How to Preview Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2
Published: June 30, 2004
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The information contained in this document relates to pre-release software product, which may be substantially modified before its first commercial release. Accordingly, the information may not accurately describe or reflect the software product when first commercially released. This document is provided for informational purposes only, and Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to this document or the information contained in it.
By Tony Northrup, Windows XP Expert Zone Community Columnist
Microsoft is building a set of software updates to Windows XP and Windows Update. If you're running Windows XP, you've probably installed Windows XP Service Pack 1a, a collection of updates for the operating system that came out a few years ago. But don't stop there. The new set of updates, Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), is an important update containing security technologies that can improve your computer's security.
Expert Zone columnist Barb Bowman has been beta testing it and wrote an overview of SP2 in Service Pack 2 for Windows XP. She covers the Advanced Security Technologies, the new features and tools that focus on security included in the service pack.
You can test the updates to Windows XP and Windows Update before they're released to the general public by participating in the Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 Release Candidate 2 Technical Preview Program. That's kind of a mouthful, so in this column I'll explain what the Preview Program is and how to participate in it, and describe the improvements included with SP2 that make it well worth your time.
What Is the Preview Program?
The Preview Program is Microsoft's way of giving you a look at future technologies while testing the service pack's reliability and usability on a large number of computers. Microsoft has done extensive beta testing on both Windows Update and Windows XP SP2, and thousands of people have tested earlier versions of SP2. But it's still possible that issues will appear when people with unusual computer configurations or uncommon applications install it. By encouraging a large group of people to install Windows XP SP2 as part of the Preview Program, Microsoft can identify and address a range of issues that may affect only a small group of people.
Microsoft benefits from the Preview Program by finding bugs they can fix before the final release of the service pack to manufacturing and the Web. What's in it for you? If you're like me and can't wait to see what's next for Windows XP, the Preview Program is a great chance to experience the new round of improvements. You also get to benefit from the advanced security enhancements a little earlier than everyone else.
Not everyone should participate in the Preview Program, however. I haven't had any problems with either the new Windows Update version 5 Preview or the pre-release version of Windows XP SP2, but they're both officially unsupported. If you haven't recently backed up your computer or you're not willing to risk that something won't work properly on your computer after the installation, wait until Microsoft officially releases a supported version of SP2. I installed Windows XP SP2 Release Candidate 2 (RC2) on a test computer, because I get nervous about pre-release software causing problems.
What's New in Windows XP Service Pack 2?
Windows XP SP2 for can proactively make your computer more secure. One of the most important new features is Windows Security Center, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Windows Security Center and Windows Firewall are important updates included with Windows XP SP2.
Windows Security Center makes it easy to help your computer be better protected and up-to-date. It enables Windows Firewall (formerly Internet Connection Firewall) and Automatic Updates by default, leaving you to install anti-virus software.
Internet Explorer also has tougher security settings turned on by default in Windows XP SP2. And SP2 manages attachments in a way that makes browsing more secure: it establishes stronger default protection against viruses spread through Outlook Express, Windows Messenger, and Internet Explorer by isolating potentially unsafe attachments during the opening process.
This service pack includes a new wireless LAN client that makes for easier setup and management of wireless connections. The new wireless LAN client will work with a broad range of wireless hot spots, allowing you to quickly connect in a hot spot without having to install or update a third-party client. A new user interface also lets you more easily disconnect from hot spots.
What's New with Windows Update?
Windows Update is the Microsoft Web site that you visit to install the latest updates and improvements to Windows XP. If you use Automatic Updates, your computer contacts the Windows Update site automatically. The new version of Windows Update is an essential part of Windows XP SP2 and offers several improvements, including the following:
| • | Smarter and smaller downloads. Those of you with dial-up connections will appreciate this: the new version of Windows Update only downloads the files you absolutely need, and can resume a download if your connection is interrupted. |
| • | Express or custom installation. Express installation makes it easy to install updates, while custom installation provides you complete control over which updates are installed. Custom installation is similar to the previous version of Windows Update. |
| • | Less clutter. If you do choose custom installation, you'll find it much easier than the previous version of Windows Update because only the most recent updates are offered, and you can choose to hide updates that you don't want to install. |
When you install Windows XP SP2, you'll automatically receive Windows Update version 5. And if you use the preview version of Windows Update and have Automatic Updates turned on, you'll be upgraded to the released version of Windows Update automatically when it arrives, requiring no restarting of your computer.
