Some Vista SP1 early adopters reporting problems, how about you?
By Nilay Patel 
posted March 19th 2008 2:42PM
posted March 19th 2008 2:42PM
Alright folks, it's been a whole day with Vista SP1, and like any OS release, reaction is mixed -- although we're certain the people with problems are being more vocal than the rest. As you'd expect, major complaints seem to center around driver issues, that perpetual thorn in Vista's side -- sound cards seem to be the major problem, although there are also reports that NVIDIA drivers are being finicky. For what it's worth, Windows Update won't offer SP1 to anyone running what Microsoft calls "problematic drivers," until they're updated, but that includes several machines sold with Vista pre-installed, which is causing some confusion. In addition, older versions of security software like BitDefender AV and Zone Alarm are flat-out blocked from running on SP1, but updates are apparently available. Obviously that's a lot of chatter, so we figured we'd ask the experts -- how'd it go? Any speed-ups or slow-downs to report? All your drivers and apps still working? Let us know in comments![Via Pocket-lint]
Read - Official Windows Team Blog entry on getting SP1 to appear in Windows Update
Read - List of problematic drivers
Read - PC Pro article on Vista SP1 problems
An UPDATE: Yesterday I regaled you with my woes. Well Microsoft could not figure out why my PC wouldn't take the SP1 update. Their answer: format the hard drive and reinstall. We're in the middle of it now, that would be Sreevas and I are in the middle of it!
So, right now, he's fighting Vista. It won't take anymore updates. Remember, at this point it is a brand-new box in the OS' eyes.
System info:
AMD Athlon FX-64 at 2.8 Ghz
4GB of RAM
8600 GTS Nvidia Controller
ASUS motherboard
brand new 500 GB hard drive that has been working well for about 6 weeks
The saga continues. I report to you from my fully operational MacBook Air as a I wait for my Vista work computer to be revived from the dead.
Well, SP1 rolled out fine, no driver issues noted at this point in time. I installed it on my laptop and once I evaluate it for a while I will install it on my desktop.
IE now seems faster. (I prefer and use Firefox, but I do use IE from time to time for web site testing). For some reason for the last few weeks IE has been super slow - it seems like a DNS Resolution issue as it take a long time to connect to a site (yes the phishing filter is turned off). On the other hand IE now takes a little longer to start-up.
My NIC now seems to connect to wireless network much faster. While booting itself seems slower, the login process and device driver start-up times seem much faster.
Installed SP1 on Vista Business 32-bit. So far nothing stopped working. I do have an nvidia video card in my dell D830 but havn't seen any problems. I'm sceptical to install an updated driver from windows updates. Has anyone had any issues with drivers from MS on vista? I did notice it seems to take longer for my desktop to loud. It may be non related however. I never shut my laptop down. Always use sleep.
Final UPDATE: So after 2 days and about 8 hours, I have Vista SP1 installed, but only after formatting my hard drive and doing a re-install. I must say that Microsoft's support people were great and I do appreciate them for their difficult job.
Service Pack 1 saved my marriage!
I got SP1 via Windows Update and it's been running fine. No problems at all. My nVidia devices (video card and nForce4 drivers) are all working fine.
I have been running Vista SP1 x64 for around three weeks now, without any problems. The only issue seems to be that system reports more memory than I actually have! It says I have 8GB when in actual fact, I only have 2GB. A bug!
It is also possible that it has been causing one or two IE browser closure incidents. Before the upgrade, I hadn't had any for at 5/6 months.
My installation procedure of the SP1 went fine! But now my System Properties shows that I have 8GB memory when in fact I only have 1GB. I went further testing and took out the 1Gig and put only a 512MB chip. To my surprise, Vista was saying that I had then 4GB! Funny is that at one point it showed my one gig but I guess it was only to make me happy for that little time cuz after rebooting the 8GB came back! Oh well!
You can read a little more of how it went for me here anyways: http://www.vistax64.com/windows-updates/140366-sp1-shows-i-have-8gb-memory-instead-my-1gb.html
It installed perfectly and does seem a bit quicker HOWEVER today it said it wasn't authorized so I had to call Microsoft support to get it re-authorized! Took another hour out of my day. Gee Surprise, Surprise!!
Tried to download yesterday, couldn't get it. Went to the Vista Team blog, found out my Sigmatel Codec Driver was bad news. There was no update from Gateway/MPC, so I uninstalled it. Still couldn't get SP1 via Windows Update, so I downloaded the full version, and installed it. It installed without a hitch, took about 45 minutes. I reinstalled the sound driver without a problem. Everything is working great, the slow hibernation return is much faster, I may be getting even better battery life (hard to tell so far), and the problem with hooking external displays to my laptops hasn't reared its ugly head yet. It was a bit of a pain to get it, but better that than I unknowingly hose my laptop or have a bad install because of an incompatible driver.
