By Ina Fried, 28 February 2005 09:30
NEWS
Microsoft is alerting customers that it will soon start delivering Windows XP Service Pack 2 to all customers using Automatic Update, whether they want it or not.
In response to requests from businesses, Microsoft last year released a tool that allowed companies to continue using the automatic update feature but temporarily block the security-oriented update from downloading.
However, the grace period comes to an end on 12 April. Microsoft has posted a warning on its website, alerting people about the impending deadline.
"Time is running out!" Microsoft said. "Please note that the mechanism to temporarily disable delivery of Windows XP SP2 is only available for a period of 240 days (eight months) from August 16, 2004. At the end of this period (after April 12, 2005), Windows XP SP2 will be delivered to all Windows XP and Windows XP Service Pack 1 systems."
Microsoft first released the SP2-blocking tool in August, saying it would allow customers to put off the upgrade for 120 days. In September, Microsoft said it would double the length of time, to 240 days, to give businesses more time to test the software.
In a statement, Microsoft said it is sticking to that schedule.
Jon Murchinson, a Microsoft product manager, said: "SP2 is an important, free security update for Windows XP customers that is already delivering value to over 180m customers worldwide."
The move affects only those who use Windows' automatic update to connect directly to Microsoft servers. Some businesses have reconfigured the automatic update feature to connect to their own corporate update servers. Those companies can continue to push out updates to their own schedule.
While recognising the need for customers to test software, Microsoft has been urging businesses to move to SP2 for its enhanced security benefits, particularly for portable machines that frequently travel in and out of a corporate firewall.
Ina Fried writes for CNET News.com.
Comments
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1. Aleck Buchanan
A lot of companies behind firewalls are going to have fun with the SP2 update. MS's firewall is default set to be ON. XP Home and Pro XP2 is a good thing although the security centre alerts will cause a few user/helpdesk panics and constant user worries.
2. Damian
Group policies can be set to disable the firewall! Its not a problem for us.
3. Joe Whitehead
Gotta love that Management console and security settings tool - It allows for setting almost ANY of those options while avoiding shipping out a bunch of .REG files or some nonsense. I keep my personal laptop's administrator tools link in control panel and all programs just to save time. :)
4. Blinkie
Never have used Auto update, why give full control to Microsoft. So deselect Auto-update OFF! The next question is, why is Microsoft forcing us punters to have this XP2. Can't be for security, we all know the stories about that. Imagine being an author of a book and forcing everyone that purchased edition 1 to have the follow up, even though the story is exactly the same, only some characters names have been changed. YEAH I am up for that (NOT). Also imaging taking the same book from your home to your place of work to read it and being prosecuted for it. you should have bought a second copy - sound familiar