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Microsoft hopes to entice customers who are waiting for Windows 7 instead

The big news this week is that Microsoft has released its first Release Candidate of its new Windows 7 operating system. However, what most enthusiasts are looking forward to is the Release-To-Manufacturing version, which is the final version that will be mass produced on DVDs for retail and OEM channels. When the RTM version is produced, the project is stated to have reached Gold status, i.e. “gone gold”.

Since Windows 7 won't be available for retail sales until October, Microsoft has been working on Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista to boost sales until Windows 7 hits the market. Microsoft has made the RTM version of Vista SP2 downloadable to the members-only MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) and Microsoft TechNet. Vista SP2 torrents have already started to appear.

Vista SP2 contains all Vista updates released by Microsoft since Service Pack 1. Since Vista and Windows Server 2008 share the same codebase, SP2 for Vista includes the same updates for Server 2008. SP2 isn't cumulative, so a fresh Vista installation will require SP1 for SP2 to be slipstreamed. Although the security and convenience of installing all updates at the same time is important, there are a few new features that come with SP2.

One of the most anticipated is the ability to natively record in Blu-ray format for the first time.  Other major new features include Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, faster Wi-Fi resume after hibernation, and the ability to configure the maximum number of TCP connections.

Wi-Fi configuration is also simplified with Windows Connect Now. It sends network configuration settings to the access point, and is based on the Wi-Fi Protected Setup standard. Microsoft also claims SP2’s new and improved power management policy “is up to 10% more efficient than the original in some configurations”.

The "Release-To-Web" date for Vista Service Pack 2 is currently expected to be in early June, when it will be made publicly available through Microsoft's website and Windows Update.

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Yeah, but...
By smiller83 on 5/8/2009 10:19:14 AM , Rating: 2
Does it fix the media sharing issue that has been such a pain with Vista? Having to reset my media sharing everytime I reboot the computer is pretty annoying and hurts my dreams of music throughout a house. I shouldn't need a whole server platform for that.




RE: Yeah, but...
By randomcake on 5/8/2009 10:45:51 AM , Rating: 3
I'm really not sure if the SP2 adresses that problem but I do have good news. Its likely you've seen news about the upcoming Windows 7 OS and their new feature "PlayTo." Its basically a way for Windows Media Player to wirelessly (or via wire) stream, and control photos, video, and music on any wi-fi capable peripheral in your home... It even works on phones(and the phones/cameras can send photos back to the computer instantly once they're configured.) Best of all it functions like a remote control, so you can alter the volume, and change everthihng remotely at your PC. I'm pretty excited about it, and it seems that "PlayTo" is the feature that would fulfill your dream


RE: Yeah, but...
By Mitch101 on 5/8/2009 12:02:36 PM , Rating: 2
http://www.PopcornHour.com

Or one of the many Network Media Tank knockoffs with iHome.

Game Over


RE: Yeah, but...
By nwrigley on 5/8/2009 11:28:29 AM , Rating: 3
It's funny, because I have absolutely no problems streaming music and video from my Vista PC to my PlayStation 3, but it's way more cumbersome doing the same thing to my laptop that also runs Vista. You would think that the two machines running the same OS would have an easier time of it.

Also, the PS3 plays more types of media files than Media Player does. I had to install special freeware just to get WMP to "see" certain codecs/files so that it would stream them to the PS3.


RE: Yeah, but...
By s d on 5/8/2009 3:34:49 PM , Rating: 2
"to get WMP to "see" certain codecs/files "

come on admit it ... you mean "old" porn files in old codec


RE: Yeah, but...
By nwrigley on 5/8/2009 4:46:08 PM , Rating: 5
Actually, I just mean X264 which is a very popular HD codec. Watching old porn files on an HDTV may not be a good match quality wise. Also, my roommate may object.


RE: Yeah, but...
By SunAngel on 5/8/2009 11:06:15 PM , Rating: 2
He's right. I have no problem streaming from WMP11 to my Dlink DSM-750 Windows Media Center Extender in both extender mode and UPNP. It's true Windows Media Connect doesn't stream certain formats...but is that Microsoft's fault? Use a support format and problem solved.


