Microsoft Taps Windows 2000 SP4 Testers

Selected applicants were notified Tuesday of their acceptance into the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 beta test. Microsoft began taking nominations for the test beginning last October.

"Thank you for your interest in the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4) beta program. We are pleased to inform you that you have been approved to participate in the SP4 beta program," the Microsoft Windows Sustained Engineering Team wrote in an e-mail. "You have been selected from a large pool of applicants because we believe you will provide us with useful feedback throughout the program."

Testers will be able to download interim releases of SP4 via BetaPlace and request copies of Windows 2000 integrated with the new service pack, which will function for 120 days. Rewards will also be given to testers who report the most bugs each week.

Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 was released last August and included numerous security and bug fixes, along with changes required by Microsoft's anti-trust settlement with the Department of Justice. Microsoft has not said when it plans to release SP4.