By the time I finished writing this, I realized its almost a novel
please excuse my verbosity and/or the oversimplification of some things, but I was only trying to make everything as clear as possible for everybody, and most of all, to help.
There are several issues discussed in this thread (looks more like a Computergon thread :)) and Ill try to address them all. Heres my $0.02:
Service pack 1 issues:
- I also had problems with its first installation, the most noticeable thing being an ugly decrease in the speed of my Internet connection. A possible cause for this are some registry settings in Windows, which regulate the networking capabilities of your system. IF this is the case, one can attempt to fix the problem by using
Dr. TCP, (a freeware tweaking program). I say IF, because theres no way to tell how exactly the installation of the service pack will affect each individual computer.
- Personally, I re-installed my entire system (OS, programs and all) and installed the service pack using the
Windows XP Service Pack 1 Network Installation. Its time consuming, but the safest way to go. Although its intended for professionals the program will work automatically (you dont have to do anything). I would recommend this to anyone with a cable/DSL connection. It is a BIG download, but once you have the file, you can use it locally, meaning that the update is less prone to errors due to connection faults between you and the Windows update server. Plus, you can archive the file and use it again later.
- Also, note that the SP is rumored to purposely mess with systems that have er, problems with the serial number (I heard something about a database of duplicate/multiple serial numbers being maintained by MS). This is just hearsay, but it may have something to do with OEM computers (with pre-installed operating systems) being treated as clones? Im not sure.
Security/hackers:
- Firewall: Windows XP has its own built-in firewall, which is good for entry-level protection. There are third party commercial firewalls available, which further enhance that protection. The site Sean mentioned recommends one of the best available such programs:
Zone Alarm. The best part is that the program is free. Enhanced versions are also available for a fee. Zone Alarm works well, IF PROPERLY CONFIGURED. Most service reps from your ISP will say that it impedes the proper functioning of your connection it is not true. In most cases, they are just trying to find a way out of their incompetence. (ex: you: my connection is down rep: are you using a firewall? yes rep: -you must uninstall it-thats why its not working. Problem solved! as far as he is concerned)
- Hackers: first, whats an IP? Your IP (Internet Protocol) address is a unique number (pretty much like, say, your home street address) assigned to your computer in the neighborhood of your Internet Service Providers (short: ISP) network. IPs can be static, i.e. always the same which is the case with most cable connections, and dynamic (changing just about every time you connect to the ISPs network which is the case with most dialup connections.) The downside of one having a static IP is that the hackers always know where to find you (by analogy, a burglar would know your street address, as opposed to a random address you would have when checking in in various rooms of a hotel). If they dont succeed in accessing your computer the first time, they can always come back later, and take their time, since its always on. If you post on Audio Asylum, your IP is listed in big, bold numbers above your entry. (under the title of the listing). Its like: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (the number of xs will vary). So if Sean posted something, they had an easy time finding his computer/address: its already there. The Asylum probably meant this feature to serve security purposes (to track down misbehaving inmates), but these addresses can also be used by malicious users. To forge an e-mail (to make it look like it comes from you) they need your e-mail address (must) name (probably) and your IP address (optional) depending on the level of authenticity they want to fabricate. If they really intercepted e-mails addressed to you, they probably hacked either your computer or the mail server. Anyway, there are ways to find out where an e-mail REALLY comes from by looking at the message source. The idea is to track down the IP of the computer/network from which the e-mail actually originated (not what the hacked e-mail asserts). You can try and use
SpamCops system (free subscription required) even though it was intended for somewhat different purposes; Im sure there are other tracking systems on the Net, but Im just too lazy to look them up now :). After you find THEIR IP address, the ball is in your court and there are several ways to go about it, depending on what you want to do. If you can persuade the hackers ISP that you have a real case of abuse, he may give you some details about their user. From this point everything becomes legal and policy stuff, so Im not sure.
Service pack (again): A service pack is not much more than a collection of patches and updates. Most of these patches were individually available on the Windows update site before the release of the SP1. Once the number of patches reaches a threshold (I dont know what the criteria are) they are packed together in a
service pack. (which can be released on CD). To the best of my knowledge, so far there is only a SP 1. Sean says something about SP 2 (?) Could be that SP2 is a number of post SP1 updates (they do exist) installed via the Windows update tool? Be that as it may, there ARE a few vulnerability issues. Some settings are restored to default after the update. For instance, the built-in firewall must be enabled manually after installing the OS, my guess is that the same happens after installing the updates. (I use Zone Alarm, so I dont care much about that) Another good tool for privacy protection and the performance of the computer is the
XP anti-spy. With this program, however, its mostly about what goes OUT of our computer, rather than about what comes in.
I hope this helps.
