Service Pack 2 Problems

On April 12th, all Windows XP computers configured for automatic updates will receive Service Pack 2 from Microsoft. While there are several important security fixes and Windows enhancements, there are numerous known conflicts with certain popular software applications. A few of these programs include Norton AntiVirus and ZoneAlarm. For a complete list of these conflicting programs, click the following link:

we have a system with a few thousand PCs scattered about the nation all with automatic updating for xp pro. We had to load a special "don't update to service pack 2" batch file last year to avoid system conflicts where specialized programs wouldn't be able to work with the standard update. Once we had those programs updated, we sent out an update disc for them and then ran the service pack 2.

It worked without a problem but it could have been a problem if we had all just automatically run it.

After hearing a number of SP2 horror stories, I decided I would not put it on my XP/SP1 instal.

However, after researching it a bit, I found the following on a 'geek' type website/forum. It gave me pause.
I have since slipstreamed SP2 into an XP install package and have burned the image onto a CD and I have tested it and have found no troubles with it.
If it continues trouble free on my testing PC, I will install it on my main PC. Here it is:

"I have heard a lot of the chatter from people who advise not to install Service Pack 2. I found this really odd, as I have been running it on my own 3 computers for months before it was even released to the public. I love Service Pack 2!
I installed SP2 on my main computer in desperation. I was constantly being inundated with adware, and no matter what I did, my computer would get infected again and again. I had heard that SP2 had "Advanced Security Technologies", and although I don't generally fall for Microsoft's techno-speak, I was willing to try anything.
Well, I'm here to tell you folks, I haven't run a single Adaware or Spybot scan on any of my computers in all of this time. I have not needed to!
I'm not saying that XP with SP2 is bullet-proof. I'm sure that the scoundrels that make viruses and spyware are eventually going to devise new techniques to penetrate XP's security. But for now, I'm a super happy computer geek.
I'm writing this because, what occured to me is the difference between how I've been installing SP2 compared to a lot of other people.
As soon as I got my hands on the beta relase of SP2, I made my own XP CD with SP2 slipstreamed onto the disc. I have installed SP2 for dozens of my clients, but I always back up their data, format the hard drive, and do a "clean" install.
I would guess that a lot of other techs and end users are simply installing the SP2 patch, and it is possibly conflicting with existing drivers and/ or settings. Maybe that's why I've only had one bad experience with SP2, while everyone else in the industry is running around and, in my opinion, crying wolf about the woes of SP2.

I would suggest following the link in that statement to the article on 'slipstreaming'. There's a lot of good info there.

I made a slipstream disk too for SP2/xp....zero problems on install

Which lends credence to the warning of not plopping it down on top of another install.

I have a question though...
I presume you did a fresh install. If so, did you backup your C:\ drive first then install XP/SP2 and then do a restore of your data from the backup? If so, what exactly did you restore? Everything but the Windows directory? How does the registry/System State get restored? Do you export it before and import it afterwards?

The testing PC I used was a fresh install after a format with no data to restore back. But my main PC wil be a different story as I have loads of apps and data to bring back as well as a registry.

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