Do I need to back up my computer to install Service Pack 2?

I have put off installing Service Pack 2, was going to do it and it said i
have to back up my system. HOw do I do that? I have WIndows XP Home
edition, i could not find Backup in the accessories system tools. Do i need
to back up? Do I really need to install service pack 2? It seems like a lot
of extra work for something i might not need.

Thanks

Do I really need to install service pack 2? It seems like a lot
> of extra work for something i might not need.

It will take a lot more work to recover from an attack that installing SP 2
would have protected you from if you had loaded it in the first place. Not
to mention that if your machine gets compromised, the compromise may try to
seek out other unpatched machines to infect.

>I have put off installing Service Pack 2, was going to do it and it said i
> have to back up my system. HOw do I do that?

Write/Copy any files you created that you "can't afford to loose" to a USB
drive or CD.

hth
DDS W 2k MVP MCSE

"kim1" <> wrote in message
newsBE78B3F-35F9-4591-B5AD-...
>I have put off installing Service Pack 2, was going to do it and it said i
> have to back up my system. HOw do I do that? I have WIndows XP Home
> edition, i could not find Backup in the accessories system tools. Do i
> need
> to back up? Do I really need to install service pack 2? It seems like a
> lot
> of extra work for something i might not need.
>
> Thanks

I have 1600 songs on my ipod, that i don't want to lose, i don't have that
many cds to burn, is there any easier way to back up my system?

"Danny Sanders" wrote:

> Do I really need to install service pack 2? It seems like a lot
> > of extra work for something i might not need.
>
> It will take a lot more work to recover from an attack that installing SP 2
> would have protected you from if you had loaded it in the first place. Not
> to mention that if your machine gets compromised, the compromise may try to
> seek out other unpatched machines to infect.
>
> >I have put off installing Service Pack 2, was going to do it and it said i
> > have to back up my system. HOw do I do that?
>
> Write/Copy any files you created that you "can't afford to loose" to a USB
> drive or CD.
>
> hth
> DDS W 2k MVP MCSE
>
> "kim1" <> wrote in message
> newsBE78B3F-35F9-4591-B5AD-...
> >I have put off installing Service Pack 2, was going to do it and it said i
> > have to back up my system. HOw do I do that? I have WIndows XP Home
> > edition, i could not find Backup in the accessories system tools. Do i
> > need
> > to back up? Do I really need to install service pack 2? It seems like a
> > lot
> > of extra work for something i might not need.
> >
> > Thanks
>
>
>

Will your Ipod hold them all?

Maybe use your Ipod and a USB drive to hold all the song until your done
reinstalling?

Is the value of those songs worth you spending money to buy a couple of USB
drives to store them on?

Store as much as you can on the Ipod and re download the rest later?

Maybe invest in a USB hard drive?

hth
DDS W 2k MVP MCSE

"kim1" <> wrote in message
news:40D80B83-692C-4D32-A21F-...
>I have 1600 songs on my ipod, that i don't want to lose, i don't have that
> many cds to burn, is there any easier way to back up my system?
>
> "Danny Sanders" wrote:
>
>> Do I really need to install service pack 2? It seems like a lot
>> > of extra work for something i might not need.
>>
>> It will take a lot more work to recover from an attack that installing SP
>> 2
>> would have protected you from if you had loaded it in the first place.
>> Not
>> to mention that if your machine gets compromised, the compromise may try
>> to
>> seek out other unpatched machines to infect.
>>
>> >I have put off installing Service Pack 2, was going to do it and it said
>> >i
>> > have to back up my system. HOw do I do that?
>>
>> Write/Copy any files you created that you "can't afford to loose" to a
>> USB
>> drive or CD.
>>
>> hth
>> DDS W 2k MVP MCSE
>>
>> "kim1" <> wrote in message
>> newsBE78B3F-35F9-4591-B5AD-...
>> >I have put off installing Service Pack 2, was going to do it and it said
>> >i
>> > have to back up my system. HOw do I do that? I have WIndows XP Home
>> > edition, i could not find Backup in the accessories system tools. Do
>> > i
>> > need
>> > to back up? Do I really need to install service pack 2? It seems like
>> > a
>> > lot
>> > of extra work for something i might not need.
>> >
>> > Thanks
>>
>>
>>

Kim;
You probably need SP-2 so you should install it.
Chances are remote that you will experience data loss as a result of
installing SP-2.
But for the moment forget about SP-2.
Are the songs and/or other data on the computer irreplaceable?
What is your plan if your hard drive fails taking all data with it?
The reality is you need a plan to always have back-ups of all important
data.
It seems now that you are a hard drive failure from total data loss.
Hard drives are mechanical devices.
Many last many years but it is not a question of if they will fail but WHEN
the hard drive fails.
When a hard drive fails, often all data is lost depending on the nature of
the failure.

You need to identify all important data including but not limited to:
Email addresses, Email, music, documents, Favourites etc.
An easy way is to simply copy what is important to CD.
Perhaps you should consider purchasing a DVD writer.

Also see the Service Pack Installation Checklist to help be sure the
computer is ready for SP-2:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spack.htm

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org


"kim1" <> wrote in message
news:40D80B83-692C-4D32-A21F-...
>I have 1600 songs on my ipod, that i don't want to lose, i don't have that
> many cds to burn, is there any easier way to back up my system?

I ran the update after talking to the guys at "thatcomputerguy". My computer
is working fine.

"Jupiter Jones [MVP]" wrote:

> Kim;
> You probably need SP-2 so you should install it.
> Chances are remote that you will experience data loss as a result of
> installing SP-2.
> But for the moment forget about SP-2.
> Are the songs and/or other data on the computer irreplaceable?
> What is your plan if your hard drive fails taking all data with it?
> The reality is you need a plan to always have back-ups of all important
> data.
> It seems now that you are a hard drive failure from total data loss.
> Hard drives are mechanical devices.
> Many last many years but it is not a question of if they will fail but WHEN
> the hard drive fails.
> When a hard drive fails, often all data is lost depending on the nature of
> the failure.
>
> You need to identify all important data including but not limited to:
> Email addresses, Email, music, documents, Favourites etc.
> An easy way is to simply copy what is important to CD.
> Perhaps you should consider purchasing a DVD writer.
>
> Also see the Service Pack Installation Checklist to help be sure the
> computer is ready for SP-2:
> http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/spack.htm
>
> --
> Jupiter Jones [MVP]
> http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
> http://www.dts-l.org
>
>
> "kim1" <> wrote in message
> news:40D80B83-692C-4D32-A21F-...
> >I have 1600 songs on my ipod, that i don't want to lose, i don't have that
> > many cds to burn, is there any easier way to back up my system?
>
>
>

Hi kim1, I dl that in one of my desk top cp's and did not back up
anything...it worked just fine...couple of others I know did same thing..no
problems!!!!!

"kim1" wrote:

> I have put off installing Service Pack 2, was going to do it and it said i
> have to back up my system. HOw do I do that? I have WIndows XP Home
> edition, i could not find Backup in the accessories system tools. Do i need
> to back up? Do I really need to install service pack 2? It seems like a lot
> of extra work for something i might not need.
>
> Thanks