Windows XP SP3 release just around the bend?

Though we originally expected (read: hoped) that Microsoft would dish out Service Pack 3 for Windows XP late last month, it seems the deed may actually get done before May dawns. According to an "internal schedule" fetched over at Neowin, OEMs, volume license, Connect, MSDN and TechNet subscribers will have access to the update on April 21st, while most average joes / janes won't notice it until April 29th when it hits the Microsoft / Windows Update download center. For folks too busy carrying on to worry over which SP their XP is running, they could very well overlook the automatic update scheduled to land on June 10th. (Re)mark your calendars, won't you?

[Via InformationWeek]

[Dolemite @ Apr 15th 2008 9:06PM]

Nice! Was waiting for this. Now I finally have an excuse to format and re-install my XP since its initial install in 2001.

[Chebwa @ Apr 15th 2008 10:21PM]

SP2 wasn't a good enough excuse?

[Shinigami @ Apr 15th 2008 10:26PM]

Carmageddon!!! Brings back old memories! Too bad it won't work with XP even after SP3 (back to topic hehe)...

[Kurian @ Apr 15th 2008 11:46PM]

I had to format and reinstall after installing SP3 Beta. It destroyed my Windows. Dont be so eager, let them make it work first.

[Chebwa @ Apr 16th 2008 12:21AM]

@Kurian

Well I think I know exactly what happened to your computer!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_release_life_cycle#Beta

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Apr 16th 2008 12:38AM]

And I thought my slipstreaming days were over...

[Dolemite @ Apr 16th 2008 12:39AM]

Actually, no. SP2 was not a good enough reason. While I feel that SP1 and SP2 sort of lagged my system, the hit in speed was nothing compared to the increase in stability.

Except for the moments of power outages, I have had my pc running non-stop since fall 2001. XP is so stable I have never felt the need to reinstall.

[m4dm4n @ Apr 16th 2008 2:33AM]

Uh... may I ask what your XP system was actually *doing*?

[LondonConsultant @ Apr 16th 2008 6:35AM]

I guess you are SETI@home's top participant...

[Mr.Tech @ Apr 15th 2008 9:08PM]

I honestly can't wait. I heard there was a performance increase. I WANT IT NOW!

[Mark @ Apr 16th 2008 3:44PM]

There isn't.

[x Shadow @ Apr 15th 2008 9:09PM]

huh??
ive had SP3 since like Mid-March.....

[Sora267 @ Apr 15th 2008 9:12PM]

That's most likely an RC version you've got, not the final release.

[cmajewski @ Apr 15th 2008 10:00PM]

No it's not - it''s the final version off windows update. You can run a .cmd file on your XP machine so that the site allows you to download it. It's been around for a while and the final SP3 has been up on the site for a few weeks now.

http://dailyapps.net/2007/11/hack-attack-get-windows-xp-sp3-through-windows-update/

[catachip @ Apr 15th 2008 10:07PM]

@ cmajewski

The website you linked to specifically says this hack will allow you to "download Windows XP SP3 RC1". RC1 means "release candidate 1", that is, not the final version. Furthermore they state that this is the "way Microsoft expects its beta testers to try Windows XP SP3 out".

You have a beta version of the service pack sir. Sorry to burst your bubble.

[Seth @ Apr 15th 2008 10:35PM]

Yummy, trying pre-released Microsoft software. Has your system felt a little gooey lately? :-p

[Chris @ Apr 15th 2008 10:51PM]

You sir, have been burned.

[Decoy @ Apr 17th 2008 4:00PM]

Will the real SP3 install over SP3RCs?

[computer.dude.28 @ Apr 15th 2008 9:13PM]

It's nice to not have to worry about this anymore since we just got new laptops and now every computer in the house runs Vista, but on the other hand, I uninstalled Vista's SP1 because it broke a whole ton of stuff on my computer and actually made my Windows Media Player glitch out and kill all my playlists, so I'm kind of worried about when SP1 gets pushed as a critical update.

[Backlin @ Apr 15th 2008 11:18PM]

Wait, you're saying Service Pack 1 broke stuff in your PC?

Is there shrapnel of memory modules rattling around in your case? ;)

[Craig @ Apr 15th 2008 9:13PM]

Will SP3 break illegitimate VLK activations? Not that I know anyone who's installed something like that...

[Owen @ Apr 15th 2008 9:21PM]

More than likely. MS have killed illegal keys known to them in both SP1 and SP2 releases.

[ToniCipriani @ Apr 15th 2008 9:52PM]

Actually I doubt it. The kill-switch in Vista was, er, killed, so it's kind of dumb to actually put it in when it's not there to start with.

At most it'll start nagging via the stupid notifications thing.

[Charles @ Apr 15th 2008 9:21PM]

I wonder if they are going to change the color of the loading bar on the startup screen again. When they did that in SP2 I almost shit myself I was so surprised.

[Chris @ Apr 15th 2008 9:39PM]

I DID shit myself after seeing the new loading bar in SP2. It amused me to no end also. thanks for reminding me. i hope they change it again too

[Charles @ Apr 15th 2008 9:44PM]

Thats Microsoft for ya, always keeping its users guessing with excitement.

[Abuzar @ Apr 15th 2008 10:51PM]

I wish they change the start button color. Now THAT would be change.


I say red!

[Backlin @ Apr 15th 2008 11:12PM]

ROFL, red and blue? Right next to each other?
Are you an interior decorator?