By leexgx on 5/8/2009 10:37:59 AM , Rating: 3
hope thay fixed the MMS problem with network gigabit transfers when playing music i have to turn of my sound when i want to move data form my server at high speed (70MB/s) when i have any program open that uses sound device it caps my connection to 10MB/s

not sure where it is but there is an reg setting you can put in that turns the limiter off (you can turn MMS off but can make some programs crash better setting it to 0%)

hope fully thay fixed it in windows 7 as well




By jajig on 5/8/2009 11:13:56 AM , Rating: 5
1. In regedit goto "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Servic es\Audiosrv"
2. Look for the string "DependOnService" and remove MMCSS, then reboot the computer
3. Go into Serivces and disable "Multimedia Class Scheduler service" and reboot a final time.

This is the only way gigabit ethernet will work on my three Vista computers.


By nwrigley on 5/8/2009 11:30:46 AM , Rating: 2
Wow, you guys just answered a mystery for me. Why the heck would this limiter be put in in the first place?


By jajig on 5/8/2009 12:27:20 PM , Rating: 3
By leexgx on 5/8/2009 3:12:13 PM , Rating: 2
hopefuly thay fix this issue in SP2 for vista (not tryed it yet)

i did the fix some time ago its an very lame way to give sound more priorty, i had no problems disableing it compleatly (mite be due to me haveing an X-FI) but what anandtech says about useing creative cards does not work before i set it to 100% or disable , i had to disable my playback device (right click on spk) soon as i disable it it would go to full speed turn it back on speed drops to 10% agane

XP never had this issue


By nwrigley on 5/8/2009 4:48:05 PM , Rating: 2
Thanks for the link!


By atkoj on 5/9/2009 9:52:31 AM , Rating: 5
They (PC World, unsurprisingly) are testing the wrong things. The problem with vista was not that it ran benchmarks like WorldBench slow, the problem was that it was slow to boot, slow to load explorer, slow to switch user, and slow to load native windows applets etc.

You will find that 7 is a VAST improvement over vista in this regard. Funnily enough, it makes little change to benchmarks, since those are primarily dependent on hardware and drivers.

The overall result is an OS that performs no different in benchmarks but feels much, much faster.


By foolsgambit11 on 5/9/2009 4:33:52 PM , Rating: 2
Exactly. The UI is snappier. Also, I think 7 will fare better from a customer approval standpoint because it performs dramatically better than Vista at release. People's first experience with 7 will be much more positive than their first experience with Vista, and we all know that "you never get a second chance to make a first impression".

Interestingly enough, they didn't test 7 against XP. I wonder how much faster XP would be than 7 (or vice-versa) on the hardware they used. Of course, I could refer to the Anandtech article about performance, which actually did these tests.
http://www.anandtech.com/systems/showdoc.aspx?i=35...

My personal conclusion from that comparison? The jump from Vista to 7 is about the same as the jump from 7 to XP. In other words, if most users wouldn't notice the performance difference between Vista and 7, then most users wouldn't notice the performance difference between 7 and XP. Given the fundamental improvements you get with a (now pretty polished) 6th gen Windows kernel, the performance hit (if you can notice it) is definitely worth it.


By crystal clear on 5/10/2009 2:23:52 AM , Rating: 2
I do NOT endorse their views/opinions/results/conclusions etc,but only quote some opinions that contradict the usual -

"its great - it works".

Smart people always read various differing opinions to decide for themselves,rather than surf on the tide of "its great - it works".

I do agree on this (as they say)-

"The best way for you to get a feel for Windows 7's performance is to download the release candidate and take it for a test drive on your system".


By crystal clear on 5/10/2009 1:55:19 AM , Rating: 2
The source-

Speed Test: Windows 7 May Not Be Much Faster Than Vista

http://www.pcworld.com/article/164485/speed_test_w...


So
By yacoub on 5/8/2009 12:31:41 PM , Rating: 5
Is this the Service Pack that turns it into Windows 7? ;)




RE: So
By sliderule on 5/9/2009 12:48:56 AM , Rating: 2
I wish.


RE: So
By Screwballl on 5/10/2009 12:28:56 PM , Rating: 1
No this is the SP that basically turns Vista into beta RC5 as it is still problematic enough to not be a final release of an OS... this is why I think it is a last ditch effort by MS to sell a few more Vista licenses, especially with all the positive media around W7, and for just cause.
I suspect support for Vista will die within a year of W7 (yet XP support will continue until 2012) and they will have some "discounted W7 upgrade" program.

Any system in my possession that had Vista has already been upgraded to RC 7100 (and dual boot with Ubuntu 9.02).


