Just to confuse us the FAQ is about installing SP2!
Others have pointed out that I did not make it clear that the ISO
image is the SP3 Installer for SP3 only. Sorry.
It is just that this method, of downloading the ISO and burning to a
CD, is a safer (and IMHO better) way to install SP3. The Win Update
download, when you run the file, unpacks to your hard drive then
installs SP3. The SP3 Install CD you make with the ISO image does not
unpack files, just copies the files from the CD.
Also gives you a way to reinstall SP3 if you have to rebuild you
system (full install of WinXP SP2 from Setup CD, then install SP3). It
is this scenario that having a SP3 Install CD really has an advantage,
after completing this full install (SP2 + SP3) you will have much less
Win Updates to install.
As to exactly what SP3 includes, Microsoft has a whitepaper on SP3 you
can download from:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...ad-bc34-40be-8d85-6bb4f56f5110&DisplayLang=en
But here's a quote from that whitepaper:
"Windows XP SP3 includes all previously released Windows XP updates,
including security updates and hotfixes, and select out-of-band
releases. For example, the service pack includes functionality
previously released as updates, such as the Microsoft® Management
Console (MMC) 3.0 and the Microsoft Core XML Services 6.0 (MSXML6)."
"Microsoft is not adding significant functionality from newer versions
of Windows, such as Windows Vista, to Windows XP through XP SP3. For
instance, Windows XP SP3 does not include Windows Internet Explorer 7,
although Windows XP SP3 does include updates to both Internet Explorer
6 and Internet Explorer 7, and it will update whichever version is
installed on the computer. One notable exception is that, SP3 does
include Network Access Protection (NAP) to help organizations that use
Windows XP to take advantage of new features in the Windows Server®
2008 operating system."