WinXP's super security patch SP2 you still do not install?

Microsoft since the launch of "super security patch - SP2", negative news continues. First, a variety of vulnerabilities were revealed, causing Microsoft to continue to patch SP2, and then there was a problem of poor compatibility. About 10% of Windows applications were harmed by SP2. What's even more ridiculous is that after SP2 is incompatible with AMD's 64-bit K8 processor, it also conflicts with Intel's Prescott core Pentium4 processor.

In the face of this most secure upgrade software, the more users are faced with the contradiction between "install and not install". Just like the duality of taking medicine, eating the "big pill" of SP2 can really put a hard armor on the operating system, fundamentally solve the problem of poor security of the operating system, but the side effects of the big pill are too obvious. The operating system is unstable, not easy to use, but the system crashes. Windows XP, which is not good at piracy, will be screaming.

Install?

It is undeniable that Microsoft's launch of SP2 was painstaking and took a year, even at the expense of delaying the next-generation operating system "Longhorn". When Microsoft announced the official release of SP2 free download, it has attracted a large number of Microsoft fans to follow suit. As of mid-September, Microsoft has sent about 20 million copies of the SP2 upgrade software, and the number of downloads from Microsoft servers and other software sites is countless. According to IDC's latest statistics, there are 390 million Windows users worldwide, of which Windows XP Pro accounts for 26.1%, while Windows XP Home accounts for 24.7%. Therefore, at least 10% of Windows XP users worldwide have upgraded SP2. The main reasons for choosing SP2 are as follows:

1. SP2 greatly improves the security performance of Windows

Microsoft Windows security vulnerabilities are as numerous as meteors. Many vicious viruses are popular with their vulnerabilities and often cause damage to users' systems and data. Microsoft's launch of SP2, with the meaning of "Biss's work", has indeed corrected a large number of vulnerabilities and errors. Regardless of whether Microsoft's purpose can be finally achieved, its efforts are worthy of recognition. SP2 has launched a variety of effective measures to protect against virus emails and hackers against security threats, including data execution prevention, information security centers, automatic updates, and blocking of dangerous additional emails. High users have a positive meaning. After installing SP2, Windows Firewall will be the first application that will be entered after the computer is turned on. At this point, Microsoft apparently learned the lesson from the virus such as "Blaster". The Blaster virus is used to take advantage of the gap between program loading and firewall startup after the computer is turned on.

2, SP2 enhances the functionality and performance of IE browser

Compared with SP1, SP2's IE browser "block pop-up window" function is widely used in the industry. attention. Although IE's competitors have long introduced similar features, IE, which has the largest browser market share, can correct the mistakes and is expected to be warmly welcomed by a large number of fans. In the author's impression, the pop-up window is almost the first of all evils in web browsing. For this unsolicited window, many users can only be shut down one by one. The Microsoft Enhanced & Blocking Pop-ups feature is expected to be lethal to pop-up web ads. Not long ago, Microsoft announced that the latest patch for IE can only be run on systems with SP2 installed, which means that a large number of operating systems other than XP will not be upgraded by IE. Although the industry is deeply dissatisfied with the arbitrary approach of Microsoft's "one size fits all", it is estimated that some of the 200 million non-XP users will switch to the XP operating system, while the original XP users will have to revert to SP2. This may be one of the killers that Microsoft is urging users to install SP2 as soon as possible. There seems to be no better way for users to go beyond the use of other browsers.

3, SP2 increased some attractive features

In addition to security features, SP2 is most commendable for its powerful wireless network support. SP2 not only improves the status icon of the wireless network connection, but also adds the "Wireless Network Installation Wizard" and "Bluetooth File Transfer Wizard" functions to Windows XP, which simplifies the discovery at home or on the journey. The process of connecting to a wireless network. In fact, SP2 can easily detect wireless networks and display network types, signal strengths, and security types. SP2 also includes a user-friendly installation wizard to set up a wireless network that guides users through the security features of the wireless network.

Not installed?

It is undeniable that SP2 is a phased outcome of Microsoft's struggle with software terrorists, but this fight will never stop. As Microsoft executives said, "When we close a door, the enemy will open another door." In fact, the defects of SP2 itself need time to check, and users who are not very anxious can choose not to install SP2 temporarily.

