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Main Area and Open Discussion => General Software Discussion => Topic started by: Curt on November 27, 2007, 01:48 PM

Title: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Curt on November 27, 2007, 01:48 PM
CyberNet Technology News have been telling about the availability of XP SP3 RC, Release Candidate, so I am of course curious if it will work on my localized (Danish) version. Are any of you guys testing the Release Candidate of XP SP3 ? Do I dare to give it a try on my Danish PC, by changing my registry keys ??

The way to get it:

Update XP to SP3 Release Candidate:

1) Copy and paste the following code into Notepad:

will modify the registry!
@echo off
reg delete HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\XPSP3 /f 2> NUL
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\XPSP3 /v RCPreview /t REG_SZ /d 1c667073-b87f-4f52-a479-98c85711d869 /f
echo XPSP3 registry key has been set. Please check for updates in Windows Update.


2) Save the file as XPSP3.cmd (it’s important to include the extension).

3) Run the file that you saved in Step 2 by double-clicking on it.
Restart your computer and check for new Windows Updates.

4) Windows XP SP3 should be found, and it is a 337 MB download so give it some time to download and apply the updates.

When all is said and done your version of Windows XP should be:
Windows XP Build 2600.xpsp.071030-1537: Service Pack 3, v.3244

Enjoy the better performance and stability! You can hold off until next year if you want to download XP SP3 when it is officially released.

[via Softpedia & Computer World]
Thanks for the tip Storytellerofsci-fi!

Copyright © 2007 CyberNet |
-Martin, CyberNet
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Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on November 27, 2007, 02:01 PM
blarson is using it, as mentioned in this thread (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=11005.msg87680#msg87680). There was some discussion of it after that, with the consensus (fodder and Ralf) being that it would be folly to intall a RC version of a service pack on your primary Workstation. I'd *like* to install this now and enjoy the performance boost myself (particularly as I suspect that by the time this rolls out next year the performance boost will have turned into a performance "hit") but there's no way I'm doing it until it's been tested. I simply can't afford the risk on my main computer (my other one expired and was Win2k anyway and the only other non-frontline use machine in the house is supplied by my wife's employer).
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Curt on November 27, 2007, 02:18 PM
So it have been told already. Well, I never would have thought that I had to read a thread about Mac ads to hear about XP SP3.

Anyway: I just might try this - but I will sleep on it...
Thanks for the advice!
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: nudone on November 27, 2007, 02:21 PM
will it make crysis play better on my worn out computer?

no.

ah, what's the point then.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Grorgy on November 27, 2007, 02:34 PM
I'm a bit of a believer in the bigger hammer theory, you know the one, if a little hammer doesn't do the job try a bigger one, well Curt, for you given that your computer sounds as though its almost dead anyway, id give it a go, if you kill it, you are forced to get it fixed upgraded whatever  (a good thing!), otherwise you may just improve things slightly (another good thing), who knows  ;) 
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: tinyvillager on November 27, 2007, 02:44 PM
I'm using it  :D

So far so good.I really can't speak to the performance boost,i'm not a benchmark testing type of user.Nothing has blown up yet,that's always good.I installed it last nite btw,through this hack.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: nosh on November 27, 2007, 03:04 PM
I'm not going to bother jumping the gun coz I'm skeptical about any kind of significant performance boost that'd make the effort worth while. I read about a 10% boost in performance on some site but they compared it to SP2 without a single patch post-SP2 added on. A lot of what SP3 has to offer we already have on our systems. I know there's more to it than that but I doubt it'll have any significant impact. I'll be more than satisfied if it doesn't degrade existing performance levels. I'd love to be proved wrong though...

Curt, if my system were on its last legs I'd think about a fresh copy of XP SP2 first. I seriously doubt SP3 would worsen things though.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Curt on November 27, 2007, 03:22 PM
@ Grorgy, I really like your sense of logic!   :D

"If I had a BIGGER hammer"

If I had a BIGGER hammer
I'd hammer BIGGER in the morning
I'd hammer BIGGER in the evening ... all over this land,
I'd hammer out BIGGER danger
I'd hammer out a BIGGER warning
I'd hammer out BIGGER love between all of my brothers and my sisters
All over this land.

