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Microsoft delivers release candidate version of Vista SP1 to consumers

Yesterday, Microsoft issued Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Office 2007 along with a Release Candidate version of Service Pack 3 (SP3) for Windows XP. Today, the boys from Redmond are turning their attention to Windows Vista.

Windows Vista users can now download a release candidate version of SP1 for the operating system. SP1 RC1 was released to a select group of testers last month, but this is the first time that the service pack has been opened up to the public.

SP1 includes numerous bugfixes and security updates introduced since the release of Vista on November 30, 2006. Also included are improvements to ReadyBoost, increased network performance, faster file copying and stepped-up anti-piracy measures.

Neowin also notes that improvements have been made to Vista's update engine including support for hotpatching:

  • Improves patch deployment by retrying failed updates in cases where multiple updates are pending and the failure of one update causes other updates to fail as well.
  • Enables reliable OS installation by optimizing OS installers so that they are run only when required during patch installation. Fewer installers operating results in fewer points of potential failure during installation, which leads to more robust and reliable installation.
  • Improves overall install time for updates by optimizing the query for installed OS updates.
  • Improves robustness during the patch installation by being resilient to transient errors such as sharing violations or access violations.
  • Improves robustness of transient failures during the disk cleanup of old OS files after install.
  • Improves the uninstallation experience for OS updates by improving the uninstallation routines in custom OS installation code.
  • Improves reliability of OS updates by making them more resilient to unexpected interruptions, such as power failure     

Service Pack 1 RC1 can be downloaded directly from Microsoft's website via a standalone package. Users can also choose to download a small 348KB applet which will use Windows Update do only download SP1 updates specific to your system.

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Weary
By The0ne on 12/12/2007 3:26:10 PM , Rating: 2
Anyone gave this a try yet? I currently run XP 64 and might try it this weekend. Wondering if there are any traps/holes/etc to be concern about :)




RE: Weary
By atwood7fan on 12/12/2007 3:28:25 PM , Rating: 2
If you can deal with the numerous problems in xp64, I'm sure you can look past a couple inherent bugs in the vista sp1 rc


RE: Weary
By soydios on 12/12/2007 3:38:49 PM , Rating: 1
heck, Vista x64 is a cakewalk compared to XP x64


RE: Weary
By ChronoReverse on 12/12/2007 3:50:55 PM , Rating: 4
Vista64 is actually usable. I don't want to touch XP64 with a 10 foot pole while I run Vista64 on my main rig and my tablet.


RE: Weary
By NullSubroutine on 12/13/2007 1:42:15 AM , Rating: 2
I have been using XP-64 for a year and find it better than any operating system Ive ever used. Almost every manufacture produces XP/XP64 driver in one package.

From what I have benchmarked Ive gotten more FPS from XP64 than from XP and when there is a 64bit executable it really takes advantage of the extra ram (like Hellgate: London and other games).

One thing I will admit is I tried XP-64 when it first came out and had tons of problems with it, however now it seems to be the most stable and fastest OS MS has produced.

My question is, is SP3 available for XP64?


RE: Weary
By S3anister on 12/13/2007 3:15:48 AM , Rating: 2
I love windowsXP x64 edition, in my opinion it's the best Microsoft OS since Win2000.


RE: Weary
By Sunday Ironfoot on 12/13/2007 1:03:21 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Almost every manufacture produces XP/XP64 driver in one package.


Apart from most Wireless Network card manufacturers.

I personally had a terrible time with XP64, one of the main things that putting me off using Vista64 (currently using Vista32). Software incompatibilities, drivers missing for certain hardware (including the above), certain cool software only being available in 32bit version initially (such as Windows Media Player 11), some software detected my OS as Windows Server 2003 and simply refused to installed.


RE: Weary
By TomZ on 12/13/2007 1:12:27 PM , Rating: 2
Why are you concerned about applications being 32-bit? A 64-bit OS can run most 32-bit apps without any problems, or were you running into some that did not?


