SP2 and PC games problems

[cyclops[0]]

Many of your top PC games and software not working properly with SP2

Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 884130 (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=884130&product=windowsxpsp2)

Just in case some of you were in a big hurry to download this.

[Brainman2k]

thats quite a list! thank god i use w2k..... :D

[Quall999]

well, programs that use the internet is a given. I mean, it blocks all the ports on the PC.....The good news is, that it will pop up and ask you if you want to unblock a port that a program is trying to access, or let is access the net. Much like zone alarms will ask if you want a program to access the net. Although, aol not working can be a good thing.

I for one will try and install it today. I cannot wait.

A note to anyone that is using something like McAfee virus scan, that auto scans things from the net. Make sure it is running, the whole fire wall for that matter. Otherwise, it will not work correctly.

[Quall999]

I just put it on and it is pretty nice, although, I don't have my PC as a server at all, so I will not see too many newer features at work.

I will like to say to anyone that installs it, that you cannot use a generic kernal bootup file. So if you changed your boot screen, put it back or sp2 will not install. SP2 is basically a new version of xp, so the boot file will not work after installing sp2. I however just changed my boot.ini file to see the other boot screen as a new operating system. So it was pretty easy to just change boot normally.

Also, windows seems to start up faster, although, it could be just the excitement.

Oh yah, one more thing. When you first start windows, it will ask you if you want to turn on auto-update. Well, turns out that you don't have a choice. I said no and that I will look for updates myself. It showed it off, but I restarted the computer to find auto-updater enabled. So, if you don't want auto-update on, you will have to turn it off anyways and that question is just to trick you http://www.fileforums.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif.

[SCVirus]

Get a hardware firewall with all non-game ports blocked and don't use internet explorer and you will NEVER need microsofts *updates*.

[Quall999]

Well, if you turn off the net security, then you shouldn't even bother getting SP2 in the first place.. But, if you are THAT afraid of MS's updates, than you probably shouldn't even be using windows.

[SCVirus]

I wouldn't use windows if I had a choice but other Operating systems are hardly useable for gaming. And there is far more in SP2 then net security, all of the core system has been recompiled to be more resistant to stack overflows and they have included quite a few previously unreleased security fixes as well. Anyone who does not update to SP2 and has an unprotected connection to the internet is going to get autohacked by some XDCC kiddie as soon as (or before) the vulnerabilities addressed in SP2 are released to the public.
I am not 'paranoid' about windows updates, they have a horrible track record. They fix a security flaw and break a bunch of the applications i use. Its not worth it considering there is a far better option.

[Quall999]

Well, then I see why you would discourage updates, at least until the problems with them have been solved. I personally haven't come across any programs that stopped working, or gave errors do to updates. SP2 hasn't had any problems with my machine yet, or at least the thing's that I've used recently. I hope it stays that way.

[SCVirus]

There are other problems with SP2 #1 of them is it throttles connections, limiting the amount you can make at once. The reason for this is to stop worms from spreading, the problem is that if you acually had a worm all your problems couldn't use the internet becasue the worm would take up all the connections. Not to mention the fact the the worm on other peoples computers port scanning you would use up your connections stopping your applications from properly working.