I have tried twice to install Vista Sp1, it takes about 45mins to install and another 2hrs to uninstall. It gives the notice that it did not install correctly and is removing it.
Well I would like to have Windows Vista SP1 for my Windows Vista Ultimate machine. But when I installed Vista Ultimate on this rig I used Windows update and like a fool I installed all the languages that Windows Vista update provided.
Then I tried to get SP1 but it only works for 5 languages and I have more like 30 installed.
Now the fun starts. I try to uninstall the rest of the 25 languages. In the UI it shows me that I just need to check the boxes for all the languages I need to uninstall. But it only succeeds for the first one I selected and fails for the rest. Then it asks me to reboot before I can even try to uninstall more languages. After trying this for a few times I quickly
discovered that I can only uninstall one language at a time even though the UI merrily
allows it. I can tell you some engineers at Microsoft need to be fired. As a programmer I
have made quite a few blunders but this whole design is so stupid that makes me laugh as to
the talent they have.
Interestingly, a single language install takes 3-4 minutes to do additional stuff before it
shuts down and when I boot it it takes another 5 minutes to clear it out. Every language
uninstall needs a system restart. So far I have removed 5 and I have to get rid of 20 more.
This means 20 more reboots and on average if this takes 20 minutes to uninstall one single
language then it will take me 400 minutes to uninstall all that crap before I can even
install SP1.
No wonder people are converting to the Macs.
Looks like its more stable - less reboots, but no real speed change seen.
All apps work as before.
umm, i'm getting to the third stage 100%, and then it says 'Service Pack did not install. Reverting changes'. yeah...not very happy
I had a wicked memory leak before SP1. When I first started windows, I had 80% of my memory free, by the end of day two (without rebooting) I'd have 50%. Now I have been running for two days and not only does my memory free up when I close a program, it actually gives me 85% of my memory free from the start! No Driver issues aside from my Creative Labs Gameport.. but that's a known issue since the start of Vista. Thumbs up!
Normal functionality for my system -although I did not have my graphic driver updated (Intel 945)-, the only thing I could see, it's a slower system boot, but not a great problem.
Hello,
The most recent update of Windows Vista, SP1, has caused BitDefender v10 products (Antivirus, Antivirus Plus and Internet Security) to no longer function because of an incompatibility between BitDefender and the SP1 Update.
We encourage Bitdefender 10 users to upgrade to the 2008 version before they install Windows Vista SP1 upgrade for their protection.The BitDefender 2008 products are fully compatible with Windows Vista and Service Pack 1.
If they proceed on installing the SP1 upgrade without upgrading Bitdefender 10 they will lose their antivirus and antispam protection for email and dial-up control.
More information : http://kb.bitdefender.com/KB400-en--What-to-do-if-BitDefender-10-cannot-be-installed-on-Vista-SP1.html
No problems here, feeling improved performance and reliability. Installed on my Sony Vaio VGN-FE48G
The install went fine except it required me to re-activate windows. (which was previously done without any problems) I had to call in and was told I might have to do this again for my next two updates.
SP1 works fine for me.It has actully made my PC bit faster
Hello all, I just want to say that I do like Windows Vista very much, I like how the GUI is and how it's user friendliness, I also like how Vista will stop you and ask what do you want to do if there is a program trying to install itself in the backround. That alone has saved my system as my son comes to me and asks what to do next. It's kind of hard to believe that all the versions of Windows have been based on the Windows 95 GUI and have we all come a long way since Win95 days haven't we? Anyone remember "plug and pray"? lol..
I only have one con with Vista and that is I like to use DJ software on my computer, I like to record while I make my mixes. My soundcard which is a Creative Labs that works great in WinXP, simply won't allow me to record while mixing, something about there's no windows mixer in Vista or something. Does anyone know of any software program that will allow me to record my mixes while I am doing them or should I just make another partition, install Windows XP Pro, and boot into XP when I want to mix?
Thank you for reading
I upgraded my mom's computer a few days ago, and she has told me its been nothin' but trouble. She tried restarting it, but it just came to the HP Invent splash screen. Finally, three days afterwards it worked, and windows pretends as if nothing has happened.
Vista with SP1 for 3 days now - no issues so far. have AVG Free version, Comodo Firewall, Spybot and Windows Defender and Comodo BOClean. No hangups or issues.
