(TheForceField.Net ) March 26, 2008 — Microsoft released a new Windows XP SP3 RC to the public yesterday. Dubbed Windows XP Service Pack 3, Release Candidate 2 Refresh, the new RC is the second to be released publicly and may be the last before the official release of Windows XP SP3.
The release was announced on a Microsoft Technet forum yesterday by MSFT moderator Chris Keroack. "The purpose of RC2 Refresh is to validate improvements to the Windows Update experience with Service Pack 3.", Keroack said in the post. "Therefore, this beta release will be available only on Windows Update, in English, German and Japanese. Beyond fixes for common Windows Update issues and the inclusion of support for HD Audio, there are no substantial differences between this beta release (build 5508) and XP SP3 RC2 (build 3311)"
Keroack said the application used to download RC2, the previous beta, would also be used to download RC2 Refresh. The application is available from the Microsoft Download Center . He also said that if Windows XP SP3 RC1 or RC2 were previously installed it would first need to be removed before installing Windows XP SP3 RC 2 Refresh.
Keroack stressed that although it is a public beta, he recommend it for use by IT professionals, developers and other tech-savvy individuals and not for production use.
Microsoft indicated Windows XP Service Pack 3 would be released in the first half of 2008. Some industry analysts have predicted a release in mid-April.
More information on Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release Candidate 2 Refresh may be found on the Windows XP TechCenter .