XP SP2 and Windows Media Player 10 at DVinfo.net

Imran Zaidi · September 7th, 2004, 01:45 PM

Well I decided to finally suck it up and try out the new XP Pro Service Pack 2. An initial test, if you will, to see if I want to deal with any of its potential problems. Well, so far everything seems fairly smooth.

One thing new that came out of it - after installing SP2, the next time you visit the windows update site, you're allowed to download Windows Media Player 10. So far it seems pretty snazzy - though a tad complex. They're trying to compete with iTunes and the like, and I imagine it will integrate seamlessly with MSN's new music download service.

My DivX vids still play using the new player without any new DivX updates necessary, which is a plus.

My Vegas 4.0e also seems to be A-OK. (This isn't my main editing workstation though - I'm just testing on another computer).

Will post back if I experience any other strange anomalies.

Imran Zaidi · September 8th, 2004, 08:23 PM

Well all in all, no problems at all with SP2. I'm very surprised actually, but also very pleased.

I got a chance to fool around with the new built in firewall, and it's surprisingly configurable. The popup blocker is very functional and easy to use, and the new security catches of downloads are swift, and not as intrusive as I'd feared they'd be. Internet Explorer's security and scumware protections are pretty nice, functional, and configurable.

The only bit of software I have so far encountered that didn't like it was my StyleXP windows skin, by TGT Soft. But a quick visit to tgtsoft.com showed they had already released the update compliant with SP2.

Another neat little feature is that your Add/Remove Programs window no longer shows all those dozens of windows updates one after the other - they all are siphoned down into one Windows Service Pack 2 entry.

I highly recommend this update. But of course, your results will vary, so try it out on a test system first, if you can.

David Hurdon · September 9th, 2004, 07:04 AM

How old is the system you updated? I haven't closely followed the considerable discussion on the web about the challenges after installing XP SP2 but I got the impression, probably reasonably enough, that it's legacy software and hardware that got left behind. I'm questioning installing the update on a new Toshiba Satellite laptop running Media Center XP, and beginning to think I might be ok, but do have some legacy software I wouldn't want to be without, and am pretty sure isn't having any updates written for XP.

David Hurdon

Imran Zaidi · September 9th, 2004, 07:21 AM

The guinea pig system is a two year old system with an AMD Athlon XP 2100+ (1.7Ghz). Most of the software on it is fairly current, with a few small apps that I've been using since Windows 2k. This particular machine is more of a web development machine but I do have Vegas/DVD 4 on it and it's working fine.

So far I haven't encountered any weird anomalies.

Yi Fong Yu · September 10th, 2004, 07:28 AM

on 99% of the home computers it'll be no problem unless you want to run the software that is listed on MS's SP2 site where it is explicitly conflicting with SP2. that and older DOS programs and custom applications. but as long as you give those programs permission to be run it appears to be OK. i like SP2 catching most of those active-x apps trying to install background things that you have to use spybot/ad-aware to uninstall later. that's awesome.

Charles King · September 10th, 2004, 07:32 AM

For reason I can't seem to find this wonderful link to download version 10. I keep getting the old version.

The link keeps sending to this link: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9Series/GettingStarted/download/download.asp

Imran Zaidi · September 10th, 2004, 08:57 AM

Until you have SP2 installed, I don't think it will allow you to download Media Player 10. I believe they're citing security protections regarding potential abuses of Media Player streaming unless you have the protections of SP2 in place.

After you install SP2, MP10 will be available to you through windows update.

Also, side note, my Ahead Nero 6 Ultra Edition needed to be patched from the www.nero.com site before it would work with SP2.

Charles King · September 10th, 2004, 10:18 AM

How long did it take you to download SP2? I was told it wasn't necessary to have sp2 installed. One guy managed to download version 10 without any problems.

Alright, can someone point me to this d**m SP2 File Microsoft website is a joke. You can't seem to find anything. One link always to anotherr that leads to something else and then come to find out, it's not out yet but yet and still people already have. I think I am jinx when it comes to Bill Gates and his st**p software. AAAAaargggg!

8)Thanks you guys. Sorry, but Old billy goat is tearing into me.

Well, this is lovely. Not only don't I know where to find Media player 10 I can't find SP2. I've tried the downloads center they have, still nothing. Tried all those ridiculous links and nothing. I just simply have to except that microsoft and I do not mix. I give up Thanks anyway.
_________________
Charles King

Imran Zaidi · September 10th, 2004, 10:22 AM

If you go to microsoft.com, the home page, you'll see links to all of these things right under the heading Popular Downloads in the middle of the page. Looks like you can download media player 10 without SP2 - I was wrong.

Oh, I see you're in Sweden. Perhaps the Swedish MS site is different.

