A note on a Microsoft blog aimed at Enterprise IT professionals says the Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) blocking tool will expire on April 28, 2009 and the Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) blocking tool will expire on May 19, 2009. (Source: technet.com)

The blocking tools, released in December 2007, prevent service packs from reaching PCs via the Windows Update service, and are used primarily by corporations that have not yet tested or approved the newest upgrades. (Source: computerworld.com)

Microsoft issues those tools on a regular basis when they roll out major updates to its operating system software and Internet Explorer browser.

Vista/XP Tool Kit Still Available

The blocking tools, which includes an executable file, a script, and a group policy template, are still available for download from Microsoft. (Source: microsoft.com)

The current blocking tool kit will block Vista SP2 installations for approximately one year after that service pack is released by mid-May. (Source: computerworld.com)

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