Windows Xp

The first of the 21st century WindowsOperatingSystems from MicrosoftCorporation.''', released October 25, 2001.

In 2004 WindowsXp SP2 is released, it has the "night and day" difference in SecurityManagement features Microsoft BillGates was advising users, a first product of the TrustworthyComputing initiative.

In the six months after SP2 release, companies that use WindowsXp are slowly changing over to using SP2. And MS has up the stakes of SP2 adoption by:

warning users that in Apr05 SP2 will be automatically streamed to remaining users of WindowsXp (only if automatic update is turned on?)
advising users that next version of InternetExplorer with better security will only be available to SP2 users
making future technology preview products (e.g. WindowsLonghorn Avalon beta) dependent on the use of SP2

A separate section below is reserved for further information on the SP2 release. Maybe in future it merits its own page if the WindowsXp camp is split.

For users of previous MicrosoftWindows OS wishing to upgrade to WindowsXp, please remember there is this product activation scheme in WindowsXp that can make future hardware upgrade painful. Also worth noting is that the Automatic Update feature, if turned on, can introduce unwanted changes.

WindowsXp related News and Resources

Aug 2005

The FireWall alert, in SP2 as well, can be circumvened and a patch is available. See more at http://microsoft.weblogsinc.com/entry/1234000270057742/

Mar 2005

Warning issued by MS that all SP1 users will be forced into adopting SP2. See http://informationweek.securitypipeline.com/shared/article/printablePipelineArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=JGEL2LC4UXIDSQSNDBCCKHSCJUMEKJVN?articleId=60402308

maybe those with Automatic update turned off, or not using MSIE, spared? --dl

Jan30 2005

SP2 security hole reported by Russian firm at http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/print.htm?TYPE=story&AT=39179208-2000061744t-10000005c

Jan11 2005

critical patches to safeguard WindowsNinetyEight through WindowsXp SP2 already released. See http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/aplocal_story.asp?category=6420&slug=WA%20Microsoft%20Security (BrokenLink 2005-08-31)

Dec16

MS released patch for security configuration exposure in SP2 FireWall. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/886185

Aug30

A site reported compatibility of ZoneAlarm with SP2 led to discover of this thread on another site where one person reported problem for his situation. ref http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=44118

Aug16

A crippled version of WindowsXp SE (Starter Edition) is slated for Oct04 sale in selected Asian countries. Although it has SP2 functionality, the beta currently limits to only 3 open applications, 40GB harddisk and 128MB ram. No upgrade path to full versions available. See http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/13/1092340450914.html?oneclick=true

A list of programs known to require tweaking to make it work under SP2 can be obtained from http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=842242

Aug12

GetItFirstFromHere has info on how to get TabletPC lonestar upgrade, included in the 266MB network installer version of SP2. See http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sp2top.mspx for MS selling points for SP2 OS upgrade.

MS site for XP SP2 info is at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/winxpsp2.mspx

More info related to security is at MicrosoftSecurity

Aug04

SP2 has been released to manufacturing on 6Aug, but some companies (e.g. IbmCorporation) is advising not to apply it untill compatibility issues have been addressed and customization worked out.

There will also be a special registry setting users can apply to bypass SP2 without skipping critical patches. See http://www.computerworld.com.au/pp.php?id=890659333&fp=16&fpid=0

This functionality will expire 120 days after 16Aug04

The following security org has a datbase to collect SP2 install experiences. It also allows search of user reports. (see http://isc.sans.org/xpsp2.php)

July04

SP2 is due for Aug, but SP2 RC2 is out. from newsgroup).

A newsgroup item links to http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/xpsp2.htm, which warns users who are considering SP2 RC2 about the severed ties to windowsupdate.

May 2004

WindowsLonghorn (XP replacement) release has been pushed back for at least 6-9 months from information available in late 2003. And MicrosoftCorporation is adopting a longer product life strategy (support extended from 7 to 10 years) due to customer demand in a tight budgeted IT environment.

April2004

TabletPC is going to see much improvements (in SP2 upgrade with codename LoneStar?). See http://www.winnetmag.com/Article/ArticleID/42306/Windows_42306.html

SP2 information

Note SP2 has new APIs in use by the likes of InternetExplorer, and its increased security could necessitate the reconfiguration / update of third party products.

Feb05 note: SP2 looks to be the starting basis for most important updates from MS, see MicrosoftInternetExplorer for V7 information. Another example is May05 availability of SP2 only WiFi WirelessSecurity tool.

For changes in functionality see http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/sp2chngs.mspx

If in the midst of installing SP2 a problem occurs, then a fix may be available. Check out KB885894 .

