Enable Vista-Native Network Access Protection on XP SP3
Network Access Protection (NAP) is one of the few features that were actually added to Windows XP SP3.
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13.5.2008 Easily Login to Windows XP with No Password Administrator Account Backdoor Trick
In password-protected Windows XP Home or Professional edition system, each user logs on to his or her own user name and password to have full access to the Windows computer.
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25.11.2006 PC login Now - How To Change a Windows XP Limited User Account Into a Computer Administrator
One of the place that I work at has a few hundreds of computers and it is shared by students.
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12.7.2008 NAP to be kicked out of Vista
Microsoft’s Network Access Protection tools could be removed for being too complex
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4.10.2006 Native PDF support in Office Vista (12)
Today's another exciting day as we move closer to Beta 1. We are just wrapping up the MVP summit here in Redmond and we've finally announced another piece of functionality I've wanted to talk about for a long time now. This afternoon Steven Sinofsky announced to our MVPs that we will build in native support for the PDF format in Office "12".
I constantly get asked by customers if we can build in this support for publishing documents as PDF files, and now I can thankfully say "yes!" It's something we've been hearing about for years, and earlier in this project we decided that while there were already existing third party tools for doing this, we should do the work to build the functionality natively into the product.
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Login with Live!
Microsoft today came a step closer to replacing their old .NET Passport system with the launch of the new Live.com login.
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29.4.2006 It's Time to Face the Ugly Truth, SP3 or No SP3, the Clock Is Ticking for Windows XP
As 2008 has kicked in, it's now time to face the ugly truth. The clock is ticking for Windows XP. And while Microsoft may view this as a natural stage in the evolution of a product introduced all the way in 2001, a healthy proportion of end-users and businesses will fail to see eye to eye with the company on this one.
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5.1.2008 How to login to an expired Windows
Microsoft has a neat little way to prevent software piracy of their Windows operating system.
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14.12.2006 Firefox, IE vulnerable to fake login pages?
Mozilla's Firefox 2 and Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7 are vulnerable to a flaw that could allow attackers to steal passwords.
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23.11.2006 Vista SP1 RC Leaves XP SP2 in the Dust, but What About XP SP3?
Although Microsoft has indicated a strong disapproval of benchmarking tests involving development milestones of Windows Vista Service Pack 1, the temptation is simply too big to ignore.
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17.1.2008 Microsoft Makes Its Own Vista SP1 vs. XP SP2, Leaves XP SP3 Out
Ever since the advent of Window Vista, at the end of November 2006 for businesses and in January 2007 for the general public, Microsoft has virtually invited the comparison between the two operating systems.
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8.5.2008 Microsoft Hands out XP SP3 beta – Final SP for XP
In an email sent to selected testers telling them they have been accepted to begin testing XP SP3, Microsoft has also informed them that this will be the final Service Pack for the now aging OS.
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5.10.2007 XP SP3 Does Not Support Windows XP
Believe it or not, but Microsoft does not support Windows XP with XP SP3. Well, maybe that's not entire true. But it is true nonetheless. End users will find they they are unable to deploy XP SP3 on top of XP. What is the catch?
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16.1.2008 The Only Way for Windows XP SP3 Is Down
SP3 will do nothing for XP, but still more than what SP1 will do for Vista - The third and final service pack for Windows XP will do little to nothing for the operating system, but will manage to deliver a superior boost to the platform's momentum in comparison to Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista.
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12.4.2008 Office XP SP3 Info
Office XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) provides the latest updates to Microsoft Office XP. SP3 contains significant security enhancements, in addition to stability and performance improvements. This service pack applies to any level of Office XP.
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Sneak Preview of XP SP3?
An unofficial preview pack containing what purports to be Windows XP Service Pack 3 has been uploaded to The Hotfix web site. The Hotfix is an independently-run site that specializes in downloads and discussions of Windows patches and bug fixes.
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Microsoft Delays XP SP3
Bink has an interesting article up on his site concerning Windows XP SP3. Microsoft has apparently pushed back the scheduled release date of SP3 to the second half of 2007.
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16.1.2006 Windows XP SP3 Preview No. 5
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11.2.2006 Windows XP SP3 On The Horizon
According to Microsoft press release about Unified Access Control and Network Access Protection, Windows XP service pack 3 (SP3) is in development and will be released later this year.
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24.5.2007 Windows XP SP3 Available for Download!
