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Windows Vista SP2 and Server 2008 SP2 have been released to the public.
Standalone installer hits public, Microsoft details workaround for install problem

Microsoft's Windows Vista has officially entered its Service Pack 2 (SP2) phase, with the release of the second service pack for the operating system to the public.  Windows Vista SP2 -- beta and release candidate versions have been tested over past months -- brings many security and bug fixes, as well as some performance improvements.  Among the most significant performance improvements are the inclusion of Bluetooth v2.1 and Blu-ray recording.

Accompanying the Vista pack is a Server 2008 SP2 release.  The two SP2 updates are available together in a standalone installer.  The installer is available in 32-bit and 64-bit varieties.

Some looking to install the new service pack may encounter an unpleasant issue.  The tool vLite, used to create leaner installs of Windows Vista, inadvertently removed files need for the SP2 install.  For vLite users, Microsoft has posted a workaround to help them get the service pack up and running.

Windows Vista SP2 and Server 2008 SP2 should be posted on Windows Update within a couple weeks.  The new service packs are good news for late adopters, like the U.S. Army, as they should help to bring the security and improved functionality of an established release, much like Windows XP's service packs did.

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Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By Ytsejamer1 on 5/26/2009 11:05:02 AM , Rating: 2
I looked at the MS workaround and it seems almost absurd to have to reinstall Vista with SP1 included first, then install SP2. Sure...no problem...I have hours to kill so I can get SP2. *sarcasm*

I hope they fix this or make something available to allow SP2 to install via Windows Updates without kicking up a problem.




RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By GaryJohnson on 5/26/2009 11:08:11 AM , Rating: 2
Yeah, that's not really what I'd call a workaround. That's more of a "work-straight-thru".


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By Xenokyn on 5/26/2009 11:49:46 PM , Rating: 2
What about using the "Windows Vista with SP2 RTM Slipstreamed/Integrated DVD ISO Image" from http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/04/29/windows-v... ?

I bought Vista Business x64 Retail w/SP1 and I'm downloading this to see if my legit DVD code works. Would be really sweet if it did.


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By Xenokyn on 5/27/2009 1:55:16 AM , Rating: 2
And in fact it worked like a charm. Trying to activate it with the default key was obviously a no-go, but as soon as I put in my legit Retail Business key I'm up and running with SP2 from a fresh install. Good times :D


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By Cypherdude1 on 5/27/2009 6:13:09 PM , Rating: 2
With Vista SP2, perhaps someone can write about SP2's speed and compatibility. Is Vista SP2 now faster and more compatible than SP1??


By crystal clear on 5/27/2009 7:54:34 PM , Rating: 2
Addresses overall Vista system performance issues. Microsoft says SP2 repairs nearly 700 nagging Vista bugs and security updates.

Hardware ecosystem support and enhancements
SP2 adds support for the 64-bit central processing unit (CPU) from VIA Technologies, which adds the ID and vendor strings for the new VIA 64-bit CPU.
SP2 integrates the Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless, which contains support for Bluetooth v2.1 and Windows Connect Now (WCN) Wi-Fi Configuration. Bluetooth v2.1 is the most recent specification for Bluetooth wireless technology.
SP2 improves performance for Wi-Fi connections after resuming from sleep mode.
SP2 includes updates to the RSS feeds sidebar for improved performance and responsiveness.
SP2 includes ability to record data to Blu-Ray Disc media.
Operating system experience updates
SP2 includes Windows Search 4.0, which builds on Microsoft’s search technology with improved indexing and search relevance. It also helps find and preview documents, e-mail (including signed e-mail messages), music files, photos, and other items on the computer. The search engine in Windows Search 4.0 is a Microsoft Windows® service that is also used by programs such as Microsoft Office Outlook® 2007 and Microsoft Office OneNote® 2007. Autotuning Diagnostics in SP2 now interprets current network conditions when implementing Windows scaling. This feature includes full netsh support.
SP2 improves Windows Media Center (WMC) in the area of content protection for TV.
SP2 removes the limit of 10 half open outbound TCP connections. By default, SP2 has no limit on the number of half open outbound TCP connections.
Enterprise improvements
SP2 provides the Hyper-V virtualization environment as a fully integrated feature of Windows Server 2008, including one free instance with Windows Server 2008 Standard, four free instances with Windows Server 2008 Enterprise and an unlimited number of free instances with Windows Server 2008 Datacenter.
SP2 increases the authentication options for WebDAV redirector, enabling Microsoft Office users greater flexibility when authenticating custom applications using the WebDAV redirector.
SP2 provides an improved power management (both on the server and the desktop), which includes the ability to manage these settings via Group Policy.
SP2 improves backwards compatibility for Terminal Server license keys. Windows Server 2008 changed the licensing key from 512 bytes to 2,048 bytes which caused clients using older Terminal Server versions to fail. SP2 allows legacy license keys on Citrix applications to work with Windows Server 2008 Terminal Server.
Setup and deployment improvements
Provides a single installer for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.
Includes the ability to detect an incompatible driver and either block service pack installation or warn users of any potential loss of functionality.
Provides better error handling and descriptive error messages where possible.
Improves manageability through logging in the system event log.
Provides a secure install experience.
Includes the ability to service the installer post release.

