Windows XP SP3 Released To Manufacturing

mike_diack was one of many readers to send word that Windows XP SP3 been released to manufacturing. It will be available to OEMs and enterprise customers on April 29. Here is a summary of features and changes. The company will wait till "early summer" to enable SP3 downloads through Automatic Updates.

MS: Making the impossible possible!

Remember when XP SP3 was impossible which was why everyone had to change to Vista?

Patching is AWESOME!

OMG, I can't wait, only 8 more days until I can patch my system with SP3! So exciting... patches... wooo!!!

Added "Features"

Windows XP SP3 also includes a small list of previously unavailable functionality, including NAP and an update of Windows Product Activation.

I love the term "functionality" because it reminds me of the DRM things in Vista. Anyway, here's what they are adding besides all previous fixes:

"Black Hole" Router Detection Windows XP SP3 includes improvements to black hole router detection (detecting routers that are silently discarding packets), turning it on by default.

Seems nice

Network Access Protection (NAP)

More for enterprise/admins. See http://www.microsoft.com/technet/network/nap/napfaq.mspx [microsoft.com].

Descriptive Security Options User Interface The Security Options control panel in Windows XP SP3 now has more descriptive text to explain settings and prevent incorrect settings configuration. Figure 1 shows an example of this new functionality.

Cool I guess.

Enhanced security for Administrator and Service policy entries In System Center Essentials for Windows XP SP3, Administrator and Service entries will be present by default on any new instance of policy. Additionally, the user interface for the Impersonate Client After Authentication user right will not be able to remove these settings.

More admin stuff. I'll skip some of it from the PDF

Windows Product Activation As in Windows Server 2003 SP2 and Windows Vista, users can now complete operating system installation without providing a product key during a full, integrated installation of Windows XP SP3. The operating system will prompt the user for a product key later as part of Genuine Advantage. As with previous service packs, no product key is requested or required when installing Windows XP SP3 using the update package available through Microsoft Update. Note The Windows Product Activation changes in Windows XP SP3 are not related to the Windows Vista Key Management Service (KMS). This update affects only new operating system installations from integrated source media. This update affects the installation media only and is not a change to how activation works in Windows XP.

I'm not so sure about this though. WPA update... I wonder what Microsoft is sneak in on this.

Direct X 10

Still no directX 10.

But at least I got some patches!

Six months then.

Early Summer!

So somewhere around December then?

Update Rollups every 6 months please!

As someone who's had to build many a Windows XP system since SP2 came out, it would be very handy if Microsoft offered a single file (similar to Windows 2000's Update Rollup) that has all patches since the last service pack. It would save me (or my company) time, and would save Microsoft on bandwidth.

I'm aware there are third party ways to update fresh builds of XP in a more straightforward fashion (or integrate the updates in to the install disc), but where is mighty Microsoft on this? Where is the value here?

Re:Update Rollups every 6 months please!

I'm aware there are third party ways to update fresh builds of XP in a more straightforward fashion (or integrate the updates in to the install disc), but where is mighty Microsoft on this? Where is the value here?

Ummm, you don't need a third-party tool, microsoft provides lots of information on how to slipstream patches into xp before you install. This documentation has been available for years, and it is the same technique as win2000 and win2003 (dunno about vista).

You can also script your install (search google for winnt.sif or unattend.txt) so you just turn on the system and come back in 30 minutes with everything installed the way you like it. Go look at www.msfn.org [msfn.org].

One question.

Will it make it out before the proposed "EOL" for XP in June?

Re:So the bad guys will have MONTHS.

Windows XP SP3 - detailed by channel schedule
Channel / Release Vector
Planned dates (US)


RTM (release to manufacturing) - Apr-21
OEM Channel - Apr-21
Windows Update - Apr-29
Download Centre - Apr-29
MSDN/Technet Download - May-02
Windows XP SP3 Fulfillment Media - May-19
VL Customers via download - Jun-01
Automatic Updates - Jun-10

Re:So the bad guys will have MONTHS.

WTF? Why do MSDN and VL customers get this later than Windows Update? What exactly are we paying for?

Re:So the bad guys will have MONTHS.

WTF? Why do MSDN and VL customers get this later than Windows Update? What exactly are we paying for?

For staying out of troubles.

Re:So the bad guys will have MONTHS.

WTF? Why do MSDN and VL customers get this later than Windows Update? What exactly are we paying for?

Testing. ;)

Re:So the bad guys will have MONTHS.

SP3 is not a bug fix but rather a rollup of previous fixes that users should already have and a few new features - mostly related to networking. There is no "patch" to exploit.

Re:So the bad guys will have MONTHS.

Uh, SPs are just packaged updates since the last major release. XP SP2 was the exception this time around. You already have most of SP3, if not all of it, if you've been staying up to date.

The most notable new feature of SP3 is that it allows more CD keys to be entered into it, since they are extremely close or have run out of new ones to print that XP, XP SP1 and XP SP2 will recognize.

