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All legal Windows Vista users can now try out the SP1 RC Refresh

Last week, Microsoft released the Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Release Candidate Refresh to 15,000 beta testers. In an effort to get even more feedback from customers, the SP1 RC Refresh is now open to the general public.

Microsoft routinely offers up test software to the general public, so this move shouldn't come as a surprise. In early December, Microsoft provided Vista users with the initial release candidate version of SP1.

As reported in previous articles, Windows Vista SP1 brings new anti-piracy measures, faster file copying, improved networked performance, enhancements to ReadyBoost and support for hotpatching.

Microsoft provides the following cautionary notes for those that wish to install this latest update to Windows Vista:

  • Windows Vista SP1 RC Refresh is pre-release software and will change before the final release. Windows Vista SP1 RC Refresh is for individuals, organizations, and technical enthusiasts who are comfortable evaluating pre-release software and is provided for testing purposes only. Microsoft does not recommend installing this software on primary or mission critical systems. Microsoft recommends that you have a backup of your data prior to installing any pre-release software.
  • Windows Vista SP1 RC Refresh is time-limited software.
  • Windows Vista SP1 RC Refresh will no longer operate after June 30, 2008 and should be uninstalled prior to that date. After installation your desktop will show the text "Evaluation Copy". This does not mean that your system is no longer genuine but that you have installed a test version of software which is time-limited. The "Evaluation Copy" text will appear on your desktop after the second reboot after installing the service pack. Likewise, the "Evaluation Copy" text will remain on your desktop during the first reboot after uninstall the service pack, but will disappear after the next reboot.
  • If you install Windows Vista SP1 RC Refresh it is strongly recommended that you install the final version of Windows Vista SP1 when it is released. To do this, you will be required to uninstall this RC version of Windows Vista SP1.
  • Assisted support (phone, email and online chat) is not available from Microsoft Help and Support for this RC release of Windows Vista SP1. Self-help and peer support is available through the Windows Vista SP1 forum.
  • You must have a genuine copy of Windows Vista installed prior to installing Windows Vista SP1 RC Refresh.
For those that don't mind dabbling with test software, the Windows Vista SP1 Release Candidate Refresh can be obtained directly from Microsoft.

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Problems
By homerdog on 1/14/2008 12:33:27 PM , Rating: 5
I tried this out last night. Installation went smoothly and all was well. Since I was in the tweaking mood I decided that I would try to tighten up my memory timings a little. Of course, I got to aggressive and had to flash my BIOS.

Upon entering Windows after this I was greeted with a screen saying that my copy of Windows was no longer valid and was prompted to reactivate. No problem. Tried to activate online. Problem. Apparently my license was already in use by another machine, and I was directed to purchase another license. I tried activating by phone, which did not work either. Now I was really screwed.

I was allowed to access my computer with "limited functionality", which basically meant that I could browse the internet and do nothing else. In a last ditch effort I browsed to my C drive in Firefox and downloaded Explorer.exe. Opening that revealed the taskbar, allowing me to try to uninstall SP1. I was not allowed to do so, but I was allowed to use system restore. That was a close one.

Long story short, beta operating systems are not for me.




RE: Problems
By shabby on 1/14/2008 12:47:22 PM , Rating: 2
Wouldnt you run into that "limited functionality" problem without the beta sp1 patch?


RE: Problems
By Christopher1 on 1/14/2008 12:53:59 PM , Rating: 1
Actually, no. There is a known problem with the activation system, especially when you have a pre-installed OEM version, that makes your system go into reduced functionality mode only when SP1 is installed.

They must have tightened up something or included more blacklisted numbers in it, because I've been reading of a lot of home beta testers who have had this RFM problem.

Microsoft just needs to remove RFM like they said they would, and start allowing people to reactivate their systems in a separate way than with the 25-digit number, especially if they have an OEM version like myself.


RE: Problems
By Proteusza on 1/15/2008 8:21:58 AM , Rating: 2
Thank goodness I didnt try this one out.


RE: Problems
By Christopher1 on 1/14/2008 12:49:19 PM , Rating: 1
The beta part isn't the problem. The problem is that freaking RFM that Vista has included in it that it goes into when you system is not 'genuine'.
I ran into this problem myself with the first public released version of Vista SP1 RC1, where it forced my PRE-INSTALLED version of Vista into RF mode.

Microsoft needs to figure out why this is happening, and maybe it is time for all OEM's to include those 25-digit numbers with their systems so that you can easily re-activate if there is a problem.