http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/05/serv...


By Xenokyn on 5/29/2009 11:44:24 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
With Vista SP2, perhaps someone can write about SP2's speed and compatibility. Is Vista SP2 now faster and more compatible than SP1??


The short answer is no, and why would it be? Almost all the problems Vista had at launch as far as compatibility were already fixed with SP1. As far as speed, XP will still be faster on older hardware, just like ME/98 were faster on older hardware than XP was.

I don't understand why so many hard-headed people, even with decent systems, still refuse to upgrade to Vista. The only logical reason is to skip it for Win7. Vista even out performs XP on a high end rig, not to mention all the features such as DX10 and the vastly needed security improvements in Vista. The size and functionality of the control panel is one of my favorite improvements in Vista, it streamlines system configuration for tech-savvy tweakers(like myself) and system admins. It also reduces the need for a number of registry hacks.

In my experience Vista is the first MS operating system I never have to reboot, ever, for any type of speed or reliability problems. After leaving XP on for about a week or less, the system started to bug out in weird ways, either slowing down in overall performance or programs crashing for unknown reasons. Vista has fixed that, and since SP1 mind you. I can leave Vista running for 2, 3 weeks maybe? I'm not keeping count, but it pretty much has server level reliability. Simple fact is I have never encountered a bug I can attribute to the OS or performance reduction related to the OS no matter how long I leave Vista booted, and that was not the case with XP.


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By Luticus on 5/26/2009 11:08:17 AM , Rating: 2
I don't see why they can't just make a patch that replaces the files vLite removes. I mean I'm not sure which ones they are or how they are used but that should be a reasonable solution.


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By IceBreakerG on 5/26/2009 11:18:31 AM , Rating: 5
Or, you could not use a "3rd Party Tool" and expect Microsoft to fix the problems that said "3rd Party Tool" causes when they release updates to their own operating system. Just a thought.


By Luticus on 5/26/2009 11:20:01 AM , Rating: 5
Yea well I kind of meant the people who made vLite should release the patch to fix what they screwed up... sorry I wasn't a bit clearer on that.

Apparently some people don’t realize that some of the "useless fluff" in Vista... is there for a reason.


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By FITCamaro on 5/26/2009 11:52:48 AM , Rating: 3
Exactly.

All people really need to do is find out what files are missing and replace them.


By Luticus on 5/26/2009 1:42:26 PM , Rating: 2
Thank you...
I'm glad someone can appreciate the important part of what I said. Hopefully the people who have vLite will be able to get a fix soon so they don't miss out on sp2 for too long.

On the flip side of things, though, it's exactly this kind of stuff that keeps me from using 3rd party "trim down" software... who knows what important stuff they're "trimming" that may be useful later on.

I agree that in order to run Vista on very low end/older systems with any kind of respectable performance you need to slim it down, but god only know what you are cutting out. Especially if you're not very "technically skilled"…


By Samus on 5/26/2009 6:12:50 PM , Rating: 2
There's no reason they couldn't wScript the installer to replace neccessary files. Sure, it'd involve two reboots to install the service pack (ohh darn...) but its hella better than reinstalling the OS.


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By Luticus on 5/26/2009 12:14:04 PM , Rating: 2
Could someone explain what's wrong with this post? I thought it was a logical solution... I wasn't implying that Microsoft make a patch like that, but it would be a nice fix for those with this problem if perhaps the makers of vLite make a patch that allows for service pack 2 compliancy or perhaps someone in the community. I think it's actually pretty nice of Microsoft to address this problem in the first place. I'm thinking misunderstanding?

