Windows XP SP3 Specifics Revealed

[Hairbautt]

"If you have recently found yourself yelling “Down with Vista! Where’s my XP SP3?”, you’ll be happy to know Microsoft hasn’t forgotten users of its currently most popular OS. Over the last few weeks, the software giant has provided XP downgrades for unhappy Vista customers, announced that Windows XP sales would be extended to June 30, 2008, released a new build of Internet Explorer 7.0 for Windows XP that doesn't require product activation, and released a Service Pack 3 beta to a select group of testers. Vista may be the next big thing, but the gap between the two operating systems has created more problems than Microsoft would have hoped for. Thankfully, the company has decided against pushing Vista at all costs and (hold your breath MS haters) is listening to its customers.

The latest official 334.92 MB SP3 beta download is labelled as build 3205. Would you honestly be surprised if I told you a newer build has already been leaked? Reportedly, the aforementioned SP3 build contains 1,073 hotfixes and patches; 114 of which are security related. SP3 also adds four major features to the Windows XP operating system:"

• "a new activation scheme which will not require a product key during installation
• a new Network Access Protection Module first featured in Windows Vista
• a Microsoft Kernel Mode Cryptographics Module
• a Black Hole Router detection algorithm"

Source: Neowin.Net
View: DailyTech

[Chewy]

Awesome, I have both XP and Vista and I havent used vista in months, good news for me

[patto75]

Can we trust this sp?

[abu_has_the_power]

Can we trust this sp?

yea good question

[darkeingel]

Can we trust this sp?

yea good question

I've had this SP instaled over my XP SP2 integrated...
When i've try to install a custom kit including sp3... my key wasn't valid i have to install a copy of Vista

[dbmp]

Install Ubuntu instead.

[Hairbautt]

Can we trust this sp?

yea good question

What?

[mbucari1]

yea good question

What?

I think people are curious about the developments of WGA. Will one of the vista features being ported to xp be Vista's new WGA? Will previously working volume license versions of XP (though non-genuine) become inoperable?

[Hairbautt]

Oh. I see. Havn't heard anything on that...but I seriously doubt it tho' they may blacklist some licenses on Vista.

If I were into that I'd grab a VistaSP1Integrated release anyways.

[mbucari1]

Oh. I see. Havn't heard anything on that...but I seriously doubt it tho' they may blacklist some licenses on Vista.

If I were into that I'd grab a VistaSP1Integrated release anyways.

lol, sorry I meant XP.

The article mentioned changes to the activation process. Perhaps it will no longer need activation (yeah right ). Although, you no longer have to pass WGA to install IE7 and WMP11.