One of the worse security holes home users have is running their machines day in day out with an admin account. You should always have 2 accounts, and admin account for setting things up, and a reg user account for everyday use. Hackers have a better chance of controlling your machine with an admin account. Port 80 isn't the only port to worry about, FTP, SMTP, telnet, RPC ports, etc. These are all open doors to get to your machine.

These aren't the only progs that are having a fit, we have enterprise software that has stopped working with SP2, SQL Server is not yet supported, Visual Studio 2003, etc. I didn't include those because most people on this forum probably haven't heard/used them. I think there's a little bit of a problem when MS own database server stops working when SP2 is installed.

Jhromy, how could that be mandatory. You're telling me MS is gonna force huge multi-billion $ corps to implement this, I don't think so. Most large companies/organizations are not even looking at rolling SP2 out until after 2 quarter 2005. There's a lot of testing that needs to be done. Microsoft can't force anyone to do anything, that's like saying I have to buy a chevy

 

From what i hear it will be mandatory to have this service pack installed. Take it as it is. Well find out in 8 months

 

It may be mandatory to have it if you want any upgrades or security patches from M$.

Oh, sure, you might be able to run XP w/ SP1, but you will probably get error messages when you go to the Windows update site. I haven't read all the info about SP2 yet, but I bet that's the way they'll handle it.

It's all about control, and if you want to run M$ software, you have to use it the way they tell you to. It's to M$' advantage to have their spyware on your machine. As far as I'm concerned, that's all a lot of their updates are: spyware.

I guess I'm not irritated enough to run Linux on every box I own.......yet.

 

i kept getting the message to update but ignored it for about 2 weeks and finally did it yesterday. so far no problem but what exaclty is it for? what all does it update. i let it do its thing while i went to class...

 

I'm going to wait until later when there are more fixes for known problems that SP2 will cause.

 

I assume it only means that after 8 months or whatever it will be incorparated into all new shipped versions of XP.

GM can't make you buy a chevy but if you do buy a chevy you have to take the chevy engine. You can't get last years trim on it either.

 

fn250..... I have a cheap xp box I did the sp2 thing to see what would happen.
For me none of the software I run has had a problem.
Do I love M$ No !
Do I run a large network,No just a few computers on a lan.
Right now for me it works.
If it crashes format C not a big deal.
jhromy..M$ cant make you do anything and in 8 months they might not even support xp os anymore
Can you say win 95 ?

 

I didnt want to quote all of this......FTP, SMTP, telnet, RPC ports I believe to be ways to interact with said machines, not control them.
As far as big problems, your right I cant relate. I'd be looking in to it like a pitbull to resolve though. I'd be tickED !
Are these all isolated cases or has the entire world gone mad ? Does the famous restore points work for these people ?
And Its not like buying a chevy, its more like an explosion risk in the wiring system is discovered, a recall is issued and you need to come in and get the new and improved mustang. Chevy might say "We are still currently working on the problem at this time."
I agree though, it does seem M$ likes to stand in the wings of all this success people are having with thier products and not actually take more responsibility for how far people should have to go to be secure. But, does a Beer Manufacture recommend dosages ? Are gun makers liable for who gets shot ?
Safe manufactures dont issue FDIC !
We are safe so long as No-one is picking at the lock.
Again, as an MCP i only am aware of a small portion.
I am always looking for the best ways a "home user" might moniter net traffic. Router, Firewall, popup blocker, virus scans, and browsersettings are all i've got. And I watch certain folder groups for new files being written to them. Thats it !?
For me All this is done to control performance not to control security. If I can't control performance easily, why should i think anything is sacred in a pc environment ?
This could be why i am not employed in IT or this could be why i am not an msce. I just dont get it !
But my multi media home theater system experience is pounding.
No, i havent had to burn a single disk yet either.
I'd have to respnd "My pc is not set up for that yet, but it is still 'state of the art' !"
I am sure burning cd's is alot of fun.

BTW I am no longer this local machine's users' admin.
Not surprizing !

 

ill try and get the link for you all to see that sp2 will be mandatory...ill see if i can dig it up again

 

Here it is, as quoted:

"Microsoft on Tuesday doubled the time that businesses can block Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) from downloading automatically, giving them until mid-April, 2005, to test the update.

In August, Microsoft offered up a number of tools and techniques to block SP2 from hitting desktops and laptops via Automatic Update or Windows Update, the Redmond, Wash.-based developer's auto and manual updating mechanisms, respectively. Other updates, such as the security patches that Microsoft releases the second Tuesday of each month, however, would still make their way to machines.