That’s the problem with the rate up/down system, you can't always tell WHY you're getting the ratings you're getting.


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By TomZ on 5/26/2009 3:17:15 PM , Rating: 2
If you care about ratings, it's best not to post at all in the first place. There are lots of irrational reasons people downrate, such as expressing an unpopular opinion or bringing to light facts that people don't want to face.


By Luticus on 5/26/2009 3:40:17 PM , Rating: 2
It's not the rating that I care about, i just was curious what why so many didn't like the comment so much... doesn't matter anyway, I'm over it now.

As for getting good ratings, the key seems to be:

Post only when necessary, only post funny witty comments at the beginning of the article, and do not reply ever!

Doesn’t make for a very interesting/practical discussion board, does it?
On the flip side, it would be funny to read, hopefully.

:-)


By lco45 on 5/27/2009 3:03:49 AM , Rating: 2
Just vLite?
You don't want Microsoft to shop around and see what other 3rd party software damage they can fix?
Luke


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By JasonMick (blog) on 5/26/2009 12:59:34 PM , Rating: 4
I think you miss the point... they didn't make this problem...

No software company with a publicly released product can expect to be responsible if some third party comes in deletes some "unimportant files" then later causes users to gripe when you can't install an update to the official software.

No reasonable person would fault Microsoft for not being able to prophesy what third parties might do to its installation and somehow come up with a means of preventing it.

And for a second, lets say Microsoft pulled an Apple and more carefully controlled what software is allowed on the platform (or made the base OS less capable of being modified). While this may be infeasible for an OS with as many deployments as Windows, lets just pretend.

The second Microsoft blocked vLite or other lean install software, there'd be a cr@pstorm of bad publicity levelled on Microsoft's "controlling tactics".

The blame for this problem is clearly on the third party vendors/users of these vendors. Microsoft is being very understanding lending a hand to users, when really this isn't its fault.

The bottom line is this... don't go modifying your OS if you're not prepared to deal with the consequences.


By Ytsejamer1 on 5/26/2009 1:26:57 PM , Rating: 2
Yup...i completely misunderstood the article. I thought this vLite thing was something Microsoft themselves had used for slipstreaming SP1 into Vista install. My bad...sorry folks.

http://ig33k.portzilla.com/2009/05/vista-sp2-insta... is a good reference with how to get around the install problem. Seems very simple, and sometimes less IS more.


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By Pirks on 5/26/2009 2:46:41 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
The second Microsoft blocked vLite or other lean install software, there'd be a cr@pstorm of bad publicity levelled on Microsoft's "controlling tactics".
I don't get it, if people are okay with Apple's controlling tactics, why would they be upset about the same from MS?


By ipay on 5/26/2009 3:06:29 PM , Rating: 2
Maybe because the majority of people who bitch about Microsoft's "controlling tactics" are the same people who believe that Richard Stallman and Steve Jobs can do no wrong.


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By TomZ on 5/26/2009 3:14:58 PM , Rating: 4
quote:
I don't get it, if people are okay with Apple's controlling tactics, why would they be upset about the same from MS?
Because Microsoft is held to a higher standard than Apple. We expect Apple to build and preserve their vertical monopolies - after all, that is basically their business model in a nutshell.

Microsoft already has a monopoly or two, and so they would otherwise run the risk of running into additional anti-trust issues and/or PR problems.

Mark my words...it is only a matter of time until the consumer awakes to the evil that is Apple.


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By Pirks on 5/26/09, Rating: -1
RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By TomZ on 5/26/2009 5:24:40 PM , Rating: 2
As usual, you missed the point. The point is not their premium pricing - it is the bundling and lock-in. E.g., if you want to buy apps for iPhone, you need to buy them through Apple. If you want to run OSX, you are only allowed to run it on Apple hardware. Get it?


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By Pirks on 5/26/09, Rating: -1
RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By just4U on 5/27/2009 2:41:27 AM , Rating: 2
Thing is, if it's ok for Apple then it should be ok for Microsoft to do similiar things... Or so one would think. But that's not the case as lawsuits against Microsoft have come to show. It's a double standard and eventually Apple will either be brought into line or Microsoft will be allowed a little more leeway.


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By Pirks on 5/27/2009 5:29:31 PM , Rating: 1
It's not ok for MS because MS is a monopoly. Apple isn't. Hence the double standard.


