Windows XP SP3 goes to manufacturing, will be released April 29th
By Nilay Patel 
posted April 21st 2008 6:02PM
posted April 21st 2008 6:02PM
It's not nearly as big a deal as Vista SP1, but it looks like Windows XP SP3 will be out in just eight short days -- Microsoft just confirmed that it's been released to manufacturing, and that it'll be in Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center on April 29th. No word on if OEMs and devs got access today like we'd heard, but it shouldn't be long now -- here's hoping that rumored 10 percent speed boost is for real.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Vista is not Microsoft's 'main' OS. Newer, but not 'main' OS in terms of current usage, and popularity.
If anyone has been following the standard MS SP release schedule they would notice that SP3 is actually more then a year late, which if followed would have released SP3 right in the gravy train of Vista sales.
I don't personally think it wouldn't have mattered because people are either going to run Vista or they're not. If they pulled off XP SP3 development to focus on Vista SP1 development because they were afraid XP sales would surge due to SP3 and slump Vista sales temporarily Redmond must not have a very high level of confidence in Vista.
Anyway, SP3 isn't a new idea. I personally have been waiting twiddling my thumbs for about 2 years waiting for it.
All I've got to say that it's about time, and because it's egregiously late it bares the Microsoft symbol of so-so quality! Party at my house! We're all going to have watered down beer, and broken nacho chips to commemorate an occasion such as this.
The only reason I'm excited over this is because the new eeepc comes with XP... other than that, all of my machines are happily running Vista (yes, my PC's are happy they got this upgrade, I can tell, they don't get as moody as when they used XP)
will XP SP3 bring DX 10 to XP?
Ok let me google it.
No.
From Microsoft's service pack overview:
"Microsoft is not adding significant Windows Vista functionality to Windows XP through SP3. However, SP3 does include Network Access Protection (NAP) to help organizations that use Windows XP to take advantage of new features in the Windows Server® 2008 operating system."
If it did, then there would be absolutely no point for gamers to buy vista.
Finally I won't have to install a billion updates when I clean wipe a PC.
If you know how to slipstream installs check this out: http://xable.net/
Usually leaves only a few critical updates after the install.
If not, check out http://nliteos.com
Xable sucks. Real techs use RyanVM's packs.
No, real techs just use their old xp sp2 disk and tell the customer to do updates to get them used to the process.
Not as big a deal as Vista? XP is still used more!
They mean the SP itself... even the Microsoft website says so.
Gah, if I upgrade to this, it's going to mess up my windows mouse acceleration again isn't it..? :/
I got the beta and it turned windows mouse acceleration back on, and I just can't STAND it. D:
I just hope they don't turn XP to crap so people can adopt Vista. I still can't get that Crazy song out of my head
Anyone know the build number of RTM? Is it 5508?
5512 is the final build number.
Hopefully it won't be the installation disaster that Vista SP 1 is, which installs on only a fraction of the machines that came with Vista to begin with.
Uhh, my machine didn't "come with" Vista and it installed just fine. (It didn't come with any OS, I built it myself)
What exactly are you talking about? I installed SP1 on my laptop the day it was released and it went perfectly.
hopefully they patched some bugs for the final release.
RC2 had a bug that slowed my internet down when i was using firefox (only firefox, interestingly IE was fine.)
actually, that might not be a bug
:P
So is it just for select languages again? Or are all of them available this time?
All the service packs in the world won't make up for poor 64 bit support and implementation.
You mean Server 2003 x64 with the XP GUI? If you're going for x64, Vista is the better choice.
Release to "MANUFACTURE" !!! Does this mean MS will be selling XP SP3 as an OS?
Or is this just journalistic hype, and you'll have to download the upgrade.
Putting the SP3 update on an MS server for download is not exactly "manufacturing" anything.
Ask questions, fine. But don't make snarky comments on things you don't understand.
RC stands for release candidate. It is not a finalized version of something like a service pack.
When something goes RTM, or release to manufacturer, it is deemed to be the final release, and therefore completed.
It's an industry term that has been used for years. Don't try and make this into the big bad boys at Microsoft trying to pull one over on you.
Oh, so now the boys at MS are journalists. You must not have read my post.
Manufacture means Microsoft will print new XP disks with SP3 already on there.
I wonder if this will make XP work any better in Parallels on my Mac? It runs well as it is, but a speed boost wouldn't hurt.
