Office XP SP2 Released

The second service pack (SP2) for Office XP rolls previous fixes and security enhancements into a single release, and it will be required by future fixes to Office XP. SP2 includes previously released updates that addressed security problems in Excel, Word, Outlook, and Office Web Components, as well as updates released since Mar. 2002 for the Office XP speller, clip art, Word, and Excel. However, it is not cumulative; users must first install Office XP SP1 (released in Nov. 2001).

Microsoft recommends that end users install SP2 through the Office Products Update site, which can detect the user’s current version of Office and will download only needed components. The 15MB service pack can also be downloaded in its entirety or purchased on CD-ROM for those who want to keep a copy handy in case they need to reinstall Office XP. An administrative release with a slightly different file name (oxpsp2a.exe rather than oxpsp2.exe) is also available for those who install Office and Office updates from a network installation point.