This morning, Microsoft made the final release of the long-awaited Service Pack 3 (SP3) update to Windows XP available for direct download from the Web. XP SP3 will be the last XP service pack, Microsoft says, and it aggregates all previously released patches and fixes. The direct download version is 316 MB in size.
Windows XP SP3 follows the previous XP service pack, SP2, by some three and a half years. The delay, Microsoft says, is due largely to problems the software giant had getting XP's successor, Windows Vista, out the door.
Those using XP shouldn't expect much from SP3, however: The service pack includes no major new features and doesn't change the XP usage experience at all. Indeed, SP3 isn't really aimed at consumers at all, but is rather designed for the needs of businesses still deploying and managing XP in large environments. In my experience, there are no meaningful performance benefits to SP3 either.
Windows XP SP3 can be installed on 32-bit versions of Windows XP Home, Media Center, Professional, and Tablet PC editions that have already been upgraded to SP2. Users interested in a smaller download or a more automated experience should wait until June 10, when Microsoft will make SP3 available via Windows Update and Automatic Updates.
Additionally, my Windows XP Service Pack 3 Slipstreaming Guide will be made available on the SuperSite for Windows this week. This guide will explain how to create a Windows XP Setup CD that integrates XP with SP3.
Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) direct download link
The readme says Win XP SP2 is preferred but you can install with Win XP SP1 [anyone still have that?]. Of course someone creating a fresh XP CD with SP3 from a RTM will need to slipstream twice.
Actually there are two semi-significant changes. First there is NAP. Second, installing from scratch, you don't need to enter in the serial number yet. Gives you 60 days.
While MS will definitely produce an integrated Win XP with SP3 CD for volume customers, don't count on it for retail and OEMs as XP sales for them are expected to stop by the end of June.
in addition to ebraiter's comments, it's also worth noting that XP SP3 now enables XP to support the new 'exFAT' file system format, introduced specifically to overcome the limitations of FAT that are being reached on removable drives (FAT is still used instead of NTFS because Microsoft don't license the latter).
What's wrong with Microsoft? For fun I went to Windows Update after installing OS with SP3 to only find out they didn't add stupid Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool to SP3 ... how hard it can be to add one more update when they have added hundreds of patches/updates/fixes to SP3
SP3 has been pulled. No windows update version.
Source : Microsoft
I downloaded and installed SP3. Took about a half hour. Right from the reboot I had a problem. I have a few shared folders and now I cannot access them from Vista or XP computers. I cannot map a new drive to them nore can I remote into the SP3 computer. I cannot find out what SP3 did to keep me from accessing the computer.
"I cannot map a new drive to them nore can I remote into the SP3 computer. I cannot find out what SP3 did to keep me from accessing the computer."
Network Access Protection (NAP) likely resets your Windows Firewall options, or at the very least, you need to specify that it's a Home/Work network instead of Public (which turns off file sharing).
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