Windows XP SP2, delayed again!

SEATTLE - A major update to Windows XP, offering security enhancements and better stability, will be available for download and on CD-ROMs from August, two months after its originally scheduled date, Microsoft Corp. said on Monday.

The world's largest software maker had originally aimed to release the update, called Service Pack 2, in June.

Mike Nash, Microsoft vice president for security, said that his group needed more time to ensure that the update was stable and would work with other programs when installed on personal computers running Windows XP, the latest version of the operating system found on more than 90 percent of the world's PCs.

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.

"We will be proactive in having enterprise move to Windows XP and Service Pack 2," Nash said, adding that new computers sold from this fall would start to feature Windows with Service Pack 2 already installed.

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.

The update will be available to customers for free over the Internet and can also be installed with CD-ROMs. 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, Nash said.

© Reuters