Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) for IT Professionals

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2
Windows XP users: Get Service Pack 2 today
Follow these important steps to prepare your computer for this new security update and then learn how to install it.

Highlights & Top Issues

Changes to Functionality in Microsoft Windows XP SP2
This document is Part 1 of “Changes to Functionality in Windows XP Service Pack 2” and provides an introduction to SP2. You can obtain the other parts of the paper in the Microsoft Download Center, at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=28022.
Deploying Windows XP SP 2 in Enterprise Environments
This guide describes planning considerations for deploying SP2 in enterprise environments.
System administrators can temporarily disable delivery of Windows XP Service Pack 2 through Windows Update and Automatic Updates.
While recognizing the security benefits of SP2, some organizations have requested the ability to temporarily disable delivery of this update via AU and WU.

How to install Windows XP SP2 by using Systems Management Server
This article describes how to use Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2.0 or SMS 2003 to distribute SP2 from a shared distribution folder on a network.
How to remotely administer a printer through a network share when you use SP2 in a workgroup environment
In an SP2 workgroup environment, you can configure remote administrative access so that an administrator can manage a printer through a network share. You can configure the "Network access: Sharing and security model for local accounts" local policy setting so that a remote administrator must log on to the network share by using local logon credentials instead of by using the Guest account.
How to troubleshoot problems accessing secure Web pages with Internet Explorer 6 in Windows XP SP2
After you upgrade to Windows XP SP2, some SSL-secured (128-Bit) Web pages and Web sites may not work correctly in Internet Explorer 6. Frequently, this behavior is caused by security changes in SP2. This article describes steps you can take to determine why the pages do not display correctly.
How to turn on the Remote Desktop Sharing feature of Windows NetMeeting in SP2
In SP2, to run the Remote Desktop Sharing feature of Windows NetMeeting when Windows Firewall is turned on, you have to configure Windows Firewall by following the steps in this article.

Support WebCast: Enterprise computing and Windows XP Service Pack 2 (originally presented Thursday, July 22, 2004)
This past Support WebCast discusses some of the major improvements that SP2 provides for businesses that have an enterprise computing environment.
Support WebCast: Understanding Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (originally presented Thursday, August 19, 2004)
The changes to Microsoft Windows Firewall, Automatic Updates, and the Windows kernel help provide a better environment for Microsoft Windows customers. These changes may require modifications to be fully deployed in an enterprise computing environment. This upcoming Support WebCast discusses the changes in SP2. The session also talks about how customers in enterprise computing environments can prepare to deploy the service pack. It discusses the details of buffer overflow prevention, network protection, and patching technologies in SP2, and the deployment mechanisms to control each.

Windows XP SP2 resources on Microsoft TechNet
Windows XP SP2 provides an enhanced security infrastructure that defends against viruses, worms, and hackers, along with increased manageability and control for IT professionals and an improved experience for users.