Chris Keroack the Release Program Manager of Windows Serviceability at Microsoft announced yesterday as expected the release to manufacturing of Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) on the TechNet forum

He wrote: “Today we are happy to announce that Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) has released to manufacturing (RTM). Windows XP SP3 bits are now working their way through our manufacturing channels to be available to OEM and Enterprise customers.”

Keroack continued: “We are also in the final stages of preparing for release to the web on April 29th, via Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center. Online documentation for Windows XP SP3, such as Microsoft Knowledge Base articles and the Microsoft TechNet Windows XP TechCenter, will be updated then. For customers who use Windows XP at home, Windows XP SP3 Automatic Update distribution for users at home will begin in early summer.”

I look forward to using and testing this final service pack as I will admit that I am a fan of Windows XP, not Vista which at times has driven me and some of my clients crazy with hardware compatibility and performance issues!

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