Redmond (WA) - Microsoft has made its Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release Candidate (RC) update package available for public download. A RC is not an official release. According to Microsoft’s current service pack release schedule, the Windows XP SP3 official release will be in the first half of 2008, with nothing specific given. In the past, Microsoft can go through several release candidates before the official release. This is called RC1, for the first version. If problems are found, RC2 will come out, then RC3, etc.

The RC1 download file is 336.1 MB and was published yesterday on Microsoft’s website. According to the Windows XP SP3 White Paper, 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 Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 and the Microsoft Core XML Services 6.0 (MSXML6)."

Microsoft is reportedly not adding significant functionality from newer versions of Windows with this service pack, and it does not include Internet Explorer 7. The one notable exception is an upgrade to Network Access Protection (NAP), which helps organizations that use XP take advantage of some new features in the Windows Server 2008 operating system.

Download the SP3 RC, or read the white paper (in PDF or XPS format, at bottom of page).