A few answers, please.

[Weirdo]

I was just wondering if I could get another version of Paint NET. 2.6 was working great before I gave my computer the ol' system recovery. The latest one isn't working for me at the moment. I'm completely technologically illiterate so I'm not sure what these "SP2 or later"'s are.

[Rick Brewster]

Older versions of Paint.NET are not available.

http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com

Install every update on there. Get a friend to help if necessary. "SP2" has many security-related upgrades and improvements; it's over 2 years old and very important, I'm very surprised that you don't have it already.

[Bob]

Not me.

The SP2 install is a big gap for a customer of Windows XP pre-SP2.

First some few free software gurus don't install it because it allow DRM usage in the EULA.

Second it requires to disable Firewalls & Antivirus, and may broke some others applications. Imagine the reaction of a very unknowleagable person (computer-stuff speaking) behind a cryptic webpage saying "hey! I will broke your computer!" -> "Huh? What's this thing?". And I don't think installing updates is a automatism for people who doesn't really understands software developpement process (20% work on product, 80% on updates & stuff). (plus the + or - half an hour installing process...) But I've seen WServer 2003 "First Launch page" and I'm confident for the future.

And installing SP2 on a cracked pre-Sp2 copy of windows is just impossible. I don't say it's good or bad, it's just impossible.

Finally, Sp2 may crash computers, serious people (*I*) have seen it. I don't know why, but it crash.

To be sure, I'm don't saying you may not install SP2, i've installed it and it's the first thing I do when I reinstalled a PC, I'm just explaining why people may not/cannot install SP2.

[Rick Brewster]

First, I have absolutely zero concern about pirated copies of Windows. Those people are on their own.

Second, SP2 has been out for two years. That is plenty of time for people to have figured out how to get it on their systems. It is an important update that should be installed.

Third, it is my opinion that not installing SP2 because of "DRM concerns" is a purely "tinfoil hat reason" (for the record I have not perused the EULA for this stuff -- I am not specifically familiar with what it says, DRM or not). Basically, the domain of conspiracy theorists and people who do not understand the technology. DRM is a tool for content publishers. If you don't like the terms of the DRM, then please don't purchase the content. The alternative to having a DRM framework in the OS is to have each content publisher try and cook up their own DRM system, and we all know how well that works (*cough* Sony *cough*).

[Bob]

I totally agree with that, I just wanted to point that some "newbie" users (quite the main "target" of PdN, which try to remain simple) won't have the reflex to update their PCs.

A "Why I need SP2?" or "Why updating my PC is so important?" & maybe "What is .NET Framework?" small paragraphs with basic words would greatly help some lost users.

(I think of the "What is RSS" link which grows here & there on the web)

And I'm just very chatty today.