Vista, XP Service Pack Blockers Set To Expire

In a recent blog post, Brandon LeBlanc, a communications manager on the Windows Client Communications Team, said the Service Pack Blocker Tool for Vista SP1 will expire on April 28, while the XP SP3 blocker tool will expire on May 19.

After those dates, both Vista SP1 and XP SP3 will be delivered through Windows Update, but they won't automatically install, instead giving users the option of accepting or declining the download, LeBlanc wrote.

Microsoft generally offers the service pack blockers for one year after it releases a service pack, according to LeBlanc. Microsoft released Vista SP1 last February, but device driver issues delayed its release through Windows Update and the Download Center until mid-March. Microsoft released XP SP3 last April.

"Our goal in announcing the removal of the blockers early is to provide you with an early notification to ensure you're prepared to deploy the appropriate service pack when the blockers expire," LeBlanc wrote.

Vista SP1 was a major update that addressed many of the performance and compatibility issues that plagued early Vista users, but the OS continues to suffer criticism from its legions of vocal detractors. In contrast, XP SP3 consists mainly of small fixes and updates that Microsoft has issued since launching XP in 2001.