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Early speculation suggested that the service pack was likely to be little more than a collection of bug fixes and patches, however, it now appears Microsoft also intends to port several Vista features into XP.

Among the features is the Vista Product Activation Model, which removes the requirement to enter a product key during setup, and "black hole" router

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protection that detects and protects against rogue routers that are discarding data packets.

Microsoft is also testing its Network Access Protection facility, which inspects systems as they attempt to connect to a corporate network, ensuring they comply with existing security criteria. Systems that don't comply can be updated to meet the security requirements or blocked from the network.

Continuing in the security vein, the software giant is also bundling its Kernel Cryptographic Module, which gives drivers and services access to a range of cryptographic algorithms.

The service pack will also contain a huge 1,073 patches and hotfixes, of which 114 will address security concerns. The rest will cover the full range of performance, reliability and blue of screen of death issues.

Microsoft has yet to confirm when SP3 will be officially available, or the likelihood of other Vista features finding their way into the bundle.