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Windows XP SP3 RTM and Windows Vista SP1 RTM – Just Around the Corner?

Microsoft is in the final stages of cooking the upcoming service packs for Windows Vista and Windows XP.
windows - comments - 7.1.2008

Vista SP1 RTM Is Available for Download

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 RTM has been made available for download after the bits went gold on February 4, 2008.
windows - comments - 12.2.2008

It is Vista SP1 RTM Time Again

Over two months since it was released to manufacturing, and just a week short of the first month since general availability, Microsoft is now showing strong movement on the Windows Vista Service Pack 1 RTM front.
windows - comments - 8.4.2008

Vista SP1 on schedule for March RTM

With a major launch event next month serving as an unmovable anchor for Microsoft at this point, the ancillary launches for Vista Service Pack 1 and XP SP3 would probably raise suspicion if they were delayed.
windows - comments - 27.1.2008

Microsoft: Vista SP1 RTM Downloads Available, but Not for You!

Only for MSDN subscriber! Make no mistake about it. The final bits of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 are available for download, but this does not mean that end users can get their grabby hands all over the service pack.
windows - comments - 15.2.2008

Here Are the Drivers That Don't Play Well with Vista SP1 RTM

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 was released to manufacturing on February 4, 2008. But end users had to exercise their patience another month and a half before they could get their hands on Vista SP1 RTM.
windows - comments - 18.3.2008

Windows Vista SP1 RTM Leaks to the Web

Seriously, is anyone surprised? Paying customers may not get their hands on Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Windows Server 2008 for weeks, but pirates can download the brand-new code for either today, according to searches at several BitTorrent trackers.
windows - comments - 7.2.2008

Microsoft Leaked Windows Vista SP1 RTM

Microsoft officially confirmed the Windows Vista Service Pack 1 downloads at the end of the past week. On February 21, 2008, the gold bits of Windows Vista SP1 were offered for download via Windows Update.
windows - comments - 25.2.2008

Get Ready for Vista SP1 RTM Action Pack

Concomitantly with the general availability of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 RTM, Microsoft will also start offering the new Action Pack complete with the SP1 gold bits. The Action Pack has evolved since the initial offering came out, associated with the RTM build of Vista, in order to allow company partners to perform full installations (bare metal deployments) of the service pack.
windows - comments - 17.3.2008

Windows Vista SP1 RTM Resources - the Whole Shebang

On February 4, 2008, Microsoft released Windows Vista Service Pack 1 to manufacturing.
windows - comments - 29.3.2008

Windows Vista SP1 RTM Optimized Desktop

With the advent of Windows Vista at the end of 2006/the beginning of 2007, Microsoft has started pouring a consistent amount of efforts into enabling optimized desktops.
windows - comments - 30.4.2008

Web Application Installer for Vista RTM/SP1

Hot on the heels of the Microsoft Web Platform Installer Beta comes the Microsoft Web Applications Installer.
windows - comments - 16.10.2008

Vista RTM Activation Error Fiesta Ahead of SP1

Microsoft's latest Windows client brought to the table in November 2006 (for businesses) and in January 2007 (for the general consumers) a revamped activation architecture.
windows - comments - 14.4.2008

Vista SP1 RC1 Flies Past Vista RTM and Windows XP SP2

Despite the fact that Microsoft has expressed its official position regarding testing Windows Vista Service Pack 1 ahead of its finalization, there is simply too much of a hunger for the service pack.
windows - comments - 27.12.2007

Vista RTM vs. Vista SP1 - Office 2007 benchmarking

Enough with benchmarking the OS - let’s see if Office 2007 is any faster on Vista SP1.
windows - comments - 26.2.2008

Microsoft Says Vista SP1 Needs to Speak the Same Language as Vista RTM

Microsoft says that Windows Vista Service Pack 1 needs to speak the same language as the RTM version of the latest Windows client. Otherwise there's no game.
windows - comments - 2.4.2008

Vista SP1 to Cure the Vista RTM Wow Hangover

When Windows Vista was unleashed in January 31, 2008, Microsoft was promising performance, security, innovation, all wrapped up under an umbrella of a Wow user experience.
windows - comments - 11.4.2008

Uhmm... Did Microsoft Lose XP SP3 on the Way to Vista SP1 RTM?

