There is allot of conflicting information out there about whether to install SP2 or not, some say that it causes numerous OS problems as well as problems for games and other programs, but others claim that those statements are exaggerated or untrue?

Did you notice the dates on these "conflicting opinions"? I think you will find that the negative reactions were clustered around the date of the SP2 deployment (quite some time ago, now). Recent complaints would be very rare...

I agree with the above, There were some problems with SP2 when it was first released but that was mainly because it was being installed on systems that were full of malware exploiting holes the SP2 blocked. Install SP2 on a clean system and you wont have any problems. Stuart

You will find that some applications/games require SP2. It installs an uninstall option, so in the remote chance that you do run into problems, it can be uninstalled.

Also, the advantages of installing SP2 should far outweigh any problems with SP2 that you probably won't encounter.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/... Get Your PC Ready for Windows XP SP2 http://support.microsoft.com/defaul... Release notes for Windows XP Service Pack 2 http://support.microsoft.com/defaul... How to remove SP2 http://support.microsoft.com/defaul... Programs that may experience a change in behavior after you install Windows XP Service Pack 2 http://support.microsoft.com/defaul... Programs that are known to experience a loss of functionality when they run on a Windows XP Service Pack 2-based computer

SP2 is well worth it. Get it!