Windows Vista Service Pack 1 or SP1

First, what is a Service Pack?

A service pack (in short SP) is a collection of updates, fixes and/or enhancements to a software program delivered in the form of a single installable package. Many companies, such as Microsoft or Autodesk, typically release a service pack when the number of individual patches to a given program reaches a certain (arbitrary) limit. Installing a service pack is easier and less error-prone than installing a high number of patches individually, even more so when updating multiple computers over a network.

Service packs are usually numbered, and thus shortly referred to as SP1, SP2, etc. It is notable however that they may bring, besides bug fixes, entirely new features, as is the case for instance with SP2 of Windows XP.

A service pack can be incremental, which means it only contains the updates that were not present in the previous service packs or, more commonly, cumulative, which means it includes the contents of all its predecessors. In the case of Microsoft's product, incremental updates are usually called service release. For example, Office 2000 must be upgraded to service release 1 (SR1) before one can install SP2.

Normally, for a given program, its service packs are either all incremental or all cumulative. For this reason the two adjectives are often referred to the entire set of a program's service packs, as, for instance, in the sentence Microsoft Windows service packs are cumulative.

What is Windows Vista SP1?

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is currently in development. Microsoft is planning to release SP1 alongside Windows Server 2008 in the second half of 2007. A public beta, Beta 1, previously announced to be released in mid-July, will be released on July 29th, 2007.

Microsoft is known to be planning to include the following changes in SP1:

* Improvements to Group Policy management tools.
* Performance improvements with Windows Disk Defragmenter that are also slated for Server 2008.
* New security APIs for the benefit of antivirus software that currently relies on the unsupported practice of patching the kernel (see Kernel Patch Protection).
* A new version of Windows Installer, version 4.1.
* Users will be able to change the default desktop search program to one provided by a third party instead of the Microsoft desktop search program that comes with Windows Vista. Third-party desktop search programs will be able to seamlessly tie in their services into the operating system.
* A bug in ReadyBoost causing poor performance after resuming from Sleep or Hibernate will be fixed.

Reports from various sources have suggested that SP1 will include a kernel that will be up-to-date with the version to be shipped with Windows Server 2008. A newer version of Windows Media Center is under development, but whether this will be included with the service pack, or be released separately, has not been clarified by Microsoft.

Update 8/12/2007

Windows Vista SP1 Leaked, Reviewed

Amidst all the conflicting reports about Vista Service Pack 1 (some say it'll arrive soon, some say 18 months from now), the fact of the matter is that some people have a beta of SP1 already, and that means it's now been leaked to the rest of the world. APC acquired and installed that beta, and posted some opinions on it here. Here's what you need to know.

Performance is "very noticeably" improved, with "far less hard drive thrashing" and better responsiveness.
There's only one new feature included in SP1: A "Create a Recovery Disc" system that lets you build your own recovery DVD which lets you create a new install disc without a Vista install disc. Sounds useful.
There are over 130 updates included (rumor confirmed), but little information on how exactly these updates work or what they do. APC includes a long list of components that have been updated, but no news on what exactly has been fixed in them. It's not their fault: Since Microsoft hasn't released the beta officially, APC has no way of knowing. That said, various changes (likely just stability bug fixes for the most part) have been made to a wide variety of services, including the backup system, indexer, MovieMaker, IIS web server, remote assistance, tablet PC system, and storage management. Look at the list about halfway down the linked post: Virtually no part of Vista appears to have gone untouched.
The two fixes released last week are also included.

As for their opinion, APC doesn't speak much about its hands-on experience except to say that those performance improvements are worth the price of the upgrade alone. Frankly, that's good enough for me.

LINK: LEAKED: Vista SP1 analysed in-depth

Source: Vista SP1 Leaked

Update 8/9/2007

By J. Nicholas
9 August 2007 06:51AM

Microsoft releases Windows Updates, Vista SP1 and XP SP3 in testing

The updates, which are available now only through Microsoft's download centre, address performance and compatibility concerns with the operating system.

Microsoft isn't standing still with Windows Vista. The company Tuesday released two updates to address performance and compatibility concerns with the operating system and confirmed this week that Windows Vista SP1 is in early pre-beta testing with a "select group of testers."

After unauthorized versions of the two Vista updates appeared online last week and were quickly removed by Microsoft, they became public on Tuesday.

These fixes, available now only through Microsoft's download centre, will later become available through Microsoft Windows Update.

Next Tuesday is Patch Tuesday for Microsoft, so they could be available on Windows Update sooner than later.

The first update, KB938979, is a package of performance updates that deal with such problems as poor memory management, long calculation times for estimating the total time remaining on large file moves, memory leaks when using the Windows Energy screen saver and delays upon returning from hibernation or when exiting the Photos screen saver.

Some Vista users have complained of poor performance, so any fixes are likely much wanted additions. The first update also fixes file corruption problems when writing to AVI files, synchronising offline files to servers and editing image files that use the RAW image format.

The other update, KB938194, focuses on compatibility and reliability. For example, it addresses video and gaming graphics problems, printer spooler interruptions, screens blanking when external displays are turned off, display driver error messages and problems with diagnostics when the computer is under heavy usage.

Microsoft hasn't been tremendously open about the prospects for Windows Vista SP1, up until now only saying that it hoped to have a beta version of the service pack out by the end of the year and painting SP1 in the broadest of strokes, such as a fix to assuage Google's complaints about Vista's integrated search technology.

Though no new details have emerged on SP1's contents, Microsoft is confirming that a pre-beta version of Vista SP1 has been released to some testers, and that screen shots found on the Web this week are indeed of the elusive service pack.

The company apparently isn't done with Windows XP yet, either. Reports this week suggested that just as one group of testers got their hands on Vista SP1, another group began testing Windows XP SP3, which Microsoft has preliminary plans to release the first half of next year.

Microsoft on Wednesday confirmed those reports.

More Windows Vista SP1 News

What are your thoughts about Windows Vista Service Pack 1?

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is coming soon. Tell us what you would like to see in this service pack and what your opinions are about it.

If you have an opinion about this, share it with us and other visitors on this site!

Enter Your Title

Tell Us Your Story! [ ? ]

Upload A Picture (optional) [ ? ]

Add Picture Caption (optional)

Author Information (optional)

To receive credit as the author, enter your information below.

Your Name	(first or full name)
Your Location	(ex. City, State, Country)

Submit Your Contribution

Check box to agree to these submission guidelines.

(You can preview and edit on the next page)