RE: Problems
By homerdog on 1/14/2008 1:05:33 PM , Rating: 2
I entered the 25-digit number that the telephone activation system gave me and it still didn't work. There was something seriously wrong going on, not even MS technical support could help me.


RE: Problems
By munkle on 1/14/2008 1:31:42 PM , Rating: 4
The reason I think it is happening is because oems do not use the key that is on the side of your computer when they load the os. They will load thousands of drives at a time with a prebuilt image with a some random key (its not random but its not the key on the machine) and then put the hard drive into the pc it was meant for. At least this was how it was for all the Dell's I had purchased, if you look at the key that was preinstalled it is not the same key on the side of the machine.

I think sp1 looks at the keys differently because it stopped identifying what was a "mass" oem key and said too many people have your key.


RE: Problems
By ATC on 1/14/2008 3:57:47 PM , Rating: 2
This is a little concerning as I wanted to try out SP1 on my new HP that has Vista (OEM) pre-installed. I think I'll wait for now.

Is this problem wide spread or have some people with Dells and HPs got no issues with SP1?


Just remember
By crystal clear on 1/14/2008 12:31:08 PM , Rating: 3
The refresh requires the same time-consuming, multiple-reboot process used by Vista SP1 RC in December. Also, users who have uninstalled that version must wait an hour before beginning the laborious update. "The installer service needs to clean up and complete the uninstall prior to installing the RC," said instructions posted on the Web. "Failing to do this can result in installation errors when installing the RC version."

Three prerequisite updates are also required before SP1 can be installed. Windows Update feeds them to the PC prior to downloading SP1, with a reboot after each. One of the prerequisites is a patch Microsoft mistakenly sent to all Vista users' PCs last week when it meant to send it only to machines running Vista Enterprise or Vista Ultimate.



http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?com...




RE: Just remember
By DEVGRU on 1/15/2008 10:39:11 AM , Rating: 2
Way to go Microsoft! I mean, its not like you've been designing and coding OS's since the freakin 80's. Surely with all the millions floating around someone in Redmond could buy a clue?

Sigh.


Which build?
By db298 on 1/14/2008 12:21:22 PM , Rating: 2
What's the build number on this release?




RE: Which build?
By Brandon Hill (blog) on 1/14/2008 12:23:17 PM , Rating: 2
If it's the same build released to testers last week, then: 6001-17042-071107-1618


SB600
By yehuda on 1/14/2008 4:47:05 PM , Rating: 2
I would like to know if SP1 resolves the compatibility issue between ATI's SB600 southbridge and Microsoft's native AHCI driver. At present, it is not possible to complete a Vista installation on an SB600-based board if the southbridge is set to AHCI mode, which is a really embarrassing state of affairs. Has anyone streamlined the SP yet?

http://techreport.com/articles.x/13832/5




RE: SB600
By XBoxLPU on 1/14/2008 9:18:42 PM , Rating: 2
You can't slipstream service packs with Vista AFIAK


So far so good
By Oroka on 1/14/2008 2:05:36 PM , Rating: 2
I installed the SP1 RC Refresh last night, and so far I have noticed Vista is a bit quicker. Still nowhere near XP, but better.




Broke my PC
By Dribble on 1/15/2008 5:14:17 AM , Rating: 2
Installed it a little while ago on my vista 64 bit ultimate and it broke the clip-on widget thingys (e.g. the control panel). Perhaps the same problem, perhaps not it also broke printing. You could access some stuff through explorer, but not everything.
I had to go to safe mode to get to the page to uninstall the service pack (as per microsoft's instructions). Now my PC works again.




Better to wait for RTM SP1
By chizow on 1/15/2008 11:00:37 AM , Rating: 2
Installed this last week after finding the Beta link. Installation went pretty smootly overall, no hitches although it does require a few reboots. Overall the boosts in file transfers/copying are real and tangible (Raptor to Raptor copying went from 60MB/s to 72-80MB/s), although there was a hot fix released a few days beforehand that also addressed transfer rates. It also cut down on my Raptors chugging unnecessarily at random times.

Not real happy about the trial version designation in the lower right hand corner after installing this and I'm dreading having to uninstall this prior to installing RTM SP1. 99.9% sure I'm going to have to reinstall Vista in order to get a working final SP1. Also had to reinstall my X-Fi (uninstall via Dev Mgr, then reinstall drivers) as it got a bit flaky after installing SP1.

Overall it seems to be a good fix for Vista, although I was pleased with Vista 64 with all of the available hot fixes through Windows Update. At this point though, I think its safer to just wait until RTM is released and update then. Will save you the hassle and any potential problems with uninstalling RC1, then updating again.




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