Discussion
I have just been reading up on SP2 for Admins (network roll-out).
Has anyone had any experience on here with it - advice good or bad?
I am probably going to deploy it accross my LAN tomorrow PM unless I hear to the contrary. I am particularly interested in it for the WIFI protection, as I encountered a 'drive-by' hacking incedent a few weeks back in which my wireless network integrity was challenged (read hacked and an on screen message appeared using netsend!! - amusing, but worrying). I have four licensed copies of XP running and 1 not so licensed copy on an old fax server. Strangely enough the only machine to not have the message displayed was the fax server
Microsoft claim a huge improvement against virii and trojans but in the past - well they would, but I have had many problems affecting the performance of PC's when I first rolled out SP1, and have had to upgraade clients machines as network performance seemed to diminish.
Any advice greatly recieved.
Simon.
Has anyone had any experience on here with it - advice good or bad?
I am probably going to deploy it accross my LAN tomorrow PM unless I hear to the contrary. I am particularly interested in it for the WIFI protection, as I encountered a 'drive-by' hacking incedent a few weeks back in which my wireless network integrity was challenged (read hacked and an on screen message appeared using netsend!! - amusing, but worrying). I have four licensed copies of XP running and 1 not so licensed copy on an old fax server. Strangely enough the only machine to not have the message displayed was the fax server
Microsoft claim a huge improvement against virii and trojans but in the past - well they would, but I have had many problems affecting the performance of PC's when I first rolled out SP1, and have had to upgraade clients machines as network performance seemed to diminish.
Any advice greatly recieved.
Simon.
Running it here without any problems, installed as clean as a whistle..
Installed in the office for testing purposes and had no problems with that either...
Both of the installs were on tidy XP installs tho (not upgrades)... one of my colleagues installed it on one of his test machines and blew it out of the water, it was a really messy machine that'd been upgraded from win2k...
Haven't had a chance to put the security side of things to the test, but like you, I've read good stuff about it..
hth
slinky
Installed in the office for testing purposes and had no problems with that either...
Both of the installs were on tidy XP installs tho (not upgrades)... one of my colleagues installed it on one of his test machines and blew it out of the water, it was a really messy machine that'd been upgraded from win2k...
Haven't had a chance to put the security side of things to the test, but like you, I've read good stuff about it..
hth
slinky
Just put it on my home machine and frankly it is now a bit anal on protection.
firewall is up, AV is monitored and Window update really wants you to let it run the show.
Apart from that, seems ok.
IE update looks promising with a new info bar. Does the pop up blocker job and provides useful info on what activex is up to.
As an aside, read the breif from Meta group this morning, which is recommneding upgrade, but only deploy when you have tested in your environment.
firewall is up, AV is monitored and Window update really wants you to let it run the show.
Apart from that, seems ok.
IE update looks promising with a new info bar. Does the pop up blocker job and provides useful info on what activex is up to.
As an aside, read the breif from Meta group this morning, which is recommneding upgrade, but only deploy when you have tested in your environment.
Right that is good enough for me. Thanks chaps, that gives me some tinkering to do tomorrow.
All the installs are clean builds of XP SP1 - even the 5 in 1 copy
I like the "but only deploy when you have tested in your environment." statement
My house IS my environment so once I have deployed it the result is enevitable!
I have always been concerned about Microsoft's policy on Windows update, even though I leave my machines to auto update without intervention. It is clear that they are taking steps towards a 'Microsft controlled management solution' and I think we can expect to pay for service packs at some time in the future as they work towards permanently managed OS's, with all data being held on MS servers, and a front end which is user controlable. Those that thought that the WISE / dumb terminals were a thing of the past, think again
All the installs are clean builds of XP SP1 - even the 5 in 1 copy
I like the "but only deploy when you have tested in your environment." statement
My house IS my environment so once I have deployed it the result is enevitable! I have always been concerned about Microsoft's policy on Windows update, even though I leave my machines to auto update without intervention. It is clear that they are taking steps towards a 'Microsft controlled management solution' and I think we can expect to pay for service packs at some time in the future as they work towards permanently managed OS's, with all data being held on MS servers, and a front end which is user controlable. Those that thought that the WISE / dumb terminals were a thing of the past, think again
ultimasimon said:
Those that thought that the WISE / dumb terminals were a thing of the past, think again
We still use Dumb Terminals in one of our products!! Admittedly most of them have been replaced with PC's and Terminal emulation tho...
