Windows XP SP3 RC launched!

[Demon Cleaner]

You can update your windows copy with everything it got, not only the SPs. You update like you had a legal copy of windows, and before rebooting your system, you run the installer which copies one file and makes a registry entry. Sometimes you have to reboot twice, as it didn't copy the file correctly. But after reboot you can again check if windows is at its latest state.

[Harrison]

Hmm... that sounds good. Would you be able to send me a copy? Or upload it to your webspace?

[Demon Cleaner]

Here it comes, latest version is from 18.10.2007

[Harrison]

Nice one. Thanks. I will have to try that out later.

BTW, do you know if it also worked with XP MCE 2005? Or just the normal XP?

[Demon Cleaner]

Don't know, have a look at the .nfo file.

[Harrison]

Has anyone installed XP SP3 yet? I had a Windows update earlier this week informing me that SP3 was really to download and install. Apparently M$ are attempting to roll it out again for all XP users in the hope to get more to upgrade.

I've so far held off upgrading to SP3 as I want to hear what the press have to say about it and any issues it causes.

[sarek2k]

I'm using a slip streamed version of xp with sata drivers (which i needed as no floppy drive or even any ide drives!) It also has WGA crack and Sp3 installed straight out with a custom installer which unpacks on the fly while installing. It also has re-worked vista style install with some crappy bmw over vista screens as well as vista type aero stuff i have to say i love the look of it all but it's a bit of a dog running mind you my previous etho versions have also thrown up similar errors so i don't know if i've got some faulty memory or summat (1.5gb)

Anyway if you wanna try it look for this name:

Windows XP PRO SP3 RTM (5512) VistaVG Ultimate + SATA-Raid (04-23-2008)

Ps all updates have installed fine no problems!

[Harrison]

Interesting. I've been using a custom XP on one of my PCs for some time now. It is from the Shareaza community site PeerWeb and is simply called PeerWeb XP. The creators did a great job of it, creating a custom installer that has a very similar feel to some of the Linux installers for Fedora or SUSE. They have crammed in a ton of utilities, applications and other stuff that you can choose during the install, plus cutting out all of the crap from XP making the install much smaller and ending up with a lightweight XP that is more stable.

But that has now been superseded by another custom XP called TinyXP, which is currently as version TinyXP v8.0 SP3 and is definitely one worth considering when anyone needs to reinstall XP the next time. I'm definitely going to be trying it on one of my spare PCs when i get chance. If you want to take a look go here.

However on my main PC I do use a real licensed copy of XP, and I always do use real copies of OSs on my main system as I like to have the proper access to everything instead of the need to hack or crack something to trick it into doing something. And owning original copies also means that when it comes time to upgrade to the next OS I can do it cheaper than needing to buy a full version from scratch.

I think as SP3 is mostly bug fixes and updates I am going to be installing it, but not before I've made a Restore Point just in case.

[Buleste]

Just found this oin the Yahoo new sweb site.

Windows XP's latest service pack, SP3, is just a few hours old but the already the complaints are flying Microsoft's way. Reported problems range from being simply unable to install the thing properly to being unable to boot up once you have, and any number of smaller issues in between.

However, the XP community is never one to shy away from having a good old moan, particularly when it can curse and rant, damn and blast everyone and everything at Microsoft right up to Bill Gates himself. I know I very much enjoy doing so every once in a while. It's good for the spleen.

Anyway, with arrival of SP3, the complaints aren't nearly as bad as they could have been. Could it be that so many of us have moved onto Vista that it's just not worth griping about XP any more. Or, miracles of miracles, could Microsoft have got this one half right?

Hopefully it's the latter, what with Vista being a despicable pile of dog shit and all (ahh, that's much better), and because this is likely to be the last major update to the aging OS. Windows XP will in fact stop being sold by our giant Redmond friend at the end of June and mainstream support will only last until April next year. Fairwell old friend; I'll begrudgingly admit that you might have been slightly useful for a couple of minutes.

M$ aren't ruling out extending the support for XP due to the resistance against Vista.

[Harrison]

I just had a thought. In order to get a legal copy of XP working for more than 30 days you need to activate it. When M$ discontinue support for the OS how long will they keep the activation servers running for it? And in years to come when someone still using XP tries to reinstall it and it asks to be activated does this mean the OS will be dead unless they resort to illegal cracking of the activation?

This is a similar situation to many games these days, especially MMOs. In years to come when the servers have closed down how will the fans preserve online only games for the future? I can't see it will be easily possible with most of the game's content often held at the server end. Look back already to some that are now dead such as Earth and Beyond. I own that game but cannot play it because it requires the server content to work. Therefore I own a completely dead PC game.