SP2 article
From: Dave (anonymous_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 10/10/04
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Date: Sun, 10 Oct 2004 07:33:52 -0700
what do you think about this article? Should I install
SP2 on pentium 2 XP Pro with slow processor?
CRN TEST CENTER REVIEW
Windows XP Service Pack 2: Install With Care
CRN Interview: Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO
Improving Microsoft Security: No Simple Task
Microsoft Announces Windows XP SP2 Release Candidate 2
By Frank J. Ohlhorst and Vincent A. Randazzese, CRN
9:00 AM EDT Fri. Jul. 23, 2004
The real surprise with Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack
2 isn't potential compatibility issues, but the mayhem
that can occur when SP2 is downloaded onto a system.
CRN Test Center engineers evaluated a release candidate
two (RC2) version of SP2, and upon completion of the
install on three out of five systems, the machines blue-
screened. A message stated that "winserv" was missing.
The blue screen occurred on both Advanced Micro Devices
(AMD) and Intel platforms, and all systems were running
Windows XP Pro with Service Pack 1 installed. Every
possible avenue to get back into Windows failed.
To remedy the problem, CRN Test Center engineers reached
out to Microsoft. The company provided instructions on
how to work around the blue screen and uninstall SP2, but
it didn't answer questions on what causes the blue screen
or the specific systems that may be affected. Microsoft
recommended using the Windows XP recovery console to boot
the system and then accessing the "%windir%
\$NtServicePackUninstall$\spuninst" folder.
Once in the folder, engineers had to
rename "spuninst.txt" to "spuninst.bat" and execute the
batch command "batch spuninst.bat." When that process was
completed, a rollback of the Service Pack file should
have occurred. That didn't happen. So the batch file had
to be executed a second time, and then access to Windows
XP was restored--but with some caveats. Once back in the
Windows operating system, Test Center engineers had to
open the registry and
set "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\RpcSs\ObjectNa
me" to "LocalSystem." Next, engineers executed
the "windir%
\$NtServicePackUninstall$\spuninst\spuninst.exe," which
prompted additional rollback changes to the registry.
After that process finished, some interesting events
occurred. The rollback process uninstalled every device
that existed in the PC. Network cards, video cards and
all system resources were uninstalled. The PC was able to
recover all of the uninstalled items, except one, upon a
reboot. The graphics card, the Matrox Millennium P650,
couldn't be recovered. Engineers tried to reinstall the
drivers but, oddly enough, the Matrox folder was erased
from the system and unable to be recovered. The only way
to correct the problem was to go to Matrox's Web site and
download the drivers from the support page.
----------------------------------------------------------
----------------------
The rollback also removed SP1; absolutely no remnants of
SP1 existed anywhere in the system. To verify that
problem, CRN Test Center engineers went to the Windows
update page, and SP1 existed as a critical update, which
needed to be installed again.
Before applying Service Pack 2, make sure a full backup
of the PC is implemented. Imaging software, such as
Symantec Ghost or Acronis True Image Backup, probably
offers the best defense against problems caused by ill-
behaved patches.
Microsoft's objective with Windows XP SP2 is to make it
easier for end users to configure and manage security
resources via new functionality and stronger security
settings. Microsoft hopes the new settings will translate
into safer Web browsing and improved security
infrastructure for both businesses and individuals.
The smoke around the campfire, though, is that SP2 will
wreak havoc on many security and firewall software
utilities, forcing a redesign of antivirus suites, e-mail
clients and firewalls. Test Center engineers installed
SP2 on systems with utilities including Panda Software,
Trend Micro, Symantec and Avast antivirus software, and
all worked seamlessly. Symantec recently claimed that
folks who download SP2 will need a Norton patch to co-
exist with SP2. Yet Test Center engineers found that not
be the case.
The functionality that SP2 brings to the table may make
many third-party security utilities--such as popup
blockers and software firewalls--obsolete. That
functionality may push many security ISVs to rethink
their marketing strategies.
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