Metropol

I know there was a thread for this allready, but it's not been touched for 3 months.

Microsoft has had various pre-release versions of Windows XP Service Pack 3 on it's website for months, with the last one I noticed released in late march and having the dubious title of being 'Release Candidate 2 Refresh' (evidently there was a problem with a service pack getting to a third release candidate when the operating system itself only needed two).

I've noticed today that a new SP3 file has been posted, dated 01/04/08 which is just listed as SP3 and does not seem to indicate that it is pre-release.

However, you need to search Microsoft's site to find it, Windows Update does not list it and the Windows XP website still posts links to SP2.

So, does anyone know if SP3 has definately been released, or if the file on their website is yet another 'almost there' trial version?

It's been released, only recently installed it onto a pretty crummy laptop for someone. Have a good look about, it's not available through Windows Update just yet but you can find it through the Download Centre or failing that, somewhere in TechNet.

Microsoft has announced that it plans to release Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) to businesses on April 21, 2008 and to the general public on April 29, 2008. SP3 will be downloadable via the Windows Update Center. A feature set overview has been posted by Microsoft and details new features available separately as standalone updates to Windows XP, as well as features backported from Windows Vista, such as black hole router detection, Network Access Protection, and Windows Imaging Component.

According to a file released with the early beta version and relayed onto the Internet there are a total of 1,073 fixes in SP3.

This update to Windows allows it to be installed without a product key, and be run until the end of the 30-day activation period without a product key.

Release schedule

1. April 14, 2008: Support is available for the release version of Service Pack 3 for Windows XP
2. April 21, 2008: Original Equipment Manufacturers, Volume License, Connect, and MSDN and TechNet subscribers
3. April 29, 2008: Manual Update (Microsoft Update, Windows Update, Download Center)
4. June 10, 2008: Automatic Update (Windows Update)

I downloaded SP3 in December 2007. Two or three days later my PC died (although I did blame my mate who was inexplicably tapping at the keyboard at the time of death).

That's how I've ended up on Vista on this new one; with yet another PC in the morgue (the spare room). I am still hoping to resuscitate the old one at some point.

The offending mate is, of course, now under two feet of good westcountry compost - with added bone meal!