Better yet, do some reading about SP2 before start of install. See http://www.scotsnewsletter.com/best_of/xpsp2links.htm, which includes a link on how to uninstall SP@

Developers might be interested in http://blogs.tonygoodhew.com/xpsp2/archive/2004/04/16/205.aspx

SP2 has impacts on DotNetAsDistributedObjectSystem

SP1 information

SP1a is a prerequisite before applying SP2, for users who have WindowsXp before SP1 is integrated into the OS.

These users will find Jview is no longer available, see WindowsXpDevelopment if the required website still needs it.

Automatic Update

90 million WindowsXp machines have done so, according to Aug04 article http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/business/index.ssf?/newsflash/get_story.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?f0009_BC_GettingTheUpgrade&&news&newsflash-financial (BrokenLink 2005-08-31)

The same source above quoted a Gartner security VP reminding users that MS can use the same mechanism to distribute other "critical" software improvements that are not security related.

I say watch out for the future critical improvement of not able to turn off auto update, once it is turned on. Too bad the above link was broken. Any alternate source for reference to Gartner observations that support the statements?

So far this automatic update feature has not been used to make changes to drive out competitor software.

Metering and subsequent drifts moved to WindowsXpVsLinux

Administering WindowsXp

User accounts: sample chapter from book http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/sampchap/5824.asp

WindowsXp alternatives

http://www.apple.com/switch - Switch from Windows to a Mac

Linux isn't the only answer to a Microsoft Monoculture, but it is the most publicized one. With hundreds of thousands of developers behind it and the myriad of projects for it, it is inevitable that Linux will be an underdog success story. Linux for the desktop keeps getting better and better, and you can't beat having a proven high-performance enterprise server as your desktop O.S. (have you seen the demos for LookingGlass? yet?). Microsoft's supposed saviour, WindowsLonghorn, won't make its much publicized debut until 2007. By then, millions more people would've grown sick of M$ licencing and business practices, and Linux will be such that Microsoft will need a much better DeusExMachina to hold on to its monopoly.

I also advocate MacOsx and FreeBsd.

-- CarlosNsRodrigues

WindowsXp Archives

An early preview called the newly offered LunaInterface internet centric . See

http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2685427,00.html

On September, 2002, Service Pack 1 was released.

Not to be confused with ExtremeProgramming. But probably will be.

Or ViceVersa? - why, oh why didn't anyone copyright the term XP? Now MicroSoft is going to. A term cannot be copyrighted, but it can be registered as a TradeMark within a particular business domain, provided that it's not already in general use within the domain. Since the term "XP" is already a generic term within the domain of "computing", it's very unlikely that Microsoft would be able to register it. They would, however, be able to register "Windows XP" and "Office XP".

Good points:

All Windows users will be running on something based on Windows NT. So they'll all have the same security, file-systems, drivers, etc. The end of the DOS lineage. (Not that Windows ME has much DOS left in it anyway, but it has lots of historical differences from NT.) Very important for developers, because we're back to a single definition of the basic Win32 stuff.
The kernel changes originally made for Terminal Services seem to have been integrated into a single kernel type that will be used in all versions, from home to server. The new application is allowing home users to suspend their session, let someone else use the computer, and then reawaken their suspended session and carry on. Contrast with logging off: this way, no applications get shut down, so an interruption is less inconvenient. Again, important for serious users, because it means Windows is finally multi-user to a similar level to UNIX.

Bad points:

Aside from the above, it's mostly cosmetic stuff, and looks pretty shallow. More ammo to those who think Microsoft is all about marketing. e.g. Apparently, the My Pictures folder will "allow" us to order prints over the Internet. Oh please...
Windows 2000 needs about twice as much memory to do the same thing as NT 4.0 (e.g. building/debugging my programs!) Will memory usage go up again for XP, or down? It's too early to say. MicroSoft has been known to produce a new version of an OS that requires less memory than its predecessor, but it's a rare event! (I'm only aware of one example: NT 3.5) Yes, memory's cheap, but I only just got round to upgrading for Windows 2000...
The DotNet CLR won't be ready in time to distribute with XP, so this time next year, all software downloads will have to redundantly incorporate that. (Unless it's built into IE 7, which is likely.) -- DanielEarwicker
Two words: Product Activation. Bill's filthy claws very deep in your pockets, as others have already pointed out here. I'd like the ability to send nuclear-tipped missiles down the same Internet connection I have to Activate my Products on, then I'd be happy. -- MartySchrader <busily foaming at the mouth>
Now that the InternetExplorer, due to forced bundling, is so ubiquitous that it doesn't matter anymore, the new yes-you-must-bundle-it-no-not-even-the-end-user-can-uninstall-it bit is WindowsMessenger. Formula for figuring out what you won't be able to uninstall in the next version of MicrosoftWindows: just look around in the trade press to see what the "next big thing" is that a company could benefit by being the "major player" in.
- Mozilla is way better than InternetExplorer.

