New Performance and Reliability Updates for Vista SP1
A reliability and performance update is available for download for Windows Vista Service Pack 1. This specific release targets all Windows Vista editions, provided that they have the first service pack integrated.
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25.6.2008 Vista SP1 a Performance Dud
With the initial performance characteristics of Windows Vista leaving much to be desired (see our previous post on the subject), many IT organizations have put off deploying the new OS until the first service pack (SP1) is released by Microsoft early next year.
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20.11.2007 Vista Performance Post SP1
Poor performance was one of the sins associated with Windows Vista RTM, especially in comparison to Windows XP throughout 2007.
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9.10.2008 Vista SP1 Evolves with New Reliability and Performance Boost
Microsoft is indeed starting to deliver an increasing volume of details related to the upcoming Windows 7 client and Windows 7 Server releases, but the end of 2009/ the debut of 2010 is still not even on the horizon, and neither are the next iterations of the Windows platforms.
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19.8.2008 Install Vista SP1 RC Refresh for the Added Performance
According to Microsoft, one reason to install Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Release Candidate Refresh and test drive it is the added performance.
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15.1.2008 Updated List of updates for Vista SP1
This guy Aaron Tiensivu keeps a VERY good list of non-critical Vista updates and this looks like it could be part of SP1.
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14.6.2007 Windows XP SP3 Yields Performance Gains Over Vista SP1
After a disappointing showing by Windows Vista SP1 (see previous post), we were pleasantly surprised to discover that Windows XP Service Pack 3 (v.3244) delivers a measurable performance boost to this aging desktop OS.
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24.11.2007 Boost Vista's Performance, Responsiveness, and Reliability ahead of Vista SP1
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 RTM is without a doubt in sight. But the fact that the service pack's availability is contouring on the immediate horizon, and is now but a month away, provides little comfort for the users of Windows Vista RTM.
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14.2.2008 Windows 7 Search Performance Superior to Vista SP1 and XP SP3
Get ready for the Windows 7 indexer on steroids, as Microsoft will deliver the first taste of the operating system to the world at the end of this month.
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14.10.2008 Microsoft Updates the Default Spy Tool in Vista SP1
In order to improve the quality of the software information collected from the users' operating systems and sent to Microsoft, the Redmond company introduced an update to the spy tool included by default into every copy of Windows Vista, following the release of Service Pack 1.
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13.6.2008 Windows 7 Performance Tools - Performance Tools Kit 4.1.1
Internet Explorer 8 will be not only an apex of performance, but also the next major iteration of the Windows client, according to Microsoft.
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1.9.2008 Another Vista Reliability & Performance Update
Vistas performance is one of those topics that wont be exhausted until Windows Seven hits RTM. It all comes down to trade-offs.
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12.12.2007 Windows Vista Performance and Tuning
Windows Vista and SP1 focus on delivering greater performance and overall system responsiveness. By striking a balance between speed and responsiveness, Windows Vista and SP1 deliver a level of performance that has the greatest positive impact on the systems usability.
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31.7.2008 Windows Vista Imaging and Installation Performance
Ideally, installation of an operating system is two fairly simple steps. First, copy all the OS files to the hard disk.
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4.10.2006 Vista Compatibility, Performance and Reliability Pack
Windows Vista Compatibility, Performance and Reliability Packs SP1 Preview - Microsoft offers fresh Vista updates to testers.
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31.7.2007 x64 Vista SP2 JPG Rendering Performance Inferior to x86 Vista SP2's
The JPG rendering process on 64-bit flavors of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 is inferior to that on the 32-bit variants of the operating system.
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10.6.2009 Final Names for Windows Vista Performance Features
Windows PC Accelerators is the new term that encompasses Windows Vista's new performance-enhancing technologies.
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7.4.2006 Performance Results Mixed with Vista Service Pack 1
Files copied faster in our initial tests, but other performance was slightly slower with the SP1 installed.
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7.2.2008 12 Tweaks - Squeeze Every Last Drop of Performance Out of Windows Vista
Windows Vista is a resource hog. Microsofts latest operating system will swallow every last bit of hardware resources you throw at it in the race for a top user experience, a concept synonymous with high performance.