By just4U on 5/28/2009 8:41:57 AM , Rating: 2
Yeah .. I know and that's the one sticking point. I am not sure that Microsoft should even be compared at all to Apple. One makes computer's the other makes Operating systems. I keep thinking it's up to the likes of Dell, HP, Compaq and others to step up and offer more value in areas where Microsoft isn't allowed to go right now. Barring that, If Apple computers gain a ton of marketshare to level the playing field they'd either be forced into a similiar scenario or the rules would be relaxed a little.


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By Luticus on 5/26/2009 3:36:21 PM , Rating: 4
All I know is when I got to the store pick up a Windows OS and deploy it on my home pc. I can then go download/purchase/install just about ANY software in the world and there’s a really good chance it'll work.

That's even becoming the case for Vista, just for kicks last night I installed Diablo 1, and the original Myst games just to see if I could get them to work. Low and behold I was playing Myst and D1 on a 64 bit install of Vista without using any compatibility modes or virtualization, well except for SYSWOW64... but that's standard when you run 32bit code on x64 windows. Even beyond simple compatibility MS doesn’t really limit what software can be developed for its OS’s. Even if you want to bring up the driver certificate program, that’s there to protect end-users from shoddy broken drivers that don’t work or might harm your system. You might say the certificate system doesn’t work but that’s what it’s about, not control.

I don't know what you mean by controlling, any semblance of "controlling" is going away pretty quick, such as MS giving up control over if IE is on peoples systems or not via the IE/WIN7 kill switch thing.

Whereas Apple, by contrast, won’t even let you install their OS on anything but their proprietary hardware (something Windows has never EVER done). I’ve heard they’ve also been known to “not allow” applications that overlap their own offerings on devices such as the iPhone. Any developer who even thinks about making Mac. OSX compatible computer hardware has a lawsuit thrown at them so fast it’s not funny. I haven’t seen Microsoft use any of these tactics. What about when Apple decided it wanted to try and force users to use iTunes if they wanted to download QuickTime, then they subsequently tried to shove safari down our throats the same way! Microsoft… controlling? Mac wins the controlling argument, NO CONTEST!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure Apple is very appealing to its fan base and I’m sure their systems are very useful and needed by its user base; however, I prefer windows in every aspect to Mac OSX. If by some chance Windows ever does fall, I hope Linux takes over as the Dominate OS. I don’t support proprietary operating systems… if I can help it.


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By Pirks on 5/26/09, Rating: -1
RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By Luticus on 5/26/2009 4:24:36 PM , Rating: 5
It has NO advantages what-so-ever. It's bad for the consumer because it limits their choices, it's bad for the market because it allows the company to charge way more than a product is actually worth (as we see Apple do all the time) and it makes software appear more stable, secure, and compatible then it actually is. It's just a cheap way of making their OS look exclusive and better (which it isn’t), like it's some kind of rich people club that only the elite few may enter.

I'm fine out here with the poor folk, thank you.

All in all, though, it’s not Apple that I can’t stand (stupid commercials aside), it’s their stupid zealot user base! It’s like they have some kind of crazy inability to own a Mac and just shut up about it (kind of like how Mac isn't mentioned in the article anywhere and yet still it comes up). It would be one thing if the stuff they said were actually viable and true, but it’s all just misinformation and FUD.

I think, probably, the biggest thing about Macs that irritates me is the fact that they are TRYING to differentiate themselves from the PC using marketing alone. They aren’t actually different, they’ve just convinced everyone they are... well everyone who isn’t intelligent. A Mac is a box with a motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard drives, power supplies, cooling systems, CD/DVD drives, etc. How is that any different from a PC (and don't tell me the stupid keyboard is backlit or something dumb like multi-touch!)? The only difference is the OS, and if you’ve ever used Linux you’ll know it’s not so different. That's why they won't open up the OS; they know everyone will figure out that Macs are just PC's in a pretty candy shell with an apple painted on the side if they did. Then they'd be without every excuse they have to charge what they do for what they offer. Premium brand, phfft!


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By msomeoneelsez on 5/26/2009 7:27:08 PM , Rating: 2
Eh, screw the 6 rating, give this man a 12.


