AutoUpdate Impacts Windows XP SP2 Rollout

The release of the second service pack for Windows XP poses problems for many organizations that have configured their computers to automatically apply patches from Microsoft’s Windows Update site. Those computers could run into trouble because Microsoft has released Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) as a critical update that will automatically install if the AutoUpdate client is enabled to download and install critical patches, but the security improvements in SP2 are not backward-compatible with many applications. To mitigate the problem, Microsoft is offering organizations a way to defer application of SP2—but organizations shouldn’t delay too long.

Many Organizations Not Ready

Microsoft is moving to head off problems that will be created by automatic installation of SP2 in many organizations. Although Microsoft recommends that organizations use systems management software to manage the deployment of patches, many organizations still have computers with the AutoUpdate client configured to automatically download and install critical updates from Microsoft’s Windows Update site. Automatic Update will see SP2 as a critical update; Microsoft has labeled the service pack “critical” because it delivers well-tested patches and important configuration changes to block known security vulnerabilities.