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Windows Vista SP1 RC Refresh available to the public
Just as Microsoft did last month with Vista SP1 release candidate, the latest build (dubbed SP1 RC Refresh) has been loosed from its privately held shackles and is now available for the public to descend upon. According to ZDNet, Redmond decided to make this iteration publicly available "in the interest of gaining additional tester feedback." Of note, you will likely be forced to install "two or three updates" before SP1 RC Refresh can be installed, but we know you're quite unconcerned with all the fine print. Nevertheless, that verbiage (and the download link) is waiting below.[Via ZDNet]
Windows Vista SP1 (release candidate) publicly available
You've heard about it, you know what it's got, you want it like crazy -- and about 11 months after launch Microsoft delivers on Vista's first service pack (in release candidate form, anyway). Go crazy!P.S. -How big is this download really? The installer's under 400k, but we're still trying to find the big kahuna offline update package. Hit us up in comments.[Thanks, Michael]
Microsoft releases changelog for Vista SP1 RC
Those of you clamoring for a public beta of Vista SP1 Release Candidate can spend your weekend brushing up on what all is going to change when that download finally goes live. Available now on Microsoft's website is a sizable document outlining "notable changes" in the forthcoming update, which includes improvements in application compatibility, hardware ecosystem support, reliability, performance / power consumption, security, desktop administration, support for new technologies / standards and interoperability. If we tried to even hit the highlights, all but the most vigilant would probably doze off before they could scroll down to the next post, so we'll just advise the curious to hit the links below and cancel every plan you had for the next 30 or so hours.[Via I Started Something]
Vista SP1 kills the WGA kill switch
Microsoft's anti-piracy system known (and loathed) as Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) is set to lose its bite. When Vista SP1 launches in early 2008, WGA will still identify -- ad-nauseam -- what it thinks to be non-legal copies of Vista. However, it will lose its ability to disable said systems. The change was announced in a presentation by WGA senior product manger, Alex Kochis, who said, "Based on customer feedback, we will not reduce user functionality on systems determined to be non-genuine." That should bring a swift end to WGA customer complaints related to false-positives, spyware concerns, or server glitches. Score one point for law-abiding citizens everywhere.[Via ZDNET, thanks Daniel S.]
Vista SP1 public beta to hit in December?
Speed boost or no, all of you clamoring for some hot Vista SP1 action will be able to get a beta-style fix in December, according to ZDNet. Apparently "selected testers" will get a release candidate in the first week of the month, with general availability to come the week after. ZDNet says the current SP1 build being tested is 17051, but it's not clear whether that's the version to be released or not. Like all things SP1, looks like we'll just have to wait and see.[Via Download Squad]
Windows XP to get a significant performance boost with SP3?
We're always a little wary of unconfirmed speed reports derived from beta software -- especially when no build number is given -- but a Florida shop called Devil Mountain Systems is claiming that Windows XP SP3 will offer a 10 percent speed increase over SP2, going so far as to call it a "must-have update." On the flip side of the coin, it looks like Vista SP1 won't offer much in the way of noticeable fixes, and certainly won't speed things up. Of course, it's not at all unexpected that the finely-tuned XP would run faster than the relatively new Vista, but analysts are having a field day, with Forrester's Benjamin Gray saying "Vista's biggest competition isn't Apple or Novell or Red Hat; it's Microsoft itself, it's XP." That seems a little hysterical to us, actually -- Microsoft deserves major props for continuing to improve XP even as it tries to speed up the transition to Vista, even if that means cannibalizing some sales. That said, let's try to get a little speed out of SP2, mkay?
Vista SP1 release candidate goes out to testers
The fall air certainly seems to have put a spring in the step of OS devs everywhere, and Microsoft's getting in the fun too, releasing the first release candidate of Vista SP1 to beta testers today. Although there don't appear to be many new features on top of what we've already seen, SP1 appears to be well-received, with testers reporting better laptop battery life, faster networking, and improved wake-from-sleep speeds. There's still no word on when the final release of SP1 will hit, but if you're in Microsoft's tester program, SP1 RC1 is available online now.
