XP SP2 Finally Released

mickeyboymel

Just recieved this email from Techspot alert confirming the release of SP2

Windows XP SP2 available for download
by Julio on 08-06-2004 10:56 PM
Available soon, Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) will bring users the latest security updates and innovations from Microsoft. It will establish stronger security settings that help defend against viruses, hackers, and worms and will provide unique new security features designed to make it easier for you to protect your PC.

Microsoft has finally made available XP's Service Pack 2 this morning however the update is currently not available as a stand-alone download or through the Windows Update website, instead it's been made available through Automatic Updates and to beta testers only, we assume this has been done in order to control the popularity of the file somewhat.

I wonder though, wouldn't it be about time bittorrent (or something similar) is used even by a big corporation like Microsoft to ease patch availability? Service Pack 2 weights in at 266mb.

Here are a few useful links:
Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) Support Center (thanks Rick).
Order Windows XP Service Pack 2 on CD.

More information from Activewin:
Final testing is complete and at 10:08am this morning we signed off on build 2180 as Windows XP Service Pack 2, releasing it to manufacturing. The final build will be available to beta sites immediately at http://windowsbeta.microsoft.com/download/dl3.asp. You will find both English and German versions there, Japanese will follow early next week. Next week the service pack will be available on the Microsoft Download Center for general download. In the interim we're making the update available to you via the beta web site. If you are running RC2, or any other build released to beta sites, we invite you to turn on Automatic Updates, and starting on August 10th your system will automatically download the express version of Windows XP SP2. For typical home users this is about a 75 MB download; for those on RC2 it should be less than 30 MB.

bizmark

is this thing stable ? meh not that it matters seeming

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Töpher

bizmark wrote:

is this thing stable ? meh not that it matters seeming

Get the same message. Ugh. I was holding back from getting this till it was ready for release incase of any stability issues, now the bloody website its from seems anything but that! Lol.

Kur4mA

Just thought a few people would be after this... waiting on new mirrors tho

http://www.neowin.net/comments.php?id=23138&category=main#comments

SirLemonhead

It's only available to beta testers at the moment.

Stephen

those neowin mirrors are getting hammered

L5

yeah they are, ill wait until its available for download next week ,i wouldnt trust to download it off a mirror i think. Its supposed to be a security service pack after all!

Moriarty

http://www.filemirrors.com/search.src?file=xpsp2_RTM_ENU.exe&size=278920704

list of mirrors ^

Kur4mA

http://www.filemirrors.com/search.src?type=begins&file=WindowsXP-KB835935-SP2-ENU.exe&action=Find

apparently this is the correct filename^

and if you are planning on d/loading before the official release from Microsoft i would recommend using the MD5 checker posted on Neowin .

Download Windows XP SP2
Posted by Tom Warren on 08 Aug 2004 - 17:10 | 691 comments


Neowin has managed to find a few working mirrors that are simply just SP2 RTM and without any patches or dodgy torrents

We ask members not to post links to any torrent files or any files that are over the MB (266) of the final as these could contain warez/trojans etc. If you do have any working mirrors with just the RTM on then feel free to PM me on Neowin (creamhackered) and I will add them to this post.

Please ensure you check this file with an MD5 checksum verifier to ensure it's authenticity. The MD5 you should get for the exe is : 59a98f181fe383907e520a391d75b5a7

On a side note, apologies to our members who's posts were moderated in the forum for posting SP2 download links. We have to ensure the links don't contain any warez/trojans and in some cases we removed ones that were genuine.

Cabaal

hmm think I'll wait a few weeks so I can see it f*ck over people's copys of windows because they want "the latest and greatest"

dangerman

check out http://sp2torrent.com/index.php as reported on /.

Though an important point that they updated with :

DO NOT CLICK DOWNLOAD IF YOU ARE UPDATING JUST ONE COMPUTER: A smaller, more appropriate download will be available soon on Windows Update

Cabaal

dangerman wrote:

check out http://sp2torrent.com/index.php as reported on /.
Though an important point that they updated with :

As per /.
this proves P2P can be used for a legitimate purpose!

sceptre

Cabaal wrote:

As per /.
this proves P2P can be used for a legitimate purpose!

Lindows/Linspire have been using p2p for distribution for some time. I'm sure there are other examples.

aidan_walsh

Practially every Linux distro these days is torrented. But besides, as I had pointed out to me, the "smaller, more appropriate" download is most likely just a stub installer that would force you to download the SP again if you ever needed to reinstall XP... I'll be downloading this and burning it to a securely kept disk, me thinks...

Hankster

You can download the full 266 MB version of the service pack here.

dangerman

Legitmate uses for P2P bah!

Go INDUCE!!

Ban VCRs, ipods etc. :rolleyes:

sceptre

doodle_sketch wrote:

But besides, as I had pointed out to me, the "smaller, more appropriate" download is most likely just a stub installer that would force you to download the SP again if you ever needed to reinstall XP... I'll be downloading this and burning it to a securely kept disk, me thinks...

They certainly mean a stub installer for the "smaller more appropriate" download. I'll be doing the same as you. I'm also hoping MS will have the free CD delivery that they did the last time (I ordered five and gave them to friends so they'd have no excuse), even if it takes some time for that (I'll have it installed by then in any case)

Cabaal

sceptre wrote:

They certainly mean a stub installer for the "smaller more appropriate" download. I'll be doing the same as you. I'm also hoping MS will have the free CD delivery that they did the last time (I ordered five and gave them to friends so they'd have no excuse), even if it takes some time for that (I'll have it installed by then in any case)

Why not just download and burn and give the CDR's to friends?

As for Linspire using Bittorrent, yeah I know I actually got a free copy off there site about 3 months back

mickeyboymel

Just downloaded and installed from Microsoft's site as mentioned in Hankster's post with no problems at all,unlike a previous Beta version which was riddled with problems causing me to do a reinstall!

Took me 5 hours on dual ISDN but at least I have it now burned on CD for future reference.

By the way there is a comprehensive review site with screengrabs and details for anyone who might want to have a read up on it before the install,here:http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/windowsxp_sp2.asp

wolfman

Microsoft have released SP2

aidan_walsh

We know

dogs

What an invaluable thread, however I'll leave it open if anyone wants to discuss any security related issues around XP's SP2. Be forewarned this does not include how to fix your firewall if it stops working after the upgrade.

I'd post my own experiences... but I'm a mac user

bizmark

my damn mouse is sticking on the screen every now and again as xp dies for a few seconds interesting update f-ing mircosoft

seanos

I used the most recent beta.
Is norton AV recognised as a virus-scanner for the built in .... bubbles ?

wolfman

doodle_sketch wrote:

We know

Ha ha ha ha

DOH!!!!
Sorry....

astrofool

been working perfectly here. Had a bug after install where windows explorer would crash due to the No-Execute protection (ath 64), and it turned out to be realdownload v4 causing it to crash.

Stephen

good ol' real networks with their dodgy software that does more than its supposed to.

mickeyboymel

SeanOS wrote:

I used the most recent beta.
Is norton AV recognised as a virus-scanner for the built in .... bubbles ?

Yes Symantec released patches today for all Norton Products,however they must be installed prior to installing SP2 :http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/sp2/faq.html?src=ivr_na_con

dogs

Moved to more appropriate board.

aidan_walsh

In that case you may as well delete it, as theres already a thread on the topic here

Michael Collins

sceptre wrote:

...I'm also hoping MS will have the free CD delivery that they did the last time...

Your hopes have been answered:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/sp2/cdorder/en_us/default810.mspx