If I had a BIGGER bell
I'd ring it in the BIGGER morning
I'd ring it in the BIGGER evening ... all over this BIGGER land,
I'd ring out BIGGER danger
I'd ring out a BIGGER warning
I'd ring out BIGGER love between all of my BIGGER brothers and my BIGGER sisters
All over this BIGGER land.

If I had a BIGGER song
I'd sing it in the BIGGER morning
I'd sing it in the BIGGER evening ... all over this BIGGER world,
I'd sing out BIGGER danger
I'd sing out a BIGGER warning
I'd sing out BIGGER love between all of my BIGGER brothers and my BIGGER sisters
All over this BIGGER land.

Well, I've got a BIGGER hammer
And I've got a BIGGER bell
And I've got a BIGGER song to sing ... all over this BIGGER land,
It's a BIGGER hammer of BIGGER justice
It's a BIGGER bell of BIGGER freedom
It's a BIGGER song about BIGGER love between all of my BIGGER brothers and my BIGGER sisters
All over this BIGGER land.
-L. Hays, P. Seeger and Grorgy

[ You are not allowed to view attachments ] (http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/hammer.htm)>MIDI (http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/hammer.htm)
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Nighted on November 27, 2007, 03:30 PM
I just downloaded SP3 build 3244 RC1. I'll be integrating it into an unattended install later tonight using nLite. So yes....soon I'll be checking it out (by tomorrow morning hopefully).

I didn't have to change the registry to get it though, I just downloaded the torrent (http://www.isohunt.com/download/29328901/xp+sp3)!  8)
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Grorgy on November 27, 2007, 03:38 PM
Thanks for that Curt, I'd always assumed it had come from somewhere but i dont remember hearing the song  :)
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on November 27, 2007, 03:51 PM
Thanks for the torrent link, nighted! I'm downloading it now. At least this way I'll have it archived and can make an informed decision about it in the future  :Thmbsup:
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: blarson on November 27, 2007, 04:30 PM
I am not sure what languages/localization SP3 will support. This article says German and Japanese. There may also be a difference between the update and stand-alone version.

First Release Candidate of Service Pack 3 for Windows XP
Having completed the first Release Candidate (RC) of Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista, Microsoft has now released RC1 of Service Pack 3 for Windows XP. Microsoft generally uses the term Release Candidate (RC) for full-featured trial versions which only need to be tested for flaws. 

The combined package is about 340MBytes in size and can currently only be downloaded from Microsoft's connect website by registered beta testers. It updates all the 32-Bit versions of XP from Home to Professional. Apart from the English language version there is also a German and a Japanese version. In addition, the website offers a script which adds a string to the Registry and allows any version of XP to receive the respective RC1 update suitable for this XP via Windows Update (download size for XP Professional: about 91 MBytes). However, an initial trial installation this way proved unsuccessful.

As usual, SP3 will contain all the patches and updates released earlier, including those which were part of previous versions. According to Microsoft there is a total of more than 1000. In addition, it provides several add-ons which have been available separately, for example Background Intelligent Transfer Service (Bits) 2.5, Windows Installer 3.1, Management-Console (MMC) 3.0 and Core XML Services 6.0. New features include the integration of Network Access Protection (NAP), a feature which is already familiar from Vista and in a Server 2008 environment, for example, only allows access to the local network if the respective PC is running Windows at the current patch level.

Unlike Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista, the SP3 package combined with an XP CD enables users to create an installation package which allows installing both XP and SP3 in one go (Slipstream installation). As in Vista, the installation key no longer appears to be an installation prerequisite in this case.

Microsoft plans to release the final version within the first two quarters of 2008. This final release is planned to be the last Service Pack for Windows XP. However, patches for what Microsoft considers to be critical security issues are planned to be available free of charge until at least 2014. (jk/c't)


http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/99214
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on November 27, 2007, 05:24 PM
BTW, to anyone else tempted to download the torrent and archive it - it's a fast download - took about 50 minutes on my end :Thmbsup:

blarson - please do post back later in the week with your impressionS of/experiences with Sp-3.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: f0dder on November 28, 2007, 07:03 AM
I wish people would stop saying "OMFG 10% PERFORMANCE INCREASE!!!", since it hasn't been properly verified yet, the test done is sketchy, etc. Not that I'd mind 10% boost, that is :)

