Bev and Jerry -

The instruction to consult you computer manufacturer was quite prominent in the "What to do before you install" instructions at the Microsoft SP site. That there have been "175 million installations" of SP2 speaks well for the "almost universal ease" of installing this update, since it's quite obvious that 174.9 million of those who installed it never visited or consulted Microsoft for anything except the download. A very large number of people apparently got SP2 by AutoUpdate and thus may NEVER have seen ANY instructions. (Please note obvious(?) sarcasm - and generalization: I'm not referring to anyone in particular, and specifically not to you guys.)

With respect to that particular instruction, as a pre-installation step I've found it pretty much useless. I did check the sites for MPC, Dell, and Fujitsu, from whom I have machines currently, and also Gateway, Compaq, and about a half dozen others for which I knew friends had machines, and found NONE OF THE MFRS indicated anything that needed to be done prior to installing SP2. Nearly all of them just linked back to the Microsoft site - as Gateway did - if they had anything indicating they were even aware of SP2. (About half of those I checked had nothing that even mentioned SP2 - by "search for on page" on each "head" or "index" page at a half dozen levels, including "Support," for each mfr where I couldn't find something obvious.)

In general I agree with your conclusion that the "only clean way" to do a major upgrade of Windows is to get it preinstalled on a new machine. This is especially true with WinXP, as most computers purchased with prior versions simply don't have the resources WinXP really needs. (Many computers sold with WinXP preinstalled don't really have the resources WinXP needs - IMO.) I have a relatively new machine purchased with Win2K that I'd like to switch to XP, but the "machine is seriously deficient" in several areas (RAM and HD size, for starters).

For those who do have "good enough" older machines, new versions of WinXP-SP2 are beginning to be available, and Gateway now offers an "upgrade WinXP-SP2 Home" for about $100, with the "upgrade WinXP-SP2 Professional" at about $200. I couldn't tell from the info I looked at whether that's a "Gateway OEM" version or a "Microsoft shrinkwrap," and there may be special conditions for getting the "upgrade version." I don't believe this was available when I looked at their site a coupe of months ago. An email to their marketing support people, describing the problems you've had, might get an opinion on whether that product would "solve your problem," or at least whether they're willing to give you your money back if it doesn't (ask specifically for the guarantee, and verify that you qualify for the "upgrade" version, if interested).

If you decide to stick with the old WinXP for now, I'd again strongly urge that you visit the update site and look at what it offers in the "Custom Install" mode. AutoUpdate and Express Install only look for "Critical Updates" that are applicable to all machines, so you're never offered fixes that apply only to those with "special problems" and you never see quite a few other things in the "maybe nice to have" category. You might find a "fix" for your SP2 problem. It will take some time to sift throught all the offerings, but if you get the critical ones in place you can take your time with the "optionals."

Anyone using "AutoUpdate" should occasionally visit the Windows update site and run the "Custom Install" just to see if there's something peculiar to their setup. Most critical updates are included with Windows AutoUpdate, but a periodic look at the separate IE and Security sites sometimes turns up something "less than critical" that's still useful. If applicable, the Office Update site may have something to know about.