Have Vista ultimate. Installed SP1 and the machine now hangs on the boot up sequence for about 5 minutes before checking the ram and then takes another 5 minutes to fully boot. Once up it seems fine and some programs are faster responding. Any ideas on the boot problem?
Finally got Windows Update to find the SP1 upgrade after having to update a couple of drivers.
But now when I try to download it, it just sits there at (0kb total, 0% complete).
It's been like that for almost three hours now. What gives?
No problems here after upgrading my HP Blackbird with Windows Vista Ultimate.
On my old system (Celeron D 3GHZ, 1GB RAM, X1600PRO) Vista always worked fine, 2 days ago I download SP1 RTM and the system start work even better.
After installing, my computer will not boot. It gives me errors that files are missing or corrupted, however, when I replaced all of them from the Install CD, it gave me BSOD. I'm trying a system restore with my fingers crossed.
I dont know if this has anything to do with the service pack 1 update but my Vista Ultimate OS update now has Media player acting like an xbox 360 and wont play all formats that it once did like sertain versions of divx or xvid. whata going on there?
my hd dvd player is not showing up
I thought everything was fine... until it was time for my computers to hibernate. NONE of them go into hibernate now.
Also, I'm getting this weird message that keeps asking me, "Choose which certificate to use." I can't seem to figure out where the dialog box is originating from.
a report that says that the sp1 use more battery than before in laptops was reported here:
http://www.byramix.com/blogforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=33
I just bought a laptop with Vista already downloaded on it and I HATE IT!! They make it sound so easy but I can't find half of anything that I have, I don't know how to open a new folder in my documents, can't find my buddy list, etc., etc. I don't know when I have felt so helpless. I follow the directions and it still does not work. I thought the new things were supposed to make things better and easier, not worse and harder. Can anyone help me with who to get in touch with for help? I even tried to download AOL 9.0 and it wouldn't download all the way through. HELP!!
Realtek onboard sound card failed and I have to replace it with a standalone sound card. There is no fix for realtek drivers as far as I can find and I spent alot of time researching fixes. All fixes have failed up to this point I had to uninstall sp1.
SP1 has forced my Canon Powershot SD1000 to become unusable when I plug it into the USB port. Spent 30 minutes on the phone with Canon and attributed it to SP1 driver issues. The rep from Canon did say they were gonna inform Microsoft of the issue.
Dell m1710
4 gig RAM
nVidia Go 7900 GS
Vista 32bit Ultimate... Before the update, it was a dog. Could not run anything from the CS2/CS3 Suite reliably. File transfers, set them up to go, went to bed, maybe they would be done in the morning. Few other issues, gave up and went to XP Pro.
SP1... Laptop wasn't being used regularly anymore so I figured I would give it a whirl with Vista. Installed Vista 32bit (Dell disk doesn't come with both versions), went to Dell Support, wow, new drivers for the graphics card and a few other bits... SP1 didn't show on the Update. No big I have bandwidth, got the full version. Things are faster in general. Harddrive only thrashes for 3 minutes at boot up (which is also faster) rather than the whole time the computer is on. Shut down times are much faster than before.
Couple of issues still...
* Windows Media Player - stutters audio and video, power management has no effect on this
* HDD still thrashes for the first 3 to 6 minutes. I don't understand why it needs to repeatedly index the same 3,167 files (I have not installed or downloaded anything new to the computer since the update. The number above has not changed in the 15 boot-ups I have done since the update came out...)
* Nearly a killer - On some wireless networks, it will take an extremely long time before I am assigned an IP. I did not have this problem with XP. Once I obtain an IP, IE7 won't properly redirect to the login page (also not a problem with XP). Usually takes about 15 minutes to get this resolved on these problematic networks.
* Related to the last issue - The Vista wireless management software completely disables the software tool, Intel ProSet Wireless. I want to try and see if this will manage connecting better than the default Vista application. Although it is installed, I am not being allowed to use it. Everywhere you are supposed to be able to enable the Intel software is disabled or no longer even there.
All in all, I give it a B effort. Some things need fixing still and the OEM's need to do a better job of support. My Desktop will not run Vista. No matter what I do/try Vista fails. I have all the 32bit and 64bit driver sets and no joy. I even took off all overclocking and tried using the onboard video (nVidia 8800GTS card removed) and audio (SB removed) and no luck. Seems as an OS its just too hit and miss.
Everything is good here. Running x64 with only 2GB of RAM and no issues. Machine mainly for Bluray and other HD playback.
