MONDAY'S MOANER: THE TERRIFYING TALE OF THE SP2 STALKER
You've heard scary stories of Windows XP SP2 installations gone wrong, and you live by the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' creed. So you've decided not to muck around with a working copy of Windows XP because the possible result -- a PC reduced to a pile of rubble -- is too horrible to imagine.
For better or for worse, Microsoft's mission is to make sure SP2 makes its way onto your machine. Saying it's one of the most important service packs ever released, the boys and girls in Redmond have put SP2 into the Windows Automatic Update queue. In other words, if your machine is connected to the Internet and you haven't turned off Automatic Update, you may end up with SP2 whether you've asked for it or not.
IS THERE A WAY TO DODGE XP SP2? Yes!
Here's how to keep SP2 at arm's length.
1. Turn off Automatic Update
Like its name implies, Windows' Automatic Update feature automatically downloads and installs bug fixes and other upgrades, SP2 included. You can disable it with these steps, but please note: doing so will stop any other essential patches or fixes Microsoft may try to roll out, so make sure you follow steps 2 and 3, as well.
- From the Start menu, choose Control Panel > Performance > Maintenance.
- Double-click System, then click the Automatic Updates tab.
- Select the 'Turn off Automatic Updates' radio button and click OK.
2. Don't be tempted by Windows Update
Windows Update is the manual mechanism that grabs OS updates and downloads them; it's an alternative to Automatic Update. If you don't use Automatic Update, you can regularly head to the Windows Update site to scout out fixes, such as this month's security patches (Microsoft releases regular updates on the second Tuesday of each month).
- Go to the Windows Update Web site, but...
- Click the Custom Install option on the first screen you see.
- Ignore the SP2 download/install (it should be at the top).
- Instead, click the Review Other Updates button to see, select, download and install other fixes.