I'll wait until SP3 goes final, and even then I'll check it in a VM first. No way I'm doing beta testing for Microsoft on my "live" machine!
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Nighted on November 28, 2007, 07:42 AM
f0dder, every time you load a M$ product (or any other for that matter), you are beta testing on your machine. There is no such thing as a "final" release.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: f0dder on November 28, 2007, 07:49 AM
f0dder, every time you load a M$ product (or any other for that matter), you are beta testing on your machine. There is no such thing as a "final" release.
*grin*

But at least with non-beta and non-rc software, you have a right to bitch about it, without anybody telling you "yeah well, stupid, you're not running release software".

Btw., ever poured over changelogs for (release/stable) linux kernels? Pretty scary sometimes.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on November 28, 2007, 08:32 AM
f0dder, I agree with you. I just want to make sure that I've got the RC archived so that if in future it IS verified that it significantly improves performance, that it is not in any other way deleterious to a machine, and that that performance boost disappears in the final release (my suspicion is that it will) that I have around to install! Yeah, twisted logic, but it's my logic!
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Nighted on November 28, 2007, 10:53 AM
Well, unlike you wussies  ;) , I'll know in a few minutes. I'm going to format this pig and do a fresh install with SP3. It's brave little toasters like me that make the world a safer place for you.  :P
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Curt on November 28, 2007, 05:55 PM
It's brave little toasters like me that make the world a safer place for you. 

Keep om rocking / testing, Nigthed!  ;)
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Ralf Maximus on November 29, 2007, 01:00 AM
Go Speed Toaster, Go!  :-)
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Nighted on November 29, 2007, 09:09 AM
Welp, I integrated SP3 yesterday and then did my usual nLite routine. No problems so far. Since upgrading to SP3, explorer hasn't crashed once (strange...very strange :D ). I'll give it a couple days and see what happens.

I didn't need any of the updates I used for my SP2 builds other than one special update that supposedly is included in SP3 but didn't work. I had to replace it with another update.

I was hoping .NET would have been integrated but ending up have to manually install it yet again.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: blarson on November 29, 2007, 09:24 AM
I believe my DSL stats are better and more consistent with SP3.
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Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: jgpaiva on November 29, 2007, 04:21 PM
blarson: i don't think you gave the original stats, did you? Without those, it's a bit hard to compare ;)

Anyways, the internet speed is something that is so mutable that it can't be compared that easily.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Nighted on November 29, 2007, 04:42 PM
I dunno about that, but my toast is a lot crunchier now too.  :Thmbsup:
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: blarson on November 30, 2007, 10:53 AM
Another completely anecdotal, subjective opinion: SP3 boots faster, well below the XP 30 second design goal. I can do a reboot in about one minute (AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3200+, 1GB RAM). Perception is often more useful than statistics - 93.87% of all statistics are inaccurate and often made up.

Here is one more Tweak Tester Result showing 100% transfer efficiency - YMMV:
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Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Ralf Maximus on November 30, 2007, 11:12 AM
And so far: stability?
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on November 30, 2007, 11:19 AM
...Since upgrading to SP3, explorer hasn't crashed once (strange...very strange :D ). I'll give it a couple days and see what happens...

I'm comforted by this statement - for some reason explorer.exe crashes every other day on my system (XP Pro Sp-2) and often sits at 70-90MB of RAM usage (~50MB VM). The other bizarre thing is that often I have two instances running. Can't recall ever seeing this before. Anyway, the upshot of this is that I *hope* that from what Nighted is reporting I can infer that this has been dealt with in Sp-3 (please, pretty please with sugar on top).

