Windows XP SP 2 encounters cold reception

Xinhua News (China) ^ | April 5, 2005

[HAL9000]

BEIJING, April 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Less than 20% of North American companies have adopted Windows XP Service Pack 2, a new survey showed.

A survey of 251 North American companies has found that less than a quarter have installed Windows XP Service Pack 2.

The results of the survey, by Canadian PC inventory and asset analysis company AssetMetrix, have been released a week before Microsoft makes such downloads automatic on PCs which have been configured for auto updating.

"To date, more companies are tending to hold back on SP2 than accept it as a standard," writes Steve O'Halloran, managing director of AssetMetrix Research Labs, in the report.

Service Pack 2 is an important update that patches any number of Windows holes. But the mass hesitance about the upgrade points out a basic conundrum about Windows security as it stands, which is that patching is ultimately a crummy way to get to a more secure computing platform.

AssetMetrix recommends companies prepare by establishing clear policies and guidelines where end users have control over their PC upgrades, which tend to be small businesses, and upgrading applications where necessary. Enditem

[Stat Man]

Too bad they don't list the number of companies who installed it, found that their computers no longer ran properly, and then uninstalled it. That was my experience. Service Pack 2 fits that AARP ad about tearing down the house to fix the sink WAY better than Bush's social security plan does.

[Racehorse]

Or . . . how many companies have chosen not to install XP.

I was somewhat surprised to learn our bank, one of the largest in Texas, recently installed Windows 2000. Surprised but pleased, becaue I use Windows 2000 Pro. If large corporate clients like this bank are still adding or using the earlier system, then MS will be supporting the product for quite awhile.

[Petronski]

It might be because SP2 has all the class and good behavior of a Soviet hand grenade.

[Porterville]

I have no problem with any of it. Of course I advocate stripping down the entire system once every 6 months.

[demlosers]

No problems here too. I even interrupted (bad keyin) the upgrade process and had to start over. I experienced some problems after my XP2 screw up, but they were easy to overcome. However, for the usual user, the install errors may have been a problem.

[D-fendr]

Ouch. 80% of your big customers still haven't upgraded to your latest release?

How old is SP2?

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

I had no problem a couple weeks after its release.
But then I run a clean machine, ZA firewall, Norton AV, 3 spyware killers (AA, PP, SBS&D) and I never open junk.

The worst websites for trojans and spyware are not porn.
They are song lyric sites.

[Graybeard58]

Too bad they don't list the number of companies who installed it, found that their computers no longer ran properly, and then uninstalled it. That was my experience

Mine too.

[edchambers]

I've had it installed on mine for months, no problems.Installed it on two more recently, again no problems.I, personally, am not fond of Windows firewall so I use Zone Alarm but no one else seems to have a problem with it.

[TomServo]

And 90% of those posting stories about how "SP2 sucks" don't even run Windows.