Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3)

[techguy]

Microsoft is planning on releasing the final Windows XP Service Pack (SP3) sometime in April. I will keep you posted!

This service pack is not a major upgrade like SP2, but it should make upgrading your fresh XP installs a lot easier. Over 100 updates have been released since SP2 came out several years ago. Once SP3 is out you can download a single file that contains all of the patches and hotfixes in one install file or just use Windows Update if you only need to patch one PC.

:rockernana:

[popowich]

Good to hear!

This is only for genuine computers, right?

What are the chances they will undo that rule eventually?

You'd hope once the big push for licenses is over they want to secure everyone else.

-Raymond

[Big Dan]

I don't know that I'd install it. The only reason being is after Vista was released XP seemed to slow down considerably after I downloaded a slew of updates.

Now it may just be my paranoid mind but I think Microsoft released a "patch" that slowed things down considerably with XP so that people buy a new computer with Vista on it. I've seem some other reports of the same thing so I'm guess it's not just me being paranoid.

Commenting on Raymond's post; I wish MS would just get over this software validation bull crap. If I blop down $200 or $300 on their OS, I shouldn't be treated like a criminal with constant validation checks and I should be able to move the license from one computer to another without having to call MS for a new activation ID.

Most of the pirates are in Asia and third world countries. In general most Europeans, Americans, and Canadians pay the Microsoft tax when they buy a new computer. Put the validation crap on computers sold in regions where piracy is rampant.

[popowich]

I don't know how much of a problem it is these days but I imagine another big problem for them is small companies with a tech savvy windows desktop person who would take a single copy of the Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office CD's etc and install them on 25-50 computers.

-Raymond

[popowich]

Microsoft is planning on releasing the final Windows XP Service Pack (SP3) sometime in April. I will keep you posted!

This service pack is not a major upgrade like SP2, but it should make upgrading your fresh XP installs a lot easier. Over 100 updates have been released since SP2 came out several years ago. Once SP3 is out you can download a single file that contains all of the patches and hotfixes in one install file or just use Windows Update if you only need to patch one PC.

:rockernana:



Is there a list of any new major features or problems fixes, or is it only a collection of previously released patches?

-Raymond

[techguy]

XP SP3 contains very few new features. The average user will not notice much of a change, especially if they have been upgrading their system with all of the post-SP2 patches. I will keep an eye out for reviews with benchmarks and other details. Check this site out for a more detailed review.

http://www.winsupersite.com/faq/xp_sp3.asp

Since XP3 is popular topic, I will write more later. . .

[yukon]

great link, thank you