blarson and Nighted, you brave souls, please keep the updates on your experiences coming  :Thmbsup:
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: nosh on November 30, 2007, 12:27 PM
Darwin, any chance you're running PS Tray Factory? I don't have anything concrete but I always felt it degraded my system performance. Just checked explorer.exe in Process Viewer and it's using 20,744 K (private bytes) - all my usual apps are running and I have over 20 icons in my system tray. Two explorer.exe instances is something I've never encountered noticed, BTW. Wonder if it has anything to do with a 3rd party file manager integrating itself into the system...
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on November 30, 2007, 01:13 PM
nosh - yes I do run PS Tray Factory and I have [cough][ahem]quite a few[/ahem][/cough] 3rd party file managers installed... Anyway, thanks! I'll follow up on those suggestions  :Thmbsup:
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on November 30, 2007, 02:04 PM
You were right - it was PSTrayFactory driving up explorer.exe's RAM usage. I can live with it, particularly as I now know what is causing it. No idea what caused the duplicate explorer.exe to be running. I shutdown the one consuming lower resources (at the time it was using about 40MB RAM) and nothing happened - ie my desktop, tray and taskbar remained in place. I rebooted and tried running each of the 3rd party file managers that I have installed in turn and the duplicate explorer.exe didn't re-appear. A mystery... I wonder if explorer.exe crashed and two different apps tried to restart it simultaneously? Just a random thought.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Nighted on November 30, 2007, 04:51 PM
Darwin, I was seeing that same behavior not long ago (2 explorer processes). I also use PS Tray Factory but I don't think it was the culprit. QT Address Bar or TabBar maybe? I dunno....
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on November 30, 2007, 05:12 PM
Heh, heh - I have QT Address Bar and Tabbar installed as well. Oddly enough (OK, stupidly enough) I didn't actually fire up Windows Explorer when I tested all those 3rd party file managers (for obvious reasons). Right off to follow up on that...
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on November 30, 2007, 05:13 PM
Bingo! Another mystery solved - thanks  :Thmbsup: In this case the second instance of explorer.exe shutdown with Windows Explorer - I guess last time was just a glitch (or more likely I tried to use some feature of QTTabbar/AddressBar whatever and it hung in the background?).
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Nighted on November 30, 2007, 06:43 PM
Darwin: [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: blarson on December 01, 2007, 05:23 AM
WinPatrol caught four new Vista services. Bill Pytlovany has an explanation of them in his blog:

http://billpstudios.blogspot.com/2007/11/windows-xp-sp3-includes-four-new.html
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: nosh on December 01, 2007, 06:49 AM
Darwin, glad you got a few things cleared out.

Do check the command line for both explorer.exe processes in Process Explorer just to make sure it's not something else running  as Explorer. It's highly unlikely but nice to know for sure anyway.

Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on December 01, 2007, 06:53 AM
Good advice, nosh, thanks. I've haven't seen the second instance of explorer.exe since yesterday, but will follow up as you suggest if and when I do  :Thmbsup:
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Ralf Maximus on December 01, 2007, 06:05 PM
Also, any processes running as "Exploder" should be flagged as suspicious.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on December 03, 2007, 07:12 PM
So, back to XP Sp-3 RC-1, any updates from Nighted and blarson as to stability?
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Ralf Maximus on December 03, 2007, 07:59 PM
And if we don't hear from them soon, should we be worried?

:-)
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: kfitting on December 03, 2007, 09:13 PM
This won't be objective by any means, but SP3 seems to make XP less sluggish... more like an initial install before you muck everything up by installing antivirus/firewall, and other always-running programs.   I have't had a crash yet (3 days). 

Like I said, not objective... but I like SP3 so far.

Kevin
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on December 03, 2007, 10:13 PM
Thanks Kevin - good to know!
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Ralf Maximus on December 03, 2007, 10:16 PM
Very cool.  I'm feeling something weird right now.  It's... optimism.

I can't *wait* for SP3 now!
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Nighted on December 03, 2007, 10:39 PM
No real problems so far. The only time I've crashed explorer is when running wonky programs. Nothing unusual there. The crashes I'm not getting, as in those caused from mysterious memory issues seem to not be appearing. As I posted over on the nLite forums, I think I'll be sticking with SP3 from this RC until the final.  :up:

Nothing has exploded so far....nor have I smashed anything in days. ;)
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: SKA on December 03, 2007, 11:31 PM
Dear Nighted

Could you give brief specs of your PC (Processor, RAM, Video card & Video RAM, motherboard brand & list of main softwares installed) - hope its not to much to ask <grin> ?

