Microsoft Delays SP2 Auto Update For Enterprises

Although Monday was to be the day when Microsoft began pushing Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) to enterprises, it switched gears at the last minute and delayed the automatic updating for more than a week.

In an e-mail to customers on Monday, Microsoft altered its delivery schedule for SP2 because corporate customers wanted more time to implement the temporary blocking tools the company released last week.

"Based on that feedback, we have altered the delivery schedule of Windows XP SP2. The machines in your organization using Automatic Update will not receive Windows XP SP2 until Wednesday, August 25 -- at the earliest -- as long as those machines are running Windows XP Professional Edition," Microsoft said in the e-mail.

The new schedule outlined in the e-mail listed August 25, a week from Wednesday, as the date for release of SP2 to Automatic Update for users of Windows XP Professional. That's the same day Microsoft will post SP2 on Windows Update, where users can manually retrieve the massive upgrade.

Users of Windows XP Home Edition, however, who have enabled Automatic Update will begin to receive SP2 Wednesday, August 18.The delay likely won't bother many businesses, who are busy testing the upgrade before rolling it out to desktops. Analysts have generally recommended caution on SP2 as well. Last week, for instance, Gartner analysts advised enterprises to wait at least two months before deploying the OS update.