The two free versions of Windows XP Service Pack 2 that Microsoft is delivering for download are set for expiration in just three days. The Redmond company has been offering web developers two Internet Explorer Application Compatibility VPC images containing a pre-activated copy of Windows XP SP2 bundled with IE6 and IE7 together with the IE7 Readiness Toolkit. The images contain a configured and optimized virtual hard disk file designed to integrate seamlessly with Virtual PC 2007. The last time that the two images were refreshed was in mid April.

At that time, Microsoft promised to make available updated versions of the IE Application Compatibility VPC Images before the expiration date. Both downloads are time-bombed for August 17. That's just three days from now. Initially, the Redmond company revealed that the updated images were planned to go live as of August 10. On July 26, Pete LePage, Microsoft Product Manager, announced that the images were being built and pointed to the second week in August for a release date.

The upcoming downloads will indeed be served by August 17, and I'll keep you up to date when they will go live. Once again, there will be two free pre-activated versions of Windows XP SP2 plus the latest range of updates from Microsoft, in conjunction with Internet Explorer 7 and Internet Explorer 6. Although it missed the planned deadline of August 10, the downloads will be delivered by the end of this week, offering the now traditional VHD images for integration with Microsoft's Virtual PC 2007 hypervisor.

Users will be able to run the images via Virtual PC 2007 running in Windows Server 2003; Windows Vista or Windows XP, and test their websites on both IE6 and IE7. For Windows Vista, this is in fact the only way to access IE6 without leaving the operating system.