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windows-xp-sp3 posts

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Freeware

Windows 7 themes for Windows XP

Windowsby Brad Linder Jun 18th 2008

Windows 7 uxtheme
Update: we've added a new post that includes several newer options - for both XP and Vista!

Sure, we don't actually have any real idea what Windows 7 will look like. But if you believe the screenshots floating around the web, the next version of Windows will look an awful lot like Vista. With a few new effects. And so when the folks at DeviantART decided to put together a few Windows 7 themes for Windows XP, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the themes look and feel a lot like Windows Vista.

That said, they're much prettier than the default themes available for Windows XP. Unfortunately, Microsoft doesn't make it easy to install third party themes for Windows XP. Officially you're pretty much stuck with Windows XP, Windows Classic, and a Microsoft Zune theme. So the first thing you need to do to install a third party theme is to install a program called UxTheme Patcher.

If you're running Windows XP SP2 or earlier, you can download a Windows 7 theme and UxTheme Patcher in one fell swoop at MegaLeecher. Just unzip the file and click the multi-patcher file in the UX Theme Patcher Folder and then click the Windows 7 M1 VS.msstyles file in the Windows 7 M1 VS subfolder in the Themes folder.

But the included UxTheme Patcher isn't compatible with Windows XP SP3. So if you have SP3 installed, you'll need to download and install a patcher from another location. Once you've done that and rebooted your system, you should be able to install third party themes like the Windows 7 theme. Just don't expect it to look like much other than a Windows Vista theme.

What are some of your favorite third party themes for Windows XP? Let us know in the comments.

[via Life Rocks 2.0 and Shell Extension City]

Tags: themes, uxtheme, uxtheme-patcher, windows-7, windows-7-theme, windows-xp, windows-xp-sp3

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

Windows XP SP3 now available through Windows Update

Windowsby Brad Linder May 6th 2008

Windows Update

If you've got Windows XP SP2, you might want to check the good ole Windows Update page today. A week after delaying the launch of Windows XP SP3, Microsoft today released the update through Windows Update. That means even if you don't go out of your way to download it, there's a good chance you'll wind up downloading the service pack in the next few days if your computer is configured to install automatic updates.

The reason Microsoft pushed back the launch for a week was because the company found an incompatibility with its Dynamics Retail Management System. If you're a business owner using that software, Microsoft has added a filter that will keep your system from automatically downloading SP3.

Most of the changes in SP3 are under the hood, meaning you may or may not really notice any changes once SP3 is installed. But along with a few new features like Network Access Protection and Black Hole router detection, the service pack includes pretty much every important security update and hotfix since SP2, so we'd highly recommend installing it. If you want all the gritty details, you can check out Microsoft's overview of all the major updates included in SP3.

Tags: sp3, windows-update, windows-xp, windows-xp-sp3, xp

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

Microsoft release yet another Windows XP SP3 RC build

Windowsby Brad Linder Mar 25th 2008

SP3 RC2 refresh
A few weeks ago we could have sworn that Microsoft was getting ready to release the final build of Windows XP SP3 by the end of March. But today Microsoft released Windows XP SP3 RC2 refresh, which basically means it's a slightly modified version of the release candidate made available in February.

There aren't really many new features or surprises in the latest build. The refresh basically has a different build number, includes all previous updates, and includes support for HD audio and fixes some Windows Update issues. But today's release does indicate that Microsoft is still tinkering, which leads us to believe it'll probably be at least a few more days, weeks, or months until the final version of Windows XP SP3 is released.

In order to download the 120MB service pack from Windows Update, you need to add a registry key by downloading and installing an executable application from Microsoft.

[via CNet]

Tags: windows-update, windows-xp, windows-xp-sp3, windows-xp-sp3-rc2-refresh, xp

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

Microsoft publicly releases Windows XP SP3 release candidate

Windowsby Brad Linder Dec 19th 2007

XP SP3 RC
It's been pretty easy to download the release candidate of Windows XP Service Pack 3 for the last few days -- if you knew where to look. But if you're the sort of person that prefers to download operating system updates directly from the software maker's website (we call these people scaredy cats... or alternately, smart computer users), you'll probably want to download SP3 directly from Microsoft's servers.

Well, now you can do that. Microsoft has launched a public download page for Windows XP SP3 RC.

The installer is a 336MB file which includes all of the patches, security updates and bug fixes since the release of SP2. That means if you've been keeping your PC up to date, you probably won't actually need everything that's in this package, but since you can't officially install SP3 through Windows update yet, you'll have to download the whole thing anyway.

Keep in mind, this is a release candidate, not the final version of SP3. Microsoft may still issue updates before releasing the final version, so while we're pretty sure this package won't break your computer, we ain't making any promises.

[via Digital Inspiration]

Tags: sp3, windows-xp, windows-xp-sp3

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Beta

Windows XP SP3 is fast, Vista SP1 not so much

Windowsby Brad Linder Nov 26th 2007

XP SP3You may not be able to download Windows XP Service Pack 3 yet without resorting to risky registry hacks, but software developers at Devil Mountain Software took a beta of the upcoming service pack for a spin, and they like what they saw.

In a nutshell, Devil Mountain reports that they saw a 10 percent performance boost over Windows XP SP2. Microsoft has said SP3's primary purpose is to provide enhanced security and bug fixes. So the speed boost is a bit of an unexpected cherry on top.

Devil Mountain has also been putting Windows Vista SP1 through the paces, and while the software update does improve hardware compatibility and reliability, users running SP1 will not notice any performance boost.

On the bright side, the Vista update doesn't seem to slow Vista down any. But Devil Mountain reports that Vista is about 2 times slower than XP according to the company's benchmarking tests.

Tags: sp3, vista-sp1, windows-vista, windows-xp, windows-xp-sp3, xp-sp3

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

Windows XP SP3 includes new features, security updates

Windowsby Brad Linder Oct 11th 2007

Windows XP SP3Now that a handful of lucky folks have gotten their hands on Windows XP Service Pack 3, we're starting to think you might not want to upgrade to Windows Vista anytime soon. Okay, we already kind of thought that, but it turns out SP3 includes a ton of security updates, some Vista code, and a couple of brand spanking new features for Windows XP:
  • There's a new Windows Product Activation model that does not require you to enter a product key during setup.
  • Network Access Protection modules and policies have been brought over from Windows Vista.
  • There's a new module in the kernel that provides access to cryptographic algorithms.
  • Windows XP can now detect routers that are discarding data.
Overall the update includes over a thousand patches to improve security, performance, and reliability.

Tags: service-pack-3, windows-xp, windows-xp-sp3, xp, xp-sp3

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