What's really going on? They said they are going to drop the support for XP and move on to Vista. People protested the idea but Microsoft want's us to embrace Vista. Something is smelly to this update this might be the ending point of XP where we have force ourselves embracing Vista in the end.
SP3's been in release candidate since before they even announced "dropping" support, IIRC
actually vista is getting the axe as well they know they messed up with it windows 7 will be out sooner than expected to rescue them selves from the shame they put themselves through with vista
Perhaps this will help me run the most simplest of games such as SimCity 3000? Ugh.
will GTAIV be compatible with SP3? remember how many applications went bonkers with SP2?
GTA IV isn't compatible with either mac or pc. It's console only. Pretty lame huh? Sadly so is the new Star wars game as well.
I couldn't tell you, but the other guy saying it wont be released on PC... don't be so stupid, its getting released AFTER the console versions.
What a tit.
Actually with GTAIV supposidly coming to PC's in October, I dont see why it wouldn't work.. I believe games get tested on XP SP1 and 2 before they're released.
Theres no reason why they wouldn't test it with SP3
I wondered when Microsoft was going to release Vista's replacement. I'll be ready for it on April 29, just eight days from now. I need to see if it really make my Windows XP run faster. Woohoo.
I've been running SP3 RC2 w/o issue for a while. any word on whether this differs significantly?
im a big microsoft fan - but even i know not to download the first thing they put out there.
word to the wise: wait a few weeks!
Agreed, wait to see what it breaks, then decide if you want to wait for a fix.
But don't buy into stories of people that are completely incompetent and delete their windows while installing it though, as no doubt some will, try to hear what the real issues are, and that might take a while to come shining through.
Considering that Microsoft won't be supporting XP after June, I would not recommend installing this Service Pack. It's like the .NET Framework 3.0 that was on Windows Update. It was there forever, but you didn't need to download and install it. Then it was replaced with .NET Framework 3.5. Nothing requires .NET 3.x, why bother?
If you worry about Security Updates, those are always available separately (just kidding, Microsoft doesn't care if you get infected with viruses on your PC, that's why they never offered anti-virus software, or anti-malware software... until they got their b@lls busted over it and finally released something a couple years ago.)
I call shenanigans. Best to wait until September; see what's going on with XP support and availability.
After June sales of XP will not continue only on low power consumptions PC's. Support will continue not sure till when but I'm gonna say 20011'ish. SP3 WILL BE SUPPORTED. Support usually goes on for quite a while after the OS in no longer be sold. I could honestly see XP having a longer life support than Vista. Security Updates will continues as so on and so on. Too many businesses rely on XP for day to day. In the office I work we have well over 500 PC with XP Pro (Bank of America). I would say research a bit more I know that support will not but cut in June.
-websyndicate-
Once you go MAC you dont go back.
I've used SP3 rc on my mom's old dell dimension 2350 and there was a 20% improvement!!
But on my newer system I didn't see a tiny bit of difference. But yes SP3 uses allot less ram and cpu cycles than sp2, but for newer systems there won't be a noticeable difference. The holy grail of XP this is not. I still prefer Vista because it's WAAAAYYY more secure. Not as secure as Linux though :-P
20% increase? Sounds like a rather erroneous comment there. What benchmarks did you use to compare a before and after?
done talking out of your sphincter yet?
So have they fixed the HD Audio problem? If not, can see half the computers in the contry have their sound stop working after the 29'th.
When Gateway took over Emachines they never released a bios update for my laptop to fix the problem of SP2 crashing 5 seconds after boot.
Hopefully SP3 will work on it without crashing. It would be great to have that thing up to date again.
I've been running XP SP3 (some Beta version) for a little over 2 weeks, and I would describe the speed boost as minimal/barely noticeable. Hate to burst your bubbles, but SP3 isn't something to be really excited about.
will anyone be downloading this considering GTA IV is out on that same day?
RTM Chinese download:
http://thepiratebay.org/tor/4150780/Windows_XP_Server_Pack3_CHS http://download.cnbeta.com/ugmbbc/zh-hans_windows_xp_service_pack_3_x86_cd_x14-60563.iso.rar
Windows Xp sp3 RTM ENGLISH download :
http://download.cnbeta.com/ugmbbc/MICROSOFT.WINDOWS.XP.SERVICE.PACK.3.v5.1.2600.5512.RTM.ENGLISH-W.4150301.TPB.rar