RE: Weary
By Quiescent on 12/13/2007 9:56:24 PM , Rating: 2
That's because it is based off of Windows Server 2003. They called it XP 64bit because XP was around at the time. It's entirely different from XP though. That's why people have absolutely no problems with it now that 64bit is a common bit for processors now and everybody is willing to support it. Of course this was probably the same issue when it switched from 16bit processors to 32bit processors. So don't be disappointed.

On a personal opinion, I'm sticking to WMP 10. I don't like 11. What kind of hardware problems have you had with XP 64bit? I know that with Soundblaster Live 5.1 Soundcards don't have drivers for XP or XP 64bit, so that might be issue there.


RE: Weary
By Quiescent on 12/13/2007 9:52:06 PM , Rating: 2
If you're going to use any Service Pack, you'll want to slip it in with the installation of XP 64bit. Else like every other Windows OS, you're going to have slow-down issues. Adding a Service Pack is like adding Win2k to a Win98 installation. You know how slow it is to add an upgrade from one old Windows OS to a newer one... It's slow. Same with Service Packs.


RE: Weary
By mikefarinha on 12/12/2007 5:15:24 PM , Rating: 2
I don't know what you guys are talking about. I used XP 64 for a year and a half before I upgraded to Vista 64. I haven't had a problem with either.


RE: Weary
By Runiteshark on 12/12/2007 5:38:06 PM , Rating: 2
I know I totally agree. I have no idea what problems these guys had. I had zero issues, other then at the beginning when Alcohol 120% nor daemon tools was out for it.


RE: Weary
By Holytrinity on 12/13/2007 12:34:49 AM , Rating: 4
You'll find that most (not all) people that damn XP x64 haven't actually used it. IMO, XP x64 is the fastest/most stable Microsoft OS there is.

But we (XP x64 users) already knew that.


RE: Weary
By Quiescent on 12/12/2007 5:40:53 PM , Rating: 2
I agree. I haven't reformatted since like... Sat Jun 10 08:04:12 2006

XP 64bit is a cakewalk in comparison to Vista. I was going to wait for SP1 for Vista, but now I think I'll change my mind.


RE: Weary
By The0ne on 12/12/2007 5:56:19 PM , Rating: 2
I've had 0 issues with XP64 and no slowdown for the only game I play, FFXI. I can run 4 instances of FFXI and more without slowdown. I can't run two instance of FFXI on XP ultimate without slowdown and even unplayable in some areas. I've had no network issues, no file issues, nada. So I'm curious what issues you guys are running into? I do however notice longer times during my video ripping/codec process. But it's minimal enough that I can live with it.

Vista has been horrible for my experience and I'm a mid-level user.


RE: Weary
By Quiescent on 12/12/2007 6:02:29 PM , Rating: 2
I only had an issue with running Terragen 0.9.19. No-name-brands of non-plug-n-play hardware (That should be) such as webcams and Lexmark generally being retarded and having 0 driver support for XP 64bit.


RE: Weary
By Quiescent on 12/12/2007 9:15:30 PM , Rating: 2
I must correct myself, apparently Lexmark finally has support for it.


RE: Weary
By johnsonx on 12/12/2007 5:59:02 PM , Rating: 2
Considering running a release candidate service pack makes you tired? Odd, usually that sort of thing makes me cautious.


RE: Weary
By Gnoad on 12/12/2007 7:43:45 PM , Rating: 2
I think your subject line was meaning to say "Wary"? Surely you haven't lost all your patience or are very tired out with SP1? :)


RE: Weary
By onwisconsin on 12/12/2007 9:56:13 PM , Rating: 2
I didn't get XP x64, but I've had no issues with Vista x64 and have loved it so far. (Well, outside of weak driver support by some companies (eg my SanDisk mp3 and Cruzer won't work on my x64 machine but will work on my x86 laptop). But that's only 2 devices that I don't connect to my computer regularly.)