[en] Windows XP SP3 available for testing!

I just got an email from connect.microsoft.com that XP SP3 Beta is now available for Vista SP1 Beta testers. Yay! English, German and Japanese versions can be put through their paces. Get ready to rumble!

Edit: Windows XP SP3 Release Notes (excerpt from included document):

What’s New in Windows XP Service Pack 3

New Functionality

The following is a list of functionality that is included with the service pack, which is not addressed by the included hotfixes and security updates.

Descriptive Security Options UI

The Security Options control panel in Windows XP Service Pack 3 now has more descriptive text to explain the settings and prevent incorrect configuration of settings.

Enhanced security for Administrator and Service policy entries

In System Center Essentials for Windows XP Service Pack 3, Administrators and Service entries will be present by default on any new instance of policy. Additionally, the UI for the "Impersonate Client After Authentication" user right will not be able to remove these settings.

"Black Hole Router" Detection

Windows XP Service Pack 3 includes improvements to black hole router detection (i.e., detecting routers that are silently discarding packets), and turns it on by default.

Microsoft Kernel Mode Cryptographic Module

Microsoft Kernel Mode Cryptographic Module (FIPS.SYS) is a FIPS 140-1 Level 1 compliant, general-purpose, software-based, cryptographic module residing at the Kernel Mode level of the Windows Operating System. It runs as a kernel mode export driver (a kernel-mode DLL) and encapsulates several different cryptographic algorithms in an easy-to-use cryptographic module accessible by other kernel mode drivers. It can be linked into other kernel mode services to permit the use of FIPS 140-1 Level 1 compliant cryptography. https://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/security/topics/issues/fipsdrsp.mspx?mfr=true

Network Access Protection

NAP is a policy enforcement platform built into Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 (now in beta testing), and Windows XP Service Pack 3 (which includes the NAP Client for Windows XP, now in beta testing) that allows you to better protect network assets by enforcing compliance with system health requirements. With NAP, you can create customized health policies to validate computer health before allowing access or communication, automatically update compliant computers to ensure ongoing compliance, and optionally confine noncompliant computers to a restricted network until they become compliant. http://www.microsoft.com/technet/network/nap/napfaq.mspx

Windows Product Activation

As in Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2, and Windows Vista, the user may now complete setup without having to provide their product key. They will be prompted for the product key as part of Genuine Advantage during subsequent use.

Previously Available Functionality

In addition to previously released hotfixes and security updates, some functionality included with the service pack was previously available as a separate download. The following is a list of such functionality. Where applicable, the Microsoft Knowledge Base article number is included.

Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) 2.5

This is a required component for Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 and for Windows Live OneCare. The new features of BITS 2.5 help improve security. If you use BITS to transfer data, the new features also improve flexibility. This previously released update is detailed at Microsoft Knowledge Base article 923845 (http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=923845).

IPsec Simple Policy Update for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP

This update for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP helps simplify the creation and maintenance of IPsec filters, reducing the number of filters that are required for a Server and Domain Isolation deployment. The Simple Policy Update removes the requirement for explicit network infrastructure permit filters and introduces enhanced fallback to clear behavior. This previously released update is detailed at Microsoft Knowledge Base article 914841 (http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=914841).

Microsoft Core XML Services 6.0

MSXML 6.0 (MSXML6) has improved reliability, security, conformance with the XML 1.0 and XML Schema 1.0 W3C Recommendations, and compatibility with System.Xml 2.0.

Microsoft Management Console 3.0

Microsoft Management Console 3.0 (MMC 3.0) is a framework that unifies and simplifies day-to-day system management tasks on Windows by providing common navigation, menus, toolbars, and workflow across diverse tools. This previously released update is detailed at Microsoft Knowledge Base article 907265 (http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=907265).

Digital Identity Management Service (DIMS)

DIMS makes it possible for users who log onto any domain-joined computer running Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or higher to silently have all of their certificates and private keys available for applications and services.

Peer Name Resolution Protocol 2.1

This update enables Windows XP SP3-based programs that use PNRP to communicate with Windows Vista programs that use PNRP. This component was last updated at version 2.0, via an update that is detailed at Microsoft Knowledge Base article 920342 (http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=920342).

Wi-Fi Protected Access 2

This update to Windows XP provides support for Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2), which is the latest standards-based wireless security solution derived from the IEEE 802.11i standard. This previously released update is detailed at Microsoft Knowledge Base article 893357 (http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=893357).

Windows Installer 3.1 v2 (3.1.4000.2435)

Windows Installer 3.1 is a minor update to Windows Installer 3.0 that was released in September 2004. Windows Installer 3.1 contains new and enhanced functionality. Additionally, Windows Installer 3.1 addresses some issues that were found in Windows Installer 3.0. This previously released update is detailed at Microsoft Knowledge Base article 893803 (http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=893803).