I only a bootleg copy of windows is there anyway I can download the service pack without all the genuine advantage bullshit coming up?

Because a lot of programs I want to install require service pack 2... How the fuck do people with bootleg copies of windows deal with this? Is there anyway around it (that doesn't involve spending money)?

Most people get around it by looking for Windows Genuine Advantage cracks. There are some out there that just change your product key to one that's not blacklisted yet -- they use a .reg file. Those users typically have to repeat the search every 1-2 months.

There's also another crack, but it requires replacing a DLL in the Windows\System32 directory. It also needs redone every few months, IIRC.

And I'd go with XP Service Pack 3 instead. It's newer, and includes all the stuff that's present in SP2, plus additional bug fixes.

Now, I'm assuming you mean Windows XP Service Pack 2. Windows is a term that applies to more than one version of the OS -- Windows Vista, Windows 2000 and Windows NT 3.51 are all versions of the Windows NT family of operating systems. Windows 98 and Windows ME are members of the Windows 9x family. There was no Genuine Advantage until XP, however. Windows Vista has a SP2 version currently in development, and a prerelease copy has leaked -- but I hope you're not referring to that (especially since nothing that I've seen requires SP2 on Vista).

This is really an ICFR topic (since it's about MS Windows), but I'll leave it here for the time being. I may change my mind later on, when I see what direction the thread is headed, and Expl0itz can also move it if he wishes.