Windows XP SP3 Due Next Month, Report Says

[Dakeyras]

Source:

Microsoft will release Windows XP Service Pack 3 during the second half of April, according to a report from a Web site that has correctly predicted recent Windows ship dates.

TechARP.com, a Malaysian Web site that nailed Vista SP1's release-to-manufacturing (RTM) date last month as well as its release to Windows Update last week, said that Microsoft will wrap up work on XP's third and final service pack next month. The site pegged RTM for Windows XP SP3 as "second half of April 2008" for seven languages, with a follow-on RTM of the remaining supported languages "approximately 21 days" later.

By TechARP's account, Microsoft will first finish work on the English, German, Japanese, French, Chinese, Korean and Spanish versions of the service pack.

Microsoft declined comment, other than to repeat an earlier statement about the service pack's timing. "We are targeting 1H [first half] 2008 for the release of XP SP3 RTM, though our timing will always be based on customer feedback as a first priority," a spokeswoman said in an e-mail.

The last time Microsoft made a public move with Windows XP SP3 was a little over a month ago, when it posted a second release candidate to Windows Update.

[Dakeyras]

Zero bump.

[Dakeyras]

XP SP3 now available via the Microsoft Update site (or you can wait for automatic updates):

Image here

Edit: Reason for edit, posted image quite large and unfair for dial-up users

[uncle_oric]

Some who have installed SP3 are reporting trouble with third-party firewalls (especially Zone Alarm) and with several anti-virus programs. Not all of their troubles were easily cured by reinstalling the programs. Users who disable these programs while installing SP3 seem to have fewer problems. A few tips for your friends might be:

1. Temporarily disable your firewall and enable the Windows Firewall
2. From the task manager, disable all running applications
3. Don't browse the web or open other programs while downloading and installing SP3
4. Reboot immediately after installation is done
5. Disable the Windows Firewall, enable your own, and check all your security programs on reboot

The extra-cautious may prefer to install from CD; then you can unplug your network cable before killing your defenses. An ISO (545 MB!) for the install CD is available at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en

I've installed SP3 without incident on both my desktop and my laptop. I use Comodo and Avast on one, Zone Alarm and AVG on the other.