The original cut-off for delaying Windows XP SP2 was 120 days from August 16, or Dec. 14, 2004. Tuesday, however, Microsoft alerted customers via e-mail and posted a change on the TechNet Web site that extended the blocking time line by another 120 days, to April 12, 2005.


Coincidentally -- or not -- April 12, 2005, is that month's scheduled date for the release of Microsoft security bulletins and patches.


Bottom line: business have a bit more than seven months from now to test applications against SP2 before the update becomes more-or-less mandatory. "

Notice the last line, there are ton more articles i can search for and find for you to see that xp sp2 WILL be mandatory. Here is the link: http://www.securitypipeline.com/news/46802633



Here's another quote:

"Introduction
Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) contains major security improvements designed to provide better protection against hackers, viruses, and worms. Windows XP SP2 also improves the manageability of the security features in Windows XP and provides more and better information to help users make decisions that may potentially affect their security and privacy. Because of these significant improvements, Microsoft views Windows XP SP2 as an essential security update and is therefore distributing it as a “critical update” via Windows Update (WU) and the Automatic Updates (AU) delivery mechanism in Windows. Microsoft strongly urges customers with Windows XP and Windows XP Service Pack 1-based systems to update to Windows XP SP2 as soon as possible.

What is the purpose of this mechanism?
While recognizing the security benefits of Windows XP SP2, some organizations have requested the ability to temporarily disable delivery of this update via AU and WU. These organizations have populations of PCs, upon which they have enabled AU. This is done to ensure that these PCs receive all critical security updates.

Since SP2 will start to be delivered to PCs running Windows XP or Windows XP with SP1 via AU starting on August 16, these customers would like to temporarily block the delivery of SP2 in order to provide additional time for validation and testing of the update. In response to these requests, Microsoft is providing the following guidance, resources, and communication vehicles to meet the needs of these customers.

Please note that the mechanism to temporarily disable delivery of Windows XP SP2 will be available for a period of 240 days (8 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. "


Note the bold. Here is the link http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pro.../sp2aumng.mspx

I'm sorry to tell you but if you weren't planning deploying sp2 you should get on top of that planning. IT WILL BE MANDATORY IN 8 MONTHS. I'm not saying this to be a @$$ I work in the IT field and we are testing it right now and we will use the whole 8 months before installing campus wide.

 

People have always said it's only a matter of time before M$ implements renewable leases for the use of Windows.

It looks like they will install SP2 on your machine whether you initiate the upgrade or not. That would seem to me to be 'control' rather than 'interaction'. I don't say this to flame anyone or cause trouble, but it bothers me that I don't actually own the M$ software I paid for. That, of course, is probably pretty naive on my part.

In X-files mode now, it's only a matter time before we're all hooked up permanently to the WWW and M$ is at the helm. They will steal or copy any and all code that is required to make their OS the dominating world force in computing, as if it isn't already.

A little while ago the German Bundestag started to make the switch from Windows to SuSE (a Linux variant) for all their systems. If anyone has been following the EU's actions towards M$, it would seem some of us aren't the only ones balking at M$' practices.

When M$ gets to be too much of a hassle, I will probably pick Linux up again and make a full court press to learn it and use it. As it is, I dual boot a few of my machines using Linux already, but I am nowhere near proficiency in Linux yet.

 

So let me see if I got this right. When Microsoft gives away free software like IE and free updates to their OS their real purpose is to take over the world. But if you download Linux and all the free GNU software your a ... ummm... freedom fighter!

If you really don't want SP2 eight months from now then turn off automatic updates. You can still pick and chose the ones you want manually. I never install them as soon as they come out. Give them a few months to work out the bugs.

 

maybe you didnt understand it correctly...even if you turn off automatic updates it will still download and install on your machine

 

That's not my understanding of it. And yes, I'm sometimes wrong -- just ask my wife. The 240 day thing is a registry key that allows other 'critical' updates to be automatially installed but not SP2. After the 240 days, (almost sounds like a biblical thing), it will be downloaded if AU is on or you manually go to the windows update site and do ANY update.

So... ( for home use ) if you have AU off and you don't do any other manual updates. How would it automatically download / install otherwise?

Now at work the IT people can 'push' it down to your machine.... but that's up to them.

Hey, maybe it's Homeland Security putting in the ultimate spyware... in order to protect our freedom.

 

how do you know microsoft doesn't already have a patch installed on your machine giving the access to download the patch for you...all im simply saying is in 8 months that service pack will be installed on your machine...if you could always unplug if you dont want it