The long wait is nearly over, or so sayeth the Redmondites. Windows XP Service Pack 1 is scheduled for general availability on September 9th, 2002, and will be available for download via Microsoft's Windows Update feature. SP1 is set to address myriad bugs and security holes that have up until now been addressed by an ever-increasing list of hot fixes and security patches, wrapping them all into one easily administered package.
In addition to the expected bug fixes, Microsoft is throwing the Department of Justice a bone by including some new features in SP1, namely the ability to turn off certain pieces of software that come bundled with Windows XP, dubbed "Set Program Access and Defaults." Among the packages available for deactivation are Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Windows Media Player, and (to a certain extent) MSN Messenger. OEMs have frequently requested the ability to have this level of customization, and the lack of this feature has been one of the primary arguments the DOJ has used against Microsoft during the antitrust hearings.
Of course, you don't have to wait for Microsoft to deliver the patch to you. As has frequently happened in the past, leaked copies of the patch are already available for download. Although Microsoft won't comment on leaked patches, the downloads appear to be the real thing.
While leaked patches don't seem to stir the Redmond giant that much, leaked activation keys are another matter entirely. Much to the embarrassment of Microsoft, Windows XP Professional was available for nearly two months before the official retail release. Packaged as "Devil's Own Release," the pirate version included a copy of a Corporate Select license key that bypassed the Windows Activation features. As a result, Microsoft has isolated the two keys that were widely pirated and has specifically engineered SP1 not to install if these keys are present. Pirates using this version of XP will be locked out of upgrading their machines, barring some new hack that circumvents it.
Of a more pressing concern is the existence of a "key generator," widely circulated and capable of producing valid, registerable Windows XP keys. Microsoft intends to start checking customer keys against its master key database whenever Windows Update is used. If the workstation key is not present in Microsoft's list, the workstation will definitely be denied the ability to download updates, and may even be "locked out" entirely. Microsoft has yet to reveal when this new system may be online, but few doubt that it will be long.
Thanks to HardOCP for the heads-up on this one.