At 03:45 AM 8/28/2004 -0500, you wrote:
>I'm looking at a 5-hours plus download on MicroSoft's Service Pack
>2.  What happens if I don't install it?  Is it something everyone has to
>eventually have?  If so, I'm going to start my download at 10PM and pray
>there is no disconnect on my dial-up connection out here in the country.

As I understand it, anytime your connected to the Internet, with Automatic
Updates set to download, it will download until you disconnect. The next
time you connect, it will start where it left off... until the whole thing
is complete. It will then let you know that it is ready for installation.

Just a note from experience...

I just installed a fresh copy of XP Pro on a brand new machine. Installed
all the MB and card drivers. I immediately downloaded and installed SP2.
Upon reboot, the machine never went past the XP Pro logo at startup.
Result... nice fresh install of XP down the drain.

Microsoft does have instructions to uninstall SP2 using the Recovery
Console from the original XP install disk... but if you ask me, if SP2
breaks a brand new install of XP, what are the chances of it breaking a
well used and modified install?? Be sure you've backed up everything and be
prepared to either install new or go thru the recovery procedure to get
back to where you were before the "upgrade". I'm waiting until they fix the
upgrade.

Volkard Linke

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