Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 Fix List

[Guru]

http://www.3dspotlight.com/tweaks/win2ksp3fixes/

[Jammrock]

Yeah...but where's the list of new bugs that SP3 creates?

Jammrock

[Dr Mordrid]

This list has more of 'em filled in;

http://www.activewin.com/win2000/sp3bugs.shtml

Dr. Mordrid

[Gurm]

I've had SP3 for some time. It's called "Windows XP".

- Gurm

[Indiana]

Isn't WindowsXP merely a Win2k with added Microsoft trojans, a Lego-interface that's non-reactive as hell (I know, "you can turn it off"), misc new hardware / driver incompatibilities and the need for again a faster CPU and more RAM....

Ah yes, and it's hiding the Bluescreen from you most of the times but crashes nevertheless.

I'd agree that WinXP is superior to Win9x/ME.
But if I turn off the Lego interface, can you tell me exactly which advantage I get from using WinXP over Win2k? I tried them both and would say they're about equal stability-wise (both do crash, but only seldom and mostly with really bad software).

[Rags]

Advantages with XP:

More stable than Win2K

Fewer reboots needed when updating devices or settings than 2K.

More customization.

Better PnP.

Better software compatibility.

Networking is beefier.






Rags

[KeiFront]

Don't forget the new bugs Rags.

And I don't know if it's more stable than Win2K, I guess they are even qua stability.

[The PIT]

So far what I've seen it isn't as stable as win2k. Perhaps after the next service pack it will become more stable.

[Indiana]

The same experience here. Both are stable, but WinXP a bit less. Of course this is mainly due to bad drivers (NVidia, ATI, Creative,...) that are not as mature as the Win2k ones, but still this is what the situation at this point in time is.

For application compatibility I found it to be the same: WinXP a bit worse than Win2k, again often due to missing drivers and or not really mature software.
Up to now I didn't really have PnP problems with Win2k and I can easily live without the extra "customizations".

So as advantage there is the fewer reboots and the supposedly better networking. If this is the only price I have to pay for not having to become a "activation-slave" of MicroSoft, I'm quite happy with it.
Not to speak that Win2k does appear quite a bit faster / more responsive even if you turn off WinXPs ugly Lego-Interface.

[Novdid]

I got miself an ATI board (7500), I know...shame on me, but the point is that I more or less had to switch back w2k to get the speed and stabilty I want.

>>>spelling...>>>I cna't seem to get it right!!!

[Guru]

Originally posted by cking4@ford.com
Is a release date for SP3 known yet? I could not find any mention of it at the
M$ web site...

Duno I have been using the latest beta for some time now!

[Rags]

The same experience here. Both are stable, but WinXP a bit less. Of course this is mainly due to bad drivers (NVidia, ATI, Creative,...) that are not as mature as the Win2k ones, but still this is what the situation at this point in time is.

The XP drivers for my ATI are better than the win2k drivers were. Same with the Live! drivers. The overwhelming majority disagrees with you on the stability issue. If you have newer hardware, you generally are okay.

For application compatibility I found it to be the same: WinXP a bit worse than Win2k, again often due to missing drivers and or not really mature software.

That's your experience, the rest of the world sees that many win95 apps now work where win2k they wouldn't. Missing drivers? That isn't applications, that's hardware compat, and as with any new OS, there is going to be some dead time before the hardware catches up. The fact is that MS is now using one code base for their OS, so now HW mfrs can focus their resources towards one OS instead of doing the dual driver thing. Same with applications.

Up to now I didn't really have PnP problems with Win2k and I can easily live without the extra "customizations".

The extra customizations are for those of us who are fanatics and is a very welcome addition. Anytime they can give ME the option of having something off or on or whatever I think it's a plus. But I guess I can see where the Packard Bell crowd wouldn't find this a bonus.

So as advantage there is the fewer reboots and the supposedly better networking.

Not supposed, proven. Everything I listed is fact and not my anecdotal testimony.

If this is the only price I have to pay for not having to become a "activation-slave" of MicroSoft, I'm quite happy with it.

I was leary of the activation thing at first too, but you know what? It hasn't affected me since day one. I activated mine right away and have had no problems. On my bench system I change components on it three to four times a month and I get 30 days in between the noted change in which to activate, I have never activated....so I guess it's a moot point really.

Not to speak that Win2k does appear quite a bit faster / more responsive even if you turn off WinXPs ugly Lego-Interface.

The "lego" interface has really little to do with the response of the OS. It's all the effects that are on by default. I turn alll that garbage off (I do the same with Win2k, so don't go there)unless I am testing something and I notice no real difference in speed, not any in benchmarks, and certainly not in OS response, in fact I would say that XP is a bit crisper than 2K.

Rags

[Dr Mordrid]

Used XP, both as beta, PR and release.

S***Canned it after about 4 months after release because of;

1. it's SLOW. Even when you "turn off" the Lego interface it's not really OFF, it's just a new skin with the same clunky underpinnings.

2. too much damn promotion-ware inside. I don't have the time to deal with that crap.

3. they changed IEEE-1394 so much that a lot of editing hw/sw is having trouble with it.

4. it's NOT as stable as Win2K-SP2, especially when using multimedia hw/sw.

5. it's slower in R/W's to NTFS drives.

6. did I say IT'S CHEESY? BARF!!

7. that sucky copy protection spyware.


Dr. Mordrid

[Technoid]

It's funny how "XP" resembles "ME".
Both are minor upgrades of previous versions.
Both has a new GUI as their prime selling point
Both are slower than their predessesors.
Both needs "new" drvers...
Both causes endless discusions if their better.

[Gurm]

1. it's SLOW. Even when you "turn off" the Lego interface it's not really OFF, it's just a new skin with the same clunky underpinnings.

On YOUR machine, maybe. On my machine it's faster. And if you didn't figure out how to "turn off" the "Lego" interface then you REALLY need to attend some MS refresher classes, now don'tcha? Here's a hint... Start->Administrative Tools->Services->Themes->Disable - That was HARD! Boo-hoo!

2. too much damn promotion-ware inside. I don't have the time to deal with that crap.

Define "promotion-ware". Bundled applications? Some of them are useful, others get overridden when I install other software. I have yet to find a single one of them so obtrusive that they offend me.

3. they changed IEEE-1394 so much that a lot of editing hw/sw is having trouble with it.

Now you're grasping at straws. My FireWire port works just fine with my digital camcorder. In fact, it works fine with half a dozen DIFFERENT digital camcorders. I network with it, etc. etc.

Show me a REAL technical quote from a reliable source that shows that there are specific 1394 problems. I just don't buy it.

4. it's NOT as stable as Win2K-SP2, especially when using multimedia hw/sw.

My only experience which shows you to be right is my vidcap card, but they (Winnov) have fully admitted that they had been working from the WinNT4 codebase to make the Win2k drivers... and have been rewriting WDM's from scratch for Win2k/WinXP. That's to be expected. It's a new OS.

5. it's slower in R/W's to NTFS drives.

Again... ON YOUR SYSTEM. VIA has recently released patches to deal with this, and it seems to have only affected VIA boards in the first place. Intel, SIS, and AMD remain unaffected. Plus, Sandra is notoriously WRONG in WinXP. They're working on a new version that reports your real score.

6. did I say IT'S CHEESY? BARF!!

Guess what? Every OS could be considered "cheesy". People still use Macinfarts, despite their OS being designed by a 4-year-old on crack.

7. that sucky copy protection spyware.

A. It's not spyware.
B. Don't use it. I don't. Just install with a VLK instead of a CD Key. Simple. Easy as pie.

- Gurm