Nice to be On the ball...
By fatedtodie on 5/8/09, Rating: 0
RE: Nice to be On the ball...
By Pakman333 on 5/8/2009 2:15:22 PM , Rating: 2
DT covered the RTM last week as well, but I don't think it was on MSDN yet when they wrote it.

http://www.dailytech.com/Vista+and+Server+2008+SP2...


RE: Nice to be On the ball...
By fatedtodie on 5/8/2009 2:52:44 PM , Rating: 2
Well gee my download... from MSDN says a created date (aka the date I downloaded it) of 4.30.09 ... maybe I am reading wrong but... wait no I am not that is exactly what it says.


RE: Nice to be On the ball...
By fatedtodie on 5/8/2009 2:55:13 PM , Rating: 1
Okay I fail...
4/30 was "last week" for 2 more days.


RE: Nice to be On the ball...
By Pakman333 on 5/8/2009 2:17:05 PM , Rating: 2
It only released on MSDN last week, not two weks ago. Anyway, I didn't here about it either.


MSDN
By UltraWide on 5/8/2009 10:08:26 AM , Rating: 2
Confirmed, I see it on MSDN now:

Windows Vista Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 for all editions (x86, x64, i64) - DVD (English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish)

File Name: en_fr_de_ja_es_windows_vista_sp_and_windows_server_ 2008_sp2_x86_x64_ia64_dvd_342431.iso

Date Posted (UTC): 4/30/2009 6:03:30 AM

Available to Levels: MSDN OS (VL); VS Pro with MSDN Pro (VL); VS Pro with MSDN Premium (Empower); MSDN OS (Retail); Developer AA; Designer AA; VS Pro with MSDN Pro (Retail); MSDN Universal (Retail); VSTS Team Suite (VL); VSTS Architecture (VL); VSTS Development (VL); VSTS Test (VL); VS Pro with MSDN Premium (VL); MSDN Universal (VL); VSTS Database (VL); VS Pro with MSDN Premium (Retail); VSTS Test (Retail); VSTS Development (Retail); VSTS Architecture (Retail); VSTS Team Suite (Retail); VSTS Database (Retail); BizSpark Admin; BizSpark; E1;




RE: MSDN
By InsaneScientist on 5/8/2009 3:08:44 PM , Rating: 2
It's up on Technet too. Somewhat hard to spot amongst the sea of Vista SP1 downloads of whatever sort, but there nonetheless:

Windows Vista Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 for all editions (x86, x64, i64) - DVD (English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish)

1,376.79 (MB)

File Name: en_fr_de_ja_es_windows_vista_sp_and_windows_server_ 2008_sp2_x86_x64_ia64_dvd_342431.iso

Available to Levels: TechNet Plus SA Media; TechNet Plus (Retail); TechNet Direct (Retail); TechNet Plus (VL); TechNet Plus Direct (VL); TechNet Cert Partner; TechNet Gold Cert Partner; TechNet Plus Consumer Service Professional Pilot;

For anyone who got it from elsewhere and wants to know if it's legit, these are the official hash values:
SHA1: 0D4C462FA5DA704CE6B7B8E054AA1308DE4F07DF ISO/CRC: A99D9552


By bupkus on 5/8/2009 4:32:28 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Microsoft has been working on Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista to boost sales until Windows 7 hits the market.

Why not allow cheap or free upgrades to Vista Ultimate and/or
Drop Vista Ultimate prices to Home Premium levels.

Ok, I know, some computers won't be able to run V.Ult., but that is what Vista Ready is for; upgrade at your own risk.
Just my 2 cents.




By crystal clear on 5/9/2009 4:44:24 AM , Rating: 1
quote:
Microsoft hopes to entice customers who are waiting for Windows 7 instead


"If"(note) thats the objective then simply give buyers a FREE automatic upgrade to Win7 option on purchase of a vista based computer,instead of giving them the downgrade to WinXP option.

The new OS will land in time for the holiday season, as Acer has leaked its release date as October 23.

Acer also confirmed that any Vista-based models purchased in the 30 days prior to this date will be eligible for Microsoft's free upgrade programme.



Vista SP 2 is targeted more to existing users rather than

Microsoft hopes to entice customers who are waiting for Windows 7 instead

User of Vista O.S. are entitled to product support from M.S. just like WinXP users are gettting.

Remember-

"Just because it works (Win7) better doesn't mean we'll move to it."

