Does anyone here know what SP3 includes? I have SP2 and everything works fine (even games run smoothly)

If it works don't fix it. Sp3 still has some bugs, if your setup is working don't bother.

I agree with dude, I made the mistake of installing the final version SP3 and the windows update site stopped working properly apparently because SP3 is missing some dlls, I finally managed to get it working by installing a cab file here advised by Andrew Johnson; http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&frame=right&th=ed15c91eaecedecd&seekm=MPG Please take a look at Message 3 and 5, I will be staying with the Beta version of SP3 from now on for I have had been using it for over four months and I have never had a problem. This final version of SP3 has add-ons like AutoUpdate and Background Intelligent Transfer Service, etc., which many of us don't need.

Or want....as far as I'm concerned that BITS is just another form of spyware. As for updating, I'll do it when I want...if I want...and I prefer to download the updates and do them myself as I have more than one PC and don't want to have to run from one to the other clicking on "Windows Update" on the start menu (windows update by the way being 'unavailable' on any system I own....I delete those wherever I find them....just more junk on my start menu....) I have a strong preference for downloading the update in .exe format so I can deploy it centrally on my LAN.

"BITS" is just another form of spyware, this is also my opinion, just like Micosofts' Windows Media Player and its so-called security patches and Client IDs placed in the registry, not to mention a few other of their softwares that come packaged with windows. The only updates I install now are Internet Explorers Critical Security Patches and even those I don't totally trust.

You assume because you don't have problems that you can see, there are no problems... security isn't something so tangible. Unless you have some other way of adressing any security issues brought up with the hotfixes/SPs/security rollups etc, install them. Otherwise you'll just wind up getting the next big worm that's released(There's always some new worm/virus now based on 3-9 month old exploits that are well know, and fixed, but too many people don't update, so they still spread like wildfire) Help yourself, and help the rest of the online community, don't be one more zombie scanning the net for more people to infect, get your security up ot date.(oh, and don't use outlook*shudder*. Whatever you do, please don't use outlook)