Windows XP Service Pack 3, Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2008... In the end it's all Windows to Microsoft. Right?
windows - comments - 4.2.2008

64-bit Vista SP1 RTM Available for Download Straight from Microsoft

In another move coming out of nowhere, unconfirmed and unannounced through official channels, Microsoft has now apparently started serving the 64-bit variant of Vista SP1 RTM to end users.
windows - comments - 21.2.2008

Download Windows Vista SP1 RTM Standalone DVD ISO

Over two months since Windows Vista SP1 was released to manufacturing on February 4, 2008, and almost a month since it became available to the general public on March 18, the first service pack for the latest Windows client is once again available for download.
download - comments - 15.4.2008

Vista SP1 Desktop Optimization Pack 2008 R2 RTM

Since the introduction of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, the Redmond company has sold in excess of 10 million units of the package of solutions, and on September 15, the R2 version of MDOP 2008 was released to manufacturing.
windows - comments - 16.9.2008

Vista SP1 RTM Slipstream (Integrated ) DVD ISO Image - Leaked to Torrent Websites

hile Microsoft continues at a slow pace toward the general availability of Windows Vista SP1 RTM, the service pack has already slipped through the company's fingers, so to speak.
windows - comments - 4.3.2008

Download 32-bit and 64-bit Vista SP1 RTM Slipstream ISO Images

Microsoft is offering for download both the 32-bit and 64-bit Windows Vista SP1, the slipstream versions as ISO images. A slipstream version of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is essentially nothing more than the RTM version of the latest Windows client with the service pack already integrated.
windows - comments - 29.2.2008

Vista RTM and SP1 Windows Fiji – Windows Media Center TV Pack 2008

Developed under the codename Windows Fiji, and released to manufacturing under the label Windows Media Center TV Pack 2008, the first major update to the Windows Media Center component included by default in the Home Premium and Ultimate SKUs of Windows Vista RTM and SP1, is right on track to be a disappointment.
windows - comments - 11.8.2008

Windows Vista SP1 vs. Windows Vista RTM vs. Windows XP SP2

Feb 26th, 2008. Principled Technologies has released two Microsoft commissioned reports on Windows Vista SP1 performance. In these tests, Principled Technologies measured responsiveness of Windows Vista SP1 vs. Windows Vista RTM vs. Windows XP SP2 when performing a set of common business and home tasks.
windows - comments - 28.2.2008

Windows 7 SP1 beta rumored by end of 2009, RTM summer 2010

Windows 7 may be out, but Microsoft is of course still hard at work improving the operating system. Rumor has it that SP1 for Windows 7 will come sooner than it did for Windows Vista.
windows - comments - 2.11.2009

Download Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 RTM

Following the availability of Windows 7 RTM for MSDN and TechNet subscribers, Microsoft has released the RTM version or Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, which comes with a wide range of new tools, along with various samples, some of which are new to Windows 7.
download - comments - 7.8.2009

.NET Framework 3.5 SP1 for XP SP3 and Vista SP1

Microsoft has made Service Pack 1 for .NET Framework 3.5 for Windows Server 2008 available for download. Designed to integrate seamlessly with Windows Vista SP1, Windows XP SP3, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008, .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 is now live on the Microsoft Download Center.
download - comments - 11.8.2008

Making 64-bit Vista SP1 Say It's Vista SP1

Making a 64-bit copy of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 confirm that it is actually Vista SP1 might require a minimum amount of effort on behalf of the end user, such as right-clicking My Computer and selecting Properties, but things are a tad different when an application is programmed to identify the operating system versions or the service pack releases.
windows - comments - 25.8.2008

32-bit Vista SP1 = 1GB – 64-bit Vista SP1 = 1.5GB

If you think that Windows Vista was a fast operating system, then just wait for the first service pack. According to data released by Microsoft, Vista SP1 with weigh in at a maximum of 1.5 GB.
windows - comments - 30.8.2007

