Update to Win XP ready to be shipped

SEATTLE: Microsoft Corp. said that it will soon deliver to computer makers a long-awaited update to its flagship Windows XP operating system which promises to boost security for personal computer users.

The world's largest software maker said that Service Pack 2 (SP2), an update to Windows that it has been touting for months, will also be distributed online to PC users over the next few weeks, while packaged Windows CD-ROMs with the update will ship to store shelves in October.

Microsoft, which spent more than $300 million on SP2, said the update would be completed "imminently" after a two-month delay.

Service Packs are free major updates to Windows used to fix bugs and add features to the operating system.

Rich Kaplan, a Microsoft Vice President, said that SP2 would make Windows more resilient against worm and hacker attacks and also improve the stability of the software.

Kaplan urged users to activate the Automatic Update feature in Windows by going to Microsoft' Web site at www.microsoft.com/protect.

"Our hope and goal is that a 100 million people will get Windows SP2 (through Automatic Update)," Kaplan said.

Major worms, such as Blaster and MyDoom, have exploited flaws in Windows, causing computers to crash and putting them at risk of data loss, highlighting the challenge that Microsoft has in making its flagship product more secure.

Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft has made it a top priority to improve the security and reliability of its software, after Chairman Bill Gates launched its "Trustworthy Computing" initiative in a company wide memo in early 2002.

Service Pack 2 for Windows XP Home Edition will be about 70 megabytes and the update for Windows XP Professional will be about 92 megabytes.