What is Windows XP Service Pack 3, and how do I install it?

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Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) is the third major update for Windows XP. It contains all of the previously released XP updates, plus new security patches and a few stability enhancements.

On this page:

Updates

Notable updates and improvements in SP3 include:

An update to the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) to version 3.0
An update of the Microsoft Extended Markup Language (MSXML) services to version 6.0
An update of the Windows installer to version 3.1.4
An update of the Remote Desktop Protocol, to allow for better communication
An update of the Wi-Fi Protected Access protocol to support WPA2, which is one of the latest wireless networking security standards used today
Updated, detailed explanations in many control panels

Note: Internet Explorer 7 and 8 are deliberate omissions from SP3. Microsoft will continue to maintain Internet Explorer as a separate update.

Installation advice

Microsoft has released instructions for preparing to install SP3. See Steps to take before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3 at the Microsoft Help and Support web site.

Note: SP3 requires a minimum of 1.5GB of free space, and will not install if certain updates are present. Also, UITS has discovered that SP3 will not appear in Windows Update if you have the Internet Explorer 8 beta installed. You may have to obtain the installer manually, or you may need to uninstall the Internet Explorer 8 beta. For more, see the Troubleshooting section below.

Installing SP3

To properly install SP3:

Follow the instructions in Steps to take before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3.
Launch Windows Update, either by clicking the Windows Update icon in your Start menu, or by using Internet Explorer to visit Windows Update on the web. SP3 should be one of the options available for download and installation.

If using Microsoft Update is not an option for you (e.g., if it fails, or if you are an administrator trying to automatically distribute this across multiple computers and need a stand-alone installer), you can download SP3 from the Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers page.

Troubleshooting

If XP SP3 fails to install:

Make sure you are running a version of Windows XP, and not a different version of Windows.
Make sure you have enough hard drive space. The minimum requirement is 1.5GB of free space; it's possible that your configuration may require more space.
Check to see if you have either the Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit or the Remote Desktop Connection (RDP) 6.0 update installed. SP3 cannot install if either of these updates are installed.
Check to see if you have the Internet Explorer 8 beta installed. If you do, you may have to download the stand-alone installer package linked above. If that fails, you may have to uninstall Internet Explorer 8 beta.

Microsoft offers free unlimited installation and compatibility support for SP3 (valid until April 14, 2009). For information about this policy, see the Windows XP Support Lifecycle page.

Microsoft has announced that it will provide security patches and updates to Windows XP until April 2014.

Search Microsoft Help and Support.

Known issues

In some instances, SP3 will reset your computer's NTLM setting back to the default for Windows XP (see LM, NTLM, and NTLMv2 on the IU network). This change most likely will prevent you from accessing your Indiana University Exchange account via your Outlook client (typically, Outlook will continually prompt you for your username and passphrase). To fix the problem, download and run the IU Windows Authentication Update from IUware. Additionally, you may have to create a new Outlook profile. For instructions, see Using Microsoft Outlook 2002, 2003, or 2007 for Windows, how can several people use the same computer to access Exchange mail?

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Last modified on November 11, 2009.