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15.9.2007 Check PC Performance Details with WinSAT in Windows 7 or Vista
Since Windows Vista, including in Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows System Assessment Tool (WinSAT) has been added into the operating system. WinSAT is a free benchmarking tool that measures various computer performance ratings, characteristics and capabilities, and display the ratings as Windows Experience Index or WEI score.
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20.4.2009 In progress: Vista updates!
In progress right now is a beta testers chat with MS experts on the future of IE7 and Vista. Here are some parts of the chat that may be interesting to you... more to come shortly:
SamW [MS] (Expert):
Q: [17] When will you release the November CTP? Only 2 days left of November!
A: There will be no CTP for Vista in November because we are targeting for most features to be code-complete by end of December and resources efforts are going towards that effort. We should have a CTP in December before the Christmas holiday. These interim changes have no impact on our general availability target for Windows Vista. We are on track to deliver a high-quality Windows Vista in the 2nd half of 2006.
Paul Donnelly [MS] (Expert):
Q: [54] Can someone clear up what seems to be confusion on the groups over the release of Build 5259? Did it go to selected testers or TAP because date of release and extent seems confused. I notice Mario mentions it today.
A: A specific, small group of partners received access to 5259. It is an IDW build and has not gone through the CTP testing process.
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29.11.2005 Updates for Windows Vista
Here are new Updates for Windows Vista. (KB942089), (KB942089), (KB940069), (KB940069), (KB943544), (KB943544)..
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25.10.2007 Microsoft releases the Windows Vista Performance and Reliability fix packages
These are the fixes that leaked last week, now the fix packs are publicly available (Validation Required).
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8.8.2007 Windows 7 build 7057 - Performance that blasts past XP, Vista
Over the weekend Ive been spending time with the latest leaked build of Windows 7 - build 7057. While this isnt the release candidate (RC) build that some people claim it is, this build is certainly pretty close to being RC.
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16.3.2009 Vista to XP Copying Performance Slower with Intel I/OAT Enabled
One of the issues that plagued Windows Vista when the operating system was launched in January 2009 was the slow copying speeds delivered.
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5.7.2009 Microsoft Releases Eight Updates for Vista
This week, Microsoft released some "important" updates for its newest operating system.
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28.6.2007 Security Updates for IE7 and Vista Beta 1 Available Now
Security updates for Internet Explorer 7 Beta 1 and Internet Explorer in Windows Vista Beta 1 are now available from the Windows Vista/IE 7 beta downloads page on the Connect site. Direct links to these updates are also provided below. These security updates resolve a vulnerability in IE 7 Beta 1 and IE in Windows Vista Beta 1 that has already been addressed for released/supported versions of Internet Explorer by Microsoft Security Bulletin MS05-052.
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Microsoft Releases First Batch of Updates for Vista
Microsoft has made the first batch of updates for Vista available via the built-in Windows Update client. If you don't see the 22 updates, manually "Check for updates".
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30.1.2007 New Updates Available on MDC for Vista/XP/Server 2003
Microsoft have released a few updates on the Microsoft Download Center to resolve various issues in Vista/XP/Server 2003. Thanks to pacpis for this news.
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25.7.2007 Device driver updates causing Vista to deactivate
After weeks of gruelling troubleshooting, I've finally had it confirmed by Microsoft Australia and USA -- something as small as swapping the video card or updating a device driver can trigger a total Vista deactivation.
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24.10.2007Non-security Vista update rolls out Tuesday including SP1 prerequisite for BitLocker
Nick Whitel: Tomorrow, Tuesday 8 January, we are releasing several non-security update packages via Windows Update. The updates include the regular
monthly Malicious Software Removal Tool and Windows Mail Junk Mail Filter, two updates in our regular series of Windows Vista updates (KB943302 for
application compatibility and KB943899 for reliability and performance), and one update of particular notice: KB935509. Similar to previous updates
that enhanced Windows Vistas performance and reliability, these updates will be distributed automatically through Windows Update.
Tomorrows KB935509 release is a little different than past updates. It is a prerequisite for installing SP1 and is applicable only for Windows
Vista Ultimate and Enterprise users, because it only affects versions of Windows Vista supporting BitLocker Drive Encryption.
