Are SP1 and SP2 absolutely necessary?

I bought my daughter a used laptop that had a corrupted installation of XP home. I formatted the drive and am installing XP pro. She will never get online with this laptop. She just uses WORD to do her homework. She will be importing and exporting documents-and printing, of course, so there's the possibility of getting a virus somehow.
I have an SP2 CD. Do I need to get SP1 separately-if you folks think that they are necessary at all?
If not the service packs, any recommendations about what to install in addition to the basic OS, Office 2000, DVD player?
AdAware and Spybot seem superfluous, but maybe something else you can recommend?
Thanks very much.

 

If you want USB 2.0, you're going to have to at least install SP1. To install SP2, SP1 is not necessary first. To activate, do you plan to call Microsoft?

1) Desktop Calandar
2) Irfanview
3) Icon Restore
4) TK8 Notes--A Post It Utility
5) iTunes--It's really a good music player and manager

All are free.

 

skaler2k--

Not sure how the importing and exporting will be accomplished. And where do the DVD's come from? Perhaps the last two quotes are contradictory statements to the first? She can get malware without being on line, depending on what the last two statements mean (any outside source can introduce malware).
There is more to SP1 and 2 than Internet security. Then again to "just use WORD to do her homework" (implying that the laptop will be used only as a word processor), she could do that quite nicely on Win98. But any import of outside files should mean that she will want an Antivirus program and spyware detectors and blockers (such as AdAware and/or SpybotS&D and SpywareBlaster).
Do you need to update to SP1 before updating to SP2? No.

 

Are the service packs absolutely necessary?

Thanks for the inputs, folks.
She has been using floppies to take some of her work to the school to print there. She can now use one of those USB storage devices, or just continue as before. This laptop has 3 USB ports(ver 1.0). She does now have her own printer, so any interaction with her laptop and the outside world will be minimal.
As for DVDs-I doubt that she'll ever use the DVD play feature, but I don't see any danger of importing anything malicious via a bought or rented DVD movie.
I just figured as long as I have the software.....

 

There is really NO reason NOT to install SP2 (except in the unlikely situation of a conflict with hardware or software). Apart from all the publicity about security updates and improvements, there are many OS updates including better memory management, stability and reliability. So YOU SHOULD install SP2! Some software and updates in the future will require SP2 to be installed. I found on a couple of PC's a speed increase after the SP2 update, although some have noticed the reverse.

 

Are the service packs absolutely necessary?

Thanks, Paul.
I appreciate the help.
I think I'll go ahead and install SP2, and will look at the other links you've included.
Best wishes.
Vic

 

Are the service packs absolutely necessary?

Well, I tried installing SP2 from a CD, and it says there is some problem with the product key-not sure whether its a key for the SP2 CD or Win XP.
I had previously installed XP pro on my wife's laptop, and upgraded from SP1 to SP2, but via internet download(s).
Am I restricted to using Win XP on just one computer?
Thanks,
Vic

 

A single copy of XP only gives you a license to put the OS on a single PC. If you later do away with that one and want to put XP on a different PC, you will need to call Microsoft Tech Support.

The product key issue is with your base XP install. It may not be a legit copy or it may already be registered as in use on another PC. In either case, the service pack install (SP1 or SP2) will fail.

 

I'm having the same problem. What to do in this case? The 1st time I installed XP Pro (Corporate) it was an upgrade to Windows ME. I upgraded to SP2 no problem. Today I had to install XP Pro clean and now I can't update to SP2. Is there a way to do this?

 

If you have an unauthorized copy of Corporate as defined by the Microsoft Hit List, you can't upgrade.

 

Thanks. It's not exactly an authorized copy... (Though the guy who gave it to me said it's licensed for many installs) I was just wondering why the first install allowed me to upgrade but not this time. Also the www site, howtotell.com failed to run. Guess I shouldn't register it, huh?

I'm not sure about that spam question. I'm just a guy trying to break the rules! Thanks again.

 

Limited HDD space is the main reason. I have installed SP2 because I am on the internet a lot and wanted the security updates and improved Firewall, otherwise I would not have bothered at all.

Skaler2k - it's all about your needs. Although it is adviseable to use the latest security measures, in your case I really don't think you need SP2. You can download individual security patches if you are worried. Make sure you scan ALL floppies with a virus program, your only problem is how you will keep that up-to-date without internet connectivity.

I am happy to be corrected if I am wrong, but I think using a SP2 CD will give you a larger generic install than using Windows Update? Can anyone confirm that?