14 DAY TRIAL // Is the second Refresh for Windows XP Service Pack 3 the one and the same with Windows XP SP3 RTM? If Windows Vista Service Pack 1 RTM Build is the same as Windows Vista SP1 Release Candidate Refresh 2, then where does this leave Windows XP Service Pack 3? At the beginning of this week, on February 4, 2008, Microsoft released Vista SP1 to manufacturing. The first service pack for the latest Windows client RTM'd alongside Windows Server 2008, but according to the Redmond company users will have to exercise their patience a tad longer.
Although initially Microsoft was shy in admitting any details related to the final bits of Vista SP1, the company did confirm that there is virtually no difference between the builds of Vista SP1 RTM, released this week, and of Vista SP1 RC Refresh 2, dropped in late January 2008. "We couldn't say anything prior because before the RC is approved for RTM (Monday morning, February 4), there is always the possibility the code will get changed," a company representative revealed as cited by Mary Jo Foley.
"RC Refresh 2 code is the same as RTM. In final stages of a product Microsoft likes to get as much validation as possible before releasing. The release candidate ended up being a high enough quality to be approved to release to manufacturing," Microsoft additionally stated.
Confirmation was also provided by Jeff DaVos, one of the many Windows Vista SP1 beta program leaders, to Geek's Anatomy. "Windows Vista SP1 build 18000 is indeed the RTM build. We were hoping build 18000 we released to you (WU only) was the final build and as it happens we didn't have to break the glass, the build didn't change at all from the time we released it to you and our final sign-off on Monday morning this week.", Jeff expained. "What you got is what we're all running our Vista machines here internally - we definitely RTM'd."
Essentially, whether you are running Vista SP1 RC Refresh 2 or Vista SP1 RTM, you are running the gold bits of the first service pack for Vista. And the build labels associated with the releases are illustrative examples of this: 6001.18000.x86fre.longhorn_rtm.080118-1840 and 6001.18000.080118-1840.
But at this point in time, the question is what of Windows XP SP3? At the end of January, 15,000 testers got to play not only with Vista SP1 RC Refresh 2, but also with XP SP3 RC Refresh 2. And since, as far as Vista is concerned, the RTM and RC Refresh 2 builds are identical, is the same valid for XP SP3 RTM and RC Refresh 2?