Microsoft acknowledges Vista SP1 Refresh 2 = RTM

Which build of Vista SP1 became the release to manufacturing (RTM) edition? This was definitely a topic of high speculation in the last few weeks, even before SP1 hit the RTM milestone. Many were adamant that SP1 RTM was, or would be, different from the final release candidate, while those on the other side grasped at straws to prove their suspicions. The Microsoft Watcher, also known as Mary Jo Foley, has finally received confirmation from Microsoft that the Vista SP1 RTM build (6001-18000) is none other than Vista SP1 RC Refresh 2. The latest official statement from the software giant is:
"RC Refresh 2 code is the same as RTM. In final stages of a product Microsoft likes to get as much validation as possible before releasing. The release candidate ended up being a high enough quality to be approved to release to manufacturing."



Read full story.....
neowin.net - 08.02.2008

Windows Vista SP1 vs. Windows Vista RTM vs. Windows XP SP2

Principled Technologies has released two Microsoft commissioned reports on Windows Vista SP1 performance. In these tests, Principled Technologies measured responsiveness of Windows Vista SP1 vs. Windows Vista RTM vs. Windows XP SP2 when performing a set of common business and home tasks. The results show that SP1 performs on par with Vista RTM and Windows XP.

The test show that as with Windows Vista RTM, overall performance is on par with Windows XP. It’s important to remember that Windows Vista is a more advanced operating system, which includes many more capabilities than Windows XP. By default, Windows Vista includes antispyware, a search indexer, and the shadow copy service. All these work in the background, providing important services to customers, but they of course take up a portion of the PCs memory and processor resource.

On several common business and home operations Windows Vista SP1 was noticeably more responsive after rebooting than Windows XP.


neowin.net - 28.02.2008

.NET Framework 3.0 SP1 & 2.0 SP1 on Vista RTM?

Aaron Ruckman: I've received the following type of question a few times and would like to give the answer with some background:



Q. Where is the .NET Framework 3.0 SP1 & 2.0 SP1 for Vista RTM?



A. .NET Framework 3.0 & 2.0 released with Vista as OS Windows Components, which means that they are serviced as any other windows Component.  Therefore, the .NET Framework 3.0 & 2.0 Service packages will be officially released as part of the Vista Service packages. When Vista SPX is shipped then .NET Framework 2.0 & 3.0 might also include updates in that service package. 



In this case the .NET Framework 3.0 & 2.0 have a service package that will be shipped with Vista SP1.  Vista SP1 RC is available now (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/bb738089.aspx)



NOTE: The same logic stated for Vista and .NET Framework will also be true for Windows2008 & .NET Framework 2.0 & 3.0, only Windows Server2008 will release with .NET Framework 2.0 SP1 & 3.0 SP1 in the OS.




winbeta.org - 21.01.2008

Vista SP1 up to 86% faster

Is Vista SP1 really the shot in the arm your Vista system needs? We've spent many hours strapped to our benchmarking system in a caffeine and pizza fuelled haze to uncover these very interesting results.



We tested Vista:




winbeta.org - 05.03.2008

Windows 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.


neowin.net - 12.12.2007

Announcing the RTM of Windows Vista SP1

Mike Nash, Windows Product Management Group: Today we are excited to announce that we have released Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista to manufacturing (RTM) for our first set of languages (English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese).



Service Pack 1 is a very important milestone because it addresses many of the key issues that our customers have identified with Windows Vista over the last year both, directly and through programs like the Customer Experience Improvement Program. With Service Pack 1, we have made great progress in performance, reliability and compatibility. One of the great things about my job is that I get to play with the latest builds of our products -- I've personally been running Windows Vista SP1 pretty exclusively for a few months and I've noticed that my systems run faster and more reliably than they did with the "Gold" release of Windows Vista.




winbeta.org - 04.02.2008

Windows Vista SP1 availability for technical customers

Mike Nash: On Monday (February 4th), we announced the release to manufacturing (RTM) of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1). Overall, people are excited to hear that we have reached this milestone, but some are disappointed they are not able to immediately download it.



