Windows XP SP3 Still Not Ready For Release
Early rumors suggested that the third service pack for Windows XP would arrive along with the first such update for Windows Vista. Regrettably that proved inaccurate; Vista SP1 is in the wild, but so far there’s no sign of the XP update.
However, there is another release candidate available for Windows XP SP3 if you’re feeling brave.
As for when the final version will be pushed out to WIndows Update, Microsoft has thus far declined to give a specific date.
Interestingly enough, a note from the Microsoft Tech Center says that, “beyond fixes for common Windows Update issues, and the inclusion of support for HD Audio, there are no substantial differences between this beta release (build 5508) and XP SP3 RC2 (build 3311).”
While that would seem to imply that SP3 is very close to finished, the final release date remains a mystery.
One thing to note, if you’re running XP under Boot Camp on a Mac the release candidate update may trigger an error when you try to install it. Microsoft has posted instructions on how to work around the issue.
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