FAQ: Windows XP SP3 ships -- finally

So while he said he'd listen, he didn't promise to let OEMs sell systems with the aged OS past the current June 30 deadline, or keep selling XP at retail after that date either.

"I know we're going to continue to get feedback from people on how long XP should be available," Ballmer added. "We've got some opinions on that. We've expressed our views."

One thing we do know: Microsoft said nothing Monday about granting another reprieve.

Will Microsoft offer free technical support if I have problems with installing SP3, or after installing the service pack?

Excellent question; you must have heard that Microsoft isn't charging for Vista SP1 calls.

The short answer: Yes.

The long answer, courtesy of a Microsoft spokeswoman: "XP SP3 support will be free, conforming to standard Microsoft lifecycle support for all service packs. You'll be able to find detailed support information on the support lifecycle page after XP SP3 RTMs.

Normally, Microsoft refers users who obtained XP as part of a new PC to the computer manufacturer or reseller when problems pop up; the company's for-fee support runs US$59 per request unless the user or business has a prepaid support plan with Microsoft.

XP SP3 queries, however, will be free for one year from today. Users can contact Microsoft by phone, e-mail or online chat.

Will XP SP3 be available at retail?

Unclear. But because Microsoft's set June 30 as the drop-dead date for XP in retail -- and for that matter banning large-scale OEMs from installing it on new machines -- it's very doubtful.

That means if you buy a copy of XP between now and ... whenever ... since we're sure it won't vanish overnight from store shelves and certainly not from eBay, you'll have to do an after-the-fact update to SP3.

Can I roll back XP to its pre-SP3 condition if I want? How do I do that?

Yes, and it's easy.

To ditch SP3 and return to (presumably) SP2, open "Add or Remove Programs" from Control Panel, check the "Show Updates" box, then scroll to the bottom of the listing. Select "Windows XP Service Pack 3" and then click the "Remove" button.

The PC needs to reboot, but after that the machine should return to its pre-SP3 state.