<...> We've heard the feedback and I want to update you on our plans and progress for making SP1 available to our beta participants, our Volume Licensing customers, and our MSDN/TechNet Plus subscribers:



For broad availability, we are still planning to release in mid-March, since we want to be sure that everyone has the smoothest experience possible.



I want to be super-clear on one point: Windows Vista SP1 is final. It has been fully released to manufacturing and we do not plan to make any changes to the SP1 code prior to public availability. We are confident in the quality of Windows Vista SP1 and know that it will help improve our customers' experiences with Windows Vista.




winbeta.org - 11.02.2008

Vista SP1 gold bits on track for this week

After both public and private betas galore, Microsoft is set to make the final, gold Windows Vista Service Pack (SP) 1 bits available, most likely this week.

Last week, I’ve been getting reports of SP1 bits being available on torrents. I asked Microsoft earlier last week if these builds were, as some were saying, the final Vista SP1 bits. And, as usual, the Windows client team wasn’t saying a whole lot.

On January 29, a Microsoft spokeswoman said Vista SP1 had yet to be officially released to manufacturing. The recent SP1 Release Candidate (RC) Refresh 2 is not the RTM build, the spokeswoman said. “And we’re not commenting on the build number,” she said, when I asked whether the “18000″ build number was the RTM version.


Read full story.....
neowin.net - 04.02.2008

The 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.




winbeta.org - 21.02.2008

Official Windows Vista SP1 RTM MD5s

For anyone interested, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes at ZDNet posted the MD5s for the official 32-bit and 64-bit update executables for Windows Vista SP1 RTM.



-32-bit (434MB ): d597866e93bc8f80ecca234c4e9ce5a2



-64-bit (726MB ): 983308426e8ee7649f53b41f4e5c42d4



As a quick reminder, Vista SP1 RTM = Vista SP1 RC Refresh 2 = 6001.18000.




winbeta.org - 09.02.2008

XP SP2 vs. Vista RTM vs. Vista SP1: Gaming benchmark

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Here are the benchmark results that many of you have been waiting for - a look at how well ten popular games work on XP SP2, Vista RTM and Vista SP1.



Its been nearly a year since I took a look at the state of gaming under the Vista OS. The last time I compared XP SP2 to Vista, I was disappointed with Microsofts new OS as a gaming platform because I could get far more bang for my bucks out of XP than I could out of the new OS. Partly I put this down to immature drivers, but on the whole I was convinced that at the core of the problem was Vista.



So, is Vista worth bothering with as a gaming platform?




winbeta.org - 28.02.2008

Windows Server 2008 & Windows Vista SP1 RTM Today

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is being released to manufacturing on Monday 4 Feb and will start being available to customers in March, starting with Microsoft Volume Licensing customers.

Windows Server 2008 is also being released to manufacturing on the same date and will be available to new customers on March 1. Microsoft Volume Licensing customers with active Microsoft Software Assurance coverage or an Enterprise Agreement will be able to download the new Server software toward the end of February as part of the joint Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 Heroes Happen Here launch event

Contrary to reports SP1 will not be RTW (release to web) today.


neowin.net - 04.02.2008

Vista SP1 vs. XP SP2 - Benchmarked

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Over the past few days I posted two sets of benchmarks comparing Windows Vista RTM with Vista SP1 (first post here, second here). These posts generated a lot of feedback, and from reading this feedback it’s clear that what many people are really interested in is not the performance differences between Vista RTM and Vista SP1, but between Vista SP1 and XP SP2.



A few days ago I posted in reply to several TalkBack comments that I wouldn’t carry out these tests until XP SP3 is released. There didn’t seem any point. That didn’t satisfy the crowds who wanted to see Vista SP1 and XP SP2 go head to head. So, to cut a long story short, the pestering continued and I eventually gave in. So what follows are the fruits of nearly two whole days of work at the PC Doc HQ (the test was hampered by the death of a motherboard, something which rendered hours of work obsolete).