Upgrade from previous versions of MicrosoftWindows

Mine (upgrade from Win98SE to XP) wasn't. XP is still trying to find a non-existent domain when I try to log on. Apparently some question during installation didn't get answered right, I guess. Now I have to go re-install it and see if I can fix it. Not quite painless as far as I'm concerned, I can't even get into the OS out of the box. -- JeffBay

Okay. Under Linux here's the fix. After bootup fails, tap <Ctrl+Alt+F2> to return to a console interface. Log in as root (or log in as you and then su), go to the etc directory, and grep for the bad domain name the system keeps asking for. Then backup the file, edit it (with vi, natch), killall X, log in as you, and startx. -- PhlIp

Can WindowsXp run Windows 98 programs? For a limited answer, see http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/howto/gethelp/appcompat.asp.

Doubtless you've run into the fact that WindowsXp loses functionality without an umbilical cord connected to MicroSoft through the Internet at all times. If that isn't food for the TinFoilHat brigade, I don't know what is...

Fortunately, my umbilical cord didn't work, so I have been "safely" treated to many examples of the functionality blackhole. I'm not paranoid, I just want to do what I want to do on "my" computer. But so far XP has told me that much of my paid for software will not work (Visio, pre-Microsoft being one). I get windows that pop up and won't close unless I accept or decline something; then threaten/promise me that they will automatically transmit as soon as a connection is made. Thankfully, my trusty old machine remains connected and it looks like it will be for awhile. I see a partition and Linux coming soon for my new XP box. My goal is to completely wean myself from the MS teat, I just can't take it anymore. Please wish me luck!

Since apparently troubleshooting Windows XP "powered" laptops has somehow become part of my function description, here's a question: What to do if logging in "suddenly" doesn't work anymore? Is there something like Linux' single-user/runlevel 0/rescue mode? And if so, how is it activated? -- StephanHouben

As I understand it, if you hold down Shift at the right point during startup you can get it to stop doing automatic actions. Exactly what you're stopping depends on when you push it - if it's after login it won't run the stuff in the Startup group, if before login then it will start up in Safe Mode, or something like that. YMMV.

Thanks! In save mode, one can change/discard passwords? Run applications? -- sh

Also useful... the Administrator account defaults to no password, no remote access, (and using the user list form of login) no direct means of access. But it's still there; given the right key combo on startup, you can log in to a console through that account, and once given the console, you can pretty much do anything you need to do.

Moved from WhatDoesWindowsXpMeanForPrivacy

With the integration of single point world wide network sign-on into Windows XP, I can't help but think that my privacy is being nibbled away.

Nibbled away? Chomped up in one bite, like Pac-Man.

So don't use it.

WhatDoesWindowsXpMeanForPrivacy? What do you think?

Could someone please explain to those of us well out of the Windows loop what "integration of single point world wide network sign-on" means? Thanks.

Microsoft has this thing called "DotNetPassport" which, when you sign on to it, gives you access to Microsoft web services (like MSN, HotMail, and Messenger). XP has Passport integrated into it such that when you log into your XP user account, it automatically signs you into Passport as well. This integration is possible with other Microsoft OS's, if you have WindowsMessenger installed, but now it is installed by default, which I guess scares some people. But it's really nothing new, as far as I can tell, and you can turn it off if you don't like it. -- KrisJohnson

"If you don't like it," quotha. Heh. Yeah, we're just gonna install this little security camera in your bedroom to make you feel safer. But you can turn it off if you don't like it.

WindowsXp QuickQuestions

Q. Can laptop with preinstalled XP be reconfigured with new partitions (and partition manager) without upsetting the existing installed system and program settings? If so, please provide web reference.

I am hoping to setup another Microsoft OS (e.g. W2K server) on the laptop in a separate partition

A. Yes, so long as you have some repartitioning software which can adjust the sizes of ntfs partitions. Partition magic will do the trick, as will Bootitng (google should find them easily enough). Just resize the partition to make room for a new one, create the new partition, and install windows onto that... it should automatically handle creating a boot menu so long as you make sure to install to the correct (new) partition.

See: LinuxDesktop, MacOsx

CategoryOperatingSystem, CategoryMicrosoft