SP5 Makes a Surprise Debut - Microsoft Service Pack 5 for Windows NT 4.0 operating system enhancement - Product Announcement

ENT, May 19, 1999 by Al Gillen

With little prior warning, Microsoft Corp. quietly unveiled Service Pack 5 for Windows NT 4.0 this month.

Although Microsoft had previously confirmed it was working on the latest service pack, most observers were not expecting it to debut this early in the year. SP5 is compatible with Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, Server and Enterprise Edition.

SP5 includes a cumulative grouping of security patches, post-SP4 Y2K software fixes and the cumulative content of SP1 through SP4. But unlike other recent Service Packs, SP5 is what Microsoft terms a "featureless" release. Ed Muth, group product manager, Windows Server infrastructure, at Microsoft observes, "SP5 is nowhere near a delta as the previous release."

Microsoft had said it would reduce the size and number of changes included in each successive Service Pack.

While Muth says SP5 resolves minor year 2000 issues that SP4 left unresolved, he notes, "We don't consider it a mandatory release. It is crucial that customers are on SP4."

Service Pack 5 is available as a download or on CD-ROM. The pack was initially posted on Microsoft's Web site May 4 in four versions for download: 128-bit encryption for Intel, 128-bit encryption for Alpha, 40-bit encryption for Intel and 40-bit encryption for Alpha. A few days later, however, Microsoft pulled the full installation option of the 128-bit Intel version citing high download traffic of the 34.5 MB file. It was expected to be re-posted May 19.

An Express Install option remained available for the 128-bit Intel version, although the Web-based installation process takes longer.

More information on SP5 is available at www.microsoft.com/windows/ servicepacks. n