Attention XP'ers -- your wildest fantasies are coming to fruition. Word on the street is that Service Pack 3 is now available for download all over the World Wide Web. When we say "all over" what we really mean is via Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center, though we doubt it will stay in one place for too long. Apparently, the new pack offers 1,100 hotfixes and patches, so maybe your obscure, cheapo soundcard will now function in stereo.

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Thanks for the info! I love my XP and don't want to even think about switching to Vista.

I love XP as well and will only go to Vista when it's absolutely neccesary. I think that will be in 2012.

The update is available for manual download if you look at some of the comments on the xp3 article on Engadget. The actual release on Microsoft update isnt there yet. Probably in a few hours it will be there.

Awesome! Thanks!

That's ok we'll all be dead then anyway

i dont think Vista is that bad i upgraded freely to the ultimate edition and love it. no problems (yet) haha.

There's only one thing that I find r******ed about VISTA. When there is a system prompt, my whole screen and everything I was looking at or reading goes grey and focuses only on the stupid prompt. It's not like I am blind, I can obviously see the prompt and I don't want Microsoft to help me focus my vision on a prompt, I'll get to it whenever I please. I wonder if there is such a way to turn it off.

I am going to wait for the review and see if it's really necessary.

Can anyone actually give me a reason for why they don't like Vista? Seems to be something people just say with no real idea why...

sucks up ram better then hoover does dirt

XP SP3 not generally available yet, after all

Microsoft has decided not to release Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 3 to Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center as planned on April 29. The reason? A last-minute compatibility issue with a Microsoft application — Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS).

Here’s the latest from a company spokesperson:

“I wanted to update you on today’s planned release to web (RTW) (of XP SP3). In the last few days, we have uncovered a compatibility issue between Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS) and Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1).

“In order to make sure customers have the best possible experience we have decided to delay releasing Windows XP SP3 to Windows Update and Microsoft Download Center.

“To help protect our customers, we plan to put filtering in place shortly to prevent Windows Update from offering both service packs to systems running Microsoft Dynamics RMS. Once filtering is in place, we expect to release Windows XP SP3 to Windows Update and Download Center.

“Until we have published a fix for this issue, we advise Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers to not install either service pack. Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers running Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista SP1 should contact Microsoft Customer Support Services for additional information.

“The fix is currently in testing and will be available as soon as that process is complete.”


ZD Net

silly qustion

if i reinstall xp and then install service pack 3 would i need to install service pack 2 firsr?
Do i need to bother installing service pack 2?

When you instal XP for the first time it will need to update all they way up to xp sp2 then you would uprade to SP3. All through Microsoft Update.

Ok, im not exactly smart with these things.. but is XP3 sp the same as VISTA???

Vista is already released... we are still waiting on XP3 upgrade.. I'm so totally confused. :/

VISTA is the new operating system after Windows XP. XP though is still being supported by Microsoft until 2012. or 2014?

XP1-XP2- and XP3 are major upgrades to the Windows XP operating system.

Here is an interesting article i found.

48% see themselves running Windows XP in 2014

Now, I’m going to come right out and say that I’m already skeptical that so many of you will be running Windows XP in 2014. In timescale terms, this is equivalent to running Windows 95 now - and I don’t know many people who are still doing that. XP’s already feeling long in the tooth to me and the idea that I’ll still running it in five or six years time just doesn’t appeal to me.

But there are going to be technical challenges facing those wanting to hold on to the security blanket that XP offers. These are the 4GB RAM limit that 32-bit offers and the gradual shift from 32-bit to 64-bit. When I shifted over from XP to Vista in November 2006 I didn’t really see many benefits. In fact, thanks to the fact that most drivers were still at the fetus stage of maturity (and shovelfuls of baked-in Microsoft bugs), performance and reliability took a dip. Over the months that followed the situation got a lot better as I was drip fed new drivers and Microsoft released patches and updates. However, the biggest performance boost that I’ve seen from Vista was when I moved from Vista 32-bit to Vista 64-bit. Finally, all the hassles of migrating to Vista felt worthwhile. I believe that the desire to break free of the 4GB addressable memory limit on 32-bit will become a powerful motivator for many over the coming years. After all, most motherboards now support in excess of 4GB of RAM, and RAM is cheap.

For me, breaking the 4GB barrier was a refreshing experience, and after you’ve experienced a PC with 8GB or more of RAM in it you no longer feel the need to mess about disabling services, defragging all the time and trying to squeeze more performance out of the system by optimizing the registry and nonsense like that.

I’ve made a note on my calendar to post a poll in 2014 so I can see just how many of you are running XP.

ZD Net

It takes twice the amount of ram required.

I sorta agree. Me and two of my friends are running Vista, and none of us have any serious problems. Though it is true that Vista is a ram whore. That's the price you pay for a sexy interface.

SP3 was released on the 6th, incase anyone wasn't quite.....aware.

i think vista is really sweet

i do have a desktop with xp so i guess ill have to update it

I like vista. I've only had a couple of problems with it

Nice thread! I really like your provided information. It's really helpful for me.

Thanks a lot!