Is SP2 on my computer already? thanks for looking
hi there, Yesterday i had a crap load of windows updates that i did. I looked in my add remove program and saw a lot of SP1 hotfixes. And then there was this one: XP Hotfix (SP2) Q819696 Is that the SP2 everyone is talking about not being released yet? Also it seems like my computer is running a lot slower since yesterday. Thank you so much for continued help, i love this site.
Toxicgreen
Toxicgreen
0
Comments
It will tell you which service pack you have. I'm willing to bet you've got SP1, and Microsoft labeled this hotfix under SP2 due to development cycles and such.
Many of the Updates/patches that are being installed currently are post SP1 and may even claim (SP1) on them. Patches that claim to be KB###### (SP2) are patches that were found while working towards SP2 and were released. These patches will be rolled into SP2.
According to Microsoft ...
If that helps....
-qch
No really, I have had a few people ask me that very question (usually it's my bosses).
What Service Packs in their entirety are is sets of patches that hjave been used in the field so much that Microsoft thinks it very likely that any box can run them.
We are getting the SP2 in pieces now, as things that have been reasonably tested are being rolled out to meet security penetration threats.
One reason Microsoft does this is so that reloads and totally unpatched boxes from previous SP release (for XP there are TWO kinds of CD out in field, a pre-SP1 CD for XP and a post SP1 CD with a red sticker on envelope CD comes in saying SP1a on it). Another reason Microsoft does this is that folks who are afraid that a single security patch might mess up their boxes frequently feel better about having a big lump of stuff that has been tested a LOT showing up on thier box.
You can lay a Service Pack over a updated computer, if the installer is doen right and picks up on patches that have not gotten installed right and installs what is needed or overlays the whole package in the right order. The second takes longer, but results in normally a better install than some patches have historically yeilded when installed in the wrong order for the box. So, when SP2 comes out, even if you have patched, it might be good to install SP2 as a failsafe to make sure that the individual patching did all it was supposed to. Some patches, it turns out, need others present to work right-- and that discovery can happen AFTER an individual patch is relased and applied.
No, we do not have SP2 in final form for teh consumer editions yet, the server editions of SP2 are actually further along in dev and probably will hit first. SP2 is slated, as a lump, for probably 3rd-4th Quarter 2004 deployment of the "finalixed" SP2 version. That is based on the number of fixes the Betas have shown need to be made in final. Expect SP in mid to late 2004 if you want a reasonably sure guess. There are rumurs it could be into 2005 before SP2 is really released, given the new virus attacks and how they have rapidly spread, I think 2004 mid to late instead.
Microsoft is being in less of a rush simply because of human reaction to patches that work on some boxes and not others that are running the same O\S version. Bad reaction to some patches has made it harder to get everyone to patch up to date frequently, and different boxes "object" to different patches depending on what actually got installed right. Beta tests are used to get feedback to iron out finer wrinkles in how the public's computers are reacting to the sets of patches being offered. So the reaction and feedback from Beta2 of SP2 and the Release Cancdiates for same will determine how much finalization is needed for the "Gold" release of SP2.
Some folks here need to understand how SP development works, that is why this post.