A Microsoft TechNet blog has a comprehensive list for XP SP3 systems. There are dozens of available hotfixes, and you won’t need - or want - them all.

Picking through the list of Windows XP hotfixes Some (such as KB 954550, listed below) cannot be removed with Windows’ Add and Remove Programs utility. That said, as long as I’ve backed up my system (or can check the hotfix on a test system), I don’t have any greater concerns about applying a hotfix than I do with an update - as long as the hotfix can be uninstalled. However, Microsoft warns users that they should install a hotfix only if they know they have the specific problem the hotfix addresses. Like most updates, hotfixes are designed to repair a specific problem. (A hotfix isn’t the same as a Microsoft Fix it, which is typically temporary and often limited to Windows Registry or permissions changes.) As we all know too well, updates have issues - despite that rigorous testing.) Also, some hotfixes are downloads and some are changes you configure manually. There are, however, some practical differences: for example, hotfixes are not put through the same level of rigorous testing that the standard updates get.

Just use the hotfixes Microsoft develops over the remaining years of official support.Īs far as Windows is concerned, hotfixes are essentially the same as the Windows updates you regularly receive from Microsoft. But that doesn’t mean you can’t build your own virtual version of SP4. Their practical reasons range from line-of-business needs to the economy to “It still fills all my needs.”Īccording to Microsoft, XP SP3 is the end of the line - there will not be an SP4. Regardless of Microsoft’s schedule, a significant number of people will continue to use XP well past the deadline. Perhaps Microsoft will offer a paper-based advent calendar for its XP users. It’s ironic that the official Windows XP End of Support Countdown Gadget runs only on Vista and Windows 7. Want to extend the life of your Windows XP Service Pack 3 as long as possible? You can do so by installing Microsoft hotfixes as needed. Starting today, Windows XP users will have 860 more days of official Microsoft support - and on every one of those days, many of those users will continue to run the operating system that just won’t die. TOP STORY Building your own XP Service Pack 4

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