In two weeks too :) Microsoft confirmed officially that Windows XP Service Pack 3 will be made available for download in the next couple of weeks.
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29.8.2007 Windows XP Closes In on SP3
Microsoft's most successful operating system, ever, has inched closer to Service Pack 3. Release Candidate 1 is now available from MSDN and—so I hear—from TechNet. I can only personally confirm MSDN availability.
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4.12.2007 Deploying Windows XP SP3
With a pre-Release Candidate build of Windows XP Service Pack 3 available for download, the imminence of the final version of the refresh is starting to take contour.
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13.12.2007 Should You Upgrade from Vista to XP SP3?
Windows Vista was released to manufacturing and to businesses in November 2006, and the operating system hit the shelves only at the end of January 2007.
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27.12.2007 Will SP3 Save Windows XP?
Will the third and final service pack for Windows XP manage to breath new life into the operating system? Will users and original equipment manufacturers be able to apply enough pressure on Microsoft to keep Windows XP alive?
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15.1.2008 Is Windows XP SP3 just around the corner?
Clues that Microsoft is ready to announce the final version of Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 3 are starting to mount.
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20.2.2008 The First XP SP3 Security Vulnerability
The third and final service pack for Windows XP is not even out, and Microsoft is already hammering away at it plugging security soles.
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14.4.2008 The First Update for XP SP3 RTM
Although it was released to manufacturing on April 21, 2008, the third and last service pack for Windows XP has yet to make it to end users. Despite this, Microsoft has already made available the first update tailored on XP SP3.
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22.4.2008 XP SP3: Now on Windows Update
A week after deciding not to release Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 3 via Windows Update and the Microsoft Download site as planned, Microsoft has begun pushing the collection of updates and fixes through those channels again.
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6.5.2008 It All Comes Down to Going Either for XP SP3 or for Vista SP1
Starting with May 6, 2008, the question is no longer about Windows Vista RTM vs. Windows XP SP2, but rather about Vista SP1 or XP SP3.
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9.5.2008 Minimizing XP SP3 woes
I’m getting sporadic reports of Windows XP users having problems installing XP SP3 on some systems.
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9.5.2008How to deploy XP SP3 in an existing wired 802.1x environment
Clay Seymour: Prior to SP3, the 802.1x service for XP is the Wireless Zero Configuration Service. This service handles the 802.1x needs for both
wired and wireless connections. This has been problematic since not everyone uses wired 802.1x. Also, because the wired 802.1x engine listens
passively for EAP Identity traffic, we are not fully compliant with the IEEE spec, which state the client should initiate authentication by sending an
EAPOL-Start frame.
With SP3, we have separated the wireless service from the wired service and created a new Dot3Svc (Wired
AutoConfig). This service is set as a manual start as opposed to being automatic. The default behavior of the Dot3Svc is now compliant with the IEEE
specification.
winbeta.org -
23.05.2008NAP FAQ updated with XP SP3 information
Microsoft have updated the NAP
FAQ regarding the release of
the NAP Client for Windows
XP.
Q. When will Windows XP
support Network Access
Protection as a client?
A. Microsoft is including
the NAP Client for Windows XP
(now in beta testing) in
Windows XP Service Pack 3. For
more information about the
availability of Windows XP
Service Pack 3, see
Windows
Service Pack Road Map. For
additional information about
NAP support for versions of
Windows prior to Windows Vista
and Windows Server 2008, click
here.It's looking as though XP
SP3 will turn out to be much
more than just a Hotfix Rollup
update and will contain some
new features.
winbeta.org - 11.07.2007
Thoughts from the field on Windows Server 2008 - NAP
Dave Northey: Denys Kovalenko works for A1 Computers in Cabinteely (just south of
Dublin). He's been evaluating Network Access Protection for a while now, and wanted to share his experiences with you.
"I have
been testing a great feature of Windows 2008 Server, called Network Access Protection (NAP).
I have been testing NAP since
Longhorn Beta 3 and Vista RTM. It looks very promising, especially with the number of hardware manufactures who are going to support 802.1x NAP in
their network devices. That fact it is controlled by policy makes it more interesting. The NAP configuration wizard makes it's easy to deploy, but
I personally like manual configuration. Netsh NAP commands makes it easy for scripting.
winbeta.org - 03.12.2007
XP SP3 Private Beta Available? Public Beta soon?
