The Service Pack That Was Not

Okay, now this is just dumb. Microsoft releases a service pack for its Windows XP operating system, and we discover that the patch doesn't work with some major software applications, including Microsoft's own Visual Studio .Net, Operations Manager, and SQL Server. God. I have no words for how retarded this is.

MICROSOFT IDENTIFIES PROBLEMS WITH SP2
Microsoft has released a list of about 50 applications, including some of its own, that the company said will have problems working properly with the long-awaited Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP. The service pack include a number of important security upgrades that consumers have been calling for, and SP2 was released to manufacturers earlier this month. One of the changes, however, is that SP2 activates the Windows firewall by default, and this firewall causes problems with a number of applications because it affects their ability to receive data over the Internet. The list of affected applications includes products from Symantec, Computer Associates, and Macromedia, as well as several products from Microsoft, including Visual Studio .Net, Operations Manager, and SQL Server. Some companies have issued advisories to employees not to install SP2 until all potential problems have been identified, though others insist that the security benefits from the service pack are more important than possible conflicts.
CNET, 16 August 2004
http://news.com.com/2100-1016_3-5311280.html

Now, I love many Microsoft products, but I really do believe that this is the end of a era. The company is so large that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.