By Luticus on 5/26/2009 7:31:24 PM , Rating: 2
I second that :-)


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By Pirks on 5/26/09, Rating: -1
RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By Luticus on 5/26/2009 9:57:52 PM , Rating: 2
First and foremost, my apologies for not being clear about the whole “poor” thing… apparently <sarcasm> tags are more required then I thought when dealing with some people. Second, what is so wrong with being middle class, even if I were poor how does that invalidate my opinion. As for worth and stability, well I’d say that’d be up to the consumer, so yea I think I have every right to judge a products worth/value. Beyond that Mac basically has a user base which honestly believes it’s impervious to hackers/viruses! This is proof enough of my ideas. If I can build a system that’s just as capable as any Mac on half the budget then why buy a Mac? OSX… No I don’t think I’ll be using that anytime soon. It’s mainly because the OSX interface reminds me too much of GNOME on Linux, which I hate. Only on OSX it’s not customizable, therefore I can’t get rid of what I hate. Even more then that I haven’t seen any advantage to it at all, there’s not one thing that it can do which Windows can’t, not ONE! Or not that I’ve seen anyway, I won’t claim to be an OSX expert. I will say that as far as I’m concerned Mac’s aren’t worth what they charge for them, and the only reason I don’t have OSX running on something is because it’s a closed proprietary system. I would never use it as a primary OS but at least I might have it on something if it were opened up to hardware beyond Mac.


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By Pirks on 5/27/2009 5:35:37 PM , Rating: 1
quote:
I can build a system that’s just as capable as any Mac on half the budget then why buy a Mac?
Because you can't build a MacBook or iMac. You can only buy it from Apple.
quote:
there’s not one thing that it can do which Windows can’t, not ONE
Stop lying and try to run FinalCut Pro or Aperture on Windows. Good luck son :P
quote:
I will say that as far as I’m concerned Mac’s aren’t worth what they charge for them
Ah, okay, it's your personal choice then. You speak for yourself only and I can't judge you here. Agreed on that.
quote:
the only reason I don’t have OSX running on something is because it’s a closed proprietary system
Love double standards much? Windows is even more closed and proprietary, why are you using it then, eh? ;)
quote:
I might have it on something if it were opened up to hardware beyond Mac
What's not good enough in Mac hardware that you wanna use your own hardware instead? Just the price? Or...??


By Luticus on 5/27/2009 9:19:15 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Because you can't build a Mac Book or iMac. You can only buy it from Apple.

Nope, can't build a "Mac book" but I could build something just as good if not better on half the income. You can't deploy OSX on an in-dash car PC either (like I can with windows or nix) can you?

quote:
Stop lying and try to run FinalCut Pro or Aperture on Windows. Good luck son :P

pfft, I can run programs that will do what those will. If I want those exact programs I’m sure they can be run on an emulator anyway.
http://pearpc.sourceforge.net/screenshots.html
http://windowsdevcenter.com/pub/a/windows/2005/01/...
...and with the power in my pc the performance cost would be negligible at best...

quote:
Love double standards much? Windows is even more closed and proprietary, why are you using it then, eh? ;)

Not even kind of... but whatever you say... you try to LEGALLY get Mac OSX on a rig you built yourself and then tell me about proprietary.

quote:
What's not good enough in Mac hardware that you want to use your own hardware instead? Just the price? Or...??


Not only is it my hobby to build my own PC but I get what I want exactly, part for part. I have complete control over what hardware is in my pc. If something breaks I can go to the store and buy a replacement part (assuming the warranty has expired, I've never had something break while it was in-warranty) and bring it back and install it... More room for expansion, it's much easier to upgrade a system you built yourself then it is to upgrade a Mac or any stock pc for that matter. Most of all, you guess it... cost. Not just cost with the idea of saving money (I spent ~$1500 on my rig alone not counting any peripherals like monitor, keyboard, and such), but bang for buck... or in other words price per performance. Custom systems are just better if built right and with an adequate budget. Quick research on the apple website shows a quad core Mac desktop with “comparable parts” to my system now (and my system is a year old) and it’s $2400 (this doesn't account for any 3rd party deals mind you, it's just newegg didn't have desktop style Mac's that I could find so I went to Apple's website), my system even with the keyboard, mouse and monitor prices included only comes to just under $1900, and the only part of it that’s “this year” is the 25.5” monitor I just bought for it. Now if I wanted to replicate my PC I’d estimate I could do it for under a grand, no monitor, mouse, keyboard included. It’s not that there aren’t NICE PC’s out there, just most people go for the lower end stuff; I don’t. I only buy the best or the best price/performance, so by building my own PC I guarantee I get EXACTALLY what I want. As for laptops they are ONLY for on-the-go computing, therefore there’s no reason to get a super nice laptop… for me, killer desktop, nice low-cost lightweight laptops (we’re talking borderline netbooks). Oh and typically when I buy laptops I buy a good midrange price/performance laptop, usually doesn’t come with vista ultimate so I grab another license of vista ultimate (tacks on another ~$150-$180 something bucks.) I should just get a site license with the amount of PC’s/Laptops I have.