But then we move onto Thin Client apps, using Terminal Services... That's how our new product will be delivered, load on clients, minimal, load on servers... well they're servers, that's what they're there for!
slinky
I think the approach is update NOW! with both AV and OS updates. There are way too many peeps out there with totaly unpatched machines.
I was reading on The Register recently that it takes somewhere in the region of half an hour for a fresh install of windows to be compromised when connected to the web.
MS has take so much sh1te over the years that they have finnaly got the message, build secure apps, now they want everyone to get up to date. If they control it fair enough, as there is enough inertia in the corporate and non technical home buyer to keep paying them.
The rules haven't changed, it's shields up all the time. MS have just decided to come to the party at last.
I was reading on The Register recently that it takes somewhere in the region of half an hour for a fresh install of windows to be compromised when connected to the web.
MS has take so much sh1te over the years that they have finnaly got the message, build secure apps, now they want everyone to get up to date. If they control it fair enough, as there is enough inertia in the corporate and non technical home buyer to keep paying them.
The rules haven't changed, it's shields up all the time. MS have just decided to come to the party at last.
Apart from the default setting of your firewall being ON inside the LAN, the only issue I had so far was running things from UNC paths.
We still run a Novell network with a lot of ZEN apps that ran from UNC... or rather they did until XP SP2. Had to convert them back to the old style hard drive mappings.
I briefly tried a couple of UNC commands from the "run" box and they didn't work. Only a cursory examination, but something to watch out for.
Rolled SP2 out via SUS, worked a treat!!
We still run a Novell network with a lot of ZEN apps that ran from UNC... or rather they did until XP SP2. Had to convert them back to the old style hard drive mappings.
I briefly tried a couple of UNC commands from the "run" box and they didn't work. Only a cursory examination, but something to watch out for.
Rolled SP2 out via SUS, worked a treat!!
Just rolled out my first copy 
Took about ten minutes and so far no problems although it stopped during the first boot. One reboot later and all is well.
I wonder how the MS pop up stopper will react with the Google add stopper. If the MS one is good I will reinstall the Google bar as a standard bar and without all the other crap.
It likes my AVG7 Network edition AV as well; so far so good
One down four to go
Will have another play tomorrow but I have a 5-30 start.
Night all
No problems here.. Running it over networks and on individual (but net connected) PC's.
Seems to install (and uninstall) without problem… but on anything less than a full P4 (or AMD equivalent) it can be a bit slow…
One issue to watch is that it now has it's own firewall, and that MAY conflict with exisiting software on the PC… not decided on whether to keep the Windows firewall running WITH my own, or whether to disable it, or go with the Windows one. The only issue I've had so far, is I set up five PC's on a small network and was unable to share files… turned out the firewall was blocking it…. (SP2 blocks TCP 445).. This was resolved by typing the following at a command prompt…
netsh firewall set portopening tcp 445 smb enable
Auto updates works (already picked up one update!) and had no problems.. But it did require a reboot afterwards.
The pop-up blocker bit takes some getting used to (little yellow bar appears under the address bar) but I've been running it for a while and had no real issues.
Seems to install (and uninstall) without problem… but on anything less than a full P4 (or AMD equivalent) it can be a bit slow…
One issue to watch is that it now has it's own firewall, and that MAY conflict with exisiting software on the PC… not decided on whether to keep the Windows firewall running WITH my own, or whether to disable it, or go with the Windows one. The only issue I've had so far, is I set up five PC's on a small network and was unable to share files… turned out the firewall was blocking it…. (SP2 blocks TCP 445).. This was resolved by typing the following at a command prompt…
netsh firewall set portopening tcp 445 smb enable
Auto updates works (already picked up one update!) and had no problems.. But it did require a reboot afterwards.
The pop-up blocker bit takes some getting used to (little yellow bar appears under the address bar) but I've been running it for a while and had no real issues.
Flat in Fifth said:
Non techie question. Sorry if rather basic.
I take it that the background download of SP2 is the reason my PC has gone into "surfing is like crawling through treacle mode"?
(dial up)
If you're downloading that patch in the background using dialup you will indeed be in dire straits when it comes to online speed...
Lots of new wifi tools too, they have intergrated WPA encyption, clever! The popup blocker seems to work fine. System doesn't say "Windows XP Home Edition" when it boots anymore But just just "Windows XP". Dare I say it MS might have actually released something useful!
>> Edited by markda on Friday 27th August 19:22
But just just "Windows XP". Dare I say it MS might have actually released something useful! >> Edited by markda on Friday 27th August 19:22
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