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Print E-mail del.icio.us 29 comment(s) - last by Christopher1.. on Jan 13 at 11:16 PM

  (Source: EL PAIS)
Microsoft inches closer to Vista SP1 RTM

Microsoft continues to put the finishing touches on Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) and the steady stream of updates reinforces its actions. Microsoft late Wednesday night released a SP1 Release Candidate (RC) refresh to 15,000 beta testers.

Testers have two ways of downloading the update: they can download a single SP1 installation package from the Microsoft Connect website or they can download a redirection script which will allow them to download the update via Windows Update.

Unfortunately for current SP1 beta testers that simply want to jump in and upgrade to the latest build of SP1 right away, the existing SP1 installation must be uninstalled first before proceeding.

"We are still on schedule to deliver SP1 RTM in Q1 CY08," said Microsoft in a statement. "The final release date is based on quality, so we will continue to track customer and partner feedback from the beta program before setting a final date."

For testers that choose to download Windows SP1 from the Microsoft Connect website, the download will ring in at 725MB for the x64 version and 436MB for the x86 version.

Microsoft last issued a build of Vista SP1 back in early December 2007. Fortunately for non-beta testers, that version was available to the general public.

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I for one would like a new DVD
By mindless1 on 1/10/2008 11:05:18 AM , Rating: 5
I would like it if MS had an exchange program where I send in a Vista CD and get a Vista SP1 DVD. I feel a nominal charge for the disc and shipping would be acceptible and of course I'd surrender the original if required so long as the replacement is delivered in a timely manner.

I state this because I feel there are a lot of important patches in SP1 and we will all be eager to have a consolidated installation disc. I also want to encourage MS to offer a program like this where anyone can later get an updated Vista DVD with all patches on it up to that point integral already. With XP many of us were slipstreaming these things over and over but it seems like there has to be a better way (easier way, permanent way, like having a pressed DVD instead of trying to hack out a DVD image.

While this seems a little critical it is a positive thing we have SP1 soon arriving and I hope the testers make an effort to put it through it's paces instead of just using it in their normal daily routine.




RE: I for one would like a new DVD
By Spivonious on 1/10/2008 11:10:30 AM , Rating: 4
Did MS remove slipstreaming from Vista?


RE: I for one would like a new DVD
By Christopher1 on 1/10/2008 11:19:59 AM , Rating: 2
Supposedly, they did. I've seen some CNet people saying that they removed slipstreaming an installation from Vista, and I am not happy about that at all.

Microsoft should have a program where people can contact them, tell them "I bought a Toshiba/X computer of this model, I want to get an SP1 installation disk!"

I want that because I found out that the old installation disk will not do what I call a 'repair upgrade' when SP1 is installed, and I am warning people now: DO NOT INSTALL AND UNINSTALL VISTA SP1! It will KILL Microsoft Office somehow, I had that happen on my laptop and I still cannot get it to re-install.

Once I get my external hard drive, I will just blow away Vista and re-install it on my laptop to fix this problem, since I wasted 4 days with Microsoft techs only to have them tell me to do that.


RE: I for one would like a new DVD
By Kefner on 1/10/2008 11:48:10 AM , Rating: 2
Weird that you had an uninstall of SP1 kill Office. I had to uninstall SP1 RC1 due to some issues with a couple games. The games simply would not launch. Uninstalling SP1 fixed this, and my Office still works fine. What version of Office are you using? I am using Office 2007.


By Christopher1 on 1/13/2008 3:15:14 AM , Rating: 2
I am using Office 2007 Home and Student Edition. You noticed the problems with some games as well? I uninstalled RC1 because it wouldn't let GameTap start anymore, and I couldn't go without my fix of Sam & Max, as well as having it put my perfectly legal Vista installation that came with my laptop into RFM - reduced functionality mode, basically the 'kill-mode' for Vista.
That really pissed me off big time, to be honest.

I know that RC1 is supposed to be a test build, and at first I thought "Well, I must have done something to kill Office myself!" But after uninstalling, cleaning up the registry, and trying to re-install Office 2007 and having every single installer for every level of Office 2007 crash, from Home and Student to Ultimate..... it has to be a problem with RC1.

Personally, since I have noticed that some scripts are not working correctly and Nero Startsmart is missing the "Welcome to Nero!" dialog that pops up when you first start it, just a blank box..... the uninstallation of Vista SP1 or the installation of that 'trusted installer' update for Vista SP1 that was necessary must have wrecked something.

