Articles
Contact Us
Windows XP Users - Upgrade to SP2 for Better Protection
Filed Under: Business
If you’re running Windows XP on your computer and you haven’t yet upgraded to the SP2 (Windows Service Pack 2), you’re putting your computer at risk. SP2 has something called Advanced Security Technologies that will protect your system against common problems that can make your system vulnerable. You may not even be aware of some of the dangers your unprotected system faces.
Protection Against Hackers and Viruses
First of all, you’ll be better protected against remote attacks on your system. The “Manage Add-Ons” feature lets you stop those ActiveX controls that can install programs on your system, hijack your browser and cause other problems. You’ll want some of them, like Flash updates and widgets of your choice, so you can instruct the computer to allow them. But dangerous scripts can be stopped before they get into your system.
Microsoft’s SP2 for XP also minimizes the risk of buffer overruns. This happens when another computer sends too much data to yours and essentially overflows your memory to get into other, crucial parts of the system.
And those attachments that we’ve all been warned not to open unless we trust the recipient will now be caught and quarantined if they’re deemed dangerous. You can open any of them if you choose, but at your own risk. This is a great addition, because very often dangerous attachments come from people we do know and trust when their systems have been infected. Many viruses send themselves to everyone in an email address book, so knowing the person sending it isn’t enough anymore.
This Service Pack 2 also turns the firewall on automatically. The firewall is already on your system and designed to protect it again all sorts of attacks, but unless you’ve turned it on, you’re not protected. If you’re running a network, you may want to turn Windows firewall off and use a 3rd party product to better protect your entire network. But for a lone computer, the Windows firewall is enough.
SP2 Eliminates Annoying Problems
Three other great features included in SP2 that aren’t really about security but about making your computing experience better are the wireless support, message blocking and the pop-up blocker.
The pop-up blocker will automatically stop those pop-up windows when you’re surfing. You can choose whether to let a window pop open or not. And the wireless support makes it so much easier to set up a wireless network. If you’ve ever had trouble doing this, SP2 will eliminate your frustrations. It shows all the available networks, how strong they are and whether they require a password.
This upgrade also closes the Messenger service (not Windows instant messaging program) so that spammers can’t send those annoying pop-up messages to your desktop.
If you have many custom programs running on your computer or your network, you should be aware that there could be conflicts. Microsoft also has a list of programs that have known problems with the upgrade, so be aware of those before you download the Service Pack 2 for XP. But do download the upgrade so your system is as protected as possible.
Related Articles:
