Windows XP Service Pack 2

There's a lot of debate, still, about Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP. It is, in our opinion, a good idea to install it. Failure to do so will mean that eventually you will no longer receive new updates for your PC and that you will no longer be offered the patches to keep your system secure. The increase in security, added features, and improvements to core applications make the installation of SP2 more like installing a new Operating System entirely. With millions of lines of code and spanning hundreds of megabytes it is larger than some entire OSes of the past.

There are some precautions you should take. Here are our recommendations for a positive SP2 installation experience:

1. Make sure your system is free of malware!
2. Download (or order) SP2 separately, don't use automatic updates
3. Disable all antivirus, antispyware, and any other real-time scanning software.
4. Turn off all un-needed applications while installing
5. Disconnect from the Internet ENTIRELY while installing

Read and understand the above — and the following...

• Windows XP Service Pack 2: What's New for Internet Explorer and Outlook Express
• What to Know Before You Download and Install Windows XP Service Pack 2
• How to install Windows XP Service Pack 2 after downloading
• How to troubleshoot problems accessing secure web pages with IE6 SP2 (for XP)

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2):

OS: XP > General
Date: 06/08/05
Updated: 12/20/05

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