2 Questions about SP2

[YoUnAn]

Ok let me get right to the point.
My first question is...
I am having a problem getting SP2 to install on my fiancé’s pc.
When I go into windows update it recognizes that I need to install SP2 and when I try
to dl it windows update starts and then immediately stops with a failed message. But it does not give me any more info then that. (She is running Home)

I know I can dl the full install but I am a little worried as to why it would fail to dl on her pc through windows update. So I do not want to risk it. Plus she will be pissed if I mess up her system and you know how women are. (No offence to the ladies at [H])

My Second question is...
How good is the firewall for SP2? I am using zonealarm at the moment but I was just curious about how well it is.

[lomn75]

For the first: I would think it's just a download issue, and would try the network install... but that's just me.

For the second: that's a whole can of worms, if you search for previous threads. In a nutshell, though -- the XP firewall has been, from day one of XP's release, a perfectly good firewall against incoming connections. It has never attempted to regulate outgoing connections to the degree that ZA does.

[S1nF1xx]

Windows Firewall is pretty good at what it does. It WILL BLOCK OUTGOING PROGRAMS, but I haven't played with it very much to determine for myself how well it works. Bottom line is Zone Alarm is better, but if you don't need IP filtering and all the other features, I'd save $30 and stay with WF and a router.

Some people say WF doesn't block outgoing traffic, so here's a screen shot.

http://www.rabidnet.homeftp.net/post/block.gif

[j0k3r]

I think some people say it doesn't block outgoing traffic because of a bug that existed in RC2. Even if you told the Windows Firewall to block a certain program from accessing the external network, it was still allowed access. It has been fixed though.

[YoUnAn]

thanks for the info on windows firewall.
I dont think I will be switching zonealarm for it but I might have my fiance use it on her machine if she lets me install SP2.

[Sean]

Ok let me get right to the point.
My first question is...
I am having a problem getting SP2 to install on my fiancé’s pc.
When I go into windows update it recognizes that I need to install SP2 and when I try
to dl it windows update starts and then immediately stops with a failed message. But it does not give me any more info then that. (She is running Home)

I know I can dl the full install but I am a little worried as to why it would fail to dl on her pc through windows update. So I do not want to risk it. Plus she will be pissed if I mess up her system and you know how women are. (No offence to the ladies at [H])

My Second question is...
How good is the firewall for SP2? I am using zonealarm at the moment but I was just curious about how well it is.

Do you have an anti-Virus running? Disable it before you do the windows update. Also add microsoft.com to your firewall for safe listing, or check this out:


The Automatic Update client uses port 80 and 443 when connecting to the external site. Port 80 is used to download 'IUIDENT.CAB', Port 443 is used to do detection over SSL, and then Port 80 is used again to download the actual updates through BITS.

Both AU and BITS are capable of using Proxies, but only if the Proxy information either exists explicitly in the localsystem hive of the registry, or autoproxy is enabled (this is an operating system default) and you are using WAPD files to define the proxies.


As for the second question, I use ZoneAlarm to block out going connections, and I have a NAT router for incoming. I don't use windows firewall.

Cheers,

[SJConsultant]

Windows Firewall is pretty good at what it does. It WILL BLOCK OUTGOING PROGRAMS, but I haven't played with it very much to determine for myself how well it works. Bottom line is Zone Alarm is better, but if you don't need IP filtering and all the other features, I'd save $30 and stay with WF and a router.

Some people say WF doesn't block outgoing traffic, so here's a screen shot.

http://www.rabidnet.homeftp.net/post/block.gif

XP Firewall does not block *outbound* connections at all, if you read the bottom of that screenshot it plainly states it will prevent the program from accepting *inbound* connections or traffic.