Windows XP SP3
Overview

Here is some insight into Microsoft's next Service Pack for XP! Service Pack 3(SP3)!

The changes are mainly hotfixes/security fixes! Over 1020 to be precise! There are however a few underlying changes with this service pack.

Changes to specific areas include:
Security, the main change to this service pack.
Networking
Setup
New Functionality

Here is a breakdown of the new funtionality SP3 will bring you. It has been split into categories for your convenience:
Black Hole Router Detection
Area: Networking

SP3's black hole router detection has been significantly improved. Black hole router detection is when a router silently discards data packets. SP3 will turn black hole router detection on by default.


Network Access Protection
Area: Networking

Now, you have heard of Vista's new Network Access Protection(NAP)! Now XP gets it too! NAP is a policy enforcement platform built into Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 (now in beta testing), and Windows XP Service Pack 3 (which includes the NAP Client for Windows XP, now in beta testing) that allows you to better protect network assets by enforcing compliance with system health requirements. With NAP, you can create customized health policies to validate computer health before allowing access or communication, automatically update compliant computers to ensure ongoing compliance, and optionally confine noncompliant computers to a restricted network until they become compliant.


Credentials Security Service Provider
Area: Security

This is a new Security Service Provider being added in Windows XP Service Pack 3 that is available via the Security Service Provider Interface, for forward compatibility with Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. CredSSP enables an application to delegate the user’s credentials from the Client to the target Server. The Windows XP Service Pack 3 functionality provides the client-side SSP implementation. It is used by Remote Desktop Protocol 6.0 and is available for use by third party applications as well.


Descriptive Security Options UI
Area: Security

The Security Options control panel in Windows XP Service Pack 3 now has more descriptive text to explain the settings and prevent incorrect configuration of settings.


Enhanced security for Administrator and Service policy entries
Area: Security

In System Center Essentials for Windows XP Service Pack 3, Administrators and Service entries will be present by default on any new instance of policy. Additionally, the UI for the "Impersonate Client After Authentication" user right will not be able to remove these settings.


Microsoft Kernel Mode Cryptographic Module
Area: Security

Windows XP Service Pack 3 includes the implementation of the SHA2 family of hashing algorithms (SHA 256, 384 and 512) and support for the same in X.509 certificate validation. Previously, Windows XP Service Pack2 crypto modules rsaenh.dll, dssenh.dll and fips.sys had been certified according to FIPS 140-1 specifications. FIPS 140-1 standard has been now replaced by FIPS 140-2. These modules have now been validated and certified according to this new standard.


Windows Product Activation
Area: Setup

As in Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2, and Windows Vista, the user may now complete setup without having to provide their product key. They will be prompted for the product key as part of Genuine Advantage during subsequent use.


Previously Available Functionality

These changes are available for Windows XP SP2, however these may have not been downloaded before an upgrade to Windows XP SP3. Hence these changes will be built in to XP SP3 as it saves having to update them once you install the new SP. Anyway, here goes:
Windows Imaging Component
Area: Imaging

Microsoft Windows Imaging Component (WIC) is now provided with Windows XP Service Pack 3. WIC provides an extensible framework for working with images and image metadata. WIC provides WIC-enabled applications to display and edit any image format, for which a WIC-compliant CODEC is installed, and also to read and write metadata in image files.


Microsoft Management Console 3.0
Area: Management

Microsoft Management Console 3.0 (MMC 3.0) is a framework that unifies and simplifies day-to-day system management tasks on Windows by providing common navigation, menus, toolbars, and workflow across diverse tools.


Microsoft Core XML Services 6.0
Area: MDAC

MSXML 6.0 (MSXML6) has improved reliability, security, conformance with the XML 1.0 and XML Schema 1.0 W3C Recommendations, and compatibility with System.Xml 2.0.


Windows Installer 3.1 v2 (3.1.4000.2435)
Area: MSI

Windows Installer 3.1 is a minor update to Windows Installer 3.0 that was released in September 2004. Windows Installer 3.1 contains new and enhanced functionality. Additionally, Windows Installer 3.1 addresses some issues that were found in Windows Installer 3.0.


Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) 2.5
Area: Networking

This is a required component for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 and for Windows Live OneCare. The new features of BITS 2.5 help improve security. If you use BITS to transfer data, the new features also improve flexibility


Digital Identity Management Service (DIMS)
Area: Networking

DIMS makes it possible for users who log onto any domain-joined computer running Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or higher to silently have all of their certificates and private keys available for applications and services.


IPsec Simple Policy Update for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP
Area: Networking

This update for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP helps simplify the creation and maintenance of IPsec filters, reducing the number of filters that are required for a Server and Domain Isolation deployment. The Simple Policy Update removes the requirement for explicit network infrastructure permit filters and introduces enhanced fallback to clear behavior.


Peer Name Resolution Protocol 2.1
Area: Networking

This update enables Windows XP Service Pack 3-based programs that use PNRP to communicate with Windows Vista programs that use PNRP.


Wi-Fi Protected Access 2
Area: Networking

This update to Windows XP provides support for Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2), which is the latest standards-based wireless security solution derived from the IEEE 802.11i standard.

Source: Windows XP SP3 Release Notes© 2007 Microsoft Corporation

You did notice the date, right?  1 April 08  (April Fools Day)

 

SP3 is not scheduled for release until late April.  Nice read here.

Paul Thurrott has a nice website; I go there often and browse around for the latest & greatest stuff..

you are welcome, the link you have provided is a link to the download page for a file that shows you the over view of sp3, its not sp3 itself

I saw this on the Microsoft website this morning.

 

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=68C48DAD-BC34-40BE-8D85-6BB4F56F5110&displaylang=en 

 

Am I correct that this is the "real" Microsoft website or are they hacked or "fooled".?

 

By the way - thanks to Otiss for the info. Will take me a while to digest it all.

Download size   428 KB - 1.0 MB

 

should be the clue that it is not SP3

If SP3 RTM isn't available on TechNet (and it isn't), then it is not available to anyone yet.  The only versions up there on the RC's.