While most Download Squad readers who took part in our informal poll say that Windows Vista SP1 has either improved their Vista performance, or at least hasn't broken their PCs, some folks are bound to have issues with any upgrade. And over 100 of you told us that Vista SP1 has caused some problems for you. Fortunately, it looks like Microsoft is offering some help.
It's been about a day since Microsoft officially released Windows Vista SP1. And after uninstalling the SP1 release candidate and running Windows Update a few dozen times, we've finally got it up and running on our test system. The good news is that our test PC does seem to be a bit more stable. The bad news, well, not really bad, but other news is that as we knew all along there aren't any real new bells and whistles in this release, which means that SP1 is kind of unsexy as far as service packs go.
But enough about us. What we really want to know is what your experiences with Vista SP1 have been like.
Feel free to leave more details in the comments section.
No more betas, release candidates, or other test builds for Windows Vista SP1. Microsoft is pushing the final version of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 out the door. You can download standalone installers for X86 and X64 systems from Microsoft starting today.
Microsoft has also released a series of documents detailing the changes in Service Pack 1. But we'll save you the trouble. For the most part, you won't notice any major differences. Service Pack 1 looks and operates a lot like the original version of Windows Vista. Almost all of the tweaks are under the hood, and what you will hopefully notice is that your computer is more reliable (meaning it crashes less often) and works better with all of your peripheral hardware devices and third party software. Microsoft also snuck a bunch of security updates in as well.
The standalone installers weigh in at 450 to 550MB, depending on how many languages are included in the version you download. If you upgrade using Windows Update, you'll only have to download about 65MB.
If you're running a pre-release version of Windows Vista SP1, you'll need to uninstall it before installing the newest version. In fact, if you're running Vista SP1 RC, you won't even see Vista SP1 in Windows Update until you uninstall your release candidate and then check for new updates, install the prerequisites, and reboot a few times.
There've been a thousand and one ways to get your hands on Windows Vista SP1 or various beta versions over the past few months. But Microsoft is set to post the manual installer for Vista SP1 on March 18. If you're not in a hurry, you can wait until April when the update will be available through the Windows Update service.
In other news, Microsoft has confirmed that Vista's successor, which goes by the clever codename of Windows 7, is on track for a 2010 release. We've heard a lot of dates over the last few months, ranging from 2009 to 2011. But Microsoft has consistently said Windows 7 was part of a 3 year cycle. They just didn't really make it clear when the 3 years started. Apparently the answer is, 3 years from the time Windows Vista shipped to consumers. Not the date when Vista development began, or 3 years from the date it was shipped to manufacturers.
Does that mean we'll see a public launch of Windows 7 in January of 2010? Eh, maybe. On the one hand, a lot can happen in two years. On the other hand, when you're trying to retool an operating system as widely used as Windows, you want to spend as much time as it takes getting things right, otherwise you wind up with... Windows ME. What, you thought we were going to make a dig at Vista? How little you know us.
Can't wait to get you grubby little paws on the official version of Windows Vista SP1? Microsoft isn't expected to officially release the update to end users until March. But Microsoft has already posted a disc image on its OEM partner site, and if you know where to look you can download it today.
The disc image weighs in at 1.2GB and must be used to perform a clean install of Windows Vista SP1. In other words, you cannot use it to update your system and retain your files and settings. We'd recommend waiting until Microsoft pushes SP1 out through Windows Update if you're not ready to do a clean install.
Microsoft's servers are being hammered at the moment from people attempting to download SP1, so don't expect a speedy download. In fact, if you start downloading today you might not have the full disc image until March anyway.
Release candidates of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 have been available for a couple of months. But if you've been holding off on updating your Vista system until SP1 gets the official Microsoft seal of approval, it looks like you may not have to wait much longer.
There's a rumor going around that Microsoft is set to release Vista SP1 on February 15th. This shouldn't come as a huge shock. Microsoft had already said that the operating system update was on track for a Q1 2008 release. That said, we always take software release dates with a bucket of salt.
