Pain of upgrading eased as improvements trickle through

By CHRIS BARTON


It was in October last year that I took, with some trepidation, the upgrade to Windows XP. As it turned out the pain I feared wasn't too bad.

There were some compatibility problems with some of my older, and not so old, software but XP is a big improvement on previous Windows versions. My PC hardly ever crashes or has a screen freeze - and when it does, recovery has (so far) been a straightforward restart.

Generally XP is easier to use and there are some great new features such as the way the operating system handles connecting new devices such as digital cameras.

Windows XP's method for providing separate accounts and document folders for each family member who uses the machine is great too. My 11-year-old can change her background screen to display Paul Frank monkeys and fiddle with other settings such as the mouse cursor without causing me any frustration.

Plus she can use MSN Explorer and Windows Messenger - programs I loathe - without a domestic argument.

My main gripe is I still can't lock down the machine and stop my daughter installing software willy nilly. Why? Because one of the most popular games in our house - The Sims - won't work under a limited account. That means everyone who plays the game has to be set to administrator level - which somewhat defeats the security features of XP.

But why after a year of near trouble-free computing would I contemplate another upgrade? I'm talking about Windows XP Service Pack 1, released on September 9.

It makes some changes demanded by Microsoft's partial settlement with the US Department of Justice which I was keen to see.

For those who haven't followed this saga, the settlement relates to a case brought by the department against Microsoft for anticompetitive behaviour. Microsoft was found guilty on several counts and is in the process of thrashing out a deal which, if approved by a federal judge, becomes a "consent decree" placing some restrictions on Microsoft's business practices. Part of that involves Microsoft agreeing not to use its Windows monopoly to restrict third-party "middleware" applications, such as web browsing, instant messaging and media playback.

The final deal has some way to go because many US states have objected, claiming the terms are not hard enough on Microsoft - something US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly is considering as she tries to figure out whether the settlement is in the public interest.

Meanwhile, to show good faith, Microsoft has come out with SP1 - which as well as meeting some of the department's settlement terms also crams in more than 300 bug fixes, security patches, and other operating system updates.

But the ability to change Windows' default apps for services such as web browsing and instant messaging doesn't amount to much.

Tucked away in the control panel's "Add or remove programs" dialogue box you'll find a new button, labelled "Set program access and defaults". There are three options - Non-Microsoft, Microsoft Windows, and Custom - which allow you to change your default web browser, media player, email software, instant messenger, and Java Virtual Machine.

So, if you prefer a different software for these applications you can - in theory - choose the non-Microsoft option and hide (but not remove) XP's "integrated" Internet Explorer, Windows Messenger, Outlook Express, and Windows Media Player.

Those who followed the case may remember Microsoft adamantly claimed untying applications like this from the operating system was technically impossible. The move paves the way for computer makers selling new machines to add fourth default option, called Computer Manufacturer, with their chosen set of bundled apps.

But don't get too excited. Although this tool does indeed hide Microsoft's options from the menu, SP1 doesn't display any other software choices. That was despite my PC having both QuickTime and RealPlayer media players installed.

Apparently, many of the manufacturers haven't yet added their plug-ins to SP1. Until they do, nothing changes much.

But while I still can't get Windows Media Player off my machine, I can at least relegate it to the background.

Why would I want to do that? Because I don't particularly like the way it wants to invade my privacy - by allowing internet sites to uniquely identify the Media Player on my PC. Or how it wants to "Acquire licences automatically" which is sneaky way of saying searching my PC for audio CD and music file information which I really don't think is any of Microsoft's business.

I also don't like it tracking what DVD movies I might be watching - (something you can read more about here).

So why else would you get SP1? You can read more at SuperSite for Windows, but the main reason is for all the bug fixes and the security patches.

But be warned - the service pack weighs in at a whopping 133MB. If, like me, you've been regularly downloading fixes and patches through Windows Update since you first installed XP, the download will come down to about 30MB.

Out of interest I checked my installation history and found I've done 60 update downloads over the last year.

PC users long ago learned that the software they use is always a work in progress. But in today's connected world, updates and security fixes now happen in the blink of a download. And even big upgrades like SP1 don't appear to cause too much pain.

* Email Chris Barton