Microsoft releases patch for XP SP2

Microsoft has announced it is to patch a patch - it's fixed a hole in XP Service Pack 2.

Microsoft has published the patch through its website. It fixes a problem that installing XP SP2 creates with VPNs and can be downloaded here.

Once installed, XP SP2 can cause users to see a 'cannot establish a connection' message if a the machine tries to connect to IP addresses in the loopback address range, according to Microsoft's website.

However, Redmond won't be expecting too many hits on the patch yet. XP SP2 has only reached a fifth of the people Microsoft had hoped, missing its target by 80 million.

The patch is the second Microsoft has been prompted to offer following the emergence of XP SP2. Microsoft's CRM product also needed a fix to become compatible with the service pack.

The VPN fix is one of the downloads that features in a pilot programme to test if users' licences are genuine. To download the fix, users are required to have their licences validated through Microsoft's website.