I came across a French blog posting by David Sebban (presumably from Microsoft France) at MSDN Blogs in which he mentions that the beta for XP SP3 is
now available for 12,000 invited testers (mainly manufacturers and retailers?) and that a public beta will be available soon.
David also mentions that XP SP3 will not contain any new functionality except for the addition of the NAP (Network Access Protection) Client which has been known for quite awhile.
Following is the
translated text via Google:
In the movement of the śvagueness 2008ť which will contain SQL Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and Windows Server 2008, 2 Packs Service will
leave in the neighbourhoods the first quarter 2008: the SP1 of Windows Vista and the SP3 of Windows XP.
This last is available
besides since today for 12000 invited beta tester (mainly of the manufacturers and the retailers) and will not contain new functionalities except the
addition of customer NAP (Network Access Protection). This customer is necessary if you wish to integrate working stations XP in an infrastructure NAP
Windows Server 2008.
The SP3 of Windows XP will thus contain mainly updates of safety existing and some new hotfixs and beta
public will be available soon.
winbeta.org - 04.10.2007
XP NAP Rude Q and A
Jeff Sigman: Since I spend nearly 1/3 of my week answering (or ignoring :->) emails about the XP NAP Client, I thought it might be smart to give a
very concise Q&A. Here goes:
Questions |
Jeffs (brilliant) Answers |
How do I get a copy of the BETA? |
While it is on MSConnect, it is easier just to
email me to get a copy. I have US-English and Language Neutral versions from the April 2007 Beta release. Remember, this is a BETA
and is not officially supported (i.e. no QFEs); see XP SP3 info below. |
How will
this actually release officially? |
ONLY via Windows XP Service Pack 3. |
When will XP
SP3 RTM? |
1H CY2008 |
Will you please ship it outside of
SP3? |
I am sorry, no. |
Why wont you ship it outside of
SP3? |
In
brief, the risk and cost to Windows was too high. NAP on XP changes 19+ core OS files (e.g. RAS, Wireless, EAP, etc) and we wouldnt get the same
testing coverage outside of SP3. Also, OOB releases are notoriously expensive to sustain. The code base would have to be maintained, orthogonally to
XP itself, for 10+ years (i.e. MSRCs). Wow. |
How does the XP client compare with
Vista? |
Read my cool blog post. |
Is it true that you brought all the great Vista Wired 802.1x features to
XP? |
Very
true. Many customers have wanted Group Policy configuration for Wired 802.1x on XP. NAP gave us the needed business justification to pull it off in XP
SP3. |
Will the NAP Client release for any other Microsoft
O/Ss? |
Not at this time. No support for Windows Bob, 3.x, 9x, ME, 2000 and/or 2003. |
What about Linux, Mac,
etc? |
Oh yeah
baby, we have Linux right
now. Mac is nearly here. This is the dude making it all happen. |
What
administration tools are available in the XP Client? |
Only the command-line (netsh.exe nap). The MMC was written in managed code and isnt available
on XP. Also, our assumption is that Group Policy / script is good enough for XP. |
What Active Directory
schema changes are required, if any? |
NAP, in general, does NOT require any AD schema updates. NAP fits in well with existing Server 2000/2003 deployments and
simply requires a minimum of ONE Server 2008 computer (NAP Server / NPS).
However, in order to manage Vista (and XP SP3) Wired 802.1x settings a schema
update may be required. If you are using Server 2008 AD, it is included. Server 2003 AD requires an updated
schema. |
Will XP NAP honor my GP
configuration settings just like Vista NAP (i.e. NAPAgent, QECs, etc)? |
Yup! |
winbeta.org - 09.11.2007
Despite rumors, Windows XP SP3 still not quite ready
With Windows Vista Service Pack 1 out the door, Microsoft was largely expected to release Windows XP SP3 last week or this week. It didn't, instead
making public a refresh build of SP3 Release Candidate 2...
betanews.com - 26.03.2008
Understanding the new Windows Server 2008 Network Policy Server
David Davis: What the Windows Server 2008 Network Policy Server (NPS) is, how it has replaced IAS, how to load NPS, and how it can help you.
Although I was familiar with all the concepts and terms regarding the Microsoft Network Access Protection (NAP) and the Cisco NAC
technologies, what actually prompted me to take a look at the new Windows Server 2008 Network Policy Server was unrelated to either of those. My
interest in the Windows 2008 Network Policy Server (NPS) was to be able to use RADIUS on a Windows 2008 System. Specifically, I wanted to use a
Windows 2008 Server to allow me to authenticate PCs using 802.1x and users logging into network devices like Cisco routers.
