said by DT :

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Microsoft released SP3 to testers last week, but the general public can now download the service pack via Windows Update. Users have to first download a small registry file from Microsoft which gives them special access to Windows Update to download SP3.

"The script sets a registry key on your system. The registry key is required for Windows Update to recognize your machine as a valid target for Windows XP Service Pack 3 RC2," states Microsoft. "It is recommended that you apply the resulting update package to an activated, genuine copy of Windows XP, in a test environment."

Users are also asked to remove any previous beta or release candidate versions of SP3 before proceeding with the latest update.

Some of the new functionality included with SP3 include Black hole router detection, Network Access Protection, Credentials security service provider and the Microsoft Kernel Mode Cryptographic Module.

Microsoft says that the RTM version of Service Pack 3 will be available during the first half of 2008. If all goes well with RC2 testing, we should see the final code shortly.

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said by TwKs :

Any idea what the build number is for this?

quote:

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So, what's XP SP3 all about? We thought you'd ask that, so here are a few answers to tide you over now. When the upgrade goes final, we'll follow up with more.

What exactly has Microsoft handed over?
Dubbed Service Pack 3, v.3311 once it's installed, Microsoft says that this is SP3 RC2 (for Release Candidate 2). By all indications, it's the same build as the one seeded to the closed-set of 15,000 beta testers about two weeks ago, on Feb. 7.

What's the process like?
Long and semi-cumbersome. But hey, it's prelim, right?

After downloading the hack, the first chore is to uninstall any previous version of XP SP3. For most users, that would be SP3 RC, the December 2007 build given to all comers. To do that, open "Add or Remove Programs" from Control Panel, check the "Show Updates" box, then scroll to the bottom of the listing. Select "Windows XP Service Pack 3" and then click the "Remove" button. The uninstall ends with a reboot.

Next, you should run WU to grab any missing security updates. This applies to everyone, but most of all to users who had been running SP3 RC; like other service pack previews, it refused to "see" XP patches. (One Computerworld test system, for instance, that had SP3 RC installed in mid-December hadn't grabbed any updates during the normal January and February patch cycles.) You may need to reboot here as well.

Finally, run the registry hack downloaded earlier, then fire up WU again. XP SP3 RC2 should now appear. It's a 66MB download for most users, but your mileage may vary. When RC2 has been downloaded and installed, the PC does a final reboot.

Why is Microsoft using Windows Update to deliver SP3 RC2?
Our guess is that Microsoft's testing the WU mechanism, which will, after all, be the way virtually all consumers and small business receive the service pack when it eventually goes RTM (release to manufacturing).

The company did the same thing with Windows Vista SP1 in mid-January. On Jan. 10, it offered SP1 RC Refresh to the invite-only testers and told them to grab it using WU. Two days later, Jan. 12, it released the same build to the public, again through WU.

Can I roll back XP to its pre-SP3 condition if I want?
How do I do that? Yes to the first. Easy to the second.

To ditch SP3 and return to (presumably) SP2, open "Add or Remove Programs" from Control Panel, check the "Show Updates" box, then scroll to the bottom of the listing. Select "Windows XP Service Pack 3" and then click the "Remove" button.

The PC needs to reboot, but after that the machine should return to its prior state.

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