Overview
Micfosoft released Windows XP Service Pack 3 to manufacturing on April 21. It is the last Service Pack for Windows XP released by Microsoft. IS&T in collaboration with other members of the MIT community have been testing various betas of SP3 within the MIT computing environment for several months. The main foci of this effort has been to identify areas of potential impact on MIT computing community with this release, conduct tests on the suite of supported applications, to document compatibilities issues, and to find possible work-arounds.
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.
New Functionality
The following is a list of functionality that is included with the service pack, which is not addressed by the included hotfixes and security updates.
Area |
Functionality |
Description |
Networking |
"Black Hole Router" Detection |
Windows XP Service Pack 3 includes improvements to black hole router detection (i.e., detecting routers that are silently discarding packets), and turns it on by default. |
Networking |
Network Access Protection |
NAP is a policy enforcement platform built into Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 (now in beta testing), and Windows XP Service Pack 3 (which includes the NAP Client for Windows XP, now in beta testing) that allows you to better protect network assets by enforcing compliance with system health requirements. With NAP, you can create customized health policies to validate computer health before allowing access or communication, automatically update compliant computers to ensure ongoing compliance, and optionally confine noncompliant computers to a restricted network until they become compliant. http://www.microsoft.com/technet/network/nap/napfaq.mspx |
Security |
Credentials Security Service Provider |
This is a new Security Service Provider being added in Windows XP Service Pack 3 that is available via the Security Service Provider Interface, for forward compatibility with Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. CredSSP enables an application to delegate the user's credentials from the Client to the target Server. The Windows XP Service Pack 3 functionality provides the client-side SSP implementation. It is used by Remote Desktop Protocol 6.0 and is available for use by third party applications as well. |
Security |
Descriptive Security Options UI |
The Security Options control panel in Windows XP Service Pack 3 now has more descriptive text to explain the settings and prevent incorrect configuration of settings. |
Security |
Enhanced security for Administrator and Service policy entries |
In System Center Essentials for Windows XP Service Pack 3, Administrators and Service entries will be present by default on any new instance of policy. Additionally, the UI for the "Impersonate Client After Authentication" user right will not be able to remove these settings. |
Security |
Microsoft Kernel Mode Cryptographic Module |
Windows XP Service Pack 3 includes the implementation of the SHA2 family of hashing algorithms (SHA 256, 384 and 512) and support for the same in X.509 certificate validation.
Previously, Windows XP Service Pack2 crypto modules rsaenh.dll, dssenh.dll and fips.sys had been certified according to FIPS 140-1 specifications. FIPS 140-1 standard has been now replaced by FIPS 140-2. These modules have now been validated and certified according to this new standard. |
Previously Available Functionality
In addition to previously released hotfixes and security updates, some functionality included with the service pack was previously available as a separate download. The following is a list of such functionality. Where applicable, the Microsoft Knowledge Base article number is included.
Area |
Functionality |
Description |
Imaging |
Windows Imaging Component |
Microsoft Windows Imaging Component (WIC) is now provided with Windows XP Service Pack 3. WIC provides an extensible framework for working with images and image metadata. WIC provides WIC-enabled applications to display and edit any image format, for which a WIC-compliant CODEC is installed, and also to read and write metadata in image files. WIC was previously available on the Microsoft Download Center. (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=8E011506-6307-445B-B950-215DEF45DDD8). |
Management |
Microsoft Management Console 3.0 |
Microsoft Management Console 3.0 (MMC 3.0) is a framework that unifies and simplifies day-to-day system management tasks on Windows by providing common navigation, menus, toolbars, and workflow across diverse tools. This previously released update is detailed at Microsoft Knowledge Base. (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/907265). |
MDAC |
Microsoft Core XML Services 6.0 |
MSXML 6.0 (MSXML6) has improved reliability, security, conformance with the XML 1.0 and XML Schema 1.0 W3C Recommendations, and compatibility with System.Xml 2.0. |
MSI |
Windows Installer 3.1 v2 (3.1.4000.2435) |
Windows Installer 3.1 is a minor update to Windows Installer 3.0 that was released in September 2004. Windows Installer 3.1 contains new and enhanced functionality. Additionally, Windows Installer 3.1 addresses some issues that were found in Windows Installer 3.0. This previously released update is detailed at Microsoft Knowledge Base. (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/893803). |
Networking |
Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) 2.5 |
This is a required component for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 and for Windows Live OneCare. The new features of BITS 2.5 help improve security. If you use BITS to transfer data, the new features also improve flexibility. This previously released update is detailed at Microsoft Knowledge Base. (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/923845). |
Networking |
Digital Identity Management Service (DIMS) |
DIMS makes it possible for users who log onto any domain-joined computer running Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or higher to silently have all of their certificates and private keys available for applications and services. |
Networking |
IPsec Simple Policy Update for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP |
This update for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP helps simplify the creation and maintenance of IPsec filters, reducing the number of filters that are required for a Server and Domain Isolation deployment. The Simple Policy Update removes the requirement for explicit network infrastructure permit filters and introduces enhanced fallback to clear behavior. This previously released update is detailed at Microsoft Knowledge Base. (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/914841). |
Networking |
Peer Name Resolution Protocol 2.1 |
This update enables Windows XP Service Pack 3-based programs that use PNRP to communicate with Windows Vista programs that use PNRP. This component was last updated at version 2.0, via an update that is detailed at Microsoft Knowledge Base. (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/920342). |
Networking |
Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 |
This update to Windows XP provides support for Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2), which is the latest standards-based wireless security solution derived from the IEEE 802.11i standard. This previously released update is detailed at Microsoft Knowledge Base. (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/893357). |
Timeline
Microsoft released Windows XP SP3 to manufacturing on April 21, 2008.
News
Microsoft plans to released Windows XP Service Pack 3 for public on Aptil 29, 2008.
Announcements
Key Decisions
- Evaluate new functionality introduced in SP3
- Test all IS&T supported software with XP SP3 RC1
Notable Features
For an overview of Windows XP SP3 please visit Microsoft site
Windows XP SP3 Release Candidate 1 is freely available from Microsoft download site
Here is information on deploying Windows XP SP3:
Windows XP SP3 will be available through Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center. The service pack will also be available to Volume License customers, TechNet subscribers, and MSDN® subscribers. Through Windows Update, the download size varies, but it is typically 70 megabytes (MB), depending on the computer’s configuration. Through the Download Center, the download size is approximately 580 MB. Fundamentally, deploying Windows XP SP3 works the same as deploying SP1 and SP2 for Windows XP:
· SP3 is cumulative, so users can install SP3 on top of Windows XP SP1 or SP2.
· Windows XP SP3 supports the same languages as Windows XP did in its initial release.
· You can run the SP3 update package on any SKU of Windows XP SP1 or SP2. For example, you can run the SP3 update package on a computer running the Windows XP Media Center Edition with SP1.
· Tools and guidance for system administrators have not fundamentally changed from Windows XP SP2. For comprehensive information, visit the Deploy Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Service Pack 2 Deployment Information sites on Microsoft TechNet.
· You can deploy SP3 using Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003, Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007, or third-party solutions. The process has not fundamentally changed.
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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System Requirements
|
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition |
| • |
Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2002 |
| • |
Microsoft Windows XP Professional |
| • |
Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition |
Testing
Testing was conducted on various hardware configurations and
also included testing the current suite of supported applications.
The summary of testing with SP3 RC1 has been very positive and most
things work as expected. See the Test
Matrix for detailed information about specific products.
Known Issues
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