Traditionally, if I wanted to perform one of these tasks with Windows 2000 or 2003 Server, I would use the Microsoft Internet Authentication Service (IAS). In the past,
WindowsNetworking.com has offered a number of articles on using IAS. For example, Wireless Networking in Windows 2003 and Setting up Windows 2000 RADIUS to authenticate wireless 802.1x clients. However, in Windows Server 2008, you will quickly find out that IAS
has been replaced with the Network Policy Server (NPS).
So what is NPS and how can it help me?
winbeta.org - 20.01.2008
Windows XP SP3 To Include Some Vista Features
A website that leaked details of Windows XP Service Pack 3 over the weekend claimed that the update includes several new features, including some
borrowed from Windows Vista.
According to NeoSmart Technologies, Windows XP SP3 build 3205, which was released to beta testers on
Sunday, includes four new features among the 1,000-plus individual hot fixes and patches that have been issued since SP2's debut three years ago.
Features backported from Vista, said NeoSmart, include Network Access Protection (NAP), an enterprise policy enforcement
technology that inspects client PCs before they access a corporate network, then updates the machines if necessary or blocks them if they don't meet
specified security criteria.
Click Read More to view the rest of this article.
jcxp.net - 10.10.2007
Microsoft continues to warn of IE8 lock-in for XP SP3 users
Last year when Microsoft launched Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2, Jane Maliouta announced that consumers using Windows XP SP3 would be locked-in with the
IE8 if they had installed the IE8 beta prior to upgrading to SP3. Microsoft again yesterday issued that same warning to it's consumers. If you are
still one of the millions of users on Windows XP with SP3 installed, Microsoft has provided crucial steps to follow if you're ready to upgrade to
IE8 RC1. You can obtain IE8 RC1 from the links on this page. To see if you're one of the people who will have IE8 locked in, follow these steps.
Is your computer running Windows XP SP3?
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 27.01.2009
Windows XP SP3 moves closer to completion
Beta testers have received access to a release candidate of Windows XP Service Pack 3, but general consumers still have a long wait until they'll see
SP3 available for download...
betanews.com - 20.11.2007
Is Microsoft Playing Games With XP SP3?
Call it a Hamlet moment for the PC industry, filled with political intrigue and machinations worthy of the great Shakespeare play: to wait for XP SP3
or move to Vista now that Microsoft has released Vista SP1? Or in other words: "To XP, or not to XP?" That is the question.
It's a
question that is burning up the blogosphere with some speculating that Microsoft has delayed XP SP3, a long awaited release that could boost the
performance of XP, to get more users to adopt Vista, a potential cash cow for Microsoft and PC makers given the operating system's robust hardware
refresh requirements.
With many in the blogosphere speculating that Microsoft could release the final version of XP SP3 this week,
Microsoft late Tuesday snuffed out all hope that users would see the service pack, originally slated for release in 2006, any time soon.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 26.03.2008
Windows XP SP3 Final Released to PC Manufacturers (Updated)
WB: In regards to the availability of XP SP3 for MSDN/TechNet subscribers and the availability of the XP Embedded/WinFLP editions, Chris Keroack,
release manager of XP SP3, mentioned the
following:
- "MSDN/Technet - Not yet. This will be available within the next month."
- "XP Embedded and Windows Fundamentals
will be available at a later date."
We personally find it a bit odd that paying subscribers will not have access to the build until after
the public download on April 29.
Microsoft confirmed today that the final version of Windows XP Service Pack 3 has been
released to PC manufacturers right on schedule. The update will be available to end users to download next Monday, April 29, and pushed to Windows
Update in June.
Microsoft gave us an early look at the update as a 580MB disk image. What we saw is barely changed from our
preview of an early beta of SP3, and seeing Windows XP SP3 for the first time is highly unremarkable.