Adding on SP2 to Vista to increase sales,knowing very well Win7 is on the verge to be released in a few months is plain stupidity.

Smart marketing means -

Sell Vista based systems now with a free upgrade option Win7 with NO downgrade option to WinXP.




By crystal clear on 5/9/2009 4:53:20 AM , Rating: 1
Wish to add this to the above-

Dont expect Vista SP 2 to be like the SP 2 of WinXP.
(You all know what SP 2 did to XP)

Vista SP2 is merely product support thats all with nothing exceptional.


More on Win 7 news
By crystal clear on 5/9/2009 5:09:11 AM , Rating: 2
Microsoft Corp released the beta of a free app that helps users determine whether their PC is powerful enough to run the upcoming Windows 7 operating system.
The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor gives a user's PC a pass/fail grade in four areas and checks to see whether there are any compatibility problems with hardware devices such as mice or printers or with applications.

The Advisor, which is available for download, requires PCs running Windows XP SP2 (with .Net 2.0), Vista, or release candidate versions of Windows 7.

The Advisor software can also be run on Intel-based Macs under virtualization to test for Windows 7 compatibility.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/upgrade...

Unlike the Vista Upgrade Advisor, the Windows 7 Advisor does not recommend a specific version of Windows 7 to users based on the results of the scan. Windows 7 comes in six versions in the United States, though Microsoft is emphasizing two main ones: Home Premium for consumers and Professional for companies.

The Advisor also does not tell users whether their computer can handle Windows 7's new XP mode.

http://www.infoworld.com/d/windows/microsoft-relea...

Just days after it launched Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC), Microsoft has released a fix for a major flaw that slipped through testing.

The patch, which Microsoft describes as an "Important" update when it appears in Windows Update, was released yesterday. Depending on Windows 7's Automatic Updates setting, the fix may have already been downloaded and installed.

According to the accompanying support document, the problem affects only the English-language version of the 32-bit edition of Windows 7 RC.

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




Again...?
By barmanmyk on 5/15/2009 3:40:47 PM , Rating: 2
I'm sure W7 will be Microsoft's new cause celebre.
For a start it appears that yet again M$ will require users to shell out more money to get their computers up to M$'s requirements.

And further, having wasted $700 (NZD) on Vista Ultimate (I need the RDC for our Server) I find wifi speeds of LESS than 1MB/s through a router that is less than 8 feet away.

Having been suckered into Microsoft's "Vista roolz!" sales pitch, there is no way in hell I would waste my money again so soon after the first rip-off, and I will wait to see if they can fix Vista to make it usable for its purpose, otherwise 7 is just good money after bad, as the same problems (and more) will remain.




I guess this means....
By marvdmartian on 5/8/09, Rating: -1
RE: I guess this means....
By Bateluer on 5/8/2009 10:33:51 AM , Rating: 2
Catch 22. You may have the technical expertise to know which updates you need or don't need, but most don't. Sad fact is, most people using computers are barely capable of breathing within someone holding their hand, and MS makes software for them too.

Most people don't bother to update their system at all, which comes back to bite everyone in the butt. The user fails to update the security hole that MS repaired, their system gets infected, their system infects other systems, MS takes all the blame.


RE: I guess this means....
By peritusONE on 5/8/09, Rating: 0
RE: I guess this means....
By jajig on 5/8/2009 12:29:34 PM , Rating: 4
It's an obvious typo. Look at the R and D key on your keyboard.


RE: I guess this means....
By Spivonious on 5/8/09, Rating: 0
RE: I guess this means....
By Jackattak on 5/8/09, Rating: -1
RE: I guess this means....
By Spivonious on 5/8/2009 3:13:34 PM , Rating: 2
Where on earth did you read that? All the monthly malicious software "update" does is scan for a selection of malware.


RE: I guess this means....
By Jackattak on 5/8/2009 3:39:25 PM , Rating: 2
I stand corrected, actually. After your reply to my post, I read up on it and I had it confused with the Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool.

No wonder I got rated down so hard. HA!


RE: I guess this means....
By xti on 5/8/09, Rating: 0
RE: I guess this means....
By fatedtodie on 5/8/09, Rating: 0
"A politician stumbles over himself... Then they pick it out. They edit it. He runs the clip, and then he makes a funny face, and the whole audience has a Pavlovian response." -- Joe Scarborough on John Stewart over Jim Cramer











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