Windows XP SP3 Finale Version 5.1 Build 5512 RTM

Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) final version has been packed, published, and released to manufacturing on April 21, 2008 US time. However, only Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM channel) will have access to the code bits of Windows XP SP3, while general public can starts download from April 29 onwards, as scheduled. Windows XP SP3 has final version of 5.1 and build number 5512 (5.1.2600.5512), a little higher than Windows XP RC2 Refresh (v.5508), but not the speculated build 5573.

Chris Keroack, Release Manager for Windows XP Service Pack 3 from Windows Serviceability section says the following on TechNet forum:

Today we are happy to announce that Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) has released to manufacturing (RTM). Windows XP SP3 bits are now working their way through our manufacturing channels to be available to OEM and Enterprise customers.

We are also in the final stages of preparing for release to the web (i.e. you!) on April 29th, via Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center. Online documentation for Windows XP SP3, such as Microsoft Knowledge Base articles and the Microsoft TechNet Windows XP TechCenter, will be updated then. For customers who use Windows XP at home, Windows XP SP3 Automatic Update distribution for users at home will begin in early summer.

Thanks to everyone here who installed the public betas – you not only gave us detailed feedback but also helped each other out with timely troubleshooting. Through the beta program we found several important issues and were able to confirm some essential fixes. We couldn’t have done this without you.

We will still be monitoring this forum during the next few weeks in case you have more feedback about the release of Windows XP SP3.

On behalf of myself, Shashank Bansal and Windows Serviceability, many thanks.

Chris Keroack also confirmed that build number for Windows XP SP3 is 5512.

The CD disc image for Windows XP SP3 and standalone installer package downloaded via Microsoft Download Center has the size of roughly 580 MB, while download via Windows Update starts from 70 MB. The service pack 3 only intends for 32-bit edition of Windows XP, and not applicable to the 64-bit version of Windows XP. It can be installed on Windows Vista with base install of SP1 or SP2, and works with any edition of XP. It’s also reported that system installed with Windows XP SP3 RC v.3300 or later can upgrade directly to final version of SP3 without need to uninstall beta or release candidate versions of XP SP3.

Jaxtr Offers Free International SMS Texting Web Service

Wanna send free International SMS to your friends? The world’s largest social communications company on the web, Jaxtr has concerned of your needs with a new service that allows members to send free International SMS to anyone around the world, whether or not the recipient is a jaxtr member.

With this new web service, free International text messages can be sent to mobile phones in 38 countries including United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), Brazil, Hong Kong, India, Japan and Singapore, directly from the jaxtr web page.

“Jaxtr allows anyone to sign up for a free membership and start sending SMS messages internationally at absolutely no cost,” said jaxtr co-founder and COO Touraj Parang. “You can SMS your friends and family abroad whether or not they are currently members of jaxtr. The moment you sign up for a free account at jaxtr.com, the world is literally at your fingertips.”

According to the company, “Over 10 million people in 220 countries use jaxtr to receive calls from people visiting their social networking pages, to make calls to their friends and family worldwide and to get to know fellow jaxtr members on cafe jaxtr (www.cafejaxtr.com), the world’s first global, mobile talk network.”

How to Protect a Word Document

Step1 : Type the document you want to share. Finalize the document through spelling and grammar check. Then you are ready to protect the document.

Step2

Tools Menu From Word 2003, click on Tools in the top menu bar and then click on Protect Document. The Protect Document Task Pane will appear.

Step3

Protect Task Pane Under Editing Restrictions in the task pane, click the box for “Allow only this type of editing in the document.” In the same section, click the down arrow and click on:

(a) “No changes (Read only)” if you want to give the reader the option to copy/paste your content into their own document, and to be able to click (or CTRL-click) web links; OR

(b) “Filling in forms” if you want to prevent the reader from being able to copy and paste to another source, and also to prevent web links from functioning.

Step4

Start Enforcement In the Protect Document task pane, click on the “Yes, Start Enforcing Protection” button. The “Start Enforcing Protection” box requesting password will appear.

Step5

Add Password Set a password and write it down. You will need the password to be able to edit the document yourself. Click OK.