RE: Reinstall is a workaround? No thanks...
By TomZ on 5/26/2009 5:28:22 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Limiting the subset of the hardware available for your OS is not necessarily the bad thing, it has its advantages too.
The advantage is mainly for Apple, since they save development and support costs in supporting a wider spectrum of hardware like Microsoft does.

Oh wait, wasn't that you just a few posts up asserting that Apple is the "premium" experience? Seems like Microsoft is the more premium choice for OSs since it supports like 100X the hardware compared to OSX.

If by premium, you mean "higher price," then I'll agree with you. But OSX is not a better OS than Windows, no way.


By rs1 on 5/26/2009 6:36:55 PM , Rating: 3
Yes, because it's Microsoft's job to fix things for you after you decided to use an unsupported third-party tool to modify your operating system installer.

You should be grateful that they're even acknowledging the issue at all.


Will Download ASAP!!!!
By Luticus on 5/26/2009 11:06:31 AM , Rating: 2
I've been waiting for this for so long now. Can't wait to get home and try it out.

Fortunately I don't have any installations with vLite so no worries there. It's not that I'm unhappy with the way my computer works now, I'm just in the mood to upgrade something. :-)

Anyway, I really hope this service pack drives some nails into all the vista hate FUD that's been going around. Nothing bothers me more then when some moron who hasn't even tried it out starts telling me how bad it supposedly is.




RE: Will Download ASAP!!!!
By riottime on 5/26/2009 11:40:58 AM , Rating: 4
vista x64 sp1 was pretty much rock solid stable for me (no bsod or crashes in over a year). vista x64 sp2 so far is no difference.


RE: Will Download ASAP!!!!
By Luticus on 5/26/2009 11:53:32 AM , Rating: 4
I had pretty much the same experience. I've been running Vista Ultimate X64 OEM (legit) since its release, as I bought it day of. I've had a good experience with it. It's been stable, responsive, and secure for a long time now, and the service pack has only made this better by improving upon compatibility among other things.

I think it's too bad Vista wasn't given more of a chance in the market because I personally really like it. I'll be getting 7 the day it comes out though.

Something I always tell people who tell me XP is so much better than Vista is: "I liked XP before it was cool to like XP, and the same will be said for Vista when its day comes."

Hoping for a smooth painless upgrade to sp2 later tonight. :-)


RE: Will Download ASAP!!!!
By Pirks on 5/26/09, Rating: -1
RE: Will Download ASAP!!!!
By GodisanAtheist on 5/26/2009 1:30:00 PM , Rating: 5
Creative's douchebaggery with regards to their cards, their drivers and Vista are things of legend at this point. Trust me, if there was ever anything wrong with your install of Vista and Creative was involved... its almost certainly Creative's fault.

Creative and Nvidia (along with a number of OEMs) hold greater responsibility for Vista's reputation than Microsoft ever could.


RE: Will Download ASAP!!!!
By Pirks on 5/26/09, Rating: -1
RE: Will Download ASAP!!!!
By FITCamaro on 5/26/2009 1:30:29 PM , Rating: 2
I have one in mine and its all good so far.


RE: Will Download ASAP!!!!
By Pirks on 5/26/2009 2:37:32 PM , Rating: 1
Ever played any games on that?


RE: Will Download ASAP!!!!
By Luticus on 5/26/2009 1:30:57 PM , Rating: 1
I have a Creative X-FI Platinum in my ROCK SOLID Vista Ultimate X64 SP1 machine.


RE: Will Download ASAP!!!!
By jinsaotomex4 on 5/26/2009 4:06:09 PM , Rating: 2
I currently have a X-Fi XtremeGamer in my Vista Ultimate 64 install running perfectly. They even released new drivers a few months ago that fixed a few minor noticeable bugs it had (which only affected the consoles).


RE: Will Download ASAP!!!!
By Screwballl on 5/26/09, Rating: -1
RE: Will Download ASAP!!!!
By Luticus on 5/26/2009 2:03:57 PM , Rating: 3
I disagree, I run Vista x64 as a primary OS and I have 7 in an ms virtual pc environment. Both run perfectly fine.

