MSOS Official SP2 Thread: FINALLY SP2 is OUT! FINAL!!!!!

[fastcuda]

It was directed at all idiots in general, like for instance people who think its ok for giant corporations to include things free to put smaller, better companies that are newbies out of business.

 

[Audioaficionado]

There's nothing wrong with trying to protect non-savvy users by including all that stuff as long as we can still turn it off. I get tired of spam that I get as a result of unprotected surfers getting a virus and having their mail addy books stolen and I have the misfortune of being in that addy book because of some mail post I sent to a mail list. Maybe if more of them are protected automaticly, we'll all be better off.

BTW most third party firewalls and AV apps don't have anything to fear from Microsoft as they're way better and will still get the biz from people who know what's what.

 

[Zuzzz]

Audio...,

I absolutely agree. And those features CAN be disabled. I do however think at the least, EVEN if the firewall etc isnt all that good, it is now brought MORE to the forefront. Now perhaps 'Joe Sixpack' can get a better grasp of what his machine is doing as opposed to 'blindly running applications'. I dont use much of the SP2 features however I am thrilled from a 'tech support' point of view that these security issues are now something that most users will now encounter. Hidden deep in the control panel is no place for something like this if you expect it to be used.

Jus My 2 Cents
Z

 

[WuChild]

Uh, firewalls are fairly simple apps. So lets hear what the MS XP firewall can't do.

 

[redduc900]

So lets hear what the MS XP firewall can't do

What XP SP2's firewall doesn't do is protect you from any Trojans or spyware that you (or someone else using your computer) might download and install inadvertently. It doesn't monitor out-going traffic at all, other than to check for IP-spoofing...much less block (or at least even ask you about) the bad or the questionable out-going signals. It assumes that any application you have on your HDD is there because you want it there, and therefore has your "permission" to access the Internet. Further, because the Windows Firewall is a "stateful" firewall, it will also assume that any incoming traffic that's a direct response to a Trojan's or spyware's out-going signal is also authorized.

 

[WuChild]

So the firewall is lying to me when it asks to unblock a program that I installed when it wants to access the internet?

That whole list of program and port exceptions I have been managing is also a lie?

 

[Capt Fiero]

It doesn't monitor out-going traffic at all, other than to check for IP-spoofing...much less block (or at least even ask you about) the bad or the questionable out-going signals.

Uhmm have you even tried SP2 with the firewall turned on, and then tried to use an online game, or any type of P2P software. It asks me every time I install a new app that wants access to the net, if I want to allow it to access the net, block it or allow access temporarily. (sp)

 

[Audioaficionado]

Perhaps the SP2 FW is better than the SP1 FW. I still don't think it's better than ZoneAlarmPro or some other third party FWs.

 

[Zuzzz]

XPSP2 Firewall isnt nor ever WAS meant to be better than a 3rd party wall such as ZoneAlarm. IT IS meant to draw the users attention to the importance of protecting his or her PC. That in itself should help most people understand the need for a good firewall and other protections against viri and malicious attacks upon their computers.

Z

 

[BIB]

So now that sp2 has been delayed and delayed, it is finally out on the windows update site. Is this a final version that will work with all the programs that they have had problems with? Or is there more updates in the future to fix all of these problems?

 

[Zuzzz]

Remember, this is Microsoft. Service Pack 3 will debut next year some time if my guess is right. Oh wait, Longhorn in 2006!!
Z

EDIT:: To answer your questions this IS the final version of SRVCPK2 that is released. You KNOW however there WILL be bug fixes hehehehe.

 

[Cowboy X]

So now that sp2 has been delayed and delayed, it is finally out on the windows update site. Is this a final version that will work with all the programs that they have had problems with? Or is there more updates in the future to fix all of these problems?

It is the final release , but it is indeed possible that Microsoft may put out supplemental patches to fix some bugs or incompatibilities . But for the most part it will be up to the makers of the oither software to patch or update their software to work within SP2 , not the other way around .

So far for example my Style XP and Norton SystemWorks 2004 have issued patches for SP2 , other companies are likely to do the same .