XP SP3 goes RTM

Microsoft has released to manufacturing (RTM) its Service Pack 3 (SP3) update for Windows XP, and said it intends to make this available for general download on April 29th. Distribution via its Automatic Update service will come later in the summer.

In a statement, Microsoft said that SP3 includes all previously released updates for the operating system, as well as a small number of new additions that should not significantly change the Windows XP experience. However, it does not include the Internet Explorer 7 browser.

One notable new feature is support for Network Access Protection (NAP), a technology that was introduced in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. NAP is a policy enforcement mechanism with which firms can protect their network by ensuring compliance with system health requirements. NAP has been included in SP3 to make it easier for firms to manage a mixed environment of XP and Vista clients using Windows Server 2008, according to Microsoft.

See also:

XP SP3 for release next week?

Volume customers and MSDN and TechNet subscribers could receive SP3 by Monday  18 Apr 2008

Microsoft plots embedded future

Windows for sat-nav on the horizon  15 Apr 2008

Review: miniature laptop is hampered by Vista

While the Shift has some obvious strengths, it is poorly suited to Vista and has a low battery life  07 Apr 2008

Enterprise Windows use declined in 2007

Windows enterprise desktop dominance slowly eroded  01 Apr 2008

Vista SP1 fails to spark migration

Users give muted response to launch  28 Mar 2008

Review: Windows Server 2008 delivers security and savings

The latest version of Windows Server makes for simpler and more flexible deployments, but firms need to plan migration carefully  29 Feb 2008

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