Neowin.net

This obviously implies that it has been released to manufacturing yet MS is making general public wait till April 29! I yearn for those days when service packs weren't something you had to be desperate to get.

Anyone who has installed the Release Candidate (RC) can receive support through the normal channels.

India?

Well, only updated components are in SP3, nothing "new" like the SP2 release (Security Center etc)

i was oping for some minor new features too...

Added the link to the Microsoft overview on the story.

Almost no SPs have new features, SP2 was one of the few that did, in fact it has been the most complete SP by MS ever. Many users got spoiled with that.

if it wasn't for sp2 xp would have never been as stable as it is today

XP's stability wasn't any better before SP2, SP2 focused mainly on improving security.
As far as I can tell, SP3 is more of a rollup thing that adds very little other than all of the updates and hotfixes on Windows Update right now.

Essentially, XP is about as good as it's going to get and that's not such a bad thing at all.

Don't listen to these guys, there ARE new features in SP3:

1) "Black Hole" Router Detection: Windows XP SP3 includes improvements to black hole router detection (detecting routers that are silently discarding packets), turning it on by default.
2) Network Access Protection (NAP): NAP is a policy enforcement platform built into Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and Windows XP SP3 with which you can better protect network assets by enforcing compliance with system health requirements. Using NAP, you can create customized health policies to validate computer health before allowing access or communication; automatically update compliant computers to ensure ongoing compliance; and optionally confine noncompliant computers to a restricted network until they become compliant. For more information about NAP, see Network Access Protection Descriptive Security
3) Options User Interface: The Security Options control panel in Windows XP SP3 now has more descriptive text to explain settings and prevent incorrect settings configuration.
4) Enhanced security for Administrator and Service policy entries: In System Center Essentials for Windows XP SP3, Administrator and Service entries will be present by default on any new instance of policy. Additionally, the user interface for the Impersonate Client After Authentication user right will not be able to remove these settings.
5) Microsoft Kernel Mode Cryptographic Module: Microsoft Kernel Mode Cryptographic Module (Fips.sys) is a FIPS 140-1 Level 1–compliant, general purpose, software-based, cryptographic module in the kernel mode level of the Windows operating system. It runs as a kernel mode export driver (a kernel-mode DLL) and encapsulates several different cryptographic algorithms in an easy-to-use cryptographic module accessible by other kernel mode drivers. It can be linked to other kernel mode services to permit the use of FIPS 140-1 Level 1–compliant cryptography. For more information, see the Microsoft Kernel Mode
6) Windows Product Activation: As in Windows Server 2003 SP2 and Windows Vista, users can now complete operating system installation without providing a product key during a full, integrated installation of Windows XP SP3. The operating system will prompt the user for a product key later as part of Genuine
Advantage. As with previous service packs, no product key is requested or required when installing Windows XP SP3 using the update package available
through Microsoft Update. Note: The Windows Product Activation changes in Windows XP SP3 are not related to the Windows Vista Key Management Service (KMS). This update affects only new operating system installations from integrated source media. This update affects the installation media only and is not a change to how activation works in Windows XP

Last edited by sialivi on 15 Apr 2008 - 23:00

There is a reason for it being called and RC and not final.

Can't wait.

RC is pretty damn close to final

Close, but not.

+1 , i jumped onto the Vista bandwagon late March (with SP1) and i overall i like it better than XP cause of it's interface etc etc.

Vista is NOT nearly as bad as some people claim it is... sure they have a legit argument about it using more ram and using more CPU vs XP but if you got a powerfull enough pc (which i do) to run Vista it's overall just as good as XP but with more eye candy

Vista is definately NOT better.
After just putting it on my main pc (second time) It has give me nothing but hours of grief to fix some relatively simple things.

SP1 is faster and less buggy, but things are still not right.

XP ftw, and with SP3 - double win.

People's experience of Vista varies. My Laptop runs Vista and has never had a problem, and my desktop runs XP which, having been used for development and gaming for the last 2 years without re-install is looking worse for wear.

Finally, I'm not the only one who has NOT had problems with Vista, aside from a couple buggy NVIDIA drivers for my main desktop. I have it currently on 3 PCs (one desktop and two laptops) and have yet to suffer from all these issues people complain about. I disabled UAC on the desktop because, hell, I know what I'm doing, and, aside from some older games, everything I run has not fallen into the category of incompatibility. I don't use Aero Glass because I am more of a minimalist and prefer the classic theme, so I don't take the performance hit, but it is enabled on my wife's laptop and it still operates at a fair clip. I appreciate those who complain about obvious problems....I just don't see them.

SP3 is more than just released patches rolled together, there are other improvements as well. Several new security features and I've heard improved performance. Most of all it is officially supported and easy to slipstream, so when you do a Windows install you are already updated from the beginning.

SP3 is an update to the base OS. Since the base OS came with IE6, the SP will ship with IE6.

They should include Firefox.

lol and they should also include trial versions of other software too! like roxio! yay!

No. Microsoft is not dell, and hopefully never will be, because dell is complete trash.

And so is Firefox. Glad they don't bundle that crap on pcs.

Maxthon pwnz!

Maxthon runs on the IE engine, so IE pwnz too?

For MSDNAA, it's your IT departement that decides when to put it up. It can be from 1 day to 3 months.
The best way is to download a SP2 version and slipstream SP3 on it.

Really? I've found XP SP2 to be more than solid enough to not need to eagerly await a service pack. If anything, this just means that I have to go rebuild/update a few images.

Vista SP1 was awaited because of how poor Vista RTM was. The impressive part is how well Windows Update has handled the servicing, that I might say that declaring "SP1" was more marketing driven than anything. I would easily have preferred just having a "Kernel Update" pushed out through WU, and quarterly .ISO images with the updates rolled in published to MSDN/TechNet/SA customers, and I don't doubt for a second that they technically could've done it.

But tradition is strong in Microsoft. Hopefully they can break from it in time.

No.

No, that's a completely different OS.

XP x64 is Windows Server 2003 (just like 2000 Professional was the same as 2000 Server, and Server 2008 is Vista SP1). Server 2003 and XP x64 just received SP2 last year - it will be a long while before the next one.

yeah, does not work yet - perhaps only in final release...

i tried using XP SP3 RTM build 5512 also needed cdkey . perhaps that feature only in microsoft windows xp sp3 installation cd (not slipstreamed version).

My source is from someone who works inside the company. I really don't care if you believe me or not. This person has been reliable before.

Too bad about your source then. Today is April 21st and XP SP3 is not available on TechNet. Next time you might want to wait for confirmation instead of winding up with egg all over your face.

RTM according to this



http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPo...3&SiteID=17

Who cares? As of right now it's not available for download for technet subscribers (I am one, and I'm p***ed), and judging by what was posted on that site, it won't be until AFTER general release! What a crock!