September 7th, 2004, 01:45 PM	#1
Imran Zaidi Trustee Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 1,315	XP SP2 and Windows Media Player 10 Well I decided to finally suck it up and try out the new XP Pro Service Pack 2. An initial test, if you will, to see if I want to deal with any of its potential problems. Well, so far everything seems fairly smooth. One thing new that came out of it - after installing SP2, the next time you visit the windows update site, you're allowed to download Windows Media Player 10. So far it seems pretty snazzy - though a tad complex. They're trying to compete with iTunes and the like, and I imagine it will integrate seamlessly with MSN's new music download service. My DivX vids still play using the new player without any new DivX updates necessary, which is a plus. My Vegas 4.0e also seems to be A-OK. (This isn't my main editing workstation though - I'm just testing on another computer). Will post back if I experience any other strange anomalies.

September 9th, 2004, 07:04 AM	#3
David Hurdon Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 484	How old is the system you updated? I haven't closely followed the considerable discussion on the web about the challenges after installing XP SP2 but I got the impression, probably reasonably enough, that it's legacy software and hardware that got left behind. I'm questioning installing the update on a new Toshiba Satellite laptop running Media Center XP, and beginning to think I might be ok, but do have some legacy software I wouldn't want to be without, and am pretty sure isn't having any updates written for XP. David Hurdon __________________ Site:http://www.faceliftmarketing.ca Blog:http://www.websitevideo.blogspot.com

September 10th, 2004, 07:28 AM	#5
Yi Fong Yu Trustee Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Vulcan Posts: 1,564	on 99% of the home computers it'll be no problem unless you want to run the software that is listed on MS's SP2 site where it is explicitly conflicting with SP2. that and older DOS programs and custom applications. but as long as you give those programs permission to be run it appears to be OK. i like SP2 catching most of those active-x apps trying to install background things that you have to use spybot/ad-aware to uninstall later. that's awesome. __________________ bow wow wow

September 10th, 2004, 07:32 AM	#6
Charles King Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 795	For reason I can't seem to find this wonderful link to download version 10. I keep getting the old version. The link keeps sending to this link: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9Series/GettingStarted/download/download.asp __________________ Charles 'What we perceive to be may not be what we believe to be.'

September 10th, 2004, 10:18 AM	#8
Charles King Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: sweden Posts: 795	How long did it take you to download SP2? I was told it wasn't necessary to have sp2 installed. One guy managed to download version 10 without any problems. Alright, can someone point me to this dm SP2 File Microsoft website is a joke. You can't seem to find anything. One link always to anotherr that leads to something else and then come to find out, it's not out yet but yet and still people already have. I think I am jinx when it comes to Bill Gates and his stp software. AAAAaargggg! 8)Thanks you guys. Sorry, but Old billy goat is tearing into me. Well, this is lovely. Not only don't I know where to find Media player 10 I can't find SP2. I've tried the downloads center they have, still nothing. Tried all those ridiculous links and nothing. I just simply have to except that microsoft and I do not mix. I give up Thanks anyway. _________________ Charles King __________________ Charles 'What we perceive to be may not be what we believe to be.'

September 8th, 2004, 08:23 PM	#2
Imran Zaidi Trustee Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 1,315	Well all in all, no problems at all with SP2. I'm very surprised actually, but also very pleased. I got a chance to fool around with the new built in firewall, and it's surprisingly configurable. The popup blocker is very functional and easy to use, and the new security catches of downloads are swift, and not as intrusive as I'd feared they'd be. Internet Explorer's security and scumware protections are pretty nice, functional, and configurable. The only bit of software I have so far encountered that didn't like it was my StyleXP windows skin, by TGT Soft. But a quick visit to tgtsoft.com showed they had already released the update compliant with SP2. Another neat little feature is that your Add/Remove Programs window no longer shows all those dozens of windows updates one after the other - they all are siphoned down into one Windows Service Pack 2 entry. I highly recommend this update. But of course, your results will vary, so try it out on a test system first, if you can.

September 9th, 2004, 07:21 AM	#4
Imran Zaidi Trustee Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 1,315	The guinea pig system is a two year old system with an AMD Athlon XP 2100+ (1.7Ghz). Most of the software on it is fairly current, with a few small apps that I've been using since Windows 2k. This particular machine is more of a web development machine but I do have Vegas/DVD 4 on it and it's working fine. So far I haven't encountered any weird anomalies.

September 10th, 2004, 08:57 AM	#7
Imran Zaidi Trustee Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 1,315	Until you have SP2 installed, I don't think it will allow you to download Media Player 10. I believe they're citing security protections regarding potential abuses of Media Player streaming unless you have the protections of SP2 in place. After you install SP2, MP10 will be available to you through windows update. Also, side note, my Ahead Nero 6 Ultra Edition needed to be patched from the www.nero.com site before it would work with SP2.

September 10th, 2004, 10:22 AM	#9
Imran Zaidi Trustee Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 1,315	If you go to microsoft.com, the home page, you'll see links to all of these things right under the heading Popular Downloads in the middle of the page. Looks like you can download media player 10 without SP2 - I was wrong. Oh, I see you're in Sweden. Perhaps the Swedish MS site is different.