1, SP2 scandals continue to continue

Since the security of the German Internet security site "Heise Security" announced the SP2 worm vulnerability, the outside world and Microsoft itself discovered that SP2 vulnerabilities are coming more. Recently, Microsoft released a system bug related to USB devices that existed in Windows 2000. In the "spear and shield" contest between vulnerabilities and patches, Microsoft always gave us one unknown bug, which is estimated to be the bitter fruit that Microsoft can never swallow. In support of AMD and Intel processors, Microsoft also made two fatal mistakes. PCs using AMD K8 processors and Intel Prescott core Pentium 4 processors will need to download two more when upgrading SP2. patch. In addition, Microsoft's latest security upgrade package, although it has protection against worms, viruses and spyware, can't do anything about spyware already on the computer, which is a big problem. What's even more ridiculous is that Microsoft has almost no protection for users' subscriptions to SP2 CDs. The privacy of countless users has spread through this channel. People can't help but question Microsoft's security protection capabilities.

2, SP2 does not support the upgrade of pirated operating system

The debate about whether SP2 supports pirated software is very intense before its launch. With the advent of SP2, the above disputes are basically settled. . After installing SP2, the pirated Windows XP system will face the need to "activate" and use it. In severe cases, the system will crash and data will be lost. No one really counts how much pirated software Microsoft has, but no matter how it is covered, no one can deny the existence of pirated software. The main reason why the industry requires pirated software to upgrade SP2 is also based on security considerations. If only genuine XP can be upgraded to secure SP2, then a large number of unsafe pirated software will pose a serious threat to genuine software users. Perhaps Microsoft has also considered this issue and has been swaying on whether SP2 supports piracy. In the end, economic interests have defeated security interests, and Microsoft can only regret to say "not" to piracy. Microsoft's approach has undoubtedly closed the door to SP2 for a large number of pirated users.

3, SP2 compatibility issues

Recently, the data statistics company Informationweek tested 44,000 Windows XP application software, found that about 10% of the software and SP2 compatibility issues. In this regard, IBM specifically requested that IBM employees not install the software without the company testing the SP2. Many computer manufacturers and large enterprises are asking Microsoft to turn off the automatic upgrade function of XP because of concerns about SP2 compatibility. On August 10th, Microsoft was not allowed to provide a way to temporarily prevent Windows XP SP2 from being automatically installed, which undoubtedly limited the popularity of SP2 in the online world. The worries and prudence of the company are unreasonable. In fact, Microsoft has made a lot of changes to XP, including network protection, memory protection, email security and browser protection. Because SP2 pays more attention to the security of the system, it naturally inevitably brings about the complexity and compatibility of the system. The author believes that security and ease of use inherently have natural contradictions. Microsoft has monopolized the market for PC operating systems for decades with ease of use, and now it must pay for security.

4, SP2 distribution is small, download speed is slow

According to Microsoft, the size of SP2 is between 80MB and 265MB according to different XP users, so the network download method is simple. , the user's network bandwidth requirements are quite high. To this end, Microsoft has provided a free way to send CDs to popularize SP2. At present, Microsoft's official statement is that it has sent 20 million copies of the CD, but there is still a big gap from Microsoft's initial goal of sending 100 million copies in two months. From the convenience of its own, Microsoft naturally hopes that users can download SP2 from their servers in the way of "automatic upgrade", and the actual installation speed of SP2 on the hard disk depends on the user's location, Internet speed, network congestion and other factors.

Users should choose whether to install or not according to their needs!

Regardless of the reasons for installing and not installing SP2, XP users will eventually have to make a tough choice. There is no doubt that pirated XP must be cautious before upgrading SP2. Before there is a better solution, it is best not to act rashly. For those super worms that hang on the Internet all the year round, upgrading SP2 as soon as possible may be a wise choice. More users should make the right choices based on their own needs and web applications, and others are hard to overcome.

In the case of the author, I have two computers, of which the desktop is equipped with Windows 2000, and the laptop is a pre-installed version of Windows XP Home. If the author has installed XP on both computers, it is likely that one of them will be selected to upgrade SP2. In fact, the author's computer has long installed Norton's anti-virus software and Rising's firewall, plus its own network applications are less, so there is no strong demand for SP2's many security features. In the case that the current risk of installing SP2 is still relatively large, the author has chosen "wait and see."