Now where were we…?
Windows XP SP3 was scheduled to be made available to the general public on 29th April, but issues with Microsoft’s Dynamics Retail Management System (DRMS) meant that the release was suspended, along with automatic distribution of Vista SP1, which also encountered those issues.
A very quiet little blog post has announced that XP SP3 is now available, but the only solution to the problem, for the time being at least, appears to be to block Windows Update (WU) – Microsoft’s semi-automated update system – from downloading it or Vista SP1 to any PC running DRMS.
This seems to be an academic point for anyone using a browser other than Internet Explorer, as visiting the WU site fails to yield any updates when accessed from Firefox, for example, suggesting that you go to the Microsoft Download Center instead.
The Microsoft Download Center offers an XP SP3 download for IT professionals and developers here, but it directs people looking to install it on just their own PC to the WU site again. Why can’t it just make the consumer SP3 available as a normal download? Sigh.
Update, 7th May: HEXUS.channel received the following comments from John Curran, head of Windows at Microsoft UK, after publication of the story.
- On Tuesday May 6 Microsoft announced the availability of Windows XP SP3 through Windows Update and Microsoft Download Center. We are also resuming automatic distribution of Windows Vista SP1.
- We will begin automatic distribution of Windows XP SP3 early this summer.
- Last week we identified and broadly communicated a compatibility issue between Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS) and both Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista SP1. The fix for this issue is currently in testing at Microsoft and with customers and we hope to make it publicly available this month. Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers who have installed either service pack should contact Microsoft Customer Support Services for additional information.
- To help protect customers, we have also put filtering in place to prevent Windows Update from offering both service packs to systems running Microsoft Dynamics RMS until they have installed the fix for this issue.
- The release of Windows XP SP3 for our Windows XP users is part of our commitment to providing quality products to our customers. The third service pack is a great tool for enterprises that are in the process of deploying Windows Vista and are looking to co-manage the two products within the same environment.