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08.01.2008Windows Vista SP1 Prerequisite Releases Coming Up
Microsoft Update Team: This week we're releasing two more prerequisites for Windows Vista Service Pack 1 that will be coming later this quarter. We
wanted to let you know about them because they are both marked as Important updates (and theyre a little different than usual).
KB938371 is a multi-component update that supports the successful install of SP1 and allows it to be uninstalled. KB937287 updates the Windows
Vista Servicing Stack. Both updates (required before SP1 will be offered via Windows Update) are being made available now to reduce the number of
reboots and make installation of the service pack easier.
Even if you're not ready to install the service pack once it's
released, you'll want to install these updates because they'll help increase performance and reduce failures for the installation of other
updates.
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12.02.2008Inside CNET Labs: Windows Vista SP1 performance
The long-awaited Service Pack 1 update for Windows Vista brings with it a number of significant bug fixes and other improvements. Microsoft promises
that with it you will also see a number of noticeable performance improvements as well. In
our initial round of testing, we saw a mixed bag of results:
we saw a few notable performance improvements under some conditions as well as significant performance degradations in others. For the most part,
however, we saw little difference in performance between Vista and the Vista SP1 update.
As we dug a little deeper into
Microsoft's claims, we discovered that many of the performance improvements being touted aren't actually directly attributable to SP1. Many
of the claimed performance improvements, such as improved boot-time, are actually more a function of improved third-party drivers and applications
that are benefiting from a year's worth of programming for Vista and from the programmers getting continued feedback and guidance from Microsoft. So
as long as you have been diligent about keeping your Vista system current with the latest Windows updates and third-party drivers, you likely
already have many of the potentially performance improving enhancements.
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14.02.2008Leaked Vista Hotfixes to be broadly available in the near future
Microsoft Corp. confirmed
today that the Vista hot-fix
packs that have leaked to the
Web will be issued to all
users.
"We
plan to make these two updates
broadly available via Windows
Update in the near future," a
company spokeswoman said in an
e-mail.
The
two updates, dubbed "Vista
Performance and Reliability
Pack" and "Vista
Compatibility and Reliability
Pack," were posted over the
weekend to a third-party
download site after being
leaked from a group of Windows
Server 2008 testers. The list
of fixes -- which include
performance improvements to
Vista's sleep mode and speed
increases in copying or moving
large directories -- led some
users yesterday to speculate
that the updates were the
forerunner of Vista Service
Pack 1 (SP1), a major upgrade
that many businesses want to
see before they widely deploy
the new operating system. ..
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01.08.2007Why installing Vista SP1 might fail via Windows Update
When you try to install Windows Vista SP1 via Windows Update you can get error: Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is not available for installation from
Windows Update and is not offered by Automatic Updates.
To help ensure a positive update experience, Windows Update will temporarily not
offer Windows Vista SP1 to systems that have the following device drivers. In some cases, these device drivers are problematic on Windows Vista-based
computers when you update to Windows Vista SP1. By installing updated device drivers, you will resolve the issue and enable Windows Update to offer
Windows Vista SP1.
Click read more to view a list of drivers that don't work well with Vista SP1:
Read full story.....
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20.03.2008CNET Reviews Windows Vista SP1
A little more than one year after its release, Windows Vista will receive its first service pack update in March. Microsoft says the pack will offer
better compatibility with third-party hardware, increased reliability, tighter security, and better performance. But unlike the last Windows Service
Pack release, Windows XP SP2--which offered users a new Windows Firewall, an improved Automatic Updates feature, and a pop-up ad blocker for Internet
Explorer--Windows Vista SP1 is largely a code update, devoid of new eye candy, and very light on "must-have" features for home users. Most of the
features touted by Microsoft are for the Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate editions of the operating system. Our advice: Be patient, and don't
download it once it becomes available. Wait until Windows Vista SP1 is offered to your PC via Microsoft's Automatic Updates service.
