It includes a new Windows firewall that is activated by default (those already running alternative personal firewall utilities such as Zone Alarm should therefore disable them). So, remembering some of the problems that musicians have had in the past after installing DirectX updates, what does the Windows XP SP2 update contain that's actually of interest to musicians, and is it worth your while installing it? Well, SP2 includes a host of tweaks and bug fixes (if you would like to, you can read the full list at EN-US 811113), but anyone who has followed a fraction of the press stories will understand why its main preoccupation is with extra Internet security - Microsoft themselves describe SP2 as offering 'changes to network protection, memory protection, email handling, and enhanced browser security.' More remarkable is that Microsoft themselves are apparently going to offer a totally free CD-ROM version to anyone who requests it. I also expect that by then most mainstream PC magazines will be including it amongst the freebies on their cover-mounted CD-ROMs. As I write this, the final version is available in its full-blown IT Professional and Developers version - although, at 266MB, it won't be a popular download for those with 56k modems.įortunately, by the time you read this, in mid-October, those updating single PCs running Windows XP Home, Professional, Media Center Edition, or the Tablet PC version will instead be able to download a much smaller and specific consumer update file of around 120MB from the Windows Update pages ( ). But as reports of a few audio-related problems surface, should musicians go ahead and install it?īack in PC Notes March 2004, I mentioned that Microsoft had released a Beta version of the Windows XP SP2 (Service Pack 2) to their registered Beta testers. The Windows XP Service Pack 2 is out, and it offers valuable bug fixes as well as enhanced Internet security measures. You should install SP2 on any PC connected to the Internet, but there are some caveats (see main text).
The most obvious outward sign that you've installed Microsoft's Service Pack 2 for Windows XP is the new Security Center (sic).
0 kommentar(er)
