Rumors and experiences relating to the new Windows XP Service Pack 2 update have spread quickly throughout the campus. The update was made available as a single computer download during the week of August 23, and created problems when downloaded and installed on many computers.
Ed Seeger, manager of Educational Technology Services, stated that Service Pack 2 is meant to reinforce security against worms such as the blaster worm. The update also contains an improved built-in firewall.
On August 31, the help desk put out a list of problems with Service Pack 2 that they were aware of on August 31 and advised the campus to not install the update until further testing could be completed. Currently, the update has compatibility issues with Symantec Anti-Virus Software, AFS Software, Maple 9.5, Adobe software products, and IBM Access Connections. The incompatibility with AFS Software, for example, can cause the computer to be rendered unbootable. A list of currently known incompatibilities, as well as links to suggested patches, can be found at a link on the help desk’s website located at http://helpdesk.rpi.edu/.
The current mishaps with Service Pack 2 may not mean that it will never work to benefit users. Sharon Roy, director of Academic and Research Computing, stated that the department “believe[s] that Service Pack 2 is going to be an improvement in the long run,” after the incompatibilities are identified and corrected.
Students throughout the campus who have downloaded and installed Service Pack 2 have been experiencing various troubles with their systems. Tauseef Ansari, a graduate student, commented that the problems he was experiencing were “really annoying.” Ansari explained that his computer would “[hang] up at random instances” and crash when he put anything into the CD-ROM drive.
Praneet Menon, a sophomore, said that his computer was “unbelievably slow” when he booted it. Menon also claimed that the pop-up blocker supposedly contained in Service Pack 2 did not work.
Seeger pointed out that consultants at the help desk are currently able to uninstall Service Pack 2 successfully. Students who have downloaded Service Pack 2 and are experiencing trouble are encouraged to either visit the help desk in person or send an e-mail to consult@rpi.edu to have the problems taken care of.
Students are reminded by Roy that “Service Pack 2 is just one update,” and that it is still important to stay current with other critical updates. Roy also stressed the importance of having current versions of anti-virus software as well as Microsoft Office software. Roy also advised that students should keep their anti-virus software up to date and have their computer backed up either with the EZ-Snapshot service offered by the help desk or some other method. “Taking care of your computer is a good thing,” Roy stated.
Information as to when the problems with Service Pack 2 may be fully solved is not available at this time. Academic and Research Computing is currently working on debugging the update so that it will be compatible with the RPI systems. When all of the testing is done, signs will be posted at the help desk in the VCC and the help desk webpage will be updated.
