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Details On Windows XP SP3 Leaked

Posted by kdawson on from the man-on-the-inside dept.

crazyeyes notes the leak of 7 pages of secret Microsoft information on the upcoming Service Pack for Windows XP. Quoting: "We were the first to break the news on the release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and the final RTM schedule of Windows XP Service Pack 3. Now, we will be the first to release the full details on Microsoft's Windows XP Service Pack 3, which as we know will be available for manual update on April 29, 2008."

33 of 140 comments (clear)

  1. This big news... by Jafafa+Hots · · Score: 5, Funny
    "Windows XP Service Pack 3 will contain hotfixes and updates released since Windows XP SP2."

    The rest of the details aren't quite as shocking. I hope nobody gets fired for leaking this controversial info.

    --
    This space available.
    1. Re:This big news... by blake1 · · Score: 5, Informative

      SP3 is 316MB.

    2. Re:This big news... by Tony+Hoyle · · Score: 2, Informative

      It's not exactly secret - the RC has been available for months and the final release has been on MSDN for ages.. and we're geeks right? We either have MSDN or know someone that does.

    3. Re:This big news... by poulbailey · · Score: 2, Informative
      The story isn't wrong per se. Here's what Microsoft has to say (from the PDF I linked elsewhere):

      Through Windows Update, the download size varies, but it is typically 70 megabytes (MB), depending on the
      computer's configuration. Through the Download Center, the download size is approximately 580 MB.
    4. Re:This big news... by YaroMan86 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      They could make a deal with game developers so that new games would only run on Vista. Hmmm. Might work.
      I doubt it. I've written about this before, though I'm far from an authority. Game makers want to develop for the largest platform. You really htink they would shoot themselves in the foot by switching over en-masse to DirectX 10, where gamers haven't really gone? Have you noticed that despite Vista's length of time out (Relatively short compared to XP, but long enough.) the door, the game market is still largely still pointing toward XP and DirectX 9?

      I'll consider the fact that more game makers are beginning to add Linux to their operating base, which makes OpenGL, SDL, and other alternative game libraries that aren't tethered down to Windows more of a prospect now. When OpenGL goes 3.0, how do you think even DirectX 11's Graphics API will compare?

      But, I get the gist of your post. Microsoft, like with Windows ME, really dropped the ball on Vista. Made a bunch of vaporware promises, made an incompatible, bloated, insecure, unstable system, and started living in a reality distortion field wherein Vista has virtually no problems. That reality distortion field isn't as bad as Apple's, but it is bad enough that Microsoft seems to think that Vista is a crushing success despite documented dwindling install/user base and growing Linux, OS X user bases.

      This makes me wonder about Windows 7. I have my doubts it will be an improvement. (Well, maybe over Vista, but it'll uphold the Microsoft tradition of mediocrity.) And news that Microsoft will be trying to release it sooner is an indication that Microsoft is scared to shit of what Vista has done to Windows' reputation. Because Windows 7 is getting rushed now, I imagine it'll be a piece of trash, like all the other rushed Windows versions out there. (Ironically, Vista wasn't rushed, and yet it still managed to be absolute FAIL on so many levels.)
  2. Something to take note of by blake1 · · Score: 5, Informative
    Allows users to complete their software setup without having to provide a product key.

    This isn't the case as far as I've experienced if you slipstream existing SP2 media with the latest service pack. Maybe you have to use new SP3 media from MS, who knows.

  3. DO NOT RTFA by dreamchaser · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's an empty non-story with NO new information. Don't reward them with ad hits.

    1. Re:DO NOT RTFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Once again adblock allows me to see just how appalling the site is without helping fund this "news".

    2. Re:DO NOT RTFA by eclectro · · Score: 5, Funny

      It's an empty non-story with NO new information. Don't reward them with ad hits. Furthermore, the operating system that it is about is a non-story with NO meaningful improvements. Don't reward them with an install.
      --
      Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
    3. Re:DO NOT RTFA by WK2 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Way ahead of you, man. I already didn't RTFA, and didn't plan to. I was just going to leave a bunch of comments on it, and imply that I read it.

      --
      Write your own Choose Your Own Adventure. http://www.freegameengines.org/gamebook-engine/
    4. Re:DO NOT RTFA by IBBoard · · Score: 5, Funny

      How likely is that anyway? 1) It's TFA and this is Slashdot and 2) it's about Windows and not Linux/Unix/other geeky stuff. That leaves a tiny proportion of /.ers as potential link clickers ;)

    5. Re:DO NOT RTFA by niceone · · Score: 5, Funny

      DO NOT RTFA

      I have mod points, but unfortunately there is no +1 Redundant.

      --
      ccalam - acoustic versions of new songs.
    6. Re:DO NOT RTFA by .orvp · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Oh yes there is...

      Modify your Comments Configuration, and place a +2 Redundant reason modifier. I do this as I think Redundant is the second worst mod option (after Overrated on Funny comments)

      --
      My other sig is just as lame
    7. Re:DO NOT RTFA by el+americano · · Score: 2, Interesting

      That's the main reason why I want an adblocker for FF that loads the ads, but doesn't display them. The other reason is that I don't want to be detected blocking ads, although that hasn't been a problem so far.

      --
      Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others. -Groucho Marx
  4. Re:Slow news day? by SolidAltar · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I love how sites put one paragraph per page just to annoy me AND put ads BEFORE the content even starts. On many websites you actually have to scan for a few seconds to find the actual content. There used to be "Printer Friendly" links on these kind of sites but I guess they're too smart for me.

  5. Secret Details? rubbish by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Every information about XP SP3 is available from MS website, and thats even more detailed. This is a crap article.

