Now that a few thousand beta testers have got their grubby paws on Window Vista SP1, a few more details are leaking out. One feature we hadn't heard about until now is a new utility for creating a Windows recovery disc. This isn't the same as a system restore disc you get from your computer manufacturer that will restore your system to its factory default settings. Instead, it's a disc that helps you boot into a basic version of Windows to repair problems with the operating system.

There have always been ways to create a recovery disc, but they've required jumping through a few hoops. You could probably argue that if the instructions were too complicated, you probably shouldn't be messing around with a restore disc in the first place. But even advanced users like to save some time every once in a while.

Vista SP1 makes the process about as simple as possible. Select "All Programs," from the Start Menu, then select "Maintenance," and then "Create a Recovery Disc." That's pretty much it. And since the whole thing only takes a few hundred MP, you can easily burn a CD in just a few minutes.

Once you have a disc, you'll be able to boot directly into the Windows Recovery Environment if anything happens to your PC. This will let you perform startup repairs, system restores, restore your entire PC from a backup image, check for memory problems, or pull up a command prompt.