The ONLY problem I have with Vista is still present in 7 anyway, and that's how much more effort it takes to access the network connections then it did in XP. Minor annoyance, that's all.

I’m sorry you’re having so many problems, perhaps a fresh load or a driver update might help.

My system:
Asus striker motherboard
Core2Quad Q6600
4GB RAM
nVidia G92 8800 GTS
X-FI Plat sound
1.6TB hard disk (4 400GB in Raid)

My lowest system that runs vista is:
Laptop
Core2Duo E6300
1GB RAM
And I can’t remember the rest off hand ;)


RE: Will Download ASAP!!!!
By tacoburrito on 5/26/09, Rating: -1
RE: Will Download ASAP!!!!
By Barfo on 5/26/2009 3:33:04 PM , Rating: 5
Yeah, Vista is a bloated piece of crap, my Pentium II with 64MB RAM takes ages to boot and open a win explorer window while Windows 98 flies with the same exact hardware, what was Microsoft thinking when they upgraded the system requirements for new OSes?


RE: Will Download ASAP!!!!
By Pirks on 5/26/2009 8:21:39 PM , Rating: 1
6


RE: Will Download ASAP!!!!
By Etern205 on 5/27/2009 1:13:34 AM , Rating: 1
I thought the original ram requirements for a Microsoft OS was 640KB. :P


RE: Will Download ASAP!!!!
By Etern205 on 5/27/2009 1:17:47 PM , Rating: 2
Correction: BG once said that we never need more than 640KB of ram.


MS tightening schedules?
By oTAL (blog) on 5/26/2009 12:15:15 PM , Rating: 2
SP1 took about the same time to release for both Vista and XP (counting from the public release).
SP2 however took 23 months (after SP1) to be released on XP and only 15 months for Vista.

Is this a good thing? What do you guys think?
IMHO regular (yearly) SP releases are good for the industry since it allows OEMs to ship a "new" OS every year instead of having the users patch it as soon as they buy it or having to regularly patch and distribute a new image themselves (that would bring a hole set of different problems).




RE: MS tightening schedules?
By GaryJohnson on 5/26/2009 1:05:36 PM , Rating: 2
Programming is art, and art is done when it's done. If you try and put bug fixes, feature additions, & usability improvements on a fixed timeline you'll end up with it being done when it's not done or not done when it's done. Neither of those situations are desirable.

If it means there is a chance the service packs are either going to be rushed out the door or held back when they're ready to go then I'd rather they not stick to a schedule.


RE: MS tightening schedules?
By TomZ on 5/26/2009 1:43:16 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Programming is art, and art is done when it's done
That is only true when it is poorly managed. Yes, for sure, there is a strong creative element in software engineering, but if you are in the business of developing and selling software, you need to wrap that with solid program management if you want to be successful.

Case in point - most of the larger software delays, e.g., when Vista release was pushed back, are due to failures in management, not creativity.


RE: MS tightening schedules?
By Mortando on 5/26/2009 4:23:12 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Programming is art, and art is done when it's done.

Wasn't that 3D Realms' mantra?


RE: MS tightening schedules?
By rdeegvainl on 5/27/2009 8:48:17 AM , Rating: 2
Art is never finished, only abandoned.


Good news...
By jonmcc33 on 5/26/2009 10:46:56 AM , Rating: 1
Thanks for the update, Jason! See, your blog posts aren't all as bad as people imply.




RE: Good news...
By GaryJohnson on 5/26/2009 11:06:10 AM , Rating: 4
I like the short length of some of Jason's recent articles. I remember one from last year that was like 25+ paragraphs. Tech news isn't essay writing, it's information sharing. It should be short and to the point.

He's still doing the "recap of the last three articles I wrote that may only be remotely related to this article" thing though. Hopefully he'll break of that at some point. There's a list of "related articles" on the right hand side of the page, so he doesn't have to link to all of them in the middle of the article too.


RE: Good news...
By Amiga500 on 5/26/2009 11:14:09 AM , Rating: 2
You need to spend more time worrying about North Korea and less time on DailyTech!


