Xp sp3 update available

[mr soft]

This morning I was prompted to update to sp3, so it looks like it´s officially out of the testing phase.

It claims to give you 10% speed increase.
The "Black Hole" router detection is turned on by default.
I have no idea what this is. I´m just looking for some opinions before I update.
Thanks.

[Sharktooth]

Go on. The speed increase is there. Also ensure to slipstream the SP3 into XP installation CD coz, obviously, a fresh installation with SP3 gives the best results in terms of performance.
KB article on black hole routers: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/159211

[mr soft]

Thanks Sharktooth

I actually tried reading that link before posting, but could´nt make heads or tails out of it.
Does this also mean Ryan mv´s post sp2 has just been made obsolete ?

[Shinigami-Sama]

Thanks Sharktooth

I actually tried reading that link before posting, but could´nt make heads or tails out of it.
Does this also mean Ryan mv´s post sp2 has just been made obsolete ?

SP 3 = ryanvm's post SP2 pack + server 2k3 kernel(bare) + a handful of new services

so yes

I've had it installed a VM for a few days now
everything is going well, and they're much snappier than my old SP2 VMs

going to isntall for reals soon seeing as the VM is going so nice

[burfadel]

Sp3 is not quite as simple as what you just described. It does include all the updates released via the windows download site/windowsupdate, but there are many more (actually a greater number) of updates that aren't general released, that are avaiable via requesting the update for the particular kb article. There are roughly 4 times as many non-general released updates for XP as there are general release!

Some people do have the 1000 or so updates since sp2, now thats much closer to sp3 :)

[Konrad Klar]

SP 3 = ryanvm's post SP2 pack + server 2k3 kernel(bare) + a handful of new services

so yes


Server 2k3 kernel - does it mean support for >4GB of physical memory through PAE?

[Blue_MiSfit]

I updated my laptop yesterday. I haven't noticed much of a difference, but that's fine with me!

I just updated in place because it's a company laptop, and I didn't want to give it to the IT guys to flail about with for days while I get no work done.

~MiSfit

[Shinigami-Sama]

Server 2k3 kernel - does it mean support for >4GB of physical memory through PAE?

XP had that too in pro
but you needed to do a little more work to get it to work
and most apps failed in PAE mode as well do too poor programing and/or just plain incompatiblities

[burfadel]

XP was never Server 2003 in the Pro version, but it did have PAE! Everything on a computer has to support PAE, from the CPU to the motherboard and the devices for PCI remapping (or more correctly, the devices allowing the bios to do pci remapping, which most do).

I think the rumour that Xp SP3 is the same kernel as Server 2003 comes from the fact that Vista has been updated to the same kernel as Server 2008. The Windows version for XP is still as its always been 5.1, and Server 2003 has always been 5.2. The versions of Vista and Server 2003 are the same, and use the same patches (except for OS specific features).

[Shinigami-Sama]

XP was never Server 2003 in the Pro version, but it did have PAE! Everything on a computer has to support PAE, from the CPU to the motherboard and the devices for PCI remapping (or more correctly, the devices allowing the bios to do pci remapping, which most do).

I think the rumour that Xp SP3 is the same kernel as Server 2003 comes from the fact that Vista has been updated to the same kernel as Server 2008. The Windows version for XP is still as its always been 5.1, and Server 2003 has always been 5.2. The versions of Vista and Server 2003 are the same, and use the same patches (except for OS specific features).

we were talking about this in my OS class when SP3 was like RC1

[foxyshadis]

Sp3 is not quite as simple as what you just described. It does include all the updates released via the windows download site/windowsupdate, but there are many more (actually a greater number) of updates that aren't general released, that are avaiable via requesting the update for the particular kb article. There are roughly 4 times as many non-general released updates for XP as there are general release!

That's what "ryanvm's post SP2 pack" is, actually, it's not just security & feature packs but tons of hotfixes as well.

[Inventive Software]

Anybody have a list of what updates and hotfixes (ideally KB numbered) went into SP3, so I can choose whether to spend 3 hours slowly updating my freshly-installed laptop via the MCE2K5+WindowsUpdate route, or grab SP3 from the off? Would help my choices... I get great download speeds at university, especially from Microsoft's site, but not so great at home. :D

[Shinigami-Sama]

just download the ISO off the MS site at school and use it to update your laptop
theres some other fixes it in it than just a bunch of patches
its only like 550megs and is bootable

I happen to really like it
apart from some quirks when trying to intergrate addons and strip it down with nlite...

[Dr.Khron]

Ok, time for a new, full XP install.
Of course, I have to slipstream it into my install disk first, to avoid 30 hours of windows updates...

I still have my old tools, but are people using these days to slipstream with? Anything new and/or cool?

[clsid]

nLite works great for slipstreaming.

[SeeMoreDigital]

Microsoft still has an active link to their Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers version: -

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5b33b5a8-5e76-401f-be08-1e1555d4f3d4&displaylang=en

[burfadel]

There are literally hundreds of updates more from sp2 to sp3 than what's in the ryanvm's pack, the ryanvm's pack is just all the official releases. The other updates are available by request. Many of these updates may update the same files as in the official updates but to a later version etc.

These are the updates included in Sp3. These are only those updates that are post sp2. As you can see its many more than ryanvm's pack as it includes the aforementioned 'by request' updates. Here's the link to the Microsoft article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946480/

Also, it is NOT the bare Server 2003 core as many people think, Server 2003 is still a separate code stream. That rumour came about because Server 2008 and Vista sp1 are the same code stream.

[Shinigami-Sama]

just a tip with SP3 and addons
you might want to get the WBEM_FIX Addon from RyanVM before you start adding other things
thats about the biggest pitfall I had when making a custom ISO
also
having nlite remove dupes and compressing the files may or may not break it, depends on your original disc and how much you take out with nlite

also
how I Got mine to work the way I wanted it to without breaking or hanging for ever
nlite -> sp3 -> trim -> tweak
RVM's intergrater -> WBEM_Fix -> .net -> dx9 -> other addons -> iso

[burfadel]

I should have said that despite that sp3 is different to just sp2 + all the post updates, it doesn't include IE7, WMP 11, Directx updates etc etc! Remember to use the updated IE7 that came out last month.