Microsoft’s Service Pack 2 for Windows XP In late August Microsoft released a major update for the Windows XP operating system called Service Pack 2. Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP provides extensive new features and capabilities to the operating system (OS). It represents a significant upgrade to the OS in terms of systems management and more importantly systems security. Along with the addition of these capabilities and features, specifically with respect to the security enhancements, comes a significant amount of complexity. It is often the case that very secure computers are not as user friendly as we would like them to be. And as a consequence of the improvements to the security features of Windows XP, SP2 will at the least add some new and unfamiliar features to Windows and at the most it may render some of the software applications we use inoperable. Two of the most notable and visible features added to Windows XP by SP2 are the Pop-Up Blocker and the Systems Security Center. The Pop-Up Blocker helps to prevent unwanted advertisements that open new windows while we’re browsing the internet. The Systems Security Center provides one location to use to determine if a computer has up to date virus protection and Microsoft security patches. Some of the enhancements to Windows XP SP2 have the potential to interfere with the software applications we use. Desktop Computing Services has an ongoing testing program to verify and document areas of concern for us and for our applications. We are working with IT support personnel, application support teams and software vendors to verify our software applications function properly with SP2. It is our expectation that a majority of the computers supported by DCS will be provided a customized version of SP2 within the next 30 days. Some computers not supported by our group may have obtained the update through the Windows Update web site or through the Windows Automatic Update service. We recommend that you contact your IT support team before you apply this update or to address any questions that you may have. Additional information is available through the following web sites: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/winxpsp2.mspx
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