Thanks sincerely for your kindly trying RC1 out !
SKA
 
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: blarson on December 04, 2007, 05:49 AM
Microsoft has published the Windows XP Service Pack 3 Overview as a PDF.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=68c48dad-bc34-40be-8d85-6bb4f56f5110&DisplayLang=en
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: f0dder on December 04, 2007, 06:39 AM
Thanks for that link, blarson, will read when I'm back from shopping :)
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: jgpaiva on December 04, 2007, 08:39 AM
Thanks a lot blarson! I will definitelly read that to know what i'm missing out ;)
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on December 04, 2007, 09:09 AM
Thanks blarson - I've now had a chance to read the pdf - interesting. Doesn't (to my not necessarily well informed mind) provide any hints as to the performance boost. I wonder if in addition to everything else, it removes/disables by default, some of the services that are set to run automatically in earlier versions of XP?
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: f0dder on December 04, 2007, 09:18 AM
Hm, the list of that PDF is pretty ho-humm-whatever, and certainly doesn't explain the "OMFG 10% SPEED GAIN!11!" claim, but there's probably other little changes and tweaks not mentioned in the pdf.

We'll see :)
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: vegas on December 05, 2007, 02:18 PM
Microsoft has published the Windows XP Service Pack 3 Overview as a PDF.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=68c48dad-bc34-40be-8d85-6bb4f56f5110&DisplayLang=en

Funny how clear they make it,  "You Aren't Getting Any New Features In Here! (So Be Sure To Buy Vista For That!)".  Wouldn't want anyone to think XP was adding something of value on the level of Vista.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: MrCrispy on December 06, 2007, 03:05 AM
I don't trust that 100% number. Its a single data point and thus is not statistically significant. I want to see benchmarks across a variety of hardware before we go claiming that it actually speeds up things by that much.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Zjooj on December 07, 2007, 01:42 PM
I have to interject!! Nighted, you slay me!!  :Wizard: too funny!!

Pretty sure I saw a post in the current newsletter about this forums "gentle" nature. There has been more than one occasion in this post alone that someone could have started a flame war and been pissy but all just let it roll off and fire back another smart-a$$ comment. I love it!! Just love it...proud to be a part!! Thanks :Thmbsup:
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Silverchip on December 08, 2007, 01:52 PM
Is it really needed right now? I really hate downloading things that microsoft just put out. Video updates from windows updates always fail :-\.......... Anyhow seem like a future plan.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Ralf Maximus on December 08, 2007, 01:57 PM
Nighted, thanks for risking your crumpets.  :-)
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Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: f0dder on December 08, 2007, 05:25 PM
Awwww, I love that movie :D (only #1 though, the sequels sucked).
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: blarson on December 09, 2007, 11:17 AM
Had my first adverse, but predictable side affect of SP3 when I tried to load the Link Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD) Responder (KB922120) fix. It failed because it thought it was already updated. It isn't a security issue, but would allow Vista to do a network map of XP machines. It should be loaded before SP3. Waiting for Patch Tuesday with interest.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Stephen47 on December 10, 2007, 07:48 PM
Windows is telling me that SP3 is 70 MB not the 337 mentioned in the first post. Why is this?
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on December 10, 2007, 08:14 PM
Windows is telling me that SP3 is 70 MB not the 337 mentioned in the first post. Why is this?

The FULL installer is 337MB, if you're using the hack to make Windows Update think that you're part of the beta team it will only download and install the bits that you haven't already installed...
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: kimmchii on December 11, 2007, 04:30 PM
RC1 is available for download:

http://download.windowsupdate.com/msdownload/update/v3-19990518/cabpool/windowsxp-kb936929-sp3-x86-enu_a2ca583dedcd86837796111a632efa29a23f4cc0.exe
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: lanux128 on December 11, 2007, 10:50 PM
from CyberNet News: Download Windows XP SP3 (RC1) from Microsoft

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• http://cybernetnews.com/2007/12/11/download-windows-xp-sp3-rc1-from-microsoft/

Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: nosh on December 13, 2007, 04:06 AM
The most realistic sounding review for SP3 I've read so far... it's done in mid-October for the first beta though.

Actually, this would be a good time to introduce a few of Vista's user interface upgrades, if only to make XP users look longingly towards the newer OS.

