REDMOND, Wash. -- Microsoft Corp. has delayed automated distribution of a major security upgrade to its Windows XP Professional operating system, citing a desire to give companies more time to test it.

The update, dubbed Service Pack 2, won't be available to users of XP Professional until at least Aug. 25, Windows product manager John Murchinson said today. The rollout had been scheduled for Aug. 16.

People running Windows XP Home Edition, which has more limited networking features, will start getting the update on Wednesday if their computers are set to receive automatic updates, Murchinson said.

Microsoft has told companies it's important to test the upgrade before deploying it throughout their networks, Murchinson said. Earlier, the company released a list of about 50 games and other software found to have problems working with SP2.
HoustonChronicle.com - Microsoft delays auto-update of Windows XP