Windows XP SP3 Final is now available !

Service Pack 3 - New features, Installation Failures, Application Compatibility and known issues

http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=536&pgno=2

 

Can it be slipstreamed w/plain old Windows XP cd, or does it have to have SP1 or SP2 from before?

By the way, for all people interested in slipstreaming, nLite seems to do it quite nicely without any hassle (you can even modify the image and make your "own" Windows XP CD).

 

My exact plans and know of no reason you could not.

 

From the Tech ARP article:

 

SP3 can be slipstreamed to SP0 (RTM) but for installation on a live system it needs SP1 or SP2.

 

? If sp3 is simply a roll-up of all previous updates (sp1 & 2 + post sp2 updates) why are they needed?

 

Unfortunately I dont an answer for you ThunderZ Microsoft said that you need at least SP1 before installing SP3 and thats all I know.

 

Thanks WSFuser. With that bit of info. I`m site you just saved me some headaches.

 

Thanks for the clarification I wonder what's the difference

 

The final version is now hosted on the Microsoft website.

Get the link on the 1st post.

 

Slipstreaming: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-slipstreaming.htm

By slipstreaming you can have a XP cd with SP3 on it. That way when you reinstall Windows you wont have to also reinstall SP3.

 

Sorry nanana1 but direct downloads are frowned on. Could you please provide a link to the MS page.

 

Direct link has been removed due to your request and users' frowns.

 

I do know what slipstreaming means I wonder about why you need SP1/SP2 installed to install SP3 and you don't need any of them to slipstream. Perhaps you need a minimum version of Windows Update or BITS or something else?

 

Just did a search on MS downloads. SP3 is still not showing up. Could you provide a link to the page that contains the d\l link.

 

Yup, it isn't available yet. Perhaps, they're preparing the servers for the onslaught of downloads and thus an FTP link slipped.

 

I'm pleased I saw your post earlier today. Thanks for the direct link.

 

Actually, I'm rather confused. I posted the direct link and was told that users frown upon direct links and so I took it down and you actually appreciate the direct link.

At this early stage, the MS download is not ready as the file is being uploaded onto the MS servers. The direct link is to serve the needs of the eager early adopters. By the time the download page is hosted, the MS servers would be jammed by heavy download traffic and you would have the speed you are seeing now.

 

Presumably SP3 updates covers all SP2,its a 316mb download after all,so using XP SP1 for the OS would also render an up to date XPsp3.

Cant see any point in slipstreaming to install SP3,unless you are doing a repair install.

 

My download started at almost 1 MB/sec. I didn't watch it all the way, but it was fast.

 

Bet it will not be fast when the download page is up

 

I agree. I just checked the download speed again. 1.1 MB/sec. And that's from a wireless router.

 

I installed SP3 into a test WinXP SP2 partition. No Windows Updates had been done after SP2 was installed to that OS.

Before SP3 there was 1.72 GB free space in the partition.

After installing SP3 there was 984 MB free space in the partition.

I deleted the Uninstall folder from the Windows folder and there was 1.22 GB free space in the partition.

I deleted the Service Pack Files folder from the Windows folder and there was 1.77 GB free space in the partition. More than I started with.

WinXP still said it was SP3 but I've no idea whether deleting the Service Pack Files folder was taking the cleanup too far. Any opinions?