ok guys,.... anyone that is using SP2 please listen, I need these questions answered before I install sp2....

i) for some reason I can't slipstream SP2 onto my old slipstreamed copy of XP SP1.... it says something about not being able to integrate onto already integrated Software Updates..... is there anythig I can do?

ii) right now I have Norton Firewall 2004 installed (and am dying to get rid of it ), will the new firewall or Security Centre on SP2 be good enough by itself? I know I need to keep Norton AntiVirus 2004 installed but will the firewall on SP2 be able to keep me protected? btw I am also using ADAWARE and SPYBOT....

and finally, iii) is there any performance loss on SP2? like in normal usage and in games? any difference in performace between SP1 and SP2?

thanks guys, the reason I ask all these questions is cause I don't have the time to do a fresh install only to find out that SP2 is buggy and that it sucks, ...

RaZoR

I have an original XP disk that didn't have SP1 which I slipstreamed with SP1 and just the other day I was able to slipstream the SP1 version with SP2 - with no errors or problems.

When you copy the SP1 disk you have to your hard drive are you showing hidden files and folders and system files and folders???

IF NOT - try setting this up in explorer then copy the SP1 disk to hard drive then use the SP2.exe -s:c:\path where you copied that disk to path='s what your folder and path to the copied SP1 disk... It should slipstream just fine unless you forgot to do the above mentioned when you originally slipstreamed the SP1 or did you accidentally try slipstreaming a CD??? lol. Just asking...

The firewall with SP2 is more than enough for firewall protection - personally I never use them and never will...

As far as your Norton once you get SP2 installed you will want to install your Norton and get to Live Update because you will need the WMI that just got released so that Norton will function and integrate with the new Security Center so that SP2 can monitor it for you... Good Luck. Let us know the results...

If you have your original XP CD do all the above mentioned and try it instead of slipstreaming a slipstream - but I WAS able to do it with no problem...

Your question to whether or not the system is as fast with SP2. It seems to be although this does not apply to the internet. I dsiabled the firewall stuff because i don't need it. Yet it still does things like limit the max number of tcp/ip connections to my computer. This translates to p2p programs not working. Loss of 100k/s on my downstream, and who knows what else. How do I disable the monitoring and limitations on my Internet connection? I am certainly not happy about that part of it.

If anyone has any ideas. my AIM is "xpose" .

Thanks

There is a registry setting that you need to change for the max connections it's well known and all over the net I just don't know it off hand...

As far as changing throttle you need to go to START, RUN and type GPEDIT.MSC then computer configuration, administrative templates, network, QOS packet scheduler, you will then see on right side limit reservable bandwidth - highlight this and ENABLE and change the 20% to 0%...

Not sure exactly what else you may be talking about but SP2 didn't do this it's always been there - every setting and option you are talking about...

the firewall in xpsp2 sucks imo, its not configureable enough for my tastes.
as for nortons products.. they suck too, i wont run anything with nortons name on it. i use Kaspersky's antivirus, spybot S&D, and JV16 powertools, and diskkeeper.

as for the reghack for the limited connections. from what i understood, its hardcoded in the TCP/IP.sys file, and a reg hack wasnt working.
do some google searches.

if i was you, i'd get a halfway decent router, and run something other than nortons firewall, zone alarm is better imo (stay away from blackice defender its complete trash).

just my 2cents

Sorry I wasn't quite sure about the limit you were talking about for TCP/IP...

I didn't know that one was implemented - my bag...

Anyway for anyone looking here is the link to a file that you run that will change the limit from 10 to 50 or more if you so decide to do so...

Enjoy... and sorry for the misunderstanding originally...

http://www.winxpcentral.com/data/downloads/tcpipcon.zip