Installing SP4 for Windows 2000

mVPstar,

Thank you for using the Dell Community Forum.

Here is a link I found from Google that may help you or give you some information on installing SP4.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/servicepacks/sp4/spdeploy.htm

That link does give me info on how to install SP4 but it doesn't really mention anything about the problems or issues users may have after installing it. I'm really looking for an explanation on why these problems would occur and ways to prevent these problems. I don't want to install SP4 and then find out that I can't log in.

mVPstar,

Try searching Google for win2k sp4 problems. You'll find this is a widely discussed topic.

Jim

http://www.winntmag.com/Windows/Article/ArticleID/39644/39644.html

Ummm, I'm not sure if I even want to attempt installing this service pack. In that article, there was even a mention about someone's Dell8100 having problems. I have a Dell 8200. But then again, my school had installed the service pack without a problem. So right now, I'm not sure what I should do because I really don't want to have to reinstall my whole machine because I just did that a month ago to completely clean out my pc.

mVPstar,

That's a good article! I hadn't seen so many problems pulled together in one place before.

It certainly supports my thinking on SP4: NO, except for new installations!

Jim

Except for new installations? Well, I did just recently reinstall my whole computer. I haven't yet applied any patches and I'm currently (default) at SP1. As for anything important for software, I have running NAV and NPF 2003, an MS router, IE 6, and IIS.

Except for new installations?

I'd count a complete reinstall (format drive, start over) as a new installation. But once a system has been in service for as little as a few days, there's a considerable investment in software installations, and user data and settings that could potentially be lost, or at least would need to be recovered from a backup, if a failed installation of SP4 rendered the machine unbootable.

Best to find out that there are (or aren't!) problems like that at the very beginning.


Jim

And I was thinking of doing the upgrade immediately after I reinstalled Windows..But then I had to setup many programs because of a big project on the same week.

mVPstar,

The key is minimizing the time invested. Tough call, almost always. Sounds like you made the right decision, given the situation you faced.

We do have one C840 running SP4, but it was accidental. The user was prompted to go to the Windows Update site by Microsoft Access, and, since the default selection is the "most critical" one, SP4 got installed. Sigh. Fortunately, it worked. And after it did, the update that Access wanted was successfully installed.

Had it not, there would have been easily 24 hours worth of reinstallations required.

Jim

Is there any direct reason for installing SP4 though? I have excellent protection with my router hardware firewall and my software firewall, and I doubt anyone would want to bother trying to get through anyways, I have nothing of importance on my computer. Does SP3 hav any problems with installation like SP4 does?

Is there any direct reason for installing SP4 though?

No, unless you're encountering a problem that's resolved by it. I haven't read the release notes myself, because I read about enough problems that I decided to invoke the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" adage. :-)

As far as SP3 is concerned, I haven't encountered problems with SP1 to SP3 or SP2 to SP3. Not a large sample, though. And there were some problems fixed in SP3 that made me consider it worthwhile.

My general approach to service packs is to wait a few weeks after the release, and read about what problems were created/fixed. If there are few problems reported, or problems that clearly depend on configuration and use, then I'll go ahead and deploy the service pack. That didn't happen with SP4...well, except in the one accidental case I'd mentioned earlier.

I doubt anyone would want to bother trying to get through anyways...

That's a dangerous assumption. Nothing directly connected to the Internet is safe from automated scanners. Currently popular reasons for scanning for vulnerable systems include installing services on them that serve as "zombie" platforms for launching "denial of service" attacks. Sounds like you have things under control, though.

(end security rant!) :-)

Jim

Message Edited by jimw on 06-20-2004 10:49 AM

I might just install SP3 or SP2 then. SP4 doesn't seem worth it...

I understand the whole Zombie machine thing. People now a days are looking for host computers to spread the worm/viral infections. However, worms and viruses aren't like the actual hackers who will spend days trying to break the top notch firewall systems. Most hackers won't bother simple computers like mine so I doubt that they'd try to break my firewall. I understand that every computer put out onto the internet is just as vulnerable, however, not all necessarily will be a target for a hacker attack. As I said, worms will travel the web and arrive at every computer, though they won't try to break a firewall nor will they have the necessary code to do so considering all firewalls are built upon different coding, coding which only a hacker would be able to manipulate.

So in essence what I was saying was that unless I have something very useful that a hacker might want on my computer, I won't be considered a target to further exertion. And in this case, I should not put my eyes too much into security for my system, if something happens, it happens.  

I agree on both counts - SP3's likely safe, and scanners looking to infect machines won't stick around long if they encounter a firewall, even if it's as simple as a NAT router.

Jim

http://www.thegline.com/win2k/issues/2002/28.html

Guess I can consider this service pack to be the most reliable. SP3 it is!