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08.02.2008Vista Shootout: Hotfixes Vs. SP1
The Web has been abuzz with chatter about Windows Vista's upcoming Service Pack 1 (SP1): What it will and will not fix, how it will affect
performance, how long will it take to install, and so on. PC manufacturers, some journalists, and a great deal of torrent addicts already have the
service pack, and we're among that crew.
While there are lots of things to write about SP1, the first thing we're going to
focus on is performance. Sure, security is important as is compatibility, but we're hoping SP1 turns Vista into the screaming speed demon Microsoft
once seemed to suggest it would be. Of course, when we say performance , we're mainly talking about games, but we checked out other areas in
which it supposedly improves the Vista experience as well.
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05.03.2008Endless reboots force suspension of Vista SP1 updates
The reason it's called "beta testing" is to anticipate and isolate problems. But a big problem reported by some -- not all -- Vista SP1
testers is causing Microsoft to take a step back...
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20.02.2008Vista SP1 goes live on Automatic Updates, but gradually
It's apparently safe to try this now: Microsoft stated this afternoon it's going forward with plans to deploy Windows Vista Service Pack 1 via
Automatic Updates...
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24.04.2008Windows Vista SP1 RC released to public
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 RC is now available through Windows Update. Experience the WU based Vista SP1 installation by following 4 simple steps.
Windows Vista SP1 RC distributed through Windows Update will be applicable to Windows Vista machines that are running on any of the 36 languages
supported by Vista RTM.
If you already installed the Service Pack to your machine by using the standalone package, you must uninstall
before you scan Windows Update for Windows Vista SP1.
Systems running on Windows Vista RTM require as many as three updates before SP1 can
be installed. These updates are permanent to your Windows Vista systems. Windows Update will detect your system configuration and offer the
prerequisite packages that are applicable to your system.
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12.12.2007Vista SP1 Analysed in Depth
It's no secret that there's
a leaked beta of Vista SP1
floating around, but no-one
yet has really taken the time
to analyse it in detail to
find out what it really does.
I made it my mission this
weekend to trawl through the
registry and file changes in
SP1 to find out exactly what
SP1 does.
First up,
I can say that there is a very
noticeable performance
increase. It is obvious that
since Microsoft released Vista
to manufacturing, it has been
optimising the code ever
since. There's far less hard
drive thrashing and in general
the system seems much smoother
and more responsive.
Amusingly, the build of SP1 we
saw (which in this beta comes
fully integrated into a 3.2GB
Vista install DVD, rather than
as a standalone update) still
has Microsoft's internal
network shares embedded as the
source of the updates...
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11.08.2007XP SP3 speed lead over Vista SP1 narrows under similar workloads
A heavily promoted performance test by an evaluation software firm appeared to situate Windows Vista SP1 performance against Windows XP SP3. But the
initial workloads were actually different due to the Office software used...
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28.11.2007XP SP3 outperforms Vista SP1, but less when running same Office version
A heavily promoted performance test by an evaluation software firm appeared to situate Windows Vista SP1 performance against Windows XP SP3. But the
initial workloads were actually different due to the Office software used...
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28.11.2007Windows Vista SP1 Application Non-Compatibility List
Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista is an important update for Windows Vista. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) contains many security, reliability, and
feature updates for Windows Vista. A program may experience a loss of functionality after you install Windows Vista SP1. However, most programs will
continue to work as expected after you install Windows Vista SP1.
This article lists programs that have been reported to
experience a loss of functionality when they are installed on a Windows Vista SP1-based computer.
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19.02.2008The Vista SP1 saga: the best ad for Mac and Linux yet?
Alex Zaharov-Reutt: First, it was a 5 year delay for Vista minus plenty of features, drivers and software compatibility. A year later, Vista SP1
launches, but few can get it yet. Then two SP1 pre-updates launch, only to have many reports of endless rebooting. What more can Microsoft do to
convince people to try a Mac or Linux?
I wouldnt exactly call the delay of Vista SP1 a comedic situation, but the whole thing
seems to have gone from comedic to shambolic in less than three weeks since the February 4 announcement that Vista SP1 had gone to RTM.
