The user was not sure how to proceed, however, after Microsoft's pronouncement that SP4 is required for year-2000 compliance.

CNN: Y2K nips NT users

But it does intend to maintain SP3 at "compliant with minor issues" status, a rung down from the "compliant" status of SP4.

CNN: Y2K nips NT users

Other users are also waiting for more information before deploying SP4.

CNN: Y2K nips NT users

According to the Microsoft Web site, the operating systems affected include Windows XP, Windows XP Service Pack 1, Windows 2000 SP2, Windows 2000 SP3 and Windows 2000 SP4.

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Mark Light, Microsoft year-2000 product manager, said that SP3 -- even with all of the hot fixes issued in the meantime -- would not offer users the year-2000 compliance available via SP4.

CNN: Y2K nips NT users

One corporate user told Microsoft officials that his shop did not intend to deploy SP4 because "we have assessed the risk to be too high, " and had created a Systems Management Server package of year-2000 fixes that were issued after SP3.

CNN: Y2K nips NT users