RE: Good news...
By TedStriker on 5/26/2009 11:35:42 AM , Rating: 2
This one was actually about relevant tech and not the stupid crap he usually posts that is more political than tech related. also it fit in my browser window without having to scroll. It has to be one of the other guys posting under Jason's user account...


installshield broke after update to sp2
By riottime on 5/26/2009 11:36:58 AM , Rating: 4
not sure if it's just me. after updating from vista x64 sp1 to sp2, apps/games already installed using installshield stopped working (you can't uninstall).

i ended up reformatting and installing vista x64 with sp2 integrated. something similar happened when i went from vista x64 to sp1. i also ended up reformatting and installing vista x64 with sp1 integrated. i did the same thing with xp sp3.

something about service packs just don't work with normal upgrade after you have a system decked out with apps and games and tweaks for a long time.




By Luticus on 5/26/2009 11:42:03 AM , Rating: 2
I certainly hope this doesn't happen to me when I try my install tonight. Perhaps I should test load it on my laptop first.

I've never had these problems with prior service packs (xp sp1, sp2, sp3, and vista sp2) to name a few that I've installed.

Oh well, I’ll cross my fingers and hope for a seamless install tonight.


By Eurasianman on 5/26/2009 12:50:33 PM , Rating: 2
There was an update for installshield this month. Have you tried applying the update to see if it fixes your issue?


Vista Service Pack2
By XPS M2010 on 5/28/2009 4:52:14 PM , Rating: 2
Downloaded and installed the service pack2 yesterday in less than 20 minutes on my laptop. No glitches. Seems to load programs faster, boot up time pretty much the same around 25 seconds. I love it. I don't know why all those "experts" bickering about Vista. In almost 3 years I haven't seen a crash or a Blue Screen.




RE: Vista Service Pack2
By Luticus on 5/28/2009 8:35:32 PM , Rating: 2
I too had a seamless install on 4 PC's, runs great! I'm a happy customer!


By crystal clear on 5/26/2009 12:00:57 PM , Rating: 1
Even though Vista SP2 is most welcome to current Vista users (who rightly deserve much more),but Win7 seems to have pushed aside any interest for the Vista.

Also-

http://blogs.technet.com/mu/archive/2009/05/20/get...

Win7 gets-

New! Windows 7 Pricing Details

Microsoft plans to disclose the final Windows 7 pricing scheme (under NDA) according to the following schedule :

OEM Pricing - to be disclosed in the mid-April 2009 timeframe.

FPP (Full Packaged Product) Pricing - Microsoft plans to communicate this to retailers in mid-May 2009.

Public Pricing Announcement - mid-June 2009.

1. Hardware limitations have been simplified, with the following key changes :

A greatly simplified and universal CPU criterion designed for easy understanding and management.

Removal of the graphics and touch limitations.

Limiting screen size to a maximum of 10.2 inches (measured diagonally) as the defining boundary between a Small Notebook PC and a full-featured laptop.

Expanding storage options.

2. Windows XP and Windows Vista Small Notebook PC (commonly known as netbook) or Nettop device class hardware requirements will be updated on a calender quarterly cadence until the date of Windows 7 general availability. At that point, they will no longer be updated.

New! New Hardware Limitations & Comparison



http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=619&...




By Luticus on 5/26/2009 12:02:47 PM , Rating: 2
I think it matters to people who aren't going to be upgrading to windows 7 right away. That's not me but... ya know... just saying.


its up on windows update
By Chiisuchianu on 5/26/2009 2:07:21 PM , Rating: 2
It's up on Windows Update, just got prompted for it.




How to slipstream SP2?
By Azsen on 5/26/2009 7:33:32 PM , Rating: 2
I've got the Vista Ultimate DVD with SP1 already slipstreamed into it. How do I slipstream SP2 in and make a new DVD?

Keen to do a fresh install rather than just upgrade service packs.




Can't uninstall SP2 Beta?
By GreenEnvt on 5/27/2009 8:44:45 AM , Rating: 2
I have v113 of the SP2 prerelease on Vista64 Ultimate. I tried to uninstall it, but at the end of the uninstall (after reboot when it does it's cleanup befoe login), it says uninstall did not complete and it is now reverting changes.

Error log has dozens of errors in it, but none seem helpful. I have not used vlite.
Any suggestions?




SP2 doesn't fox registry errors
By Jimbo1234 on 5/26/2009 1:33:37 PM , Rating: 1
I was hoping SP2 would fix the registry permissions fiasco, but it has not.

http://www.brianpeek.com/blog/archive/2007/11/29/w...




"Paying an extra $500 for a computer in this environment -- same piece of hardware -- paying $500 more to get a logo on it? I think that's a more challenging proposition for the average person than it used to be." -- Steve Ballmer

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