Due to the anticipated overwhelming swarm of people who want SP2, it's not going to be available in Windows Update or as a standalone exe until the end of the month. The way you're supposed to get it is via Automatic Updates -- so enable them now.
Even if your copy isn't legal, don't worry, it's safe -- they don't check keys or anything like that.
If you're using Internet Explorer, click this link to turn on Automatic Updates.
Otherwise, follow these instructions.
Information on SP2:
FAQ: http://www.winsupersite.com/faq/xpsp2.asp
Review: http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/windowsxp_sp2.asp
A summary of some of the new features:
Oh yeah -- and this is free, not $129 like some other companies would do.

If you're using Internet Explorer, click this link to turn on Automatic Updates.
Otherwise, follow these instructions.
Information on SP2:
FAQ: http://www.winsupersite.com/faq/xpsp2.asp
Review: http://www.winsupersite.com/reviews/windowsxp_sp2.asp
A summary of some of the new features:
- Security Center. A
new front-end, or dashboard, to XP's security features, including
Automatic Updates, Windows Firewall, and virus protection. Microsoft
doesn't offer any antivirus protection software directly, but Security
Center integrates with third party software such as McAfee VirusScan. - Windows Firewall. The
new Windows Firewall replaces Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) and is
on by default. Windows Firewall boasts several new
administration-related features, including a full set of configuration
options, Active Directory (AD) administration capabilities through
Group Policy, command-line support that's compatible with logon scripts
and remote management, and multiple-profile support. It is also enabled
earlier in the boot process, eliminating the possibility that intruders
could insert errant code over a network before the system fully comes
up. - IE security improvements. XP SP2
provides an improved Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) version that
contains several new features. A new opt-in pop-up ad blocking feature
announces itself the first time you access a page that tries to open a
pop-up window. (IE won't block pop-ups you enable by clicking a
hyperlink.) This feature is configurable, so you can create a list of
trusted sites if needed. The new IE also removes the capability of Web
sites to open child windows that have certain features removed. For
example, it's no longer possible to open a pop-up window with the
address bar, title bar, status bar, or toolbars removed. Microsoft
added this feature so that users can close any pop-up windows that do
open. Furthermore, scripts can't position windows so that the title bar
or address bar are above the top of the display or so the window's
status bar is below the bottom of the display. IE also includes a new
locked-down Local Machine security zone to help prevent malicious
scripts and other dangerous Web downloads from compromising the system.
Microsoft has also overhauled IE's add-on subsystem, a move
that will require plug-in makers to revamp their products. The end
result, however, is better safety for users. Inadvertently installing
spyware or malicious ActiveX controls will now be more difficult, and
the programs will also be easier to remove. The add-on manager also
monitors IE crashes caused by add-ons, letting you disable unstable
add-ons. Perhaps most important, the IE add-on manager is fully
manageable: You can centrally configure IE's crash-management options
and which add-ons are allowed or denied. - Outlook Express and Windows Messenger improvements. The
Microsoft Outlook Express version in XP SP2 includes more secure
default settings and isolation of potentially unsafe attachments,
helping to ensure that email-borne attacks can't affect the system.
Outlook Express also picks up a neat feature from Microsoft Office
Outlook 2003: It won't download images in HTML email by default
(spammers often use tracking devices in HTML images to ensure you're
getting their email). Like Outlook Express, the Windows Messenger
version included with XP SP2 isolates any transferred files that might
be unsafe. - Memory protection. Over the
years, an amazing number of buffer overrun errors have been at the root
of various Windows compromises. Although Microsoft sought to find and
remove any potential exploits during its infamous 2002 Trustworthy
Computing code review, many problems remain. So XP SP2 includes several
new security technologies, originally designed for Windows Longhorn,
that battle buffer overruns. Some of these changes are software based
and will aid all XP users; others require the new "no execute" (NX)
microprocessor feature that's built in to all modern Intel and AMD
microprocessors. The NX feature uses the computer's microprocessor to
separate application code from data, ensuring that an electronic attack
won't be able to insert virulent code into memory reserved for data. - New Windows Update. XP
SP2 connects to a new version of Windows Update, which offers a
convenient Express Install feature that automatically selects and
installs all critical updates. You can also use a new optional updates
section to choose features, including software updates (e.g., Microsoft
Windows Movie Maker 2, Microsoft Windows Journal Viewer) and
system-specific drivers. XP SP2 contains many other
computer-maintenance-related technologies, but Microsoft says it will
document them in the future. Expect a second beta release by the end of
March: I'll have more information about other new features as they
become available. - Network attack protection. In
addition to the new ICF version, XP SP2 includes a refined version of
the remote procedure call (RPC) technology, which reduces the attack
surface of XP machines attached to remote resources. RPC also runs
under reduced privileges in XP SP2, reducing the chance that errant
code can gain a foothold in your system and cause problems.

Comment