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Since SP2 came out in August 2004, Microsoft has continued to supply fixes and enhancements via Windows Updates. In Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3), all fixes and upgrades are rolled into a single convenient package with some brand-new additions. In August 2004, SP2 dramatically upgraded the security of the original XP and SP1 by adding the Windows Firewall and Windows Defender, along with easily configurable options to block or allow specific kinds of traffic into your system. Now in SP3, security upgrades make applying the service pack a good decision.

Windows XP SP3 may well be the end of the line for XP service packs — Microsoft’s mainstream support for the OS ends in 2009, although extended support will run through 2014. That’s not to say that there isn’t plenty of room for improvement in the now venerable XP. If this really is the end for XP service packs, it’s an important final step that will make your machine more secure. Windows XP SP3 combines all previously released performance, security, and stability updates. It also provides a limited number of new and enhanced functionalities, although it does not significantly change the Windows XP experience or bring functionality from newer versions of Windows such as Vista to Windows XP.

For PCs that cannot be upgraded to Windows Vista right now, Windows XP SP3 ensures these PCs have all available updates and allows these PCs to leverage some new Windows Server 2008 capabilities, such as Network Access Protection (NAP).

Windows XP SP3 includes all previously released Windows XP updates, including security updates and hotfixes, and select out-of-band releases. For example, the service pack includes functionality previously released as updates, such as the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 and the Microsoft Core XML Services 6.0 (MSXML6). Microsoft is not adding significant functionality from newer versions of Windows, such as Windows Vista, to Windows XP through XP SP3. For instance, Windows XP SP3 does not include Windows Internet Explorer 7, although Windows XP SP3 does include updates to both Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7, and it will update whichever version is installed on the computer. One notable exception is that, SP3 does include Network Access Protection (NAP) to help organizations that use Windows XP to take advantage of new features in the Windows Server 2008 operating system.

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