Windows XP Service Pack 2 Revealed

Microsoft has posted a Word document on its downloads site entitled “Changes to Functionality in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2”. If you want to go REALLY in depth on the changes, this doc is for you. Weighing in at 73 pages, you'll know eveything you could have possibly wanted (and more) about SP2.

Of note is the section about pop-up ads. An excerpt:

Defaults
Pop-up Manager is turned off by default. There are restrictions on the size and position of pop-up windows, regardless of the Pop-up Manager setting: Pop-up windows cannot be opened larger than or outside the viewable desktop area. For more information, see “Windows Restrictions” in this document.
When this functionality is enabled, automatic and background pop-up windows are blocked, but windows that are opened by a user click will still open in the usual manner. Note that sites in the Trusted Sites and Local Intranet zones never have their pop-up windows blocked, as they are considered safe. This can be configured in the Security tab in Internet Options.

Enabling Pop-up Manager
You can enable Pop-up Manager by three different methods.

  1. Prompt at first occurrence - A prompt appears before the first pop-up window appears that asks the customer to enable Pop-up Manager.
  2. Tools menu - In Internet Explorer, you can click Tools, point to Pop-up Manager, and then click Block Pop-up Windows.
  3. Internet Options - In Internet Explorer, you can click Tools, click Internet Options, click the Privacy tab, and then click Block pop-up windows. You can then click Options to configure Pop-up Manager settings.

When a pop-up window is blocked
If a site launches a pop-up window that is blocked by Internet Explorer, a notification appears in the status bar and a sound is played. If you click the notification in the status bar, you see a menu with the following options:
• Show Blocked Pop-up Window. Reloads the pop-up window.
• Allow Pop-up Windows from This Site. Adds the current site to the Allow list
• Block Pop-up Windows. Toggles Pop-up Manager on and off.
• Pop-up Window Options. Opens the Pop-up Window Management window.

It all sounds pretty exciting. I really like the new NX (no-execution) feature to help stop buffer overflows. I'm going to read this document very carefully and post a synopsis next week, probably over on PatchDayReview.com. I'll post a link when it's available. In the meantime, go snag it and have a look.

Just a note to the WindowsBeta.Microsoft.com team.... the site would run a whole lot faster if you moved to ASP.NET. You also wouldn't get those nasty ASP include errors either.

5 Comments

  • I never said I was. That doc answers your question. That's why I posted it.

  • note to Robert, if the developers get "nasty ASP include errors", chances are that moving to ASP.Net isn't going to help the performance of the site. Bad developers are bad developers.

  • well, it looked to me like the errors were dynamic, and due to high site traffic (cause they were happening randomly right as the SP2 beta e-mails went out. I'm not sure it it was using ASP inclused specifically, but it looked like it between mad refreshing to get the right page. The site would probably perform better under high load if it was in ASP.NET.

  • and what are you talking about? there aren't any bad programmers at Microsoft! <removes tongue from cheek>

  • My last 3 trips to the MS Partners site were ruined by errors and general inability for the site to do what it was supposed to do. I guess ASP.Net did help, though, since I usually got an insulting vague error message due to .net error handling instead of the error message you were getting on the ASP pages. But I would honestly much rather see a real error than be told to call my representative when the site fails to work.

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