As promised, here are the links to download Windows XP SP3. You need a BitTorrent client in order to download them. I recommend getting uTorrent or Deluge. They are free and easy to use.

Both links are for the final, RTM version of the SP3 intaller which you can use to slipstream it to your current disc of SP2 or to upgrade your current installation.

I just finished taking screenshots of the slipstreaming process and i will upload the guide later today.

Edit: Microsoft now has XP SP3 English release in windows update site. Here’s the link also.

Edit2: Microsoft now has XP SP3 available in several languages. It is believed that tomorrow they will be available in Microsoft download center. Meanwhile, here are the official links.

Spanish English French German Hebrew Italian Japanese Korean Russian Czech Chinese (Hong Kong) Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional)

Windows XP SP3 English RTM Torrent Download
Windows XP SP3 Spanish RTM Torrent Download

Earlier this month, Microsoft released the Windows XP SP3 Overview, a document that contains the highlights and most notable changes in the upcoming service pack.

Today, Neowin got its hands on the internal schedule planned for SP3. Here are the expected dates in which SP3 will be released:

• April 14, 2008: Support is available for the release version of Service Pack 3 for Windows XP

• April 21, 2008: Original Equipment Manufacturers, Volume License, Connect, and MSDN and TechNet subscribers

• April 29, 2008: Microsoft Update, Windows Update, Download Center

• June 10, 2008: Automatic Updates

Source: Neowin

According to Microsoft release notes for SP1, there are a total of 551 fixes.

Here’s a list of the updates included in the service pack separated by category:

Fixes Category
75 Internet Explorer
41 Sleep/Hibernation & Power Management
38 Storage
35 Hardware and Drivers
35 Networking
28 Desktop and Shell
25 Printing & Scanning Technologies
25 .NET Framework, Data Components, Development Tools
24 Setup, Deployment, Backup, and Activation
24 Windows Media Center
23 International/Localization
20 Computer Management, Administration, and Tools
19 Application Compatibility
19 Multimedia
16 Performance and Reliability
16 Startup/Shutdown
13 Time Zone/Daylight Saving Time
13 Windows Media Player and Related Technologies
12 Security
12 Remote Access, VPN
8 IIS and WebDAV issues
7 Wireless Networking
7 Offline Files
6 Windows Mail and Web-based Software
5 Windows Sidebar and SideShow
5 Windows Portable Devices

As you may know by now, Microsoft has released Vista SP1 to Manufacturing and is scheduled to download via Windows Update later this month or the first half of next month.

Already, the stand-alone setup file is ready to download in many torrent sites.

For those of you that are not fully aware of this service pack, here is a small post that answers some basic questions about it. And this post answers a few more.

Today, i read in the Microsoft Technet Plus site that new refreshed images are being prepared and expected to be available to subscribers this weekend. This is great news because one big issue with the stand-alone installer is that it can’t be slipstreamed or integrated in already available media just like in XP and its Service Packs (at least not in an official or straightforward way).

Read the full article at TechNet Plus Blog.