The SP3 via automatic updates seems to mean to me that they are waiting that long to have a special SP3 download (like the massive 300MB or so SP2 offline installer)

Re:So much service!

Wanna bet on whether or not it "accidently" breaks enough machines to convince people to upgrade?

Re:So much service!

been using it since it went out March 28th on MSDN... it is fine.

Re:So much service!

How to do your Windows/Ubuntu PC, with 2 hardrives:

drive 1,120GB (operating systems and windows programs)
drive 2 200GB+ (linux data)

partition drive 1 into four partitions of this size:

1. 20G - for XP (fat32)
2. 20G - for XP backup (fat32)
3. 60G - for windows data (fat32)
4. 20G - for ubuntu linux / (ext2)

partition drive 2 into 2 partitions:
1. 512 MB for linux swap
2. the rest for linux /home (ext2)

Google "hirens download" for a cd with partition and ghost programs.

Install XP on drive 1 partition 1 and patch it up and install all your stuff. Put games in a folder called "programs" on part 3. Make sure you have a router firewall so XP not get hacked right away.

Install Ubuntu linux (or whatever) to the 4th partition on drive 1, tell it to use the big partition on drive 2 as /home.

Then ghost XP to partition 2 for when it goes to shit. When that happens, just ghost it back from 2 to 1: 5 minutes beats an hour or two.

If you re-install windows, you will lose your boot menu that linux did for you. Just boot to the ubuntu cd, and click Apps, Terminal and then:
grub
find /boot/grub/stage1
-->it replies with (hd0,3)
root (hd0,3)
setup (hd0)
quit
exit

Re:So much service!

Why are you formatting the first drive with FAT32? Do you just not like your data?

Linux OSes including Ubuntu have had stable read/write support for NTFS [ntfs-3g.org] for over a year now. The only reason to subject yourself to FAT32 is if you plan on booting to Windows 98.

Re:So much service! - Broadcom does work

We go from:

Ubuntu most of the time requires no specific knowledge. Start the live cd, double click the install icon and click next. Wait fifteen minutes and you have a stable system.

to

No, this commment would classify you as a bit of a n00b. You still using Ubuntu? You can get broadcom cards to work using firmware from linuxwireless + the b43 kernel module. I personally prefer to just compile the Zen Kernel from git (not to be confused with Xen). It's bleeding edge and fast. http://waninkoko.info/?q=node/14 [waninkoko.info] Otherwise, just build the kernel module and get the firmware. I'm graduated from Kubuntu to Arch, and now am switching from Arch to Gentoo so I can have even more control and more speed.

*blink*

Re:RTM?

You're not really the customer for this if you're thinking retail. Sure, it's a patch set for end-users, but the main target is corporate / volume license customers (for example, higher ed) customers who want updated media, drivers, etc. and don't want to move to Vista yet. They're still going to be able to get and use XP (downgrade rights) via their license agreement, and many will probably use XP for another couple of years.

Re:RTM?

Something must have been pretty damn efficient to fit an elephant into a telephone booth.

Re:RTM?

Legend has it that Vista the Elephant was wandering about on the beach, minding its own business, when it spied a piano on a small island just offshore, at his favorite bar, The Funky Trunk. TFT had a land bridge briefly at low tide, but the water formed a moat to keep out the riff-raff most of the time. The durable unit sat outside on the deck, adjacent the call box. (But don't let the delightfully retro rotary dial, the old style mouthpiece, or the earpiece with the frayed, cloth-covered cord within the weathered, almost out-house-ish callbox distract you from the ivories on the piano, or the ivory on the shore, or you'll screw up the pacing of this admittedly predictable short story).
Something of a piano aficionado , the elephant wandered out to the island to relive an Anderson and Roe [andersonroe.net] moment.
Suddenly, a shark appeared between the elephant and the island, water barely deep enough for the sleek menace to move!
Turning in alarm, the elephant started to move back to the shore. Another shark! What to do? Arriving at full panic, the elephant leapt with stunning mechanical efficiency clear over the first predator, landing in the phone booth.
Now you know the story of how Vista jumped the shark [wikipedia.org].

Re:RTM?

"You sir have made me go log in for the first time in years to post a reply to Slashdot. Incorporating the only animal that can't jump, and Microsoft into a legendary parable... We need to invent new words to describe awesome."

Wait just a minute. I'm sure elephants can jump. I've seen it in lots of cartoons.

Re:WGA required?

The doc says you don't need WGA.

Re:I will slipstream it and add the driver pack to

Just wanted to say thanks; driverpacks.net has saved me so much time and hassle slipstreaming and integrating images for work. Between driverpack.net, RyanVM, WPI, nlite and msfn.org forums, I've saved countless hours. I would have spent all that time either collecting files, writing scripts, etc. or just going through a Dell 'clean' install (which, even at my fastest, takes about 3 hours to slim down and then install the company apps, and configure/add to domain). Your driver packs saved my bacon a few months ago when the Dell cd drive died and I had to use one off the shelf. I've also pulled raw infs from them on occasion when I've needed a driver that I didn't want to hunt down. Thank you!