In computing, aservice pack comprises a collection of updates, fixes, or enhancements to asoftware program delivered in the form of a single installable package. Companies often release a service pack when the number of individualpatches to a given program reaches a certain (arbitrary) limit, or the software release has shown to be stabilized with a limited number of remaining issues based on users' feedback andbug reports. In large software applications such as office suites, operating systems, database software, or network management, it is not uncommon to have a service pack issued within the first year or two of a product's release. Installing a service pack is easier and less error-prone than installing many individual patches, even more so when updating multiple computers over a network, where service packs are common.
Service packs are usually numbered, and thus shortly referred to as SP1, SP2, SP3 etc.[1] They may also bring, besidesbug fixes,[2] entirely new features, as is the case ofSP2 ofWindows XP (e.g.Windows Security Center), or SP3 and SP4 of the heavily database dependentTrainz 2009: World Builder Edition.[3]
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Service Packs forMicrosoft Windows were cumulative throughWindows XP. This means that the problems that are fixed in a service pack are also fixed in later service packs. For example, Windows XP SP3 contains all the fixes that are included in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).[4] Windows Vista SP2 was not cumulative, however, but incremental, requiring that SP1 be installed first.[5]
Office XP,Office 2003,Office 2007,Office 2010 andOffice 2013 service packs have been cumulative.
SinceWindows 8, the Service Pack concept ofMicrosoft Windows has been eliminated, instead the Feature Update concept is used.[6]
Application service packs replace existing files with updated versions that typically fix bugs or closesecurity holes. If, at a later time, additional components are added to the software using the original media, there is a risk of accidentally mixing older and updated components. Depending on theoperating system anddeployment methods, it may then be necessary to manually reinstall the service pack after each such change to the software. This was, for example, necessary forWindows NT service packs; however, fromWindows 2000 onwards, Microsoft redirected setup programs to use updated service pack files instead of files from the original installation media in order to prevent manual reinstall.[7]