Microsoft does NOT release XP SP3 through Windows Update today

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft

Microsoft does NOT release XP SP3 through Windows Update today

by Brad Linder Apr 29th 2008

For the last week or two we've been telling you that Microsoft planned to release Windows XP Service Pack 3 through Windows Update today, meaning most Windows XP users would download and install it automatically. But then Microsoft decided to go and make liars of us, by holding off on the release.

ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley reports that Microsoft discovered a compatibility problem that the company wants to solve before pushing out the update to all users. The problem is with Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System, and affects Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista SP1. And we can't for the life of us figure out why Microsoft would delay pushing out SP3 to all of its retail customers for a compatibility issue that will only affect customers who use a niche business oriented application from Microsoft.

If you're tired of waiting, you could always just download Windows XP SP3 the old fashioned way, by finding a link someone dug up and posted on a web site. If it makes you feel any better, the download link points to a Microsoft server.

Tags: sp3, windows-xp, xp

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Fred Thompson said 4:26AM on 4-30-2008

I put the full SP3 (from ms direct download) on my Tablet PC which had the SP3 RC refresh and now some things are screwed up. During installation the full SP3 displayed a list of programs which it expected to be broken by the installation, requiring reinstalling them. Did I write the list down? No. Was there a print button on that window? No. THe refresh didn't have such a report. I installed and now the system needs to be rebuilt. Something is screwed up in the full release.

jfjb said 2:44PM on 4-30-2008

I've said it elsewhere but I shall repeat:
SP3 sounds smells and tastes like a cheap farewell gift to the XP users.
My take, I may be wrong.
Surf's up, dudes and dudettes!

gareth said 6:30PM on 5-02-2008

A great deal of these problems have to deal with the integration of sp3 into a install disk of XP. For Volume license users it wont work- It corrupts the mechanism that verifies a VLK key. In other words- The problem only seems to affect business customers/ owners.

I guess I can understand why they are delaying the release of the service pack, but its still a pain in the butt for us average Joes.

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