Microsoft is taking the steps necessary to stop its recently released Service Pack 2 for Windows XP being shared over P2P networks. Even Microsoft would have had a hard time keeping up with the massive download traffic, for that reason the patch was made available earlier this month to beta testers and through OS' automatic updates feature first, then as a standalone download to the general public. Not too surprisingly though, that was the same reason which lead more people to look for alternative ways of downloading.

Perhaps the most popular distribution around was that from website SP2torrent.com which used the bit torrent client, the group in charge of this website claimed this was done "as a demonstration of how peer-to-peer filesharing technology can help distribute files that are too large for centralized distribution to handle", however the site has now taken down download links for the file and are linking to Microsoft website.

Microsoft has announced intentions to get the update on to 100 million machines in the next two months.

They prevent people from downloading it from where they want, yet intent to have it installed in 100 million computers?

And why p2p, but not other websites?

A simple md5sum check or equivalent could have helped against possible tamperings.

This isn't the first time I don't understand Microsoft's decisions, though.

I think Microsoft should be serving bittorrents from its front page....

Microsoft_WiinXP_SP2[superkilla-fixed].torrent !?!

I had a heck of a time getting the standalone SP2 download from MS. I finally got it complete after about 50 attempts over the past several days(20 last night alone). The DL would freeze part way through and never resume. I thought of sharing it on eMule just so others didn't have the problems I was having at Microsoft.com.

I don't think MS could have it on 100 million computers in the next two months if they don't fix their download site soon.


Download details: Windows XP Service Pack 2 for IT Professionals and Developers

Took me 1 hour using a torrent.

It seems kind of silly Microsoft doesn't embrace BT technology, just like Blizzard and some other companies have.

In true Microsoft fashion, they will probably embrace it some time soon.

Then they will buy it.

Then they will claim they came up with it