The Scoop

Information Technology Services (ITS), in conjunction with the Technology Associates, will begin rolling out Windows XP's service pack 2 to staff workstations on April 25, 2005. Think of service pack 2 as being a really big patch for Windows. Mostly, it contains a number of security enhancements for Windows XP and Internet Explorer that are transparent to the user. The one noticeable change is that Internet Explorer now has a built-in pop-up blocker. This pop-up blocker stops pop-up windows from automatically opening up as you visit web sites. If you specifically click on a link or button, the window will still open, but windows can no longer open on their own without any user interaction (more on the pop-up blocker in the next issue of the Staff Newsletter).

For a three-week period (April 25 - May 15), staff members can choose one of two options to get XP SP2 installed on their PC:

• upgrade to SP2 - you can schedule a time with your Technology Associate (or Information Technology Services, if you don’t have a TA) to have your PC upgraded to XP SP2. This option will preserve all existing data, software, and configuration settings on the PC. However, since there is always a chance that something can go wrong, ITS recommends that you back up any important data (not software) that is on your C: drive to your H: drive before the upgrade occurs.
• rebuild the PC - your PC will be completely wiped out and loaded with a clean, fresh standard build that now includes SP2. Any data and software that you loaded on the PC will be erased and will need to be reloaded, so you should back up any data you have on the C: drive to your H: drive before the rebuild occurs.

Depending on the model of computer you have (check the Dell tag on the front of the PC), the "rebuild the PC" option can be faster than the upgrade option. Upgrading to XP SP2 takes about 1-1/2 hours on the GX1 and GX100 models (which are cream-colored) and about 30 minutes on a GX240 or GX260 (which are black). Rebuilding a PC takes from 45 minutes to an hour.

If you want to upgrade to SP2, you should schedule it to run during a time when you are away from your PC - such as during lunch or while you are at a long meeting. If you are in an area that is locked and inaccessible to the public when it is not staffed, you can also schedule it to be started when you leave for the night. (Do not let the install run unattended in a publicly accessible, unsupervised area since the install may fail and leave the PC up and logged into the network and servers). Be sure to close all open programs (except the "Novell-delivered Applications" window) before the install is started and do not open any programs while the install is running.

The PC will automatically reboot if installation of XP SP2 was successful. You should log in with the same account after the reboot. This first login will be a bit slow as Windows XP completes the installation process.

When the three-week period for scheduling installs ends on May16th, ITS will begin forcing installation of the service pack. So, if you don't get XP SP2 loaded before May 16th at 8:00am, the install will start automatically during your first login after that time. The install will then tie up your PC for up to 1-1/2 hours. Do not try to cancel the install, as this may leave your PC in an unstable state. We realize that it is inconvenient for staff to have an automatic push of this length, so we encourage everyone to get their PC upgraded or rebuilt before May 16, 2005.