Windows XP Service Pack 3 – FAQ
11. How will Microsoft serve XP SP3?
Microsoft revealed that XP SP3 will be dropped both via Windows Updates and the Microsoft Download Center. TechNet and MSDN subscribers will also be able to access the service pack through their accounts. And as is the case with Vista, XP SP3 will come as a slipstream installation, namely already integrated in the operating system.
12. What is the best way to deploy XP SP3 Gold?
According to Microsoft, the ideal setup for the deployment of XP SP3 RTM is a clean install on top of either SP1 or SP2. In this context, all the users that have tested the pre-RTM versions of XP SP3 will have to unistall the beta builds. Although the Redmond company informed that build-to-build upgrade is also supported, the preferred installation method for XP SP3 Gold takes pre-RTM variants of the service pack out of the equation.
13. How do I uninstall Windows XP SP3 Release Candidate?
All you have to do is open a Run dialog box type appwiz.cpl, and then press Enter. Alternatively, you can make your way via Control Panel to Add or Remove Programs. Here you will have to identify XP SP3 (936929), and then hit Remove. The machine will have to be restarted in order for the uninstall to be completed. But even with a restart users should know that it will take Windows up to one hour before the service pack will be completely removed.
14. Why is Microsoft delivering XP SP3?
The company revealed that XP SP3 is designed to “provide a new baseline for customers still deploying Windows XP, to help them avoid the inconvenience of applying individual updates [as well as to] fill gaps in the updates users might have missed by declining individual updates when using Automatic Updates, and to deliver updates not made available through Windows Update.”
15. Won’t XP SP3 impact the adoption of Windows Vista and Vista SP1?
It is in fact possible that the concomitant availability of XP SP3 and Vista SP1 convince old guard XP users to stick to what they know best and not move to the latest Windows operating system. After all XP has reached a high level of comfort, it still runs great on older machines and XP SP3 might just do the trick for those that are looking to ride the operating system for all it’s got until the end of 2009/early 2010 when Windows 7 is planned for launch.
“Windows Vista provides the most advanced security and management capability, but for PCs that cannot be upgraded to Windows Vista right now, Windows XP SP3 ensures these PCs have all available updates and allows these PCs to leverage some new Windows Server 2008 capabilities, such as Network Access Protection (NAP)”, Microsoft explained its move.
16. Will there be a Windows XP SP4?
No. Windows XP SP3 is the final service pack for 32-bit Windows XP. Microsoft will not be issuing any additional service packs for the x86 version of XP. The company has confirmed this officially.
17. And last but definitely not least: who’s the daddy of XP SP3?
According to his official biography: “Steven Sinofsky is the senior vice president for the Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group — the user experience of Microsoft Windows and Windows Live services.” Off the record, he goes by Steven Codename Translucency Sinofsky. Just make sure to thank your SP3 daddy, all of you XP children…
18. When is XP SP3 due?
Despite having produced numerous indications that XP SP3 will be joining Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 for a release early this year, Microsoft continues to claim that the service pack is due by mid 2008. Up to this point, this is the official piece of information provided by the Redmond company about the availability of XP SP3 RTM.
Tags: FAQ, SP3, Windows, Windows 7, windows vista, windows xp
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Windows XP SP3 Release Candidate RC2 | Tips on 11 Feb 2008 at 11:08 am #
[...] your breath while waiting for the final version of Windows XP Service Pack 3 won’t do you any good. In fact, you can go ahead and exhale now, because Microsoft is by no [...]
anneury on 21 Jul 2008 at 6:06 pm #
ineed this pack man
KLP24 on 01 Jul 2009 at 1:11 pm #
How do I get the right SP3? I recently had my computer slow to a crawl since the last forced SP3 update at work. Now I am reading this:
“but we do it from a CD, NOT as a download from Micro$oft. There is a huge difference in these two installs of SP3.”
“The downloaded version of SP3 during Windows Updates is a little over 60MB in size. The version we install is in excess of 260MB. They are NOT the same Service Pack!”
I either need the correct version, so I can reduce my Windows frustrations or the class action lawsuit number. Your thoughts are welcome.