Far from being a new
operating system, Windows XP SP3 is really an accumulation of updates for compatibility, security, and performance. It doesn't contain new features
found in Vista, aside from Network Access Protection (NAP), which lets XP systems work with Windows Server 2008's ability to enforce system health
requirements before allowing access to network assets.
winbeta.org - 21.04.2008
XP SP3 RC Preview Clarification
I just noticed a post at Bink.nu where Steven mentions that the XP SP3 RC Preview is now available on Connect. Just to clarify, Microsoft have not
released any new build of XP SP3 to the general Windows Beta Program. While there is the possibility that he may be talking about a different private
beta program on Connect, the main Windows Beta Program on Connect which houses the Vista SP1/Server 2008/XP SP3 betas was last updated with the XP SP3
Beta (Build 3205) in early October.
winbeta.org - 24.10.2007
Firms need to plan for XP Service Pack 3
Organisations that expect to be running Windows XP in mid-2010 should plan to test and deploy XP SP3, Gartner has advised.
Microsoft is planning to release Windows Vista Service Pack (SP) and Windows XP SP3 will be available in the first half of 2008.
According to Gartner, deploying Windows XP SP3 should be significantly easier than testing and deploying SP2, which many users considered a major
change of the operating system.
Annette Jump, a research director at Gartner, said, "We will probably see a mixture of Vista and
XP SP3 deployments in 2008. Jump believed some businesses would deploy Vista and some could stick with XP, in which case, they would be looking at
installing the SP3 service pack.
winbeta.org - 01.12.2007
New Features Discovered in Windows XP SP3: Is It Better Than Vista?
The principal reason given for the tremendous under-the-hood changes to Windows unveiled early this year in Vista was the need to overhaul the
security model. Now it seems many of those changes are also coming to XP in SP3...
betanews.com - 10.10.2007
Don't slipstream XP SP3 on Windows Vista!
This just in from Bink, seems he had a pretty interesting weekend attempting to Slipstream XP SP3.
"So I build a new Windows XP ISO with
SP3 integrated, this is a Volume License editions (VOL) which only accepts Volume License Keys (VLK). When I want to install it on a clean machine, I
noticed that setup prompts for a product key and it does not allow me to continue, which should be a new feature in XP sp3. OK so I fill in the VLK
but it does not accept it, I try another one from a customer of mine, does not work either. Angry
I found out that the problem is when you
do the XP Sp3 slipstream process on a WIndows Vista machine, the API gives a different response and screws up the PID process. This is a bug and
Microsoft knew about this in December, still the bug remained and made it all the way to RTM, nice work Microsoft.
So XP SP slipstream only
on XP or 2003 machines!!!"
neowin.net - 05.05.2008
Windows XP SP3 Not Until Late
2007
According to an update on
Microsoft's support lifecycle
Web site, the next service
pack for Windows XP isn't due
out until the second half of
2007 -- one full year after
Windows Vista launches. XP SP3
will likely serve as a
cumulative update for what
will soon become Microsoft's
legacy operating system...
betanews.com - 18.01.2006
Want to try out the Linux NAP Client?
Jeff Sigman: NAP Partner Avenda Systems Inc. just let us know that they
are now offering an śEvaluation Beta 1 Releaseť from their website. WOW! Cool!
Please feel free to grab it and send feedback
directly to Avenda. Details are here.
winbeta.org - 04.12.2007
XP SP3: TechNet and MSDN subscribers to get beta in two weeks
Microsoft provided an update on the timing for Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 3 on August 29.
Company officials said on Wednesday
that the Windows team plans to deliver a near-public beta of XP SP3 (its going to all TechNet and Microsoft Developer Network subscribers) by
mid-September.
The final version of XP SP3 is slated to hit some time in the first half of calendar 2008, officials said. (Thats
the same date the Softies have been promising officially for a while now. Microsoft wont be any more specific on XP SP3 timing.)
Company officials did not release a feature set for XP SP3 on August 29. The only new piece of information available was the public-beta due
date.
Microsoft made available to a set of private testers a preview of XP SP3 earlier in August. I saw an alleged fix list at
that time: It consisted of nearly 1,000 items.
The last time Microsoft provided a cumulative update to Windows XP was in 2004,
when it released XP SP2.
winbeta.org - 29.08.2007
Using Group Policy Filtering to Create a NAP DHCP Enforcement Policy (Part 2)
In the first part of this series on how to configure a DHCP NAP enforcement policy we went through some of the basics of how NAP works, and then
installed the DHCP and NPS services on the NAP policy server. In this, part two of the series, well look at how to use the NAP policy wizard to
automatically create the Network, Health and Connection policies that will be used to control access to the network.
winbeta.org - 27.08.2008
