Spring Into Windows XP Service Pack 2 [Paperback]

Brian Culp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 13, 2005

This is the Windows XP entry in the new Spring Into series. It is written in the unique, structured style of the Spring Into books. Each chapter begins with introductory text, followed by single-page or facing-page tutorials. Every tutorial is semi-autonomous, and focuses on an example or set of examples. The discussions are to the point and emphasize results without extraneous information. It is fully up to date, written on the final release of Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2.) The main features of SP2 deal with networking, and the book's coverage reflects that, thoroughly explaining key topics including how to create a wireless Windows XP network, how to secure the wireless network from intruders and freeloaders, how to integrate a Mac into a Windows network, and how to secure a home network from worms and viruses using Windows Internet Connection Firewall. While SP2 has many advanced security features, it has proven to be problematic to install and run. This gives us an audience of millions of Windows XP users who need expert advice on how to safely upgrade and use Windows XP SP2. Windows XP is one of the largest computer book markets. Yet until now computer professionals and power users who have wanted to learn about Windows XP have had to make do with books designed for less technically savvy people. In 350 pages, Spring Into Windows XP is designed to give busy professionals and power users the skills they need to be productive in Windows

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The fastest route to Windows XP SP2 mastery

Are you a professional who's new to Windows XP and Service Pack 2? Or maybe you've been running Windows XP for years, and you've just upgraded to SP2? Either way, you want to run the latest version of Windows as efficiently and reliably as possible. You want to master Windows XP's latest security and networking features—and avoid its traps. And you don't have a minute to waste.

This book's for you. It'll take you further, faster than you ever expected. You won't wade through endless beginner's material or useless theory. You will master today's best techniques: just what you need to run Windows XP SP2 as effectively as possible.

Need specific solutions? This book's modular, "bite-sized" instructions, focused examples, and visual format deliver them—instantly.

• All you need to run Windows XP SP2 with maximum efficiency and reliability

• Upgrade to Windows XP SP2 without risking your data

• Protect your PC and network using SP2's improved Windows Firewall

• Create and secure a wireless network—in just minutes

• Manage your disks and files more efficiently

• Customize your Windows interface for better productivity

• Discover dozens of high-efficiency shortcuts and Command Prompt techniques

• Learn powerful tips with Internet Explorer

• Get enhanced protection in Outlook Express

• Back up your data and settings—and restore them safely

• Integrate Windows XP and Macintosh computers and share their resources

• Fix dozens of common Windows problems, fast!

No other Windows XP SP2 guide teaches professionals this much, this well, this quickly. Dig in, get started, get results!

Spring into is a new series of fast-paced tutorials from Addison-Wesley. Each book in the series is designed to bring you up to speed quickly. Complex topics and technologies are reduced to their core components, and each component is treated with remarkable efficiency in one- or two-page spreads. Just the information you need to begin working...now! And because the books are example-rich and easy to navigate, you'll find that they make great on-the-job references after you've mastered the basics.

© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Brian Culp, MCSE, MCT, is a recognized Microsoft expert who has been teaching and writing about Windows for many years. He is author or coauthor of six books, including Windows XP Power Tools (Sybex, 2002), Outlook 2003 Bible (Wiley, 2004), and four MCSE study guides. Culp lives in Overland Park, Kansas, and tours the U.S. giving presentations for Microsoft on Windows XP and Small Business Server.

© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional (May 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 013167983X
• ISBN-13: 978-0131679832
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,892,617 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars why install SP2?, May 25, 2005

By 

W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Spring Into Windows XP Service Pack 2 (Paperback)

SP2 is described here. Broadly, it closes various security holes in the default XP setup. There is more to SP2 than this, as Culp explains. But the closing of holes should be your first focus, if you are a sysadmin.

For instance, a nice improvement involves Outlook Express. Previously, when it received an email addressed to a valid user, it would inform the sender. But this meant that a spammer could find out which of her addressees at that destination were valid. So she could purge invalid entries. And the valid ones now become more valuable, including for resale to other spammers, simply because they are known to be valid. So those users would end up getting more spam. Grr! In the ongoing struggle against spam, Outlook's approach was too permissive. SP2 now stops this notification.

Another change that does not involve security, but improves the user experience, is a stronger ability for blocking popups. Very useful against some websites who put you into an infinite popup loop.

The book starts by assuming that you have installed SP2. It can equally well be read beforehand, as a reason to do so.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Find answers and tools to old and new questions!, August 29, 2005

By 

Ryan Stafford (Anchorage, Alaska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spring Into Windows XP Service Pack 2 (Paperback)

I finished reading Brian Culp's book Windows XP Service Pack 2 tonight and what a great read! While recovering from having my wisdom teeth removed I read this book. The words took my mind off the excruciating pain and I also felt as if I retained most of my wisdom.

I learned of many tools within Windows and other tools to download, as well as valuable tips. I did the most highlighting in Chapter 6: The Command Line and Other Advanced Techniques and Chapter 13: XP Backup and Recovery. However, Chapters 2, 4, 9, 11 and 14 have more than average amount of yellow lines.

Mr. Culp's book has helped me find answers and tools to old and new questions to better support my users. For this support and hard work I'm very grateful.

I'm an administrator at the University of Alaska Anchorage and I am recommending this book to my co-workers and clients. Administrators will learn more about Windows XP Professional security and backup solutions. Home users NEED this book to better understand how to use Windows XP Home and if the upgrade to Windows XP Professional is right for them. No matter of experience is necessary; Mr. Culp has made this book for everyone.

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful descriptions of what XP SP2 allows you to do, March 17, 2006

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Spring Into Windows XP Service Pack 2 (Paperback)

This book contains a series of one or two page descriptions of features found in Windows XP service pack two. While some of them were familiar to me, many were not. Most of them were things that I needed to do, but had not ever gotten around to learning. All were simple, such as how to delete the feature of XP wanting to send a bug report to Microsoft every time the computer crashes. Other features that I found valuable and implemented when I read them were:

*) Clearing Autocomplete.
*) Testing the backward compatibility of programs.
*) Disabling pop-up balloons.
*) Stop automatically adding addresses to your address book.
*) Editing the start menu.
*) Customizing explorer.
*) Setting the properties of the recycle bin.
*) Setting the startup options.

None of these operations requires a great deal of technical knowledge, if you can navigate your way through windows and understand basic computer operations, you can make these changes. I found them very helpful; in fact I incorporated a few of them into exercises that I gave my networking students this spring semester.