing a set group of tasks and was doing 
>> >> > those
>> >> > things to my satisfaction I'd leave it alone unless a problem arose
>> >> > that
>> >> > could conceivably be addressed by an update.
>> >>
>> >> You also forgot to mention that not only must that PC never have been
>> >> connected to connect to the Internet - it must also never be on the 
>> >> same
>> >> network ass any PC that has or does connect to the Internet.
>> >> In other words a PC with out any form of networking or connectivity to
>> >> any
>> >> potential source of attack or infection.
>> >>
>> >> -- 
>> >>
>> >> Regards,
>> >>
>> >> Mike
>> >> --
>> >> Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]
>> >>
>> >> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
>> >> rights
>> >>
>> >> Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
>> >> newsgroups
>> >>
>> >> "HillBillyBuddhist" <hillbillybuddhist@shoescolumbus.rr.com> wrote in
>> >> message news:uTqrzpHpEHA.1300@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
>> >> > "Frank Thompson" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in 
>> >> > message
>> >> > news:1bf801c4a476$1f70d140$a501280a@phx.gbl...
>> >> > | My home pc is NOT connected to the internet (I do all my e-
>> >> > | mail/browsing on another pc).
>> >> > |
>> >> > | All the features included in SP2 seem to be to do with
>> >> > | security issues, so do I need SP2 if I only use my pc
>> >> > | stand-alone? Or are there any other improvements that
>> >> > | aren't being advertised?
>> >> > |
>> >> > | Thanks,
>> >> > |
>> >> > | Frank.
>> >> >
>> >> > Here is a list of fixes that are included in XPSP2.
>> >> >
>> >> > http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=811113
>> >> >
>> >> > As you can see it is an impressive list that addresses many more 
>> >> > issues
>> >> > than
>> >> > just online security.
>> >> >
>> >> > That said, *in my opinion* if I had a computer that was not and was
>> >> > *never*
>> >> > going to be connected to the Internet, and was performing well I
>> >> > wouldn't
>> >> > bother to update it. In other words if it was always going to be a
>> >> > standalone computer performing a set group of tasks and was doing 
>> >> > those
>> >> > things to my satisfaction I'd leave it alone unless a problem arose
>> >> > that
>> >> > could conceivably be addressed by an update.
>> >> >
>> >> > -- 
>> >> > D
>> >> >
>> >> > I'm not an MVP a VIP nor do I have ESP.
>> >> > I was just trying to help.
>> >> > Please use your own best judgment before implementing any 
>> >> > suggestions
>> >> > or
>> >> > advice herein.
>> >> > No warranty is expressed or implied.
>> >> > Your mileage may vary.
>> >> > See store for details. :)
>> >> >
>> >> > Remove shoes to E-mail.
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>
>>