Microsoft on 9 August 2004 began distributing a substantial security update for Windows XP, company spokesman Matt Pill confirmed. The package, called Service Pack 2, had been expected since at least June before its delayed release.
The company started pushing the update to hardware manufacturers the previous Friday and planned to make it available to large enterprise clients within days. Home users can obtain the free download from Microsoft's website or through the operating system's built-in automatic update feature.
Localized editions in 25 languages are scheduled to roll out over the following two months, during which Microsoft projects automatic updates will reach around 100 million machines.
The release addresses multiple security flaws that left Windows XP open to virus attacks in the three years since its debut. Chairman Bill Gates said the update aims to make PCs "better isolated and more resilient" against growing threats.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in August 2004, in its own words.