[Juice Daddy @ Apr 16th 2008 8:36AM]

it would be nice if they included the royal theme this time around:
http://www.istartedsomething.com/20061029/royale-noir/

[Abuzar @ Apr 16th 2008 9:15AM]

Only on weekends.

They could make it red and black and call it Win XP Pro Emo edition.

[Nik @ Apr 15th 2008 9:22PM]

What i'm more concerned about is when windows update will detect Vista SP1....

[mike @ Apr 16th 2008 2:32PM]

I just downloaded SP3 off M'soft's website, it's over 300MB so I think it's pretty close to the actual release, someone with more knowledge weigh in?

[Rick @ Apr 15th 2008 9:42PM]

Remember when Windows offered that blue stuff. I totally filled my shorts, too. It was revolutionary. And they've come so far since!

[CarpeD1em500 @ Apr 15th 2008 9:49PM]

Seriously...whats the deal with that?

[CarpeD1em500 @ Apr 15th 2008 9:49PM]

That was a reply to nik's concern about SP1 for Vista...

[helloUser @ Apr 15th 2008 10:01PM]

Is it possible to return Vista and exchange it for XP? I still have my receipt....

[Ruben @ Apr 15th 2008 10:16PM]

No. But your obvious comments which are designed to bash Vista matter not to Microsoft.

As far as their concerned, you are a happy "owner" of Vista, and that makes their shareholders happy.

[boe @ Apr 15th 2008 10:24PM]

Contact Microsoft sales - they have a free upgrade to XP for anyone who got suckered into buying Vista. There may be instructions available if you google it as well. I think MS calls it a downgrade program although everyone I know in the IT community refers to it as an upgrade.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Apr 15th 2008 10:50PM]

No you're stuck with it. You should just upgrade your machine to the fastest Intel processor, the most powerful nVIDIA graphics card, a fast harddrive with a huge cache, and stuff it full of RAM. Vista will love your $3000 machine and so will you. Vista is fine as long as you've got a really fast computer. It's just that most people believed you could run Vista on some two-year-old machine and everything would be just fine. EHHH. Wrong.

[iofthestorm @ Apr 16th 2008 1:11AM]

@Steffen: WTF? A well-built $700 PC can run Vista perfectly, you just have to know what the fuck you're doing.

[Nik @ Apr 16th 2008 10:06AM]

I have a cheap $700 HP laptop with 2gb ram and Vista home premium runs great... I haven't even installed SP1 yet and I'm happy with it.

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Apr 15th 2008 10:01PM]

I had the Beta and it ruined ever usb device I have. This pc that I'm writing on right now has corrupted all my pro duo's and my external HDD. All my movies that I made, all the family photo's of the last DECADE! GONE! Thanks Microsux, thanks alot

[haha @ Apr 15th 2008 10:06PM]

Lemme breakdown your problem for you.
Starts with "B" ends with "eta"
Now do you understand?

[Jon Graft @ Apr 15th 2008 10:10PM]

That's why it is a beta...and before you call me a Microsoft fanboy, I'll have you know that I despise EVERYTHING Microsoft makes.
Zune = Shit
Windows = Shit
XBOX 360 = Shit

[Ruben @ Apr 15th 2008 10:22PM]

I hear you.

When i installed a Microsoft product, my dog ended up needing surgery to repair his hip, and my grandmother died. Ill never install a Microsoft product again.

But for some reason, your story of a software program corrupting a hardware device like your pro duo CPU and inexplicably destroying your USB devices (no doubt SP3 caused them to actually explode into pieces) actually makes me laugh, and brings me joy. I hope your memory is good, so you can describe those videos and pictures to your kids.

[Chebwa @ Apr 15th 2008 11:19PM]

"...all the family photo's of the last DECADE! GONE!"

lol

oh god...

[kr @ Apr 15th 2008 11:44PM]

@Ruben
I think it is safe to assume he was talking about Sony's Memory Stick Pro Duos, and not the Intel Core 2 Duo line of CPUs. Which you somehow got mixed up with Pro Duo.

Just saying...

[Josh L @ Apr 16th 2008 12:25AM]

lol @ people who don't backup their stuff before performing major system modifications.

Pwnt.

[3v1lkr0w @ Apr 16th 2008 5:21AM]

"All my movies that I made, all the family photo's of the last DECADE! GONE! "

And that boys and girls is the reason we BACKUP!!!

All my important data (work files, school work, photos) are backed up in 3 different places (their original place on my computer, an extrenal HD i have connected to my computer, and an external HD I have that i only hook up to my computer one a week and thats to copy any new files over to it.) Backin up everything is stupid, but important things...very important!

[daemonios @ Apr 16th 2008 5:57AM]

@SUPERGOOMAN

Somehow I find it very hard to believe. I have my fair share of USB peripherals - printers, memory sticks, external HDD, digital camera - and I must have installed some 5 or 6 different builds of Vista beta. Not a single one corrupted ANY of my files. The first were relatively unstable and laggy, but the last couple were really usable. So much so that I ran RC1 until the beta activation expired and I had to go back to XP. And I'm not talking monster-super-gaming-rig here: I had a plain Pentium4 3Ghz, 1Gb RAM and an ATI Radeon X300, which were enough to run Vista with Aero.

Did you have all those decades' worth of films on USB sticks? Did you perchance yank them from the computer when they were being used? I don't want to say you're making it up but really - you'd have to be a very unlucky guy to have that happen.

By the way - always back up important files on non-rewritable media... And stash them away so they don't get broken/scratched/whatever.