Windows XP SP2 Testing!

[DanGrease]

As a student of the IT Gymnasium (like a US college I guess) I have the opportunity to test the next Service pack for Microsoft, SP2. I am very honored and will definetely help for testing purposes. What I will do is test it in both a desktop I will get and a notebook and check the performance and if issues are shown. Its of course still BETA so it will have bugs (thats what Microsoft told me) The size of the CD I got is 345MB big! This is enormous for a SP only CD I think. What I am looking forward is to test the new firewall, which is suppose to be innovative. Also the new wireless networking, which is suppose to be easier and friendlier. Plus the new long waited feature in IE, the pop-up blocker! Of all students in my class our teacher chose me to be the tester for Microsoft. I am so honored and I will have a big contact this period with Paul Thurrott. I will send him all the information I captured, all the bugs and so on. Any questions about SP2 can be asked to me if you are interested on the innovations Microsoft are doing. Hopefully I will help and find some bugs and issues. Right now I am very excited, just holding the SP2 BETA CD in my hand, will install in right now. Will also post screenshots for you guys to see how XP looks after installing SP2 on it. Hope you like this, and Enjoy!

dan

[DanGrease]

Here you have the boot screen after installing SP2 on the machine:


Very nice and clean IMO. Professional look on it.
dan

[jman01pa]

Congrats. I would love to be a part of this testing...

[DanGrease]

Here is the new shutdown box in XP with SP2:

Looks a bit different, but in general same as usual.
dan

[DanGrease]

Originally posted by jman01pa
Congrats. I would love to be a part of this testing...

Thanks you!
The good part is I am a member of this community so all here can have an opportunity to see how XP looks like with SP2 on it. And they can base their own opinion about it and thats the important. Although Paul has all this already in his site, I will still post it here for all to see, I think its a nice idea. Paul has sent me many screenshots, and most of his are in his site. I will post as many as I can and together with the ones I took. Enjoy

dan

[DanGrease]

Now look at the difference in the OS regarding security! I got impressied by the looks of it. The new firewall is excellent! Havent tried it yet though to see if its blocking some ports and functioning well, but the looks of it is very user friendly, great for people with no firewall experiences. Here you have some screenshots regarding security enhancements:


Look at this new feature. A Security Center for XP. Nice look, friendly, and best of all it works. Great feature IMO.

The new firewall option window. Nice and better looking than before.

Firewall exceptions. Nice option for more advanced users.

More to come after, will take a while since I dont have an internet connection yet. Will probably get it today or tomorrow. Anyways hope you enjoy this. More screenshots will come, I promise.

dan

[vass0922]

are these the default firewall settings?
Please for the love of god tell me no!!!

Windows Messenger - assuming this is the messenger service?

File and Printer sharing... WHY WHY WHY WHY??!! ARGHHH
IMO None of those should be turned on by default as most people don't use them.
especially not netmeeting

another problem with it, is this will do nothing for outbound connections (AFAIK). So all these new zombie viruses out there that take control of your machine can STILL send out those DDOS attacks.

[Droppyale]

vass... it's microsoft, you cant expect to see a full blown change..

little by little..

if it helps, then it's a good thing.

[Steve R Jones]

I've been using SP2 for about 4 days...The concept of the new protection is to avoid being zapped...If you do that then out bound problems in theory would be a non issue...

Thing I liked was when I went to Micro Trend to use House Call for the first time on the pc. Big box popped asking me if I really and truely want to install this program off the internet...

[DanGrease]

Yes all default, I didnt change nothing when the screenshot was taken. Well Vass its Microsoft you know, and that wont change, even if I cry like a baby and ask them to change, because they wont. I agree with you these options shouldnt be checked by default, specially for the people that dont know alot about how to hanlde Windows. All of the people that respond to this thread, with their opinions about the new things and all, will get a chance for their voice to be heard. All your concerns and questions will be responded by me. All you complains and opinions will be posted to Microsoft and Paul Thurrott. Maybe Microsoft hear you, maybe not, lets just hope they do. But I will do it, even if I am not suppose to (which I am) But I am sure they will understand its only to help them, not anyone else.

dan