By Jo Best, 9 August 2004 15:50
NEWS While the eagerly awaited XP SP2 has finally got its release date, it looks like Microsoft's crown jewels of security revamps - thought to be costing the software behemoth $300m - could cause businesses as many headaches as it cures.
Many businesses may find installing the service pack plays havoc with their custom-built software as well as bought corporate applications, for example, as their systems are reconfigured by SP2.
It's a problem that has already hit two of the industry's heavyweights - Microsoft and IBM. IBM has apparently posted an article on its corporate intranet requesting its users not install SP2 for fear that it may be incompatible with some of Big Blue's apps.
In the memo to employees IBM's internal technology department stated that Windows XP SP2 will "change the behaviour of Internet Explorer and cause some application incompatibilities." The memo also noted that some "high-profile, business-critical applications are also known to conflict with SP2."
Redmond has also had to issue a fix for its CRM products to stop it falling over when Service Pack 2 was installed on machines running the programme.
While IBM will neither confirm nor deny the existence of the request to not install the service pack, with a representative saying only "IBM will not confirm the authenticity" of the report, IT managers could do well to be cautious in installing the pack.
James Governor, principal analyst at Redmonk, said that SP2 "will potentially break many home-grown corporate apps [because] they will have been written expecting open configurations and open ports". In addition, he said "new boxes shipped by OEMs with SP2 onboard will break these apps" because of their tightened-up security configurations.
Pete Smith, director of IT and telecoms at Inmarsat, said the company won't be rushing headlong into installing the service pack.
"Understanding exactly what's in the service pack and how stable it is will be our first priority. As soon as we have confidence that it does not have any problems we will implement it to all XP users. However, like most companies we have a mixed desktop environment and updating only XP users only protects some of our clients."
While Microsoft has put two release candidates - like SP2 with the stabilisers on - in the hands of developers, IBM's memo shows that not every big company has tried backward-compatibility testing on their applications yet.
Paul Randle, Windows XP product manager, said Microsoft has had very few reported compatibility issues with Service Pack 2 in the one million downloads it has registered of SP2 in its previous incarnations.
"Testing has been enormousÂ… in the vast majority of cases, there's been no issue whatsoever," he said, adding that a stance like IBM's was exactly the right one. "The IBM approach is very sensible - it's looking at the deployment in a very controlled way."
CNET News.com's Martin LaMonica contributed to this report
Comments
There are 17 comments. Join the discussion
1. Rob Alfieri
It took two attempts to install on a WinXP Pro system. The first attempt it locked up halfway through. The second attempt, the system stalled on shutdown. Restarting proved the service pack to have been installed properly, regardless of the shutdown stall.
I used the IT downloadable for the installation since I have several systems to update.
2. Frank Thynne
Well, well! Microsoft, which recommends as good security practice the "Principle of Least Privilege", but has completely failed to observe it in the past, has finally shot itself, its developers and its users in their feet. But that doesn't excuse the many developers who were blind to the security risks in the methods they were using.
3. Joe Whitehead
Here's a really stupid idea, but you know how the network has properties tab? Why not add a open/closed ports tab, that only works in administrator accounts (or enabled accounts)?
This would make it easy to find, and make another link in the control panel for those that aren't familuar with 2000/XP. You could just enable the ports it's allowed to work on, and it could even tell you which programs tend to use which. :)
As far as adding a speed limiting option, let's leave that upto the network limiting companies.
4. Andrew Strathdee
So what is the advice to a small business with no IT specialist, just a group of us who rely on our technology, but are not into spending weeks testing, even if we knew what to test?
Looks like another "don't touch it with a barge pole" until you buy your next PCs with it already installed. Even then, who knows what it might blown out of your technological water? At least we know already that Microsoft doesn't give a toss about small businesses. So what happens if it automatically gets pushed to our PC's with Auto-update set on and it destroys a critical application? Should we switch it off?
When can we trust them to get it right?
So many questions, so few answers!
5. Bill Travers
Anthert fine mess you got me into Stanley
6. Grooviedude
Windows XP Service Pack 2 installed without a hitch. I had to give some programs permission to access the internet. Being used to ZoneAlarm gave me the knowhow for this. This aspect could be troulbling for the "newbe". All in all I'm happy with the new features. Is this yet another way to squeeze out third party programs?
7. anonymous
I d/l Windows XP Service Pack 2 and after the installation my communications with the internet were disabled. I uninstalled XP SP2 and my internet connections are up and running again.
