The latest service pack for Windows XP—Service Pack 2 (SP2)—is all about security, and it's one of the most important service packs ever released. It provides better protection against viruses, hackers, and worms, and includes Windows Firewall, Pop-up Blocker for Internet Explorer, and the new Windows Security Center.

The security features and innovations in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) are all about helping users like you take a proactive approach to improving the protection of your computer, your information, and your privacy. These security improvements extend to Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, and give you new, easier ways to better protect your computer while you browse or use e-mail. This includes pop-up ad blocking, improved protection against potentially harmful downloads, changes that help protect against certain types of spoofing, and much more. Read What's New for Internet Explorer and Outlook Express for more information.

Windows XP Service Pack 2 will be made available to customers via download, CDs, and on new computers. Visit the Windows XP SP2 page for more information.

At this time, we do not have plans to make the enhancements for Internet Explorer in Windows XP Service Pack 2 available for versions of the Windows operating system released prior to Windows XP. This includes Windows 2000 Professional, Windows NT 4, Windows 98, and Windows Millennium Edition. However, we do remain committed to providing security updates to our customers on all supported Windows versions.

Our current plan is to deliver Internet Explorer features and technologies with major Windows releases, such as a Windows operating system service pack or a new Windows version. At this time, we do not have plans to release a new stand-alone version of Internet Explorer. By aligning Internet Explorer updates more closely with Windows releases, customers will benefit in two ways:

We will continue to improve current versions of Internet Explorer, particularly around security and stability, and ensure customers using supported versions of Internet Explorer have access to appropriate updates.

Internet Explorer 6 SP 1 is available as a component of Windows XP Service Pack 1. You can also download Internet Explorer 6 SP1 on the Internet Explorer Web site or order the CD for Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows NT, and Windows 2000. Windows XP Service Pack 2 will be made available to customers via download, CDs, and on new computers.

For retail, we will be making Internet Explorer 6 SP1 available as a component of Windows XP Service Pack 1. The final version of Internet Explorer 6 SP1 will also be available as a separate component to customers for no charge on the Internet Explorer Web site (connect time fees may apply). Internet Explorer 6 SP1 will also be available for order on the Internet Explorer Web site on a CD. Learn more about downloading Internet Explorer 6 SP1.

Internet Explorer 5.5 can be easily upgraded. Your existing settings and features are preserved, and you get all the new features included in Internet Explorer 6 SP1.

No. There is no plan to cut support for users running prior versions of Windows. We will simultaneously ship as part of Windows XP Service Pack 1, and for prior version users, with the exception of Windows 95.

There are no plans at this time for versions of Internet Explorer 6 SP1 on operating systems other than Windows.

Internet Explorer does not support Netscape-style plug-ins. However, Internet Explorer continues to support the Embed tag. Content creators can continue to use the Embed tag for components that are built on ActiveX® technologies, as has been the case since Internet Explorer 3. A few examples are the Flash and Shockwave products from Macromedia, as well as the SVG Viewer from Adobe Systems.

Internet Explorer 6 SP1 is supported on Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Me, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. Internet Explorer 6 SP1 is not supported on Windows 95.

Internet Explorer 6 SP1 will be available in more than 20 languages, from simple Chinese to Norwegian. For more information about your local language, please visit the Internet Explorer Worldwide sites.

We implemented several missing CSS 1 items, for example "word-spacing" and "white-space" properties, as well as improved support in several other areas.

Microsoft is committed to implementing the Internet standards that make sense to allow our customers to build great solutions. As standards emerge, we evaluate them to see which standards might best serve our customers' needs.

Microsoft is committed to supporting the appropriate standards that are most useful to our customers. Microsoft uses innovation within the platform to allow customers to easily build powerful solutions.

Microsoft is continually stress-testing Internet Explorer to find and fix any stability problems that may exist. In addition, the new crash-reporting feature of Internet Explorer 6, fault collection services, has allowed us to more accurately pinpoint problems experienced in the browser, both by our development team and by early beta testers. As Internet Explorer 6 is more broadly used, crash reports from users will play an even more important role in increasing Internet Explorer's stability. Internet Explorer 6 SP1 is the latest release to Internet Explorer 6.

Internet Explorer 6 SP1, the latest release to Internet Explorer 6, supports Platform for Privacy Preferences (P3P), a technology that the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is currently developing. This technology helps to protect the privacy of users' personal information on the Internet by simplifying the process for deciding whether and under what circumstances personal information is disclosed to Web sites.