Windows XP Service Pack 3
Overview
Microsoft works to continually improve the performance, security,
and stability of the Windows operating system. As part of this effort, Microsoft
develops updates, fixes, and other improvements that address issues reported by
the company’s customers and partners. To make it easier for customers to get
these updates and enhancements, Microsoft periodically combines them into a
single package, and makes that package available for all Windows customers.
These packages are called service packs.
Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) includes all previously released Windows XP
updates, including security updates and hotfixes. It also includes select
out-of-band releases, and a small number of new enhancements, which do not
significantly change customers’ experience with the operating system.
Windows XP SP3 provides a new baseline for customers still deploying Windows XP.
For customers with existing Windows XP installations, Windows XP SP3 fills gaps
in the updates they might have missed—for example, by declining individual
updates when using Windows Update.
Windows Vista provides the most advanced security and management capability, but
for PCs that cannot be upgraded to Windows Vista right now, Windows XP SP3
ensures these PCs have all available updates and allows these PCs to leverage
some new Windows Server 2008 capabilities, such as Network Access Protection
(NAP).
Note: Windows XP SP3 is for x86 editions of Windows XP only. The x64
editions of Windows XP were serviced by Windows Server 2003 SP2. For additional
information, go to
Windows
Server 2003 Service Pack 2.
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