200 apps clash with XP SP2
By John Leyden
Published Tuesday 17th August 2004 13:12 GMT
Consumers will be offered a major upgrade of Windows XP after
Microsoft releases Service Pack 2 through Windows Update later this
week.
The 272MB enterprise version of SP2 was released earlier this month
and a smaller consumer version - weighing in at around 80MB - was due
to be released via Windows Update yesterday (16 August), the BBC
reports. This automatic delivery has now been put back until tomorrow
(18 August). SP2 was due to debut last year so a couple of extra days
wait is hardly going to make much difference.
The release, which made its debut as a beta back in March, bundles
major security revisions and a new Windows update procedure.
Principal additions with Windows XP SP2 include: Windows Security
Centre; automatically turning on Windows Firewall; and browsing
enhancements to Internet Explorer (providing far more control of
ActiveX controls, for example). Less mentioned so far, but arguably
more important, is revamped memory protection to prevent buffer
overruns, the perennial source of so many security problems.
Consumers should note that some programs will 'stop working' after
they install Windows XP Service Pack 2. With SP2, Windows Firewall is
enabled by default and will block unsolicited connections to your
computer. So users will have to make exceptions in the case on AV
software, network games and a variety of other popular packages
(including some published by Microsoft). Microsoft has published a
list here.
This factor is there by design so it's of greater concern that a
number of different applications "behave differently" after users
install Win XP SP2. Games, third party firewall products and several
popular business programs clash with Win XP SP2. The extensive list
includes games like Unreal Tournament, McAfee VirusScan 7, Adobe
PageMaker 7, backup programs, Zone Alarm personal firewall and even
some flavours of Microsoft's own Office applications. More than 200
applications with compatibility problems with Win XP SP2 are listed.
These glitches are far wider in scope than the occasional problems
that surface when users install personal firewalls. And it's not just
shrink-wrapped applications that are affected.
eBay has posted a notice saying that some of the features of its eBay
Toolbar program will cease to function after users install SP2.
Meanwhile XP SP2 users are completely locked out of eBay's Enhanced
Picture Services. eBay is working with Microsoft on addressing the
problems it has unearthed.
Little wonder then that companies like IBM are holding off from
deploying SP2 despite the considerable security improvements it
offers. Consumers might well be inclined to follow suit. Those who
push ahead with XP SP2 are advised to buckle in for what promises to
be a bumpy ride. ®
---
* Origin: [adminz] tech, security, support (192.168.0.2)
generated by msg2page 0.06 on Jul 21, 2006 at 19:04:09
search: