InBox

By DON McALLISTER

Welcome to InBox, where we attempt to answer your internet questions.

Q: Paul is concerned about the Service Pack 2 update for Win XP.

He asks if it is now safe to start the monster download.

A: Yes Paul, most issues were identified and rectified (by either Microsoft or the software vendor associated with each issue) well before the public release.

Now that the auto-update system has been dishing it out for a few weeks with no major dramas or disasters, it seems to be working reasonably well.

Q: Colin received the message "Invalid Product Key error (SP2 update)" when he re-installed everything after a crash. It was working well until installing SP2 update. He asks: "How can I get round this irritation without starting over?"

A: It sounds like you have either a pirate version of software installed, you've incorrectly entered the product code or another party has stolen your product key for their own use. This message can occur in the Office XP SP2 update and I wouldn't be surprised if they've also hidden it in the latest Windows XP SP2 update.

A common drawback with pirated software codes is that the vendor locks them when applying updates. If your software code wasn't bought legitimately, you could avoid downloading updates, but in doing this you're vulnerable to all issues the updates repair.

If you know your codes are legitimate, contact the Microsoft NZ Piracy Hotline 0800 747-229 and see if they can resolve it for you.

Q: David writes: "I have spotted this laptop on Trademe and would like your advice on purchasing second hand laptops."

A: There are some excellent laptop buys on trademe, but being portable, they may get dropped, sat on or subjected to temperature or moisture changes which means hidden issues.

What's the sellers' feedback like? Do they know the machine's history? Could the laptop be stolen? Laptops can be found new (with warranty) for under $2000, so what will you save? Investigate fully.


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