Gone searching for a service pack for either Windows Vista or Windows XP? If you've looked for either on Windows Update in the last few days you'll have come up empty handed, as Microsoft has pulled the service packs from distribution due to incompatibility problems with Microsoft's retail management software.

The problem was announced last week and Microsoft immediately withdrew the updates. You won't find either in the Windows Update system for the time being, though you can still find the Vista update online for manual download if you know where to look. (Hint: here.) XP SP3 is, for now, nowhere to be found (at least in legal channels).

Microsoft has not announced a timetable for a fix, but it reportedly revolves around making sure computers with the Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System don't see the update in Windows Update rather than repairing whatever the incompatibility is with the service packs.

Meanwhile, all customers are waiting it out while Microsoft figures out a solution.

In a related issue, users who found they could not download Vista Service Pack 1 due to driver conflicts should find that those problems are largely resolved now. If you still haven't installed Vista SP1, the trick is to download all driver updates by selecting "Optional Updates" in the Windows Update system. Most hardware drivers aren't updated automatically, and after the offending driver is given a makeover, SP1 should install just fine. Note that you'll still have to download the service pack manually (that is, outside the Windows Update system) for the time being (see link above), but you shouldn't experience problems once you install it.

All new hardware that I'm seeing is all shipping with SP1 preinstalled as well.

UPDATE: Maybe this post did the trick. XP Service Pack 3 is back up and ready for download. Get it by running Windows Update (it may not show up immediately; give it a day or two) or by downloading a burnable CD version manually here.