Windows

Windows 8 will certainly contain a number of new features and one of them is being set up as a safety net against any Windows 8 apps that might cause a security risk. In the Terms of Use document posted up for the upcoming Windows Store feature, Microsoft says that any application purchased and downloaded from the store can be disabled or even deleted from Windows 8 remotely by the company.

In the document, Microsoft says:

Today Microsoft announced the release of Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) to Windows Update and Microsoft Download Center. We also resumed automatic distribution of Windows Vista SP1. We will begin automatically distributing Windows XP SP3 in early summer.

As mentioned last week, we uncovered a compatibility issue between Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS) and both Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1). To help protect customers, we put filtering in place to prevent Windows Update from offering both service packs to systems running Microsoft Dynamics RMS. We are still testing a fix and are working to make it publicly available via Microsoft Download Center this month.

Until then, we advise Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers to not install either service pack. Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers running Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista SP1 should contact Microsoft Customer Support Services for additional information.

As mentioned in my RTM post, Microsoft will monitor this forum for the next few weeks in case you have additional feedback about the release of Windows XP SP3.

The Windows XP Support Forum has pointers to standard information about Windows XP Service Pack 3. Also, the Windows XP SP3 TechNet portal is now updated as well.

Many thanks,

Chris Keroack
Release Manager, Windows XP Service Pack 3
Windows Serviceability

Source : Technet Forum
Download Location :
- Windows Update
- Windows XP Service Pack 3 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and Developers (316.4 MB)
- Windows XP Service Pack 3 Checked Build Network Installation Package (342.9 MB)
- Windows XP Service Pack 3 MUI Pack Update (9.1 MB)
- Windows XP Service Pack 3 - ISO-9660 CD Image File (544.9 MB)
- SMS Template Files for Windows XP Service Pack 3 Deployment

Other Resources :
- Windows XP Service Pack 3: What is new and how to deploy
- Release notes for Windows XP Service Pack 3
- List of fixes that are included in Windows XP Service Pack 3