I ended up wiping my machines out and starting over. I had to rebuild the mbr on my hd but vista was the only os to be installed on it. Anyway immediately after reinstalling vista ultimate x64 I installed sp1 and then started rebuilding my software. MS lists my case as resolved by myself but it still doesn't explain why vista trashed my mbr in the first place.
Windows Vista downloaded SP1 on to my computer last night. Now sound system doesn't work. Uninstalling SP1 doesn't even fix problem. I have a Realtek 6.0.1.5413 sound driver.....What is happening with Vista????? No such problems with XP
I was TOTALLY not impressed! I attempted to install SP1 on our laptop, running Vista Home Premium, twice with the same result, an unusable system! The OS comes up, I log in, my profile loads and within 1 minute get an error message saying "windows has encountered a critical error and will shut down in 1 minute" it can't find control panel or "my computer". I think it sucks!!! I am using a new HP Pavillion Entertainment laptop with all the bells and whistles. Wazzup with that????
Media Player stopped playing mp3's after installing SP1. Went back to a restore point and nothing. Windows Update then offerred a RealTek audio device update. Nothing. Reinstalled SP1, and it's still broke. Otherise, Vista's performing slightly faster for me.
I have installed sp1 on the same x64 ultimate system twice now and both times ended with me uninstalling it. Once installed, if i right clicked on the desktop and selected personalize, then you would briefly see a window pop open and close in a fraction of a second.
Windows update siezed to function as well. My sidebar was there but empty and all gadgets from the sidebar were gone. Adding gadgets showed that there were no gadgets to add :-(
Several gui glitches just like the results of clicking personalize occur when clicking other icons like management or even right clicking my computer.
intel c2d e6700 @3.5ghz
evga 680i
6gb of ddr2 pc8000 (g.skill)
2 bfg 8800gtx oc2's in sli and watercooled
x-fi fatality champion running alchemy (works great)
dual wd500 in raid 0 and dual wd320 in raid 0
ati theater pro 650 for media center (yup works great)
thats all the pertinent stuff. Im not gonna list periferals. Anyone else having these issues?
Vista sp1 had to uninstall problems with windows mail could not send email all went and stayed in outbox. Once I uninstalled sp1 windows mail working again
MY FRIEND GAVE ME HIS LAPTOP RUNNING VISTA BUSINESS. BEFORE GIVING IT TO ME HE DELEATED HIS ADMIN USER NAME AND TOOK OUT ALL PASSWORDS. NOW WHEN I TRY TO RUN ANYTHING IT ASK FOR THE ADMIN PASSWORD BUT DOES NOT ALLOW ANYTHING TO BE TYPED IN AND THE ONLY OPTION IS CANCELL, THE OK TAB IS NOT LIGHTED ONLY THE CANCEL TAB.
I DO NOT WANT TO REISTALL THE VISTA SYSTEM BECAUSE I WILL LOSE ALL THE OTHER PROGRAMS. OFFICE, ETC. CAN ANYONE HELP
CHUCK
I just installed sp1 on my HP laptop.
I have 2gb ram and my system was running w/ 28% memory in use; now since I installed sp1 my sysem has 40% ram in use....WHY?
sp 1 stopped the scroll sections on the touch pad of my toshiba A215 satellite and prevent the reinstalation of drivers only choice i had was to rollback the system to before the sp 1 install and that happened twice and nobody seems to have a solution to this problem. It really did stabalize the system but, that other problem is really an annoyance.
Updated yesterday,
Running Vista 64 Ultimate, today I have sound glitches.. more like pops every now and again , but worst for me is the fact I can no longer transfer files to Pen Drives...
The system claims "the file is no longer located in C:\User etc... when infact the file is there and will quite happily transfer to another Hard Drive Ok...or play in Media Player....
Even when I scan a photo onto HDD into my pictures folder in my documents, then try and copy and paste or cut and paste, it says the same... the file is no longer located... gotta love updates...Not.
I have multiple pen drives , so I know its not the pen drive... and I was not having this problem before SP1 update....
Be glad if anyone has a solution? tried everything here... pen drives formatted Again etc... must be some form of security in Vista? Cheers.
I installed SP1 on my new Acer laptop and surprise surprise it turned off my audio, all my Acer hotkeys and generally pissed me off, maybe this affects some makes more than others but I cannot see or understand why it should have any effect at all! Maybe others have a better idea, any offers guys? (or girls) Apart from rolling the system back using restore as even Acer Europe didn't have any help to offer other than NOT to download it in the first place... I would really appreciate any help with this problem, cheers Kenrolli