Microsoft delayed release of Windows XP service pack 3

If you were hoping to download Windows XP Service Pack 3 today, you were disappointed. Microsoft delayed the release due to a compatibility issue with Dynamics RMS.

According to a post at forums.microsoft.com

(...) we have uncovered a compatibility issue between Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS) and both Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1). In order to make sure customers have the best possible experience, we have decided to delay releasing Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) to the web.

To help protect customers, we plan to put filtering in place shortly to prevent Windows Update from offering both service packs to systems running Microsoft Dynamics RMS. Once filtering is in place, we expect to release Windows XP SP3 to the web.

Looks like I will hold off on rebuilding some XP machines to prevent downloading and installing some 100 patches per machine. For the average user with an up-to-date machine it will not make any difference given that not much functionality has been added to SP3.