The Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1(SP1) has been released for download to their customers.

The Service Pack 1 for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 upgrade package applicable to any of the following SQL Server 2005 editions:

• Enterprise
• Enterprise Evaluation
• Developer
• Standard
• Workgroup

Update Release date: 18th April, 2006

Service Pack release version: 1.00.0080

Update download Size: 252.7 MB – 909.4 MB(approximate)

SQL Server update SP1 File Names:

SQLServer2005SP1-KB913090-ia64-ENU.exe 353.0 MB
SQLServer2005SP1-KB913090-x64-ENU.exe 303.7 MB
SQLServer2005SP1-KB913090-x86-ENU.exe 252.7 MB

Direct Download Links: Link1, Link2, Link3

System Requirements to run SQL 2005 Service Pack 1:

• Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, Windows XP Service Pack 2

• 32-bit systems (x86) requires – A PC with Intel or compatible Pentium III 600 MHz or higher processor (1 GHz or faster recommended)
• 64-bit systems (x64, ia64) requires – 1GHz or faster processor
• Minimum of 512 MB of RAM (1 GB or more recommended)
• 675 MB of available hard disk space

This service pack upate has came with critical updates to the  following areas.

Analysis Services

• Fixes have been included that improve the performance and stability of queries.
• HTTP connectivity will now support HTTP compression.
• Optimized queries to perspectives are now as fast as queries to the perspective’s base cube.

SQL Server 2005 Integration Services (SSIS)

• Usability of the Import/Export Wizard has been improved in multiple-table scenarios.
• The IDtsPipelineEnvironmentService service lets custom data flow components have programmatic access to the parent Data Flow task.

Data programmability

• Client connection time has been significantly improved if failover occurs while the server is using Database Mirroring and the clients are using TCP/IP.

Manageability

• Previously, Profiling Analysis Services showed the time in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The time now appears in the user’s local time.
• Previously, events that successfully replayed were not being counted correctly. Therefore, incorrect replay statistics were reported to the user. This problem has been fixed.

SQL Server Agent

• A registry switch has been added that you can use to control encryption between a master server and a target server (MSX-TSX).

Maintenance plans

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

• You can now install database diagram support objects on databases in SQL Server 2000 Compatibility mode.

SQL Server Management Objects (SMO)

• Reliability has been improved in the SMO scripting and transfer features.

Replication

• You can now use database mirroring failover together with replication.
• A new Database Mirroring monitor has been added to SQL Server Management Studio. To start this monitor, right-click a database node, point to Tasks, and then click Launch Database Mirroring Monitor.

Reporting Services

New features

• You can now add static images, such as company logos or other graphics, to reports in Report Builder.

Many bugs have been fixed in the integration of Analysis Services in Report Designer. For example, the report wizard now works correctly with Analysis Services data sources. Additionally, the automated parameter-generation behavior has been improved.

.NET Framework 3.5 SP1 System Requirements:

• Supported Operating Systems: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows XP

• Processor: 400 MHz Pentium processor or equivalent (Minimum), 1GHz Pentium processor or equivalent (Recommended)
• RAM: 96 MB (Minimum), 256 MB (Recommended)
• Hard Disk Space: Up to 500 MB of available space may be required
• CD or DVD Drive: Not required/important
• Display: 800 x 600 – 256 colors (Minimum), 1024 x 768 high color – 32-bit (Recommended)

Direct Download Locations:

.NET Framework 3.5 SP1

Microsoft’s Official Download Link – is the .NET Framework 3.5 with SP1 update

.NET Framework 3.5 sp1 download link – bootstrap version

Overview of .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1,

ASP.NET Dynamic Data, which provides a rich scaffolding framework that enables rapid data driven development without writing code, and a new addition to ASP.NET AJAX that provides support for managing browser history (back button support).

Performance improvements to WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation), including a faster startup time and improved performance for Bitmap effects. Additional functionality for WPF includes better support for line of business applications, native splash screen support, DirectX pixel shader support, and the new WebBrowser control.

ClickOnce application publishers can decide to opt out of signing and hashing , The ClickOnce applications that display a customized branding, and the error dialog boxes support links to application-specific support sites on the Web.

Core improvements to the CLR (common language runtime) that include better layout of .NET Framework native images, opting out of strong-name verification for fully trusted assemblies, improved application startup performance, better generated code that improves end-to-end application execution time, and opting managed code to run in ASLR (Address Space Layout Randomization) mode if supported by the operating system. In addition to that, managed applications that are opened from network shares have the same behavior as native applications by running with full trust.

The Entity Framework is an evolution of the existing suite of ADO.NET data access technologies. The Entity Framework enables developers to program against relational databases in according to application-specific domain models instead of the underlying database models.

The .NET Framework Data Provider for SQL Server adds new support for file stream and sparse column capabilities in SQL Server 2008.

Windows Communication Foundation now makes the DataContract Serializer easier to use by providing improved interoperability support, enhancing the debugging experience in partial trust scenarios, and extending syndication protocol support for wider usage in Web 2.0 applications.

LINQ to SQL includes new support for the new date and file stream capabilities in SQL Server 2008.

The ADO.NET Data Services Framework consists of a combination of patterns and libraries, which enable data to be exposed as a flexible REST (Representational State Transfer)-based data service that can be consumed by Web clients in a corporate network or across the Internet.

The ADO.NET Data Services Framework makes data service creation over any data source.  For client applications that are running on Microsoft platforms, a set of client libraries are provided to make interaction with data services simple.

Windows XP SP3

This is the new version of hot-fixes(update) as an Installation File, executable from Windows XP Operating Systems. It includes previous releases of Service Pack updates( SP1 and SP2) and latest security updates.

To download free service pack – you should visit official Microsoft website, which offers variety of options to do this. You may install as live update or choose from download location, otherwise Purchase an Installation CD kit from Recommended Merchants.

The Official Release date of Windows XP Sp3 is: 5th June, 2008

You can obtain Windows XP SP3 from Windows Update, at http://update.microsoft.com

The Overview of Windows XP SP3 available at http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/8/7/687484ed-8174-496d-8db9-f02b40c12982/Overview of Windows XP Service Pack 3.pdf

This update relate to: Performance, Security and Stability of Windows XP Operating System

System Requirements: Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional Edition, Windows XP Service Pack 1, Windows XP Service Pack 2

Update Version: 1

File Name: WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe

Update File Size: 316.4 MB

Default Language: English

Before going to install this service pack update you should aware of Problems occure if some critirias not up to the mark.

Direct download locations:

Microsoft Official Website Download Link1, Download Link2, Download Link3

Windows SP3 Previous Functionalities:

MMC 3.0, MSXML 6, Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1 v2 (3.1.4000.2435), Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) 2.5, IPSec Simple Policy Update for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP, Digital Identity Management Service (DIMS), Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRP) 2.1, Remote Desktop Protocol 6.1, Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2).

Windows XP SP3 New and Enhanced Funtionalities:

“Black Hole” Router Detection, Network Access Protection (NAP), CredSSP Security Service Provider, Descriptive Security Options User Interface, Enhanced security for Administrator and Service policy entries, Microsoft Cryptographic Module, Windows Product Activation.