Windows 2000 Users ----

[Ken Garlock]

W2K service pack 4 is now available for download from M/S. Just click on Windows Update on your "start" menu, and you will find it as a "critical update".

You download a 500K+ module which examines your system and then down loads and installs the updates which apply to your configuration. In my case, there was over 14MB of updates. Be prepared to spend some time.

Take a backup before you start.

I installed service pack 4 yesterday morning and have seen no problems with it.

An up to date Windows sytem is a happy system. :D

[Pete Lamberty]

Hi Ken, Thanks for teaching me about computers and keeping me up to date. I do appreciate your knowledge and your willingness to keep us informed. Since you helped me out with my computer virus earlier this week, my computer has not had any more virus alerts. Thanks, Pete




W2K service pack 4 is now available for download from M/S. Just click on Windows Update on your "start" menu, and you will find it as a "critical update".

You download a 500K+ module which examines your system and then down loads and installs the updates which apply to your configuration. In my case, there was over 14MB of updates. Be prepared to spend some time.

Take a backup before you start.

I installed service pack 4 yesterday morning and have seen no problems with it.

An up to date Windows sytem is a happy system. :D

[Dennis Peacock]

Ken,

I took a W2K Security patch a while back and my machine HAS to be booted in "diagnostic mode" or something like that....I'm not really a Windows guy...but a Unix type guy....Ever since the security patch, I've had problems with my PC "blue-screening" if I let it boot normally. I guess I could wipe it clean and start over....but I really don't want to spend the next 4 days putting my machine back together.

Any ideas on how I can find out what the problem is and how to fix it?

[John Miliunas]

Ken,

I took a W2K Security patch a while back and my machine HAS to be booted in "diagnostic mode" or something like that....I'm not really a Windows guy...but a Unix type guy....Ever since the security patch, I've had problems with my PC "blue-screening" if I let it boot normally. I guess I could wipe it clean and start over....but I really don't want to spend the next 4 days putting my machine back together.

Any ideas on how I can find out what the problem is and how to fix it?

Dennis, what's a "while back"? If you can determine which security patch it was, you "may" be able to go to the "Add/Remove Programs" and uninstall it. This isn't true for all of them, but you might get lucky.

Another thing is, if you don't already have it, download Adaware-6, (http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/) install it, get the latest updates and run it. If that doesn't do it, go to: http://security.kolla.de/index.php?lang=en&page=download and get yourself "Spybot", install, update and run it. You'd be surprised what "spyware" and such resides on your machine and how it can absolutely affect its operation. (I just had one at the shop on a Windows ME [yucko!] box, which would not even boot to "Safe" mode. Pulled the drive, installed on our "recovery" box, ran Adaware-6 on it and, after it found/deleted a bunch of crapola, the machine booted and ran normally!)

If that doesn't do it, you might try the following: Backup your data. Afterwards, go through your system again and make sure you've backed *everything* up that you need. Then go through the backups and make sure again that all is there. (I'm being a bit anal about the "backup" thing, but I can't stress enough about the importance of that! Even you Unix-type guys have to do that! :D ) OK, once you're satisfied with having secured your data, go and get SP-4. I normally wouldn't recomend a full-blown SP so soon after its release, but it sounds like your system files are kind of pooched, anyway. I say this, because the Service Packs typically include the in-between patches. It's possible the file containing just the patch was corrupt. The SP may reinstall it properly. At this point, you have little to lose.

Hope one or more of these tips help. Keep us posted. :cool:

Now, it's off to mow hay......errrrrrrr....Cut the grass, I mean. :D

[Ken Garlock]

HI Dennis. I don't think I have ever had W2K Pro give me a Blue screen of death :( In addition to John's recommendations, you can go back to the windows update site and check for newer security fixes prior to tackling the service pack. I used W2K since the public "beta" release, and have found it to be a good product.

Speaking of Unix environments, I get a bad download of kernel source darn near every time I try to get the rpm from RedHat. The download agent says the check sums don't match, but I never see a tcp error during the 30+ MB download. Maybe you got one of those self correcting errors during download such that tcp was happy, but the code was wrong. I wouldn't put much faith in that happening, but who knows :confused:

BTW, you didn't say if you were running standard W2K, or the business release, W2k Pro. I have been running "Pro" from the start.

Disclaimer, I am not a M/S shill, I just like keeping things up to date.

[Dennis Peacock]

Hey Ken,

I run W2K Pro...I don't go with the usual "home" type OS's....I like the more serious "Pro" versions as they appear to run better and be more stable.




HI Dennis. I don't think I have ever had W2K Pro give me a Blue screen of death :( In addition to John's recommendations, you can go back to the windows update site and check for newer security fixes prior to tackling the service pack. I used W2K since the public "beta" release, and have found it to be a good product.

Speaking of Unix environments, I get a bad download of kernel source darn near every time I try to get the rpm from RedHat. The download agent says the check sums don't match, but I never see a tcp error during the 30+ MB download. Maybe you got one of those self correcting errors during download such that tcp was happy, but the code was wrong. I wouldn't put much faith in that happening, but who knows :confused:

BTW, you didn't say if you were running standard W2K, or the business release, W2k Pro. I have been running "Pro" from the start.

Disclaimer, I am not a M/S shill, I just like keeping things up to date.