Alas, that's not what SP3 delivers. The new stuff isn't particularly noteworthy, and the rest has been available already through Windows Update. SP3 functions primarily as a collection of past fixes with a few security additions. SP3 is most certainly essential for anyone who hasn't applied SP2, and for those who haven't kept up with the Windows Update downloads, but if you've been on top of things, SP3 won't do much for you.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2200774,00.asp
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on December 13, 2007, 08:46 AM
Thanks for the link Nosh. This in particular caught my eye (along with what you highlighted above, of course)"

And what about compatibility? Devices running Windows Embedded or Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs will not be able to install SP3. Updates to those OS versions will be available later. And if you're running Windows XP Starter Edition, don't install SP3—you won't be able to log on. But Windows XP Media Center machines, of which there are thousands, raise the biggest concern. The SP3 beta stopped these PCs from receiving Media Center updates (this was certainly the case on my own PC) and often prevented connections to Media Center Extender devices, including the Extender for Xbox. These issues should be addressed by the time Microsoft releases SP3 (the company hasn't commited to a date; my guess would be early 2008), but keep checking PC Magazine for news about the problem being resolved. In particular, if you see a fully public beta download of SP3, check for compatibility before giving it a try.

Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: jacquesrober on December 13, 2007, 10:41 AM
I have tried to install SP 3, at first, without success. I knew that my os needed to be repaired so I did a recovery and then installed SP 3 and had no problems,,, until I had to reboot the system. Then: blue screen and , yes, let's do another system recovery. Now after many days of rebuilding my system the way I like it(IE.: removing all the bundled software included with the system recovery) and reinstalling my favorites software and cleaning up, I will wait for SP3 to be available normally.
I do not know what happened save that the computer would not boot. Still, I did need to do a recovery, so no harm done.
Jacques.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Ralf Maximus on December 13, 2007, 10:54 AM
Ran SP3 RC1 on a test workstation here.  It broke eFax messenger pretty badly.  Uninstalling/reinstalling the eFax client fixed it. 

Note that while it's designated a test workstation, it's a near clone of my primary machine with all the same software, service packs, and development stuff.  The plan is if my main PC croaks, I can keep functioning until I fix it.  The only hardware difference is that it's got a single-core CPU, only two monitors, and doesn't have the nice external RAID cage.

No other problems to report.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Stephen47 on December 17, 2007, 07:37 PM
The people over at Tech Support Guy are telling me it is illegal to download SP3. I had a networking problem not related to Sp3 but after I installed it I put it in my signature and was scolded. Here is the link if you are interested in what a couple of them have to  say: http://forums.techguy.org/networking/661189-laptop-issue-redux.html
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Ralf Maximus on December 17, 2007, 10:16 PM
Note you can download XP SP3 RC1 directly from Microsoft's unsecured public servers.  Is that illegal?  No.  It may be ill-advised to run beta software, but criminal?  Hardly.

Here's the deal...

It's available to anyone who is interested in trying out the new build.  MSDN and TechNet subscribers have it now (about 15,000 subscriptions exist, some belonging to IT organizations of thousands of users, each of whom may have it now if they want) and the wraps are about to come off the public beta.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1038

[ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

They're not trying to stop the flow of XP SP3 RC1 downloads; in fact, they're counting on it.  They want everyone in the world to be their product test dummies and uncover the problems; and if there are problems they can paste a big concerned smile on their face and scold you with, "we told you it was a beta."

So relax, it's not illegal.  Not in the sense that any sane person cares -- not even Microsoft.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: lanux128 on December 17, 2007, 10:41 PM
yes, it's not illegal but it comes with a warning that if it breaks anything they will have no part in it..  :huh:
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Nighted on December 17, 2007, 10:49 PM
Oh..My..Gawd...Thomas, what have you done with the Ferrari?!
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: tinyvillager on December 18, 2007, 09:33 PM
I just installed this over top of the original SP3,no problems to report so far (5 Minutes after install  :D)

Standalone Update Package for Windows® XP Service Pack 3 Release Candidate (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=75ed934c-8423-4386-ad98-36b124a720aa&DisplayLang=en)

Quick Details
File Name: windowsxp-kb936929-sp3-x86-enu.exe
Version: 3264
Knowledge Base (KB) Articles: KB936929 
Date Published: 12/18/2007
Language: English
Download Size: 336.1 MB
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Ralf Maximus on December 18, 2007, 10:12 PM
My mind translated thatt into "Update for Windows XP SP 3 RC"; i.e. an update patch for the RC1 file available for a few weeks.

