Thanks for the info and I'll try this next. Quick question though.... I followed your link to MS downloads and I can't seem to locate any MS location or link that will let me just download a copy of SP2 to burn to a disk. I have to use my computer at work to do this because my home pc won't access the internet now that I have it screwed up. The only way that I can find to download SP2 is to use MS auto update tool and that seems to just want to update or upgrade the pc directly and not give me the option to download a copy to a folder or my desktop.

Originally Posted by jknouse

My first question is...... how important is SP2 ?? Is the security a big issue if you're running McAfee Suite with Virus Scan, Firewall Plus and their Privacy Service. My web access is Comcast highspeed cable.
I have tried to upgrade to SP2 4 times now. First 3 times were about a year ago maybe longer. Each time I experienced huge problems that manifested themself over a period of a couple days to maybe a week, eventually leading to the blue screen of death. I would wipe clean and re-install following Dell's proceedures for XP reinstalls (complicated instructions for a dullard like me.... huge headache!). I thought maybe my problems were spyware related so I would run Spybot each time as well as the MS beta app. 'Antispyware'. After the third reinstall and SP2 attempt I just reloaded and stuck with SP1 for over a year with little problems except for the annoying problem of MS constant reminder that I desperatley needed to upgrade to SP2 for security reasons. I would try and manually sort through the security updates and load each one without loading SP2, some worked, some didn't. Long story short, after ugrading from dialup to cable a few weeks ago and installingthe McAfee Suite, I decided to try SP2 again.... Same problems! If I weren't such a tight wade I'd throw this dell in the crapper and buy something new.

I now have a huge paper weight on my desk that won't let me even connect to the web, either through my cable modem or through my old dial up sevice that I kept for just such occassions. This leads me to the second question...... If SP2 is suppose to be necessary how the heck do I load it on this dell without these huge crash problems?