Roll up! Roll up! Get your Windows XP Service Pack 3

[HEXUS]

Microsoft won't be releasing Windows XP Service Pack 3 until next week, but why wait? The long awaited update is already available online.

Read more.

[vinnyT]

I think I'll wait a bit, I'm in no hurry, as I won't be doing my new build for a month or two, but it will come in handy then.

[Funkstar]

Same here.

Both my media PCs will be getting a re-install once MediaPortal goes final in a couple of months, so i'll do a re-install with SP3 (and take images once installed) once that happens.

[3dcandy]

thanks Microsoft, hosed my box here....

[Agent]

thanks Microsoft, hosed my box here....

In what way?

I'm not going to install it on this system as its due for a format anyway - will slipstream it and see how it goes.

Anyone remember the decent performance increases that were happening with the Beta? Hope they are still there

[Hicks12]

sorry if this sounds dumb but what exactly is special about sp3? i dont recall any errors (for me anyways) with sp2, is it worth getting sp3? and this performance increase, would that be in general or more specific areas? sounds good anyways xD.

[this_is_gav]

is it worth getting sp3?

On a clean install, yes. On an long-running SP2 install with most recent patches, no. To all intents and purposes, it's a rollup of SP2 patches with a couple of very insignificant bolt-ons.

If you need to ask, save it for your next reinstall.

[MarcLister]

On a clean install, yes. On an long-running SP2 install with most recent patches, no. To all intents and purposes, it's a rollup of SP2 patches with a couple of very insignificant bolt-ons.

If you need to ask, save it for your next reinstall.

Like Gav I won't bother with installing SP3 onto my SP2 setup. I've downloaded the SP3 file so I am ready.

I have to run Cisco's Clean Access program on my PC at the moment as my Uni has decided we need to have this in order for us to keep the network clean.

So once my exams are over and I am back home I will get my nLite files out and sort another XP iso but with SP3 streamlined.

[Agent]

PC World - Early Tests Say SP3 Speeds Windows XP (nov 07)

I might have a play in the week and do a dual install of sp2 and sp3 (hey, I have some free time ) and benchmark each with the same drivers

[AndrewJ]

PC World - Early Tests Say SP3 Speeds Windows XP (nov 07)

I might have a play in the week and do a dual install of sp2 and sp3 (hey, I have some free time ) and benchmark each with the same drivers

That sounds like it could be a very interesting read.

[GoNz0]

amazed to see it doesnt contain IE7, and its not quite complete as my event viewer was flagging up the fact i didnt have a copy of MS Visual C+ 2006 installed...
this was after a reinstall as well.

[chuckskull]

I'm going to be beating my PC with a stick all day anyway(think the overclock has gone south) assuming nothing explodes, I'll toss this in the mix see what it's like.

[this_is_gav]

amazed to see it doesnt contain IE7, and its not quite complete as my event viewer was flagging up the fact i didnt have a copy of MS Visual C+ 2006 installed...
this was after a reinstall as well.

Unfortunately, as I found out to my annoyance, there are plenty of titles, in education at least, which require IE6 and plain refuse to work in IE7 or any non-Microsoft browser. This leaves some with a bit of freedom and flexibility. I'm not usually one to push for backwards compatibility, but given how quick it is to install IE7, this was a bit of a no-brainer really.

Of the 2, I'm more surprised that WMP 11 wasn't included.

[directhex]

installed and working and broke my uxtheme.dll patch

[Hicks12]

i just did a format yesturday, still think its not worth installing it? havent done an install of sp for ages, its an update rather then a format way right? dont think ill bother slipstreaming it but i might install it.

[GoNz0]

have you all checked your event viewer for an error called "SideBySide"

if so you need to install MS Visual C+ 2006 (google it) and the errors will stop.

this was on a new install with sp3 slapped on.