However, in a departure from previous policy, it doesn't contain any of the Service Pack 1 fixes, so you need to have already installed SP1. SP3 even removes some minor Windows XP features, such as the taskbar Address option. While it does contain a few new minor features, it's essentially a collection of bug fixes released since SP2, and also includes all the hundreds of previously released updates, security improvements and hotfixes from Service Pack 2, so installing it ensures you have the very latest versions of every Windows XP system file. It is already downloadable from a few third-party sites, such as Major Geeks ( Service Pack 3 is an update for Windows XP Home, Professional, Tablet PC and Media Center Editions (but not Windows XP Professional 圆4), and at 316MB it will be a hefty download, so those with slower Internet connections will perhaps find it less stressful to wait for it to arrive on PC magazine freebie CD-ROMs. It was released to manufacturing on April 21st and downloadable via Windows Update () and Download Center ( from April 29th. Are there any implications for the thousands of XP-using musicians out there?Īs I write this, Microsoft are poised to unleash the long-awaited Windows XP Service Pack 3. The newly released Service Pack 3 will be the last one ever issued for Windows XP - and XP itself is due to go 'off the market' at the end of June.

Microsoft windows xp service pack 3