Microsoft Offers Windows XP SP2 on CD

On Wednesday, August 25, Microsoft finally made Windows XP Service Pack 2 available via Windows Update and free CD. Microsoft also began distributing SP2 to Windows XP Professional customers via Automatic Updates.

The CD Request Page had been live for several weeks; however, the option to make the request was not turned on until now. The installation, which requires 1.6GB of available hard disk space, was previously only available in a 75MB download (for individual PCs; the full "Network Install" version is 266MB). This could be time-consuming for most XP users, and nearly impossible for those consumers still using dial-up connections to access the Internet.

According to the site, the CD, which is available free of charge, will take about 4-6 weeks to reach those users who request it. As of August 25th, it was available in English and German; versions in 25 different languages will be available within another two months.