Re: Mixed Messages about SP2

["Acunis, Norm" <norm.acunis () ROCHESTER EDU>]

I can provide factual and opinionated data:

I ran SP2 (revision code level 2 [RC2]) on my machine at home for about 10
days.  During that time there were pros & cons:

- no problems with VPN either via microsoft's pptp or Cisco's free IPSec
client.  Both worked without incident with the software firewall service
turned on.

- performance seemed slower though I began to attribute that to the severe
disk fragmentation level that resulted partly from the upgrade.

- Windows Media Player seemed pretty glitchy, but was tolerable (for you
multimedia fans).

- I ran a disk defrag which executed OK.  This is the part that is just my
opinion.  I could not access the network after that, went through level 3 at
RoadRunner and they gave up saying it was the cable modem.  That was not
very likely since my Linksys router was working fine for my daughter's
computer.  My computer showed the infamouse 169.x.x.x address.

- When I discovered that one of two locally attached printers was also not
working, I began to think software problem.  Tried 7 different system
restore checkpoints. None worked.  Backed out service pack 2 and tried an
earlier checkpoint, also failing.  Seemed likely to be registry issues now.
Also suspected TCP/IP stack

- Did reboot with last known good config option.  Unsuccessful.

- Tried the least intrusive version of XP repair from CD.  Failed.

- Returned to my local vendor.  So, I guess we could say that my
experimentation cost me money, time, and potentially data.  I am reporting
this from work and so do not have the beta "report a bug" web forms.  If
anyone wants to report to Microsoft, feel free.  It is remotely possible
that this was not SP2 related, but I doubt it.

====>    OUCH!      <====

-

-----Original Message-----
From: Sadler, Connie [mailto:Connie_Sadler () BROWN EDU]
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 4:29 PM
To: SECURITY () LISTSERV EDUCAUSE EDU
Subject: [SECURITY] Mixed Messages about SP2


Hi, everybody...

I am getting mixed messages about Windows SP2 - scheduled for late August
or...? Some say "Bring it on!" while others have concerns that it will break
services that we depend on today. The services we are most concerned about
are our VPN service (Cisco) and Symantec anti-virus. There may be other
things.

Does anyone have experience yet with the beta version that you're willing to
share? How do people "weigh in" on these concerns? Are you doing testing yet
that is producing reliable results?

Thanks much...

Connie J. Sadler, CM, CISSP, CISM
Director, IT Security, Brown University
Box 1885, Providence, RI 02912
Connie_Sadler () Brown edu
Office: 401-863-7266
PGP Key: http://pgp.mit.edu:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0x91E38EFB
PGP Fingerprint: DA5F ED84 06D7 1635 4BC7  560D 9A07 80BA 91E3 8EFB

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