MS just notified me that SP3 is available

I was sitting here minding my own business when I heard a gentle pop noise and saw a bubble pane open notifying me that a MS Windows update is available for download. When I clicked on the orange shield icon, it turns out that the update is Windows XP SP3!!

I haven't downloaded it yet, wondering if the alert was a mistake or if the official public version of SP3 is finally being released. But if it is, why am I being notified so early and why haven't I heard about the notification from anybody here or anyplace else?

Here's the Additional Information link from the notice:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936929

It shows the update to be SP3, and it's KB936929, and the notice is dated today (May 6, 2008), Revision 5.

Anyone else here get such a notice? I'm not in any hurry to download and install the update, preferring to let others be the test mules. But I'm both surprised and curious. Your thoughts?

 

I've seen nothing here.

 

A Clarification Please

PeteC,

I noticed that you use the term CD in several places: eg. as,

What does this mean? Can you go into more detail about how you are using this download. Thank you.

 

The link Pete posted is to download an ISO image of SP3 which can then be burned to a cd, then be used to apply SP3 to multiple machines. While this can be handy (faster for multiple machines) when updating several machines, the package is also considerably larger than the one you would get if just applying SP3 from Windows Update (faster for 1 machine).

Another benefit to having it on cd would be in the event of a system re-installation ...... it's cumulative, meaning it contains all previous updates and Service Packs.

 

Hi Christer,

Curious as to what file you checked for a signature on, what you refer to as the 'complete version'. I downloaded the ISO image above and extracted it, then checked the SP3 self-extracting cab file, which is digitally signed.

Edit - I saw in another topic you referred to the download for network installation as the 'complete package', so I downloaded it too. I got a digitally signed file. Did you get an English version?

 

Hi BOBBO
Just so you'll know, I downloaded it today with no ill effects so far.

Geri

 

noahdfear,

Thank you for your reply. You cleared up the CD expression. I was making sure that it did not apply to a physical CD provided by Microsoft as they did (and I used) for the Service Pack 2 update to make a slipstreamed CD. Because my system is like that of Alicia J's (previous posts) I have been following your comments there and gather that there are two size updates, 316MB and 545MB. So far I have not been able to open the Catalog Update page to find the 316MB update and while I have no objection to using the 545MB download. I'm concerned as to how I can make a slipstreamed CD using my slipstreamed WinSP2 CD on a 700MB CD. So one final question, do you know where I can find the 316MB update other than the Microsoft sites where I tend to get lost?

 

Glad that helped clear up the difference, derfsch. You can use Winrar to extract the ISO to a folder, then use the SP3 setup file within the folder to slipstream. Microsoft.com is the only place to aquire a legitimate, licensed copy of SP3.