Quick Byte’s Quick Guide To Windows XP Service
Pack 2
Months later than originally intended, Microsoft recently
released a major update to the Windows XP Operating System, Service Pack 2. SP2
is a collection of Windows Update fixes you already should have installed,
security enhancements to the XP operating system, and a few new features that
have become necessary and worthwhile since XP was released way back in 2001.
While released over a month ago, XP2 is being made available
slowly. Microsoft assumes most users will download it via Windows Update, and
in fact has requested they wait until it is made available. This is eminently
sensible, as new releases from MS have a history of being well….troublesome. In
any case, if it hasn’t been made available to your machine via Windows Update,
and you want it now, you can download it directly using the link below.
However, be forewarned, it weighs in at a formidable 275 megabytes in this
form.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=049C9DBE-3B8E-4F30-8245-9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en
Alternately, if you don’t want to download it, you can order
a copy on CD-ROM using the link below and Bill Gates will even pay for the
stamp. Those of you on dial up connections who never run Windows Update are
strongly encouraged to go this route.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default.mspx
Primarily, SP2 is designed to tighten security, by making it
easier for the average user to ward off the myriad assaults the Windows OS is
subject to. In addition to collecting
the myriad updates, key components include:
*A new Windows XP Security Center which ties together your
Windows Update, firewall, and antivirus functions.
*An upgrade to the built in Windows Firewall
*An enhanced wireless networking client, a massive
improvement over the prior version
*Security enhancements to Internet Explorer and Outlook
Express
The Security
Center and Windows
Firewall
After installing the service pack, the first change you will
notice is the all-new Windows
Security Center,
which will introduce itself, after the computer is restarted. The Security Center is an easy to use application,
which allows you to manage your key security settings; windows updates,
antivirus software, and your firewall.
It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself
with the Security
Center as it provides a
centralized place to examine your security settings. Each security essential is
monitored separately, and basically kept tabs of in two ways; whether the
software is working, and whether it is up to date or not. If this is not the
case, Security Center should pop up and warn you.
Automatic Updates should be turned on by all users, even
those using a dial-up connection. Originally, this feature was going to be
enabled by default, but legal reasons made it difficult, so the ball is in your
court.
The Security
Center communicates with
most antivirus software. However, users of Norton Antivirus are going to have
to run Live Update manually in order for it to communicate with the Security Center. After running Live Update,
Norton will ask if you want it to be monitored by 3rd party applications. The
answer is yes if you want Security
Center to monitor Norton.
The following link covers the process in great detail.
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/sharedtech.nsf/docid/2004070814522613?OpenDocument&tpre=&csm=no&src=con_web_nam
Users of hardware firewalls may be alarmed to find out that
the Security Center does not detect a firewall, but
they shouldn’t be; it can only monitor software firewalls. Enable the windows
firewall to provide you with an extra layer of protection if you like. Users of
software firewalls such as Norton or Zone Alarm will want to disable the new
Windows Firewall. It’s generally a bad idea to run two software firewalls at
once, and even the free version of Zone Alarm is considerably more effective
than the Windows Firewall.
It’s probably not a bad idea to check in with the Windows Security Center
once a week and make sure everything is kosher. If you need it, it can be found
either in your system tray or in the All Programs\Accessories\System Tools
folder on the start menu.
The New Wireless Client
Unsung for the most part, the enhanced wireless client is my
personal favorite feature in SP2. Users who have trouble with wireless
networking under Windows XP may greatly benefit from it, as it makes networking
easier and much more trouble free. While most people will have no trouble with
it, some incompatibilities have been reported with existing wireless hardware.
Nonetheless, I think this is the best egg in the basket for the savvy user. The
repair function may be a godsend to users with troublesome wireless networks.
Continued: Page 2
Entire Document (print, email, or web page) Copyright 2004 by Steven M.
Lastoe. All rights reserved.
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