How does Windows Vista SP1 compare to Windows XP SP2? Read on …




winbeta.org - 15.02.2008

Recover "Create a recovery disc" on Vista SP1 RTM

Long Zheng: During the betas, one of the few new functionality Windows Vista Service Pack 1 added was the ability to create a Windows recovery CD with an easy-to-use GUI interface. Up and until then, it was slightly harder but still possible to do so through a command line.



Whilst all Vista install DVDs include the recovery functionality natively, it’s probably useful to burn yourself a spare copy to take with you. You can also download an ISO from NeoSmart.net but you might not have bandwidth to spare...




winbeta.org - 24.03.2008

Vista SP1 Rumored Release on Patch Tuesday

According to information on Amazon's website and with TechARP.com, Vista SP1 will be officially released to the general public. If you've been waiting for the official release, this looks like the real deal.

Amazon currently lists Vista SP1 retail copies as available next Wednesday, March 19, while TechARP.com, the Malaysian Web site that nailed the update's release to manufacturing (RTM) date several days early, said users would be able to download SP1 starting Tuesday, March 18.


jcxp.net - 17.03.2008

Did Microsoft Lose XP SP3 on the Way to Vista SP1 RTM?

Windows XP Service Pack 3, Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2008... In the end its all Windows to Microsoft. Right? Well... in all fairness, you do have to keep in mind that all Windows platforms are equal, but some Windows operating systems are more equal than others... And in this context, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 are privileged over Windows XP. Microsoft is essentially choosing to ignore the vast majority of Windows users.



According to data from Net Applications, the install base of XP is over 75% of all the operating systems, with Vista at just over 10%. But statistics are by no means impressive to Microsoft. Throughout the development process of Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008, the Redmond company has been pushing Windows XP SP3 to the background. Even though XP SP3 was developed alongside Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008.




winbeta.org - 05.02.2008

No update from Microsoft on Vista SP1, Media Center problems

Following reports of installation problems by some users attempting to deploy the final version of Windows Vista Service Pack (SP) 1, Microsoft is still not saying much.



Microsoft officials are not discussing publicly how many users are affected by the “endless reboot loop” problem that users are reporting on Microsoft’s TechNet Forums. Microsoft officials also are not saying when or if they will issue new fixes that alleviate the problems.



The problem seems to affect both users who are using the SP1 Release Candidate (RC) 1 Refresh 2 bits (that came out in late January), as well as those using the SP1`bits marked as “RTM” (that went live in early February). Vista SP1 RC 1 Refresh 2 and the RTM build of Vista SP1 are the same, even though their build numbers are different, Microsoft officials have admitted.




winbeta.org - 19.02.2008

Microsoft junks and replaces Vista kernel in SP1

One of the “big” features discussed in early speculation of Windows Vista SP1 was the kernel upgrade, which was supposed to bring the operating system into line with the Longhorn kernel used in Windows Server 2008. And yet with Vista SP1 going RTM, there hasn't been so much as a peep from Microsoft about the mooted kernel update. Has it happened? Well the answer is yes it has, and presumably the main reason for Microsoft’s silence on the subject is that as they’re keen to promote the improvements and enhancements to Vista, rather than placing emphasis on a kernel upgrade, which some people might see as a risk of newly-introduced instability.


Read full story.....
neowin.net - 05.02.2008

Vista SP1 'on schedule' for March RTM

With a major launch event next month serving as an unmovable anchor for Microsoft at this point, the ancillary launches for Vista Service Pack 1 and XP SP3 would probably raise suspicion if they were delayed...
betanews.com - 25.01.2008

RIP Ultimate Extras

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Back in September of last year I wrote a piece about how the Windows Ultimate Extras window from the RTM version of Windows Vista differed from the pre-release SP1 code that was floating about at the time. Is Microsoft going to do right by Windows Vista Ultimate customers and start handing over the goodies or not? Looking at SP1, it seems that Windows Ultimate Extras as good as dead.



OK, time for a little trip down memory lane. Heres what the Windows Vista Ultimate screen looks like for Windows Vista Ultimate RTM...




winbeta.org - 08.02.2008