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The problems of installing Microsoft Service Packs

Craig discusses the problems of updating Service Packs and I have to agree with his results.

" I should not be required to have my Office installation disks. The SP should install without them"

With the litany of controls that some applications may use, it can get even worse for users who aren't even aware that they had an application installed. I've run a VFP application that halfway through it said "Please insert MS Office CD" because it had to re-register a control that was last installed through MS Office.

There's something certainly wrong with that.

If a service pack requires certain files to be present, I can appreciate needing to look for them on the Internet but don't force people to have to look for their CDs or DVDs (interesting copy protection scheme, I have to say, but it makes securing the applications way too time-consuming).
I install most of my applications from a network drive but Craig's absolutely right when he says:

"Other people will give up entirely because they either can't find the media, or in the case of a corporate environment, don't have access to it"

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