Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3 review

The configuration criteria can include up-to-date virus definition files and an OS with the latest patches installed, allowing the server to be reasonably sure that a new client isn't going to contaminate the network before it grants access.

The NAP client is only being released via SP3, so sys admins wanting to take advantage of NAP without having to move all their client machines to Vista will have to install the new service pack. On a more esoteric front, SP3 includes the CredSSP security provider.

Introduced with Vista - which contradicts Microsoft's claim that it's not bringing any features from the new OS - it's mainly used with Terminal Services to provide authentication of remote sessions. The final small enhancement is black-hole router detection, allowing the OS to detect rogue routers ignoring packets. SP3 turns it on by default.

So, XP SP3 doesn't really change much, but then it doesn't really need to. Few would disagree that XP is a stable, effective operating system, and after seven years there was never much chance of any radical changes. It's still XP, and the legions of people who still aren't convinced by Vista won't get any nasty surprises with SP3.

Author: David Fearon