  6. Re:GNAA Penis Rocket To The Moon Project by Spad · · Score: 4, Funny

    Mod parent up - it's more interesting than the article.

  7. Links to service pack here... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    The service pack has already been leaked (more info here with usenet and bittorrent links). So far its working fine. There have been some scattered reports of problems but this is mainly due to people missing updates via glitches within Windows Update.

    1. My suggestion is everyone download Secunia PSI to scan their systems for older/vulnerable software. Update all software it finds to be out of date.

    2. Use Filehippo.com's Update Checking utility to update any software that PSI misses.

    3. Use a registry cleaner and temporary file cleanup utility to CCleaner.

    Then do the update. It should go perfectly well then.

    1. Re:Links to service pack here... by thePsychologist · · Score: 3, Insightful

      And they say Linux is harder to use than Windows.

      --
      "What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson
    2. Re:Links to service pack here... by TubeSteak · · Score: 3, Informative

      2. Use Filehippo.com's Update Checking utility to update any software that PSI misses. "Privacy Policy
      The Update Checker will not send any personal information back to FileHippo.com. The only information collected is a list of programs and their versions, along with the operating system details to help with processing. Additionally none of this is linked to your IP address and the logs are deleted after processing."

      What a refreshing privacy policy.
      I'm a convert.
      --
      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
  8. Just an ad-farm site with no new info by Little_Professor · · Score: 5, Funny

    This article[Next page] has absolutely no[Next page] new or "secret" information[Next page] at all.[Next page] What a waste of [Next page] 5 minutes of my life.

    1. Re:Just an ad-farm site with no new info by Barny · · Score: 2, Funny

      {huge banner ad}I am glad{huge banner ad}[Next page]{huge banner ad} it is slashdotted to{huge banner ad}[Next page]{huge banner ad} hell then.{huge banner ad}

      --
      ...
      /me sighs
  9. Re:Slow news day? by poulbailey · · Score: 4, Informative

    Yeah, it looks like it's mostly a rehash of Microsoft's own Windows XP Service Pack 3 Overview document. Nothing's leaked here.

  10. News? by jcr · · Score: 3, Funny

    Windows continues to asymptotically approach adequacy. Film at 11.

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
  11. DOJ mandates windows user interface now?! by gd23ka · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Check this: Address Bar on taskbar missing. This is no longer available at the request of the US Department Of Justice (DOJ)

    If those parasites don't like it they should ask for a private build. What's next?!?

  12. What we need... by jd · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...in HTML 5 is the ability to generate negative clicks. Negative clicking an ad-ridden site would give them negative numbers of viewers.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    1. Re:What we need... by CastrTroy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I wonder if we could build a plugin, that would give them so many extra clicks, such that their advertisers wouldn't believe that they actually generated that many hits, and would refuse to pay, on the grounds that they couldn't have possibly gotten so many hits. Basically just reload the page 500 times, possibly deleting any cookies so and making a minor change in the user agent so you look like a different person. Sure it's the same IP address, but I don't think they would really want to only count unique IPs.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    2. Re:What we need... by CastrTroy · · Score: 2

      I don't mind ads for the most part. I don't block ads on most sites. Slashdot seems to do a pretty good job supporting themselves, and the ads are pretty minimally invasive. Google doesn't do too bad either. And their ads are about as non-invasive as you get. What bothers me are the sites that put each paragraph on a separate page, or those that give you giant flashy pop-ups, or flash/js ads that hover over the text you are trying to read. I am much more likely to click on an ad if it doesn't annoy me. I really with advertisers and people who run sites would realize this. If the ads are too annoying I won't visit the site. If the ads aren't annoying, I have no problem visiting the site, and will probably even click on a few ads.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
  13. rtfa by spandex_panda · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think that alex zarkoff is the worst for next page, to find out what I mean go to page 2... Oh and I love that nobody RsTFA (and I hope that actually DOES stand for reads the fucking article, and not something sophisticated)

    --
    like phosphorescent desert buttons singing one familiar song
  14. Guys Chill by DarkOx · · Score: 5, Informative

    Microsoft seems to have actually gotten this one right. Its the least envasive service pack I have seen in a long time. Its not that interesting really. It truely is as advertised pretty just a patch rollup. Which was long over due because there were like 78 patches out there against sp2 or something similar. The other thing this provides is the new rdp 6.1 client. I down loaded it to put on my test machines becase we are looking at deploying a few blades running Server 2008 for terminal services to replace or tired Citrix servers. You need the new rdp stuffs for that work right client side.

    All this does is let people who admin Windows networks to clean up the WSUS boxes, maybe make some slip stream disks more easily for new installs and image building, and use the advanced features of 2008's terminal server.

    --
    Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
  15. here it is by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Right from the source:

    http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/3/5/53519680-fcc0-4a00-86e0-e7d5cba84461/WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe

  16. Re:GNAA Penis Rocket To The Moon Project by killmofasta · · Score: 2, Funny

    Nominate poster for pilot program.

  17. Re:I have the RTM sp3 as we speak..... by Lotunggim+Ginsawat · · Score: 2, Informative
    Or maybe download it straight from Microsoft servers that can handle more connections instead of dubious sources?

    http://www.download.windowsupdate.com/msdownload/update/software/svpk/2008/02/windowsxp-kb936929-sp3-x86-enu_9afedbd6b2941bf568c27046d6688e6ccb5ce018.exe

    MD5: BB25707C919DD835A9D9706B5725AF58
    SHA1: C81472F7EEEA2ECA421E116CD4C03E2300EBFDE4