Ziff Davis Internet
News & Resources for the IT Reseller
NewsReviewsTech AnalysisCommentarySecurityLinux/Unix
My Account |  

Microsoft Pushes Back Automatic Delivery of SP2
By Mary Jo Foley


Monday, August 16, was set to be D-day for the automatic delivery of Microsoft’s Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).

But at the last minute, the Redmond software vendor decided to push back by at least nine days the Windows Update/Automatic Update launch date for its collection of security fixes and features. Microsoft cited customer demand as the reason for the delay. A number of corporate customers are not ready to deploy SP2 and need to use Microsoft’s recently introduced toolkit for temporarily blocking SP2 delivery until they can adequately test the release with their custom and third-party software.

ADVERTISEMENT

PointerIT managers recently said they were in no great hurry to upgrade to Service Pack 2. Click here to read their concerns.

Microsoft recently published a list of about 50 software applications—some from Microsoft, others from third-party vendors —that may not work properly with Windows XP SP2 without users performing manual modifications.

Microsoft notified corporate customers of the SP2 delivery delay via a note sent out on Monday. Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Steven Bink published the text of the note on his Bink.nu Web site.

“Since some of our customers, such as your organization, utilize Automatic Update for a collection of your PC’s, and since your organization may not yet be prepared to deploy Windows XP SP2 onto those machines, we recently made available a mechanism for temporarily blocking the download of Windows XP SP2 to those machines using Automatic Update,” the Microsoft note said.

“Last week, we received feedback from our corporate customers that they would like more time to put this temporary blocking mechanism into place,” the note continued. “Based on that feedback, we have altered the delivery schedule of Windows XP SP2. The machines in your organization using Automatic Update will not receive Windows XP SP2 until Wednesday, August 25—at the earliest—as long as those machines are running Windows XP Professional Edition.”

Microsoft officials did not respond to a request for further elaboration on the delay by the time this article was published.

Individuals running Windows XP Home Edition face a shorter reprieve. Microsoft will begin pushing SP2 to them automatically on Wednesday, August 18, according to the Microsoft note.

eWEEK.com Special Report: XP Evolution

However, Microsoft began pushing SP2 out to some corporate users on Monday. Those customers who use Microsoft’s Software Update Services patch service, rather than Windows Update/Automatic Update, began receiving the SP2 update bits on August 16, as previously scheduled.

Microsoft released SP2 to manufacturing on August 6. Microsoft already has made the update available to customers who had been beta testing the service pack and to developers. PC makers and retailers are expected to begin offering SP2 this fall.

PointerCheck out eWEEK.com’s Windows Center at http://windows.eweek.com for Microsoft and Windows news, views and analysis.

horizontal rule

Be sure to add our eWEEK.com Windows news feed to your RSS newsreader or My Yahoo page

     
Email


TALKBACK

MICROSOFT RESOURCE CENTER
Free Hands-On Training Lab
Find out how key features of SBS 2003 can help you open up a new line of revenue. Register now >>


SBS 2003 Sales Reference Card
This handy reference card contains features at a glance, sales objection handling, pricing guidelines & more. Get it now >>


Microsoft Empower for ISVs rewards your big idea with big benefits and support.
Access key development tools at a low cost to help you develop that idea into an innovative application. Learn more >>




 
FREE WHITE PAPER
Changing Business for the Better: A Practical Guide to BPM


This paper provides an overview of the benefits of BPM technologies and identifies the characteristics of BPM solutions that lead to successful BPM process-centric integration projects.


Download this free white paper to learn more!


>> brought to you by IBM

Attention Microsoft Solution Providers!



Want to gain a competitive edge? Try Microsoft Watch – FREE!



Each week you receive:
  • Microsoft News and Insider Information
  • Expert Analysis
  • Code Names of Upcoming MS Products
  • Year-Ahead Calendar, updated monthly



    Click Here to sign up now for your FREE 14 Day Trial to Microsoft Watch.
  •  
  • Add up to $1,200 of value with the new BONUS PACKS.
  • HP PartnerONE: The key to increasing your margins.
  • HP Compaq nc6129 Business Notebook. $1149 Smart Buy
  • HP xw8200 workstation. Smart Buy price $1549.
  • ProLiant DL360G4p server: HP Smart Buy price $1647
  • Microsoft files new anti-piracy lawsuits. Learn more.
  • New offers with Windows Genuine Advantage.


  • POPULAR TOPICS
    CHANNEL INSIDER BUYER’S GUIDE
    •Catalog Publishing
    •Dealer Management
    •Order Configuration
    •Price Management
    •Sales Management

    View All >

    CAREER CENTER
    Search the jobs you want & get the info you need – post your resume here today!

    Powered by Dice
    SPECIAL REPORTS
    White Boxes
    MS vs. IBM
    Linux in the Channel
    Network
    CHANNEL RSS FEED
    Stay in the Zone
    Put The Channel Insider on your desktop.
    FREE NEWSLETTERS
    Subscribe to The Channel Insider: Channel News, Reviews, Resources and more.

    Make your selections below:


    Contract Watch

    The Channel Insider Update

    Preferred e-mail format:

    Enter your e-mail:


    view all newsletters >>
    Channel Insider Quick Links
    Ziff Davis Footer Logo