Service Pack 2?

[andre477]

Everytime windows update wants to install service pack 2 I cancel the update. I'm thinking about installing it now but I don't know what the difference is. Is it better then service pack 1 and what's different in SP2?

[Denvers Dawgs]

Firewall and security updates are the difference that I know of. SP2 hasn't caused any problems on any of my 4 computers (2PC/2Laptop)

[cdb]

I installed SP2 after Windows Update nagged me about it for several months. Immediately my system could not see eiether of my DVD/DVD-RW drives. Using device manager to uninstall/reinstall them did not help, nor did anything exle I tried. So I did a system restore back to an earlier restore point and swore never to install SP2.

If you do install SP2 just make sure you set a restore point just before you do the install.

[Dv8ted2]

I installed SP2 after Windows Update nagged me about it for several months. Immediately my system could not see eiether of my DVD/DVD-RW drives. Using device manager to uninstall/reinstall them did not help, nor did anything exle I tried. So I did a system restore back to an earlier restore point and swore never to install SP2.

If you do install SP2 just make sure you set a restore point just before you do the install.

If you uninstalled the IDE channels and rebooted, they would probably be detected.

[redwudz]

I've installed it on probably ten computers so far, zero problems.

With any major upgrade like that, you are better off to do a clean install to get all the old junk off your system. That seems to be where some people have problems. SP2 includes all the upgrades from SP1, so you don't need both.

[guns1inger]

I have installed it (both clean and as upgrades to existing installations) on several hundred boxes - desktops and laptops, and so far have not had any problems that I would consider being caused directly by SP2. In the few (very few) istances where something has not run, all it has required is a software upgrade to set things to rights. SP2 has been around so long now that anything that needs to be updated has been.

[DereX888]

wow, arent you late... i thougtht its about upcoming SP2 for Windows 2003 lol!

My advice: make a full backup before installing it, not the 'system restore'.
SR is just the SystemState/Registry snapshot, nothing more. I dont remember what SP2 changes, but as with any Service Pack - it certainly replaces plenty key components of your windoze which are not covered by SR at all. Just one cab file replaced by service pack can render system restore useless if it happens that the files contained in this cab file were needed to 'restore' something.

edit: as redwudz mentioned - youre better off integrating SP2 to your original windows disc, and installing such updated windoze anew.
Its very simple procedure to integrate SP2 into your original disc (or any msoft patches), there are tons of websites showing how to do it too, just google it.
Theres nothing better for your system than fresh, spanking-new updated installtion of operating system

[guns1inger]

My only other advice - make sure you are virus and spyware free before updating.