That turns out not to be the case; this *is* the same file.  The 336 MB download size should have tipped me off.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: lanux128 on December 18, 2007, 10:35 PM
at least now it is officially available from Microsoft.. i wonder if they will "push" SP3 via automatic updates? with a filesize of 336MB, that would be some update. :)
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on December 18, 2007, 10:55 PM
I have the file but have yet to install it... Still waiting for a full-blown review.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: lanux128 on December 18, 2007, 10:57 PM
or until the words "Release Candidate" is dropped..
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Ralf Maximus on December 18, 2007, 11:03 PM
With searchlights blazing hundreds of metres into the night sky, neon blistering everywhere and a battery of digital cameras capturing every second, the most ultra-modern city on earth seems a million miles from the forbidding stone walls of the Microsoft campus in Washington.

But it was here last night in Tokyo that the world was led back – with a good dose of Redmond razzmatazz – into the realm of magic and given its first glimpse of Windows XP Service Pack 3: the update that sees the popular operating system growing up to face the dreadful truth of its destiny.

For it is in this latest – third – service pack outing of Bill Gate’s saga that Windows XP painfully begins to understand the battles with evil that lie ahead. It is an update where the balance of narrative tips from action to intrigue and there are some that will find that tedious.

It got 3 out of 5 (http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/film_reviews/article2000948.ece) stars in that review, so somebody likes it.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on December 18, 2007, 11:07 PM
Wow. Thanks Ralf - off to read that review (didn't actually occur to me to actively seek out reviews... I just thought they'd come to me. Darned if one didn't!  :P).
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: lanux128 on December 19, 2007, 12:03 AM
I just thought they'd come to me. Darned if one didn't!  :.
this is something that a little bit of googling could solve.. :)
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on December 19, 2007, 01:34 AM
Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! You got me Ralf  ;D I only just got around to actually reading the "review" - very illuminating. Looks like Lanux' suggestion is the way forward and I'll have to do the heavy lifting on this one myself.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Ralf Maximus on December 19, 2007, 02:01 AM
I was beginning to wonder.

:-)
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: f0dder on December 19, 2007, 05:26 AM
or until the words "Release Candidate" is dropped..
Hear ye, hear ye!
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on December 19, 2007, 08:59 AM
I did google this and the overall consensus seems to be that there is a noticeable increase in peppiness and that everything seems stable... However, people are reporting driver issues (soundcards) and problems with accessing network drives. All told, I'm stearing clear and waiting for the final release.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Ralf Maximus on December 19, 2007, 01:08 PM
My experiences so far have been positive.  The machine I installed it upon (see above) has been rock solid, without any driver issues.  Haven't used it enough to notice any performance boost, but it is up 24/7 and I check in occasionally to do some surfing & whatnot.

If there ARE problems, the concensus seems to be you'll notice right away: video problems, hung installation, drivers disappearing from the hardware wizard.  In my case, the eFax client stopped working but was fixed easily by reinstalling it.  So if you're confident your backup images are current, I'd say it's safe enough to try.

But I'd wait until after any mission-critical deadlines are past.  If things go awry, restoring a disk image from backup can eat up a lot of time.  :-)
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: lanux128 on December 20, 2007, 09:57 AM
i wonder if this release has a sort of a placebo effect on those who are holding back from "upgrading" to Vista.. when i'm going to install SP3, i'd like to think that it is due to the security patches & fixes more than performance boost.. :)
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: blarson on January 19, 2008, 11:05 AM
No problems with SP3 RC1 so far, except some of the hotfixes are not picked up. Softpedia has a good FAQ on SP3: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows-XP-Service-Pack-3-SP3-FAQ-76735.shtml

Question #13 is very helpful in noting that it takes at least one hour after rebooting for the un-install to complete. I heard that Vista SP1 may take three days to install.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Darwin on January 19, 2008, 12:55 PM
Question #13 is very helpful in noting that it takes at least one hour after rebooting for the un-install to complete. I heard that Vista SP1 may take three days to install.