SP1 adds some stability, bug fixes, and hardware compatibility features to Windows Vista. Users shouldn't expect too many new features, as that was never the goal for this update. Microsoft, of course, is neither confirming nor denying that the service pack will be ready for release on February 15th.
While Microsoft doesn't plan to release the final version of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 until early next year, ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley reports that you may be able to get your hands on the release candidate of SP1 in just a few weeks.
Foley's sources tell her that Microsoft will be sending out the SP1 RC to beta testers next week with a public release available in mid-December. Of course, while a release candidate is a step above beta software, Microsoft hasn't deigned to call this a full release, which means early adopters are taking their computers into their own hands. There's no guarantee against data loss or other problems.
Of course, given the problems many users have reported when upgrading from XP to Vista, we totally understand if you want to get SP1 as soon as possible. The operating system update reportedly includes a number of reliability and compatibility improvements that should improve performance with whatever hardware you happen to be using. On the other hand, don't expect too much in the way of a speed boost from this service pack. Microsoft didn't promise one, and it doesn't look like they delivered one.
In a nutshell, Devil Mountain reports that they saw a 10 percent performance boost over Windows XP SP2. Microsoft has said SP3's primary purpose is to provide enhanced security and bug fixes. So the speed boost is a bit of an unexpected cherry on top.
Devil Mountain has also been putting Windows Vista SP1 through the paces, and while the software update does improve hardware compatibility and reliability, users running SP1 will not notice any performance boost.
On the bright side, the Vista update doesn't seem to slow Vista down any. But Devil Mountain reports that Vista is about 2 times slower than XP according to the company's benchmarking tests.
Weren't able to make it up to Redmond Washington in October for Microsoft's first Windows Vista SP1 install fair? No problem, Microsoft's holding another one, this time at the company's Silicon Valley campus in Mountain View, CA.
Yeah, it's not exactly Des Moines or Wichita, so if you're not on the west coast, good luck checking out the updated version of Vista. But if you're wondering whether installing beta software will make your PC more stable, and you happen to live in northern California, why not stop by?
The install fair is scheduled for December 8-9, from 9am to 4pm. You'll need to register in advance, and you'll need to make sure your PC is already running Vista and meets Microsoft's minimum requirements. You'll also get a free copy of MS Office 2007 for playing guinea pig.
We're going to point out a couple of things here, although they should really be obvious:
There's no guarantee this registry hack will work for you.
If it doesn't, you could potentially turn your computer into an overpriced paperweight.
Windows Vista SP1 is still in beta, meaning you can expect some bugs even if you do manage to update your system.
If you're still willing to take the plunge after reading all that, just download the registry hack, check for Windows Updates, and you should be all set. A little "evaluation copy" watermark will show up on the bottom of your screen, but hackers being what they are, there's a fix for that as well.
If you're itching to install Windows Vista SP1 but haven't been one of the few thousand beta testers to get an invitation, October 27th could be your lucky day. If you live near Redmond Washington, that is.
Microsoft is holding a Vista SP1 Beta Install Fair. What does that mean? if you've got a PC running Windows Vista RTM and a little free time on your hands, Microsoft will install a beta of SP1 on your system. You'll need a PC with a 1GHz or higher processor, 512MB of RAM, a 4X or 8X AGP video adaptor with 64MB of RAM, 6GB of free hard drive space, and a DVD-ROM drive.
Microsoft is looking for at least 100 PCs with uncommon applications and configurations so they can gather better performance data on Vista SP1. In other words, you'd best back up your data, because there's no guarantee everything is going to work.
There's limited availability, so you should sign up by sending an e-mail to vsp1reg@microsoft.com. Microsoft is offering to install SP1 on 180 desktop PCs and 20 laptops between 9am and 3pm on October 27th.
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.
While Microsoft doesn't plan to release the final version of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 until early next year, ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley reports that you may be able to get your hands on the release candidate of SP1 in just a few weeks.
You may not be able to download Windows XP Service Pack 3 yet without resorting to risky registry hacks, but software developers at Devil Mountain Software took a beta of the upcoming service pack for a spin, and they like what they saw.
