Windows XP SP2 Almost Final

Windows XP SP2 Almost Final

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/winxpsp2.mspx

Aug 2, 2004: Windows XP SP 2 Release Candidate 2 (RC2) Removed from the Web

This signifies the end of the pre-release distribution program in anticipation of the final release of SP2. Windows XP SP2 remains on schedule for release this month.

We recommend that you not install the RC2 version of SP2 on computers that are running the latest security updates. Instead, install the final version of Windows XP SP2 when it becomes available. Installing the RC2 version of SP2 on computers that already have the latest security updates installed can cause incompatibilities. The final release of SP2 will be compatible with all previously installed security updates.

There is a version of Windows XP Service Pack 2 RTM Build 2180 floating around at the moment. I wont post any links. Frankly, I am not interested until there is an official announcement and network install download link on the MS site (the horse's mouth).

Here are the rumours going around now:

The dates for WinXP SP2 release are as follows:

4th August RTM (2180 or 2181)
5th August RTW (release to web) & MSDN Subscribers - Network Install
25th August Windows Update/Automatic Updates release

Microsoft informed premier support customers that their own customers will begin receiving XPSP2 by automatic updates on the 25th August.

FYI:

RTM = Release To Manufacture
In other words, RETAIL.

RC = Release Candidate
In other words, NOT FINAL.

EDIT:
I originally wrote RTM = Release To Market which is wrong sorry.
Proof:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/msit/deploy/wxpdpsp.mspx

Release to Manufacture (RTM)

Explanation elsewhere (not mine):

RTM is release to manufacturing. This is when the code "goes gold". It'll be around 2 months afterwards until you'll find retail packages available(printing boxes, manuals, pressing CDs and distribution takes time!).

[c4p0ne]

It's already almost august 7th ... where is it? M$ is a load of...

Anyway, SP2 breaks a lot of shit man.. First of all for those of you who use torrent-based downloads, apparently SP2 will slow you down. I'm not sure about that but if you like using Raw Sockets or have written programs that "craft" packets using raw sockets in XP, you can just change the icon of the recycle-bin into a shitty toilet bowl and FLUSH ALL your raw-sockets programs down it. Like to sniff around you're own neighborhood, or even someone elses neighborhood using XP for convenience? TOO BAD if you try to run port-scans after you've installed SP2 it'll be like trekking across Anna-Nicoles never ending belly. The TCP stack is changed man. Changed for the worst.

Once again M$ taking power out of the users hands and attempting to "cradle" them like little teeny weeny infants. Actually on SOME feakish twilight level, I can't blame M$ because there are really TRULY soooo many millions of users out there that are beyond the level of comprehention of the terms "idiot" or "computer morons" that this probably was the only way to protect them from themselves.

Oh BTW, Blink v1.0 (for those of you that use it) is 100% incompatible (so far) with XP SP2. As is the case with fortres's new version of Clean Slate v3.0. Just a heads up on those.. I think we should make a temporary section of "SP2 Issues and Solutions" for the coming wave of crapness..

Originally Posted by c4p0ne

I think we should make a temporary section of "SP2 Issues and Solutions" for the coming wave of crapness..

Well said/recommended.

Also, off topic:

c4p0ne
A Smith
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Athens, Greece
Age: 2 (???) (hehe)
Posts: 50

Good luck in Athens 2004 for all "clean" competitors!

Hi

According to someone on the web you can manually change the number of
simultanious connections to something more usefull under SP2
I havent tried this yet but I did kill the anoying nag that keeps on bitching
if you turn off auto updates by changing a reg setting.

This is the key to add to modify the maximum number of simultaneous connections

TcpNumConnections

Key: TcpipParameters
Value Type: REG_DWORD - Number
Valid Range: 0 - 0xfffffe
Default: 0xfffffe

Description: This parameter limits the maximum number of connections that TCP can have open simultaneously.

View : View : TCP/IP and NBT configuration parameters for Windows XP - (Q314053) at Ms site

Regards
G

well one of friend works for M$ technical support, and they have been trained and told to get ready to take calls for sp2 from 28 of this month

If the following attached image is REAL (not my own) then I understand that
Windows XP Service Pack 2 RTM Build 2180 is the Final Build.

The file name is WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe

Note that
WindowsBeta
http://windowsbeta.microsoft.com/
is an OFFICIAL MS beta testers site for members only

I tried it and it FAILED with "Server Too Busy" hehe
which would indicate that they are downloading it like crazy

I for one will be waiting for an OFFICIAL "public" download link from
download.microsoft.com and will sit it out a while (letting others be guinea pigs) before I even think about using it.

Note that the release notes are "public" at:

Release notes for Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=835935
Last Reviewed: 8/6/2004 (5.0)

but there is no "public" network install download link (yet).

[aldente]

Well, I installed the German SP2 RTM this morning, and after disabling firewall, virus-scanner, popup-blocker in ie, tcp-limitation, attachment-blocking in oe and all the other crap, it works quite fine.

[JMI]

Maybe your machine simply forgot Wie man Deutsches spricht.

Got to love M$. They know how to make your machine their machine.

Regards,

[aldente]

The problem is not that those "great features" do not work - I just don't want them!
When using Brain v1.0 nobody needs all that crap.

And another big problem i forgot to mention: Microsoft changed the bootlogo!
Now it is without the name of the version ("Professional", etc.).
Chaning it back takes some time!

And one (little) problem: You can't disable backing up of old files using the SP2-Installation-Dialog, so you have to start it 3 times:
1. See that it does not work.
2. Start it to find out the parameter.
3. Start it with the correct parameter.
And everytime the whole nasty package is being extracted first.