Windows XP Service Pack 2 Technical Preview Out

As we reported earlier this week, Microsoft has released a preview of XP SP2 to the wider public for testing. The main goal is to determine any (if any) programs that have lost functionality due to changes introduced with SP2. With a wider audience clearly greater testing is now possible. This preview is based around RC1 and should be pretty stable / usable. However, as ever it is unwise to install betas / previews on production systems. New features in SP2 include a firewall, improvements in security across bundled products (IE, OE), and better memory protection.

"Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (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. To aid IT professionals in planning and testing for the deployment of Windows XP SP2, Microsoft is making available this preview, based on Release Candidate 1 (RC1) of the SP2. Additionally, we have established 11 newsgroups for sharing information."

Download: SP2 Preview