How to Participate in the Preview Program
If you're interested in participating in the Preview Program, start by backing up your important files. Then print this column, so you can use the hard copy while you navigate to the Windows Update Web site. Next, follow these instructions to install Windows XP SP2 RC2 by using the Windows Update version 5 Preview site:
If you installed Windows XP SP2 Release Candidate 1 or another pre-release build of Windows XP SP2, uninstall it by using Add/Remove Programs by following these steps:
1. | Click Start, and then click Control Panel. |
2. | Click Add or Remove Programs. |
3. | Select the Show Updates check box. |
4. | Click Windows XP Service Pack 2, and then click Remove. |
5. | When the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Removal Wizard opens, follow the prompts. When the wizard completes, click Finish. |
Note: If you choose to remove SP2, a dialog box displays a list of the programs that you installed after you installed SP2. If you continue with the removal, these programs might not work correctly.
Now you're ready to get the latest Windows Update client. Visit the Windows Update Version 5 Preview site and follow these steps:
1. | Download the newest version of the Windows Update client. |
2. | Click I have read the preceding information. |
3. | If prompted to install and run Windows Update, click Yes to install version 5 of Windows Update. |
4. | When prompted, click the Update Now button. |
5. | After Windows Update is installed, click Custom Install, as shown in Figure 2.  Figure 2: The new Windows Update offers both custom and express installation options. |
6. | Click the Download and Install Now button. The Installing Updates dialog box opens while SP2 is downloaded and installed. |
7. | This will take a while. For me, Windows Update had to download about 100 MB of files across my broadband connection, and it took about twenty minutes. Feel free to leave this window open and use your computer to do other things. |
8. | Follow the prompts in the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Setup Wizard by clicking Next repeatedly, and then clicking Finish. My installation took about ten minutes. After it completes, allow SP2 to restart your computer. |
When your computer restarts, Windows XP urges you to turn on Automatic Updates, as shown in Figure 3. I strongly agree with their recommendation. To turn on Automatic Updates:
| • | Click Help protect my PC by turning on Automatic Updates now, and then click Next. |
Figure 3: Service Pack 2 makes it easy to keep up with Automatic Updates.
After Windows XP starts, you're prompted to help improve this version of SP2. If you're comfortable with sharing information about your computer, which will not include any personal information, click Send. Otherwise, click Don't Send.
How to Report Problems
Remember, part of the purpose of the Preview Program is to help Microsoft find issues with Windows Update and Windows XP SP2. If you do discover an issue, such as an application that doesn't function correctly after installing SP2, or a piece of hardware that no longer works, follow these steps to report the bug:
1. | Double-click the Report a XP SP2 Bug shortcut on your computer desktop. |
2. | Click I have a .NET Passport. If necessary, click the Sign In button to log on with a .NET Passport account. Then click the Go button. |
3. | On the Issue Reporting page, fill out the form, using the information provided in Table 1. |
4. | Then click Submit Report. |
Issue Title | A three to six word description of your problem, such as "HP OfficeJet 4100 unavailable." |
This report is filed in | The language you are most comfortable writing in. |
This Windows XP SP2 Issue | In the first field, select happened once, sometimes happens, or always happens depending on how predictable the problem is. In the second field, select I don't know if this issue existed previously. |
This install | If your computer came with Windows XP or if you did not have another operating system installed prior to Windows XP, select Is not an upgrade. Otherwise, choose the operating system you had installed prior to Windows XP. |
Area | Select the category that best describes the problem you're having so that Microsoft can assign the bug to the correct group. For example, if you're experiencing problems with your printer immediately after installing Service Pack 2, select Printing. |
Sub-area | After you select an Area, select a Sub-area that more exactly describes the category of problem you are having. |
Build | Select Windows XP SP2. |
Edition | Select the edition of Windows XP that you are using. If you're unsure, right-click My Computer and then click Properties. The General tab shows your edition of Windows XP. |
Description | A description of the problem you're experiencing. Try to be detailed enough that an engineer who is not familiar with your computer system can identify exactly what is happening on your computer and the circumstances under which it happens. |
Steps to Repro | If you can intentionally cause the problem to happen, write a list of steps to recreate the problem. Being able to reproduce your problem in a lab environment will be critical to the engineer assigned to fix the problem. |
Expected Results | The symptoms of the problem, such as an error message that appears or unexpected behavior in your application. |
To avoid asking the engineers to chase down issues that aren't caused by SP2, don't use this technique to report issues that also occurred before installing Service Pack 2. Instead, contact your computer's technical support team.
You're done! Thanks for helping Microsoft improve Windows XP.
Expert Zone columnist Tony Northrup is an Internet engineer, a part-time photographer, and author of dozens of books and articles. He writes to help people safely use the Internet to communicate, share, and learn.
