Microsoft has finally made the Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers available from Microsoft Downloads. The x86 version clocks in at 316.4 MB and is intended for system administrators who are required to updated more than 1 computer, or if you don't want to have use Windows Update the next time you clean install Windows XP.
Additionally, Microsoft also released a x86 ISO image of Windows XP SP3 standalone update CD. Currently there is no SP3 update for Windows XP (x64) because the kernel is based on Windows Server 2003 (x64) which has a separate update time-line. For release notes, checked build versions check here for both Vista SP1 and XP SP3.
Download: Windows XP SP3 Network Install (x86) | 316.4 MB
Download: Windows XP SP3 Update ISO Image (x86) | 544.9 MB (Updates XP to SP3 only)
Additionally, Microsoft also released a x86 ISO image of Windows XP SP3 standalone update CD. Currently there is no SP3 update for Windows XP (x64) because the kernel is based on Windows Server 2003 (x64) which has a separate update time-line. For release notes, checked build versions check here for both Vista SP1 and XP SP3.
















There won't be an x64 bit version until Server 2003 gets an SP3 since XP 64 is based on the Server 2003 codebase, not the XP x86 codebase.
I read the SP3 release pdf.
Last edited by deep1234 on 07 May 2008 - 08:38
I want to format and install XP, so should i get the ISO?
Tried this on 2 media center PCs. same issue. Tried it on my third PC which has Windows XP with SP2, not Media Center Edition. worked ok on that.
anyone tried this on MCE2005 SP2 edition? pls let me know.
Thank you.
I've not been able to make a functional integrated XP MCE 2005 SP3 to work.
I backed up my system and tried to install it 2 different times when it was available on 4-29-08. During installation, 3-4 popup windows came up that said several programs needed shutdown (WMI, windows defender, Dr Watson...). It continued and then just stopped when 'running processes after install'.
I tried to run it again today, and got the exact same results. I even let it run for about 3 hours, but no luck.
I have a dual-boot with XP Home and Vista Business (SP1). XP is on the 1st of 2 partitions on an 80G HD. Vista is on the 2nd partition.
I know there are problems with dual-booting Vista (like XP destroying Vista restore points). Does anyone know if a similiar problem exists with SP
Thanks!
Not that I have 2 cents in Euros or Dollars, for you....
Edit: No Offence was intended in above line. Carry on as you were ?!!!
Pretty uneventful. Was only about a 90Mb download which came through quite speedily (for MS). As is often the case with updates the install was pretty slow. Seemed to stop a few times (tnuser - especially at 'running processes after install'
Thats it.
Windows running fine (maybe a bit more responsive - faster, even boot-up maybe quicker)!?
Wasn't expecting to see any changes coz really this is just a tech tweak - but it did back up maybe a hundred or more DLLs before the install so must be more changes than reported.
Install was successful when I ran it in safe mode. So far, no problems.
Most computers include an image that the manufacturer created by using the System Preparation (Sysprep) tool. Sysprep lets the computer manufacturer generate an image that can be used on different computers. The problem that the Sysprep image was created on an Intel-processor-based computer and if the Sysprep image is then deployed on a non-Intel-processor-based computer, the Intel processor driver (Intelppm.sys) tries to load because of an orphaned registry key.
To fix the issue you have to log in Safe mode and fiddle with the following Registry Key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\intelppm
and change the value to 4. After which you close Regedit and restart the computer as normal.
Found this out using my Blackberry's Internet. Works like a charm now - but apparently Microsoft was aware of this issue since the previous RC, wonder why they didn't patch it up
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