 :o That's unbelievable. I'm off to read the FAQ at Softpedia - thanks for the link.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Armando on January 19, 2008, 01:13 PM
Vista SP1 may take three days to install.

I wonder what these numbers mean anyway. But it surely seems like a loooonnng while.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Yes-a-Windows-Vista-SP1-Installation-Can-Take-Up-to-4-Days-76340.shtml
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: lanux128 on January 19, 2008, 10:08 PM
Question #13 is very helpful in noting that it takes at least one hour after rebooting for the un-install to complete. I heard that Vista SP1 may take three days to install.

wow! Q#13 has made the Softpedia FAQ a must-read.. ;)
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: f0dder on January 20, 2008, 03:11 AM
Nasty :)

Personally I don't install service packs on a machine I use, instead I slipstream and reinstall windows. More reliable, and you get that minty-fresh "new windows install" feel. Sure, a bit of a bother to reinstall all apps and settings, but if you've done it enough times, it becomes routine.
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: lanux128 on January 20, 2008, 08:20 AM
Personally I don't install service packs on a machine I use, instead I slipstream and reinstall windows. More reliable, and you get that minty-fresh "new windows install" feel. Sure, a bit of a bother to reinstall all apps and settings, but if you've done it enough times, it becomes routine.

glad to see someone still re-installing Windows in these days of drive imaging.. :)
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: blarson on January 27, 2008, 11:25 AM
Starting another round of testing with the new SP3 build. Un-install, update, then install new version.
Windows XP Service Pack 3 RC Refresh 2 Build 3282 Standalone Installation Package Download
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/01/27/windows-xp-service-pack-3-rc-refresh-2-build-3282-standalone-installation-package-download/
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Curt on February 21, 2008, 07:20 AM
Windows XP SP3 RC 2 download on Windows Update

Posted: 20 Feb 2008 10:14 AM CST

windows xp sp3 I had been wondering whether Windows XP SP3 got lost somewhere in the Microsoft abyss, but it looks like it is alive and kicking after all. Microsoft slowly but surely rolled out Release Candidate 2 yesterday, which is available for download via Windows Update.

Like always you’ll need to uninstall any other pre-release version before trying to update to the second Release Candidate. Once you’re all set just download and run this small file (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=114f3599-12af-42b2-aab1-b969a62c68a7&DisplayLang=en) (it modifies your registry) so that Windows Update will offer you the new pre-release copy of XP SP3.

The release notes (http://download.microsoft.com/download/c/d/8/cd8cc719-7d5a-40d3-a802-e4057aa8c631/relnotes.htm) don’t outline anything to die for, but I do find it interesting that Microsoft will now let users complete the setup of XP without having to provide a product key. Vista already has a similar feature, and apparently it’s gone over well enough that they’ve decided to bring it back to Windows XP. Although no one will really notice this feature unless they slipstream SP3 into their XP installation CD.

There’s still no word on when XP SP3 will be released, but I don’t think it will be before mid-March. That’s when Vista SP1 is supposed to be available to the public, and Microsoft will likely want to keep all of the focus on Vista.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Copyright © 2008 CyberNet (http://cybernetnews.com/) |
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: oldfart on February 22, 2008, 05:54 PM
Greetings,
I just got an email from a friend who just upgraded to SP3 and afterward Windows refused to install any other updates.  Here's what he says:  Once you install SP3 it IGNORES all updates needed to be installed! THEN if you uninstall SP3 and go back to SP2 the updates will re-appear. Only problem is they will not install!!
 
He says he checked the forums and found many having this problem.  He tried to remove the SP3 upgrade but it also removed IE7 and all his drivers and would not reinstall them.  Fortunately its just a test machine so he will format and reload XP. 
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: nosh on February 23, 2008, 05:33 AM
Anyone know if SP3 carries IE7 as:
1. An optional component
2. An IE6 upgrade/replacement or
3. A mandatory install side-by-side with IE6?
 
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: Curt on February 23, 2008, 10:16 AM
Anyone know if SP3 carries IE7

Read: http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=2659348&SiteID=17
Title: Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??
Post by: nosh on February 23, 2008, 11:15 AM
Windows Intervet Explorer 7 has not been integrated, but the updated for it have been integrated!

Excellent! Thanks, Curt.