By Jo Best, 8 September 2004 14:25
NEWS It seems that users are taking almost as long to roll out XP Service Pack 2 as Microsoft once did - the Redmond giant has been forced to allow customers to double the amount of time business users can delay installing it on corporate machines.
Originally, Microsoft had given customers using Windows Update and Automatic Update a tool that allowed them to continue downloading critical patches and the like automatically, but still postpone downloading XP SP2 for 120 days. That's now been extended to 240 days - until 12 April, 2005 - due to customers asking Microsoft to give them more time to work out the compatibility issues.
Microsoft has already published a guide to help administrators test for compatibility issues and published a list of over 40 programs that will appear not to work when SP2 is installed.
However, most IT managers expect XP SP2 will be rolled out on the nation's business PCs before the end of the year.
Analyst house Gartner, however, said in a recent research note that IT staff were better off standardising users onto XP with SP2 than waiting for Longhorn before they upgraded.
In a separate research note, the analysts added that deployment could take companies at a few weeks to a few months. "Companies that tested SP2 during the beta time frame can consider deploying the upgrade it in four to six weeks, if their applications have proved compatible and no major problems were reported. Mainstream enterprises should plan to wait at least two months after SP2 ships before beginning deployment," the note said.
Comments
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1. david
after loading XP SP2 on a Dell system, I lost the use of one graphics cards (used to have two), the computer frequently reboots without warning, exploring My Computer can take up to 5 minutes for something to show up, and I notice a general slow down of the sytem. I am currently uninstalling.
2. Andrew Rice
XP SP2 No problem.
Used it with Norton Firewall enabled and with Microsoft Firewall enabled and not had any problems.
This may be because all our machines had a personal firewall on in the first place so the mechanisms where already in place.
3. anonymous
My virtually brand new Dell laptop downloaded and installed SP2 without problems. After much talk of the massive file sizes involved, my machine 'only' required a 30M fix. Hopefully that's because all the recent patches were already installed - but who can say!
4. Hid S
I've installed SP2 on 7 Dell PC's so far.
Not a single problem.
5. Patrick H Heywood
After loading the new SP2 update I lost use of my internet connection. My software house have now advised me not to download this again and have taken my settings back to the previous.
How can Microsoft get away with all this ? I have wireless connection and plenty of firewall and use a D-Link Wireless ADSL Router. Can I trust Microsoft again ?????
6. Phil Tarbrook
To The Hell/oops sorry Dell user....What do you expect with cheap equipment\with call centers based in India,also to reduse costs....Hummmmmmmmmm
7. anonymous
David is a lucky bunny that his system started falling apart only when he got the XP SP2. About three months after I upgraded to XP on my Dell machine, it decided it would no longer recognise either of my CD drives. It knows they're there, but no way will it allow me to use them. Dell's solution is to go back to Windows 98...big help. Microsoft just ignored my plea for suggestions.
8. anonymous
I downloaded and installed XP SP2 on my Dell Dimension 4500 last night. It immediately rendered my computer useless. The only idiot light visible was on my monitor which also had a vague halo around the edges but nothing else. Calling MS support, I was put on hold for almost an hour with no one picking up. I ultimately gave up and ran the Dell restore disk and am now up and running on XP home with no SPs installed. (SP 1 would not recognize my printer or scanner.) For the time being, I'll take my chances with the original XP. However, in all fairness, I am now following Dell's advice and running various malware detection programs and updating the FlashBIOS. Since I know the effects can be reversed, I may try the SP2 installation again once I've 'cleaned' up my computer. I'm open to the possibility the problem may not be Microsoft.
9. Stephen Brown
I have installed SP2 on three Dell desktops and three Dell laptops, from the downloaded (270M) service pack, available from Microsofts website. No problems encountered so far. Only modification after installing SP2 was to allow a "back-entry" for VNC, by allowing access via the relevant port.
10. anonymous
SP2 - CRASHED my machine.
I couldn't get back into it and even after restoration, it seems to have left some junk on the system. I now run out of memory with only two or three apps running. Sounds like I have a total rebuild on my hands for the weekend. Who pays for that, Microsoft?
11. David Hansberry
Windows SP2 doesn't care how much room you have on your drive, or in my case, the lack of room. It installed, and all of a sudden, Windows was saying I was low on disk space. You'd think it would consider that.