Thing is, my computer is pretty 'bare-bones' as to programs outside of games. Microsoft Office, a few anti-spyware apps, Vista itself, Norton Internet Security.... those are the only non-game things I have on my machine, and I don't think one of them killed Office and would keep on killing the installer as well.


By Brandon Hill (blog) on 1/10/2008 12:08:21 PM , Rating: 2
I've never had that problem uninstalling Vista SP1 and reinstalling a newer build -- and I've done with at least three different builds.

I have a Windows Vista Home Premium and Office 2007


RE: I for one would like a new DVD
By Arribajuan on 1/10/2008 3:39:09 PM , Rating: 2
I hope not, I see no reason to remove slipstreaming.

Downloading 700+ mb everytime you install is bad and slow, no matter what connection you have.


By Christopher1 on 1/13/2008 3:18:08 AM , Rating: 2
I didn't even bother with that with my other computer, and with a high-speed connection..... 700mb goes by pretty fast, maybe 15 minutes with my connection running at full speed without any Azureus bottlenecks to deal with.

Also, Vista SP1 shouldn't be anywhere NEAR 700+ mb unless you are downloading the 'extreme multi-language' installer from Microsoft.
The localized versions come up at about 150MB's at most.


RE: I for one would like a new DVD
By rninneman on 1/10/2008 11:24:47 AM , Rating: 2
I remember reading somewhere that if not removed entirely, slipstreaming would be more difficult with Vista than with XP. Why they would do this makes no sense. What about large corporations that need to deploy stable images to 1000s of employee machines. Hopefully we'll know soon. Keep an eye on www.vlite.net in the meantime.


By Master Kenobi (blog) on 1/10/2008 11:47:02 AM , Rating: 2
It's still doable, but it doesn't slip stream the way you think. I ended up building a WIM image and putting it on a DVD for easy installation with SP1 pre-loaded. You can't slip stream it the way you did in XP, but it's still doable if you use the proper tools from Microsoft (All of which are freely available though if you know what to look for)


RE: I for one would like a new DVD
By Aikouka on 1/10/2008 11:47:26 AM , Rating: 3
I assume it'd be difficult because Vista doesn't actually use an installer like previous versions of the OS, but it expands an image to the designated storage device.

Also, slipstreaming does remove a way for IT departments to make things easier, but heck... there are still easier ways to perform installs than slipstreaming and reinstalling. You even mentioned imaging yourself. One of the IT departments I worked for simply had a networked imaging system where you could boot into the app and it would image the machine for you from a networked server. I'd say that'd be a better solution than slipstreaming and installing it all manually (as long as your machines were identical).


RE: I for one would like a new DVD
By Staples on 1/10/2008 1:01:09 PM , Rating: 2
I would like this too. i bought a CD of XP when it came out and the installer is a lot less reliable than ones in SP2 installation CDs. This latest time I installed Windows, it would not even recognize several partitions in the installer or the OS until I installed SP2. I'd love a new SP2 CD.


RE: I for one would like a new DVD
By Oroka on 1/11/2008 11:06:49 AM , Rating: 2
Back when SP2 came out for XP, I ordered a SP2 install disk and they shipped it via courier for free. Not a full disk, but still on disk. Almost as good.


Off Topic
By Cobra Commander on 1/10/2008 11:08:30 AM , Rating: 3
No word on XP Service Pack 3?




RE: Off Topic
By Christopher1 on 1/10/08, Rating: 0
RE: Off Topic
By Bioniccrackmonk on 1/10/2008 11:27:13 AM , Rating: 2
It was, SP3 that is available is Release Candidate 1, not available through windows update. I had to get a copy from a friend of mine who got it somehow.


RE: Off Topic
By Bioniccrackmonk on 1/10/2008 11:26:12 AM , Rating: 2
I am already using XP SP3 RC1 on my home computer. I would say the performance increased a little bit after installation, as far as faster loading of Windows and file copying, but it also killed a couple of older games I used to play, but the new ones still work fine.

Side note, I wonder when SP3 will be released to teh general public.


RE: Off Topic
By Christopher1 on 1/13/2008 3:19:53 AM , Rating: 2
Bets are on the same time as SP1 for Vista.... sometime next month.


RE: Off Topic
By diego10arg on 1/10/2008 12:58:46 PM , Rating: 2
Sorry for the Off-topic.
Any news on W2k3 SP3?

Thanks!


RE: Off Topic
By eye smite on 1/10/08, Rating: 0
RE: Off Topic
By TITAN1080 on 1/10/08, Rating: -1
RE: Off Topic