I've just got my Computer mag through the post and there's a separate CD from Microsoft with a Service Pack to plug all the security leaks that have been exposed recently.

I already use a third party firewall McAfee, and a virus checker (Command). Although I'm on Broadband I don't leave my Internet access on all the time, less than half the day in fact.

In view of Microsoft's record with service packs and security I'm a bit reluctant to risk spoiling a system that works (just) by sticking an extra 250mb of untested stuff.

Is anyone willing to relate their experiences with this?

which mag did you get it on? I've been looking at it, but because i have dial up at home at the moment, i don't want to spend the next year online downloading it.

PC Plus - but I believe it's on other mags as well. (Mine's a subscription issue - normally out about a week before the newsagents get it.)

I'll buy it, just to try

thnxs for info

i have it on order from microsoft. Cost - $0.00! get in there! Just have to wait 28 days for delivery though

At least by the time it arrives any problems should have come to the surface.

I have read, (BBC site I think) that a number of programs, most of them Miscrosoft products, don't work with the new service pack, although a few 'tweaks' (MS spokesman's term) are all tha't needed to get them to work.

Remember, though. Microsoft is not likely to test non-Microsoft products. Even if they did test anything non-microsoft, they may not publish the results. Not that I think Microsoft will intentionally stab Netscape in the back with this patch, of course ;-).

Perish the thought ....

Just set Firewall and Virus Checking to manual control and then you can manage them yourself with your non-Microsoft products. There are other add-ons unrelating to this that are definitely worth it like the improvments to networking, etc..

I hope that helps!

I'm not running XP so I can't really talk from experience but I have heard that a number of programs will stop running with SP 2 for XP. Additionally USB devices can stop functioning and in some cases the entire machine will blue screen and will have to be re-installed.

The company I work for has advised everyone not to install the service pack and when I talked to a friend who works for IBM he advised that they had installed a patch onto all of their machines that would prevent SP 2 from installing...

So,... hth.

So what will we call the patch that will be issued to resolved these problems? SP3, patch 127, the blue screen of death ...?