HOME
TOPICS
ABOUT ME
MAIL

 
You can also switch to a safer operating system to replace Windows.
 technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

T e c h n o f i l e
The Windows XP patch: How to get it, what it does, what you need to do beforehand


Sept. 15, 2004


By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2004, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2004, The Post-Standard

   Wondering if you should install Microsoft's Windows XP patch now? Worried about what might go wrong? We have answers to these questions and others. This Q&A was edited from information supplied by Microsoft and other sources.
   Q: What is this patch? And why all the fuss?
   A: Microsoft is trying to make Internet and network security a high priority. It's a change that's long overdue but nonetheless very welcome.
   Service Pack 2 (or SP2, as most people in the computer industry call it) is a major change in the way Windows XP works. There are many small changes, but two of the main differences center on the Windows XP firewall -- it is turned on after you install SP2, whereas it was turned off by default before -- and on Internet Explorer, which will now block many kinds of popup windows. It also adds a Security Center, which shows you at a glance which security functions are running.
   The firewall is improved, too. It now operates as soon as possible during bootup.
   Another improvement: The Windows Messenger Service is now turned off unless you specifically turn it on. The Windows Messenger Service -- which is not related to any instant messaging service, despite the confusingly similar name -- is a favorite tool of spammers. It allows them to send spam directly to your screen without using e-mail.
   
   Q: Do I have to prepare my Windows computer in anyway before I install the patch?
   A: You need to tackle five chores first:
   1. Free up a lot of hard drive space if your computer is running low.
   2. Back up the files you consider irreplaceable.
   3. Get viruses and spyware off your PC.
   4. Check the Web site run by the company that made your PC for recommendations.
   5. Check Microsoft's list of problem programs.
   
   DRIVE CLEANUP: Microsoft says you need 1.8 gigabytes of free space on your disk drive (on your C: drive, if you have more than one drive). You can find out how much space you have free by opening My Computer, right clicking on the C: drive and clicking "Properties." Look for a label that says "Free Space." Windows will show the space in both megabytes and gigabytes.
   In the same window, you'll see a "Disk Cleanup" button. Click that button to have Windows locate files you can get rid of. Windows will then show you a list. Choose the kinds of files you'd like Windows to delete from that list. You can generally get rid of any files in the list. You might also see an option to compress old files. Choose that if it's available; you could gain a few gigabytes extra space.
   
   BACKUP: Unless you have nothing valuable among the documents on your Windows PC, run your regular backup software before installing SP2. If you don't have any regular backup methods -- most Windows users don't, so try not to feel guilty about this -- you should still save files that are too valuable to lose.
   If you don't have a CD or DVD burner to use for quick storage, you can always ask your friends to let you do the computer equivalent of storing your belongings on their front porch. In other words, locate the most important files you need to save and send them to cooperative friends as e-mail attachments. But take note: This only works for files, not folders, and usually won't work for large files. Do a test first, sending a few files of different sizes. (My guess: You probably won't be able to send attachments larger than a couple of megabytes each in most cases.)
   Your friends can hold on to your files in case something goes wrong and you need them back.
   
   VIRUSES AND SPYWARE: Although most XP users know about viruses, Microsoft's own research indicates that most Windows XP computers don't have up-to-date antivirus software. if you already have antivirus software, update it before doing a full scan. If you don't have any virus protection, get the highly regarded AVG antivirus suite from www.grisoft.com. Look for "AVG Free Edition" on the AVG site.
   Spyware is a plague that has infected most Windows PCs that have Internet connections. Get rid of your current spyware infections by installing and running a good spyware catcher, and be sure to continue daily or weekly spyware scans after you upgrade Windows XP.
   I recommend either Spybot Search & Destroy from www.safer-networking.org or Ad-Aware from www.lavasoftusa.com. Spybot is free, although you are asked to send money to help support the program. Ad-Aware has both free and non-free versions. The free one is Ad-Aware SE Personal.
   Note that the XP patch does not install antivirus software or a spyware blocker. It's up to you to keep your antivirus software and spyware-detection programs up-to-date after you install the patch.
   
   WEB CHECK: Your PC's manufacturer should have information on what problems, if any, your computer might have with SP2. If don't know the company's Web site, search for it on Google.
   
   PROBLEM PROGRAMS: Microsoft has a list of programs known to have problems running under a patched Windows XP computer. The list includes tips that can help get some of them running properly. Go to http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=842242". AssetMetrix, a research company, estimates that 10 percent of all XP computers in Canada will have problems with some of their programs after the patch. The figure is likely to be about the same in this country.
   
   Q: Do I have to pay for the Windows XP patch?
   A: No. Windows XP users get upgrades and patches, or fixes, without charge.
   
   Q: Microsoft says the Windows Update program will get the patch for me, but I have a slow modem connection. Can I get the software on a CD?
   A: Microsoft's XP patch Web site tells you. Go to www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx. To go directly to the CD order site, go to www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default.mspx.
   
   Q: Do I have to pay shipping charges for the CD?
   A: No.
   
   Q: A guy I work with got the CD. Is it legal for him to make me a copy?
   A: Yes. Microsoft is encouraging anyone who got an SP2 CD to share it with friends, neighbors and coworkers.
   
   Q: Am I supposed to keep the CD after I install the patch?
   A: You're not required to keep it. But if you need to reinstall Windows XP at any time, you'll probably need the CD so you'll be able to reinstall the patch easily, too.
   
   Q: What if something goes wrong after I install the patch? Can I uninstall it?
   A: Yes. You'll find an uninstall icon in the Add/Remove Programs section of the Control Panel.
   
   Q: I have a Windows computer but it's not Windows XP. Where do I get a patch for my computer?
   A: Microsoft doesn't have an XP-style patch for other versions of Windows. But older versions of Windows do have security fixes and updates that can help, although they won't achieve the same effects as the XP patch. Get them by running Windows Update.
   
   Q: Is the SP2 patch just for U.S. customers?
   A: Versions of Windows XP in other languages are also being patched. Microsoft has SP2 patches for German, Japanese, Korean and Chinese customers.
   
   Q: Be honest. Does the XP patch really work?
   A: After it is patched, your Windows XP computer will continue to be vulnerable to attack. But it should be safer than it was before. However, some experts believe Microsoft hasn't done a good job with the patch.
   Criticism came in particular from The Register, a widely read British computer-technology publication, after it installed the patch.
   "Overall, SP2 did little to improve our system's practical security," the The Register wrote. The SP2 patch left "too many services and networking components enabled" and left Internet Explorer and Outlook Express "vulnerable to malicious scripts."
   "The new Security Center utility with its frequent Security Alert popups will certainly give users the impression that SP2 is a security-oriented package," The Register said. "However, The Security Center does little beyond warning users that the firewall is disabled, that automatic updating is disabled, or that antivirus software has not been installed. It may look impressive, but the SP2 package fails to provide several of the most important, basic modifications required to run Windows safely on an Internet-connected machine."
   
   Q: What alternatives do Windows users have if they install the patch and still have spyware, virus and security problems?
   A: If you have a cable or DSL connection, you can install a hardware firewall to supplement Microsoft's Windows XP firewall. The easiest way to get a hardware firewall is to buy a router with a firewall built in. Linksys is the most widely known maker of consumer routers.
   More drastically, you can switch to a safer operating system to replace Windows. The two competitors for Windows are Apple's Macintosh and the many versions of Linux. Find out more about Apple's computers from www.apple.com. For information on Linux, go to www.linuxhq.com/links.