WinXP SP1 ~ Anyone still using it?

titaniumx3

titaniumx3

titaniumx3

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I tried out SP2 once when I built a new comp, but I didn't like all the security notices/nonsense it installed so I reformatted and went back to SP1. It does everything I need it to do and I've never encountered any security risks. Yet I see about 80% of people using SP2.

Is it really necessary? Am I missing out on anything important? Is performance better (i.e. in games) ?


Thanks!
 
What "security notices/nonsense" ? ?

Simply turn off the messages from the Security Centre.
And yes, it's wise to use SP2 for the newer security updates and the like.
 
I did exactly the same thing on my download box and still have not put sp2 back on it. All the security things were making simple jobs harder.

If you spend 10 minutes fiddling around though, you can switch all the annoying bits off, so I'd say stick it back on it has to be good in so far as all the holes it filled.

TDF.
 
TheDogFather said:
I did exactly the same thing on my download box and still have not put sp2 back on it. All the security things were making simple jobs harder.

If you spend 10 minutes fiddling around though, you can switch all the annoying bits off, so I'd say stick it back on it has to be good in so far as all the holes it filled.

TDF.
Click to expand...


10 minutes?

Surely you mean 10 seconds

:)
 
If you wanted you could download nLite, copy your Windows CD to disk and remove the Security Centre from the install, amongst other bits of rubbish. Integrate some drivers and setup an unattended install for bonus.

Then you could burn the iso to cd/dvd and have SP2 installed but without the Security Centre.
 
Also did not like SP2 at first, until I slipstreamed it! Now I recommend everyone to install it - find the Firewall ok, my Bluetooth works well, USB2 also, etc :cool:
 
I absolutely love SP2. I installed it on the day of release and never had any problems. My pc never crashes and everything is smooth on my ancient Socket A machine. It only took me a minute to switch security notices off. Once you spend a minute or two on it, you will never need to tweak it again.
 
I had SP1 on my desktop and SP2 on my laptop and was unable to install the software for a Maxtor One Touch External Drive on the laptop (SP2). I bought the drive so I could Synch between the two. The only way I was able to install the Maxtor driver was to uninstall SP2. I updated the desktop to SP2 having just had NTL broadband

I now can't install other software (Hemera Big Box of Art) on either computer and get error message IS_STRING_NOT_DEFINED and think this is due to SP2. I considered uninstalling but the error message given by Windows Uninstaller suggested that a large number of other programs might not work if I uninstalled it!

I lost my bottle!
 
I still use SP1

You can still get all of the security updates for SP1 so I see no need to upgrade. I found SP2 to be slow and irritating

I can see that SP2 can be useful for people who aren't at home with computers but it's not for me. Messages like "Windows has denied access to this file" when it's MY file are just not on!
 
The only thing I'm worried about is performance really; if I can get better performance, I'd install it in no time.

As for the security issues, I doubt many even apply to me because I only play games, browse the internet, etc on this computer and have external firewall. I have a second computer for doing anything risky.
 
ajgoodfellow said:
I still use SP1

You can still get all of the security updates for SP1
Click to expand...
XP SP1 updates will stop end of this month.

ajgoodfellow said:
Messages like "Windows has denied access to this file"
Click to expand...
I've had SP2 since it was released and have never seen a message like that :confused:
 
my advice is this - never install a service pack - be it 1,2 or even 25 over a current windows install. always go for the clean install (slipstreaming is best. google it). saves a lot of hassle in the long run. :)
 
I've got an ooooold XP Home CD without any service pack on it. Bare and virgin. It boots in about half the time as the SP2 install and everything opens noticeably faster. The only grief is you don't get a built in popup blocker and the firewall isn't as good IMO, but security wise I have never had any problems with it even on the dodgiest of sites and with an old version of Zonealarm nothing seems to be able to get in, even those firewall test sites.
 
ajgoodfellow said:
Messages like "Windows has denied access to this file" when it's MY file are just not on!
Click to expand...
When do you get that message? I thought it was when running Windows Live Messenger or perhaps Messenger 7.5. If someone sent you a file of a particular type then Windows would block it or delete the file. You can disable that or tweak Messenger to not do that.

As NathanE says I've never seen Windows do that apart from with Messenger. I doubt it would be ZoneAlarm doing this since it'd be ZoneAlarm denying access to a file and not Windows.
 
It was on an early flash website which I was writing

It worked fine on the office SP1 PCs but not on my SP2 PC. Unfortunately I never took a screenshot of the message and I haven't seen it since (I sold the laptop and have been using SP1/x64 ever since on my desktop PC)
 
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