It looks like we might be one step closer to an official Windows Vista Service Pack 1. Microsoft seems to have released an updated beta of Vista SP1 to a select group of testers, and at least one of the less trustworthy beta testers appears to have allowed the file to find its way onto your usual suspect shady BitTorrent trackers.

The previous version of Vista SP1 included a complete installation disc. There was no way to upgrade an existing Windows Vista installation. it appears that the latest build is a 684MB executable file that can be used to upgrade your existing system.

Of course, we probably don't have to remind you that this is pre-release beta software. On the one hand, it might be incredibly tempting to grab the update and install it as soon as possible to see if it addresses problem's you've been having with Windows Vista. On the other hand, Windows Vista itself offers a good demonstration on why you might want to let others test out new Microsoft software for a while before installing it on your computer.