8. DisU2ManyXs
I would wait on installing SP2...it totally locked up 2 of my computers which are completely new hardware based and ran WinXP Pro for a year witout a problem. Even with complete formatting, updated bios, the ying yang works, it still locks up the system after the initial restart upon completion of install. I'm gonna let everybody else figure out how to fix it...I got other things to be doing then screwing with a program I've spent lots of money on.
9. anonymous
XP SP@ has cut me off from my network drives and I am highly pissed while I figure out which of those blasted ports I need to open to let my own network in!
10. anonymous
Well then I have the disc.humm,after reading the reports,only one person stated that they had no problems...!
Think I will wait a little longer,(they may have a sp3)
11. Phil Tarbrook
**& here's how I Did The instalation,without problems.After reading peoples comments,I decided not to install over the internet via broadband/insted I ordered the disc/then backed all files up(just in cace lightning struk)and installed the disc(SP2)whilst online.The outcome....No problems or conflicts/try it if you are unsure/also you can uninstall,as at the begining of installation,on the disc,there is a ref point.All systems running perfectly(loading is in blue,insted of green as before on SP1.Hope this helps all/take care..Phil
12. Monk
I downloaded the service pack 2 days ago and didn't notice any difference for the first couple of days.
I logged on tonight and my computer is on crack. I've never seen it operate quicker!!!!!!!!!!!
I am on a dial up server (My blue light) and it seems like lightning.
This computer has NEVER worked quicker!!!!!!!!!!!!!
13. anonymous
No shopping or gaming with Windows Service PK 2! Yes, it crippled my PC. It would not allow me to purchase Tennis shoes from a website. I could LOOK but I couldn't buy. I have two PC's so I know it was the service PK. I could purchase from the PC without the new service pk.
I also couldn't connect to play any of my online games.
After trying to remove the service pack 2, I found it removed my control pannel and many other things. NOT A GOOD THING!
14. skyler
windows xp service pack 2 is fine, i dont know what all the fuss is about! I am a network administrator, and decided to download and test myself on my laptop before i implement it to all my other pcs. the only thing i had to do is disable the firewall. service pack 2 automatically enables this service. other than that, my pc is working faster and more effiently.
15. George
Try Mepis linux desktop:-)
16. anonymous
Skyler:
It seems that I haven't been able to update my XP Home to W XP Service Pack 2 until I followed your advice.
It seems that I haven't received any updates for my XP since July. In July I had a problem with DSO Exploit. After I got rid of DSO Exploit, my Security wouldn't automatically come on at start-up. I had to put it on manually each time, although it was set up for automatic on. I tried everything, but couldn't fix it.
So I disabled my non-XP firewall and was able to download the Service pack 2 update. It took awhile, because the update wizard backed up my files, and then cleaned up my computer.
Now my non-XP firewall starts up automatically again. It seems that something had a hold of my computer and wasn't allowing certain programs to work until the Wizard cleaned it up for Service Pack 2.
I hope I am making sense. I am not a Tecky.
Here are some tips for people who are having problems with XP Service Pack 2:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=842242
17. Shawnna
SP2 DID NOT WORK!!!!!
I just downloaded SP2 and when it was all nice and done it said to restart and gave me a button to do that. I've spent the last 2 hours trying to do that, restart. It sat and restarted itself about 10 times. So my husband is an IT and he tried to repair the system with the original windows CD, and tried to start in safe mode, and tried to start in safe mode with the command prompt and will probably have to reformat my PC. I was scepticle about installing it, so I read up on it, did a system restore update and bookmarked all the pages with info on what to do after if you have problems. All of that was a waste of time. I cannot start windows now. Thanks Microsoft for putting out more CRAP!!! Now I get to redo everything. And for $279.00 I think I have grounds for a class action, mental anguish lawsuit. If I had been runing a business or had unreplaceable data, I'd have even more grounds to sue. The worst part of it is that they still have it posted at windows update. It is completely obvious that it has MAJOR flaws and it makeing people all over the world reformat their harddrives. That's a BIG FAT unexpected DELETE! Ya some people install it and are ok, But I know 4 people including myself who have installed it. Half of them lost everything, and half did not. It's a very dangerous update and should not be on windows update untill it is fixed, not microsoft "fixed" but realy fixed. There is an option in windows update to express install (just do it without looking) or custom install. Some computer beginners would never know about this and would unknowingly, microsoft trustingly, download it and Loose Everything! I think something needs to be done ASAP!!!!!! MICROSOFT, IF YOU READ THIS, TAKE SP2 OFF YOUR SITE AND FIX IT!!!!!!! DON'T MAKE EVEN MORE PEOPLE HATE YOU AND BUY MAC, AND LINUX! BAD BUSINESS DECISION IF YOU ASK ME!!!!!