Microsoft beams out Vista SP1 to beta testers
Right on cue, Microsoft has made available the (long-awaited) Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista to a private group of beta testers. One lucky user actually goes on to describe the update and note a number of positive changes, some of which include a much snappier logon experience, a new option in the Disk Defragmenter "allowing you to choose which volumes you would like to defragment," improvements in responsiveness when resuming from Hibernation / Sleep modes, and interestingly enough, slightly improved battery life on a tested laptop. Furthermore, "select members of the community" are also getting to give five new "reliability packages" a whirl, which are all slated to be available to the public before SP1 is released en masse. Be sure and hit the read link for the full rundown.[Thanks, Dhanik M.]
Microsoft: Vista SP1 beta in September, due in Q108
Looks like Microsoft is finally ready to tell people what the hell is going on with the first Vista service pack: chock full o' bug fixes, performance optimizations, and improved reliability, Microsoft is shooting the beta to between 10,000 - 15,000 people in September (which means it'll be about 10 minutes after release before you can get it on BitTorrent -- not that it isn't already) and is intending to launch it officially in Q1 of 2008. We're reserving judgment on just how badly it's needed or just how many people are itching for it, we just want the thing out, and ASAP.
Leaked Vista Service Pack 1 analyzed
The leak of the first service pack for Windows Vista, imaginatively named SP1, means that we get to hear about the improvements before it gets a real release. APCMag reviewed a leaked copy of the software, and found that it's pretty much your standard service pack fare: a bunch of bug fixes and noticeable performance tweaks. The only new feature is an option to create a recovery disk, along with a crapload of new install packages for Vista's components, with no readily apparent changes. So, what's Microsoft waiting for? Get it out the door already!
Windows Vista pre-beta SP1 hitting the web?
Whispers that Redmond certainly can't be pleased about hearing are beginning to gain traction all over the 'net, as more and more individuals claim that they have Vista's Service Pack 1 pre-beta in their possession. Reportedly, the 6001.16549 build "sounds like it's the real deal," and could be the version that Microsoft has been "trickling out to more and more testers over the past few weeks." Of course, we aren't likely to hear anything one way or another from Microsoft, as the last tidbit that was let loose by it contained the phrase "not anytime soon." But as proven by the Vista Performance and Reliability Pack that just recently found its way into public hands before its intended release date, there's always a chance for leaks. So, dear readers, have any of you stumbled upon a pre-release version of the much-anticipated update?[Via ZDNet, thanks Mark]
Microsoft not delivering Vista SP1 "anytime soon"
The word on the street earlier this month was that Redmond was readying its first Vista service pack, set for release to beta testers sometime around the 16th of July. Well apparently, Microsoft has caught wind of the rumor and is on a serious mission to quell the cries of eager upgraders. Hot on the heels of July 17th reports that the company had released a beta of the Windows Driver Kit (or WDK) meant to coincide with the service pack beta, Microsoft issued a statement claiming that the SP beta will be made available "sometime" this year, but for only a select group of testers, and with no plans for a public showing "anytime soon." For those used to not getting the Microsoft updates they were hoping for this should be business as usual; everyone else, welcome to the land of little "wow."[Via ZDNet]
Microsoft readying Vista's first service pack beta for July release?
While those tantalizing Vienna rumors may have had your heart working overtime for a brief stint, the back-and-forth between Microsoft and Google may have really had users worried that a service pack delay was all but certain. Interestingly enough, "various unnamed sources" have purportedly stated that Microsoft is actually prepping Vista's very first service pack beta (aw, how cute) for a "mid-July release." To be precise, word on the street is pointing towards July 16th, but the final version of Vista SP1 isn't slated to land until "sometime in November." Additionally, it was suggested that this highly-anticipated update will focus "more on fixes and less on new features," but it's not like that's of any real shock. Of course, it wouldn't be unheard of for this proposed date to slip just a bit, but there's no harm in penciling in a reminder for next Monday just in case all goes well.[Thanks, Arneh]