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21.02.2008IT Managers Welcome Vista SP1 Release Candidate
Microsoft released a slew of product updates over the past few weeks, but the one IT administrators seem to care the most about is Windows Vista SP1,
with many already having rolled out the release candidate for the service pack or planning to do so in the near future.
In
addition to the release candidate of the Vista service pack, the software maker has rolled out other updates, including Office 2007 SP1, SharePoint
2007 SP1, Exchange 2007 SP1 and the release candidate for Windows XP SP3.
However, for some IT managers at smaller companies,
dealing with all these upgrades at the same time can be overwhelming.
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19.12.2007Windows XP SP3 Yields Performance Gains Over Vista SP1
After a disappointing showing by Windows Vista SP1 (see previous post), we were pleasantly surprised to discover that Windows XP Service Pack 3
(v.3244) delivers a measurable performance boost to this aging desktop OS. Testing with OfficeBench showed an 10% performance boost vs. the same
configuration running under Windows XP w/Service Pack 2.
Since SP3 was supposed to be mostly a bug-fix/patch consolidation release - unlike
w/Vista SP1, Microsoft made no promises of improved performance for XP - the unexpected speed boost comes as a nice bonus. In fact, XP SP3 is
shaping-up to be a "must have" update for the majority of users who are still running Redmond's not-so-latest and greatest desktop
OS.
Of course, none of this bodes well for Vista, which is now more than 2x slower than the most current builds of its older sibling.
Suffice to say that performance-minded users will likely choose to stick with the now even speedier Windows XP - at least until more "Windows
7" information becomes publicly available.
Read full story.....
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24.11.2007First Windows Vista SP1 Prerequisite Update for Ultimate/Enterprise Users Now Available
Two or three updates are required before you install Windows Vista Service Pack 1. The updates that are required depend on the edition of Windows
Vista that you are upgrading. Prerequisite update 935509 is only applicable to Windows Vista Enterprise and to Windows Vista Ultimate. The other
prerequisite updates that are discussed in this article apply to all editions of Windows Vista.
Before Windows Vista SP1 is
released, these prerequisite updates will be delivered to most users through Windows Update as part of regularly scheduled monthly updates. These
updates will be installed together with other updates that will require that you restart the computer. An additional restart will not be required.
Therefore, this delivery method will simplify installation of these prerequisite updates.
Customers who decide to install Windows
Vista SP1 by using the stand-alone installer, instead of by using Windows Update, will not have to install the prerequisite packages separately. The
prerequisite packages will be installed by the stand-alone installer if they are necessary.
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08.01.2008Vista SP1 to be just 45MB over Windows Update?
Mary Jo Foley got a chance to
see a note sent to certain
testers of Vista SP1 earlier
this month and quite a few
interesting factoids have
turned up in it:
Q: How big is SP1?
A: Windows Vista
SP1 is approximately 45 MB
when delivered over Windows
Update and is designed to not
significantly change the UI or
regress application
compatibility.
Q: What are some examples
of support for emerging
technologies and
standards?
A:
With SP1, Windows Vista can
boot via EFI (Extensible
Firmware Interface) on an x64
machine. SP1 supports ExFAT, a
new file format that will be
used in flash memory storage
and consumer devices Support
for SD Advanced DMA Support to
improve transfer performance
and decrease CPU utilization
is part of SP1
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30.07.2007Interview: What Vista SP1 means to you
The first service pack for Windows Vista is slated for release to manufacturing in the first quarter of 2008. The announcement was made via Microsofts
Windows Window Vista Blog by Nick White, a product manager at Microsoft. We got a chance to sit down with White to talk about
SP1.
On the blog post, White made it a point to mention this service pack is quite different from other service packs offered for
previous versions of Windows. Microsoft is taking full advantage of Windows Update to send improvements to Windows Vista customers rather than relying
on one big service pack. That being said, the message for Windows Vista SP1 is dont expect new features, but some components do gain new
functionality.
So, the biggest question is what will be in Windows Vista SP1? The first is quality improvements (security,
reliability, and performance) including all previously released updates. Next, SP1 will include additional support for hardware and standards
including an Extensible Firmware Interface (ESO) and an Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT). Probably, the biggest group to benefit from Windows
Vista SP1 is administrators.
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30.08.2007
