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Windows XP Service Pack 3

Group of programs used to fix and upgrade Windows XP

7.0

2262 Votes

  • Category Necessary Components
  • Program license Free
  • Version 4012583
  • Size 331.81 MB
  • Works under: Windows XP
  • Program available in English
  • Program by Microsoft

A valid service pack that will update across all the XP ranges; from the Windows XP Home Edition and the Windows XP Media Center Edition to the Windows XP Professional Edition. It took four years to advance from the Windows XP Service Pack 2 to the Windows XP Service Pack 3; with Windows XP Service Pack 2 was almost legendary. This created a huge change that also shored up a better OS in an increasingly insecure world that has been moving towards always-on Internet.

The Release of the Windows XP Service Pack 3

With the arrival of the Service Pack 3 (SP3), we have seen a much quieter reception, and after one false start, the systems running Windows XP offered this update via their Windows Update. You can also get it as a standalone executable, and it comes in at around 314 MB total. With the standalone installer, this is a cumulative effect, so even if you have the ancient SP1, you cannot reinstall your OS using that and then add the SP3 in a single pass. The biggest advantage of this service pack is how it works with almost every variation of XP, and the installation process is pretty standard.

The Installation Time of the SP3

Using a fragmented Core 2-based PC, the installation process will take about 18 minutes and 30 seconds. After you have restarted the system, you do not have the same fanfare that you had with the SP2 which provided the shield icon and the full-screen reminder about updates. The system will reboot like normal, but you might feel hard-pressed about seeing a difference between the Vista SP1 and the Windows XP Service Pack 3. It does not add many features, and it returns to the olden days where service packs are pretty much just a simplified and practical application.

The Chief Goal of SP3

When it comes to the primary objective with SP3, the main goal relates to combining hundreds of security patches and bug fixes that were released since SP2. You have a more secure baseline installation than what you had with the previous installations, and the SP3 is determined not to give you anything new with their latest release. In fact, they would not even install the latest version of Internet Explorer for you, which seems ridiculous. As a result, if you have Internet Explorer 6, you will still have it after the download. The one difference, however, is that it will be fully patched. The chief goal with the Vista SP1 was to improve the speed of the performance. With the Windows XP Service Pack 3, however, Microsoft makes no claims about improving the speed. Still, we have to remember that Windows XP is actually still much faster than Windows Vista in almost every regard.

Pros

  • Better WiFi Security
  • You Have a New Management Console

Cons

  • You Do Not Have Any Major Usability Improvements with SP3
  • The Nice, New Features of SP3 Can Be Counted on a Single Hand
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