Microsoft: Some Free Vista (+SP1) to Go Along with the Free XP SP2 Downloads?
Free downloads of Microsoft's operating systems have been made available throughout 2007, and the Redmond company is ready to take it one step further.
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5.2.2008 Download Windows 7 Remote Desktop Connection 7.0 for XP SP3 and Vista SP1 and SP2
While Windows 7 technologies are, as a general rule, available exclusively with the latest iteration of the Windows client from Microsoft, there also are exceptions.
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4.11.2009 Windows 7 – 20 Features to Make Users Forget Vista SP1/SP2 and XP SP3
Microsoft is currently moving onward with the development of Windows 7, having passed Milestone 3 with the operating system.
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15.11.2008 XP SP3 and Vista SP1 Will Own Linux-Free Desktops until Windows 7
Even though with the advent of Windows Vista the open source community saw the ripe moment for Linux to strengthen its grip over consumer PCs, the fact of the matter is that Windows still holds a firm grip over the vast majority of desktops worldwide.
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20.4.2008 Free Vista SP1 Deployment Toolkit Available – Nothing for XP SP3
With Windows Vista Service Pack 1 having RTM'd on February 4, 2008, and out to the general public as of March 18, Microsoft has made available for download its free toolkit designed to streamline and automate the deployment of desktop and server operating systems.
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22.3.2008 SyncToy 2.0 - Free XP SP3 and Vista SP1 Synchronization Tool
Microsoft has made available for download a free synchronization tool tailored to Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and to Windows XP Service Pack 3, but also to earlier versions of the two clients such as Vista RTM and XP SP2.
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18.8.2008 Major Update Coming to Vista SP1 and XP SP3, but Users Won't Feel a Thing
A major update is coming to Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows XP Service Pack 3, but Microsoft guarantees that end users won't feel a thing.
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6.7.2008 The Vista SP1 and XP SP3 WU Refresh Impacts the Entire Update Infrastructure
At the end of the past week, Microsoft announced a refresh to the Windows Update agent in Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows XP Service Pack 3.
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8.7.2008 Vista SP1 RC Leaves XP SP2 in the Dust, but What About XP SP3?
Although Microsoft has indicated a strong disapproval of benchmarking tests involving development milestones of Windows Vista Service Pack 1, the temptation is simply too big to ignore.
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17.1.2008 Microsoft Makes Its Own Vista SP1 vs. XP SP2, Leaves XP SP3 Out
Ever since the advent of Window Vista, at the end of November 2006 for businesses and in January 2007 for the general public, Microsoft has virtually invited the comparison between the two operating systems.
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8.5.2008 Windows Update Blocker Tool Kit - Block Automatic Windows Vista SP2 Update
After availability of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 for public download I am sure many users would have already installed Vista Service Pack 2 to see the performance improvements and its advisable to install Windows Vista sp2 as it has many noticeable changes and also includes all the fixes released after Vista sp1.
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27.5.2009 Download Vista SP2 Beta via Windows Update
If you like to stay on the bleeding edge of technology (and you’re running Vista) you may want to consider modifying two registry keys on your system so that you can participate in the Vista SP2 Beta program.
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3.11.2008 More Free Windows to Keep Vista and XP SP2 Company
Without indicating a strong affinity for the open source business model Microsoft is rather generous with its operating systems.
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1.4.2008 Windows Vista SP2 32 bits FREE download!
Thanks to portos for reporting this in the forum.
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25.10.2008 IE VPC - New Free Editions of Windows XP SP2 Live for Download!
Two new free editions of Windows XP Service Pack 2 are live for download from Microsoft. The offerings are just the latest versions from a series delivered since late 2006, following the release of Internet Explorer 7 for Windows XP SP2.
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20.8.2007 Free Windows Vista and XP SP2 Downloads Updated and up for Grabs
This week, Microsoft has updated the set of offerings which permit end users to access free copies of Windows Vista and Windows XP SP2.
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21.3.2008 Microsoft Ships Deleted Files with the Free Copies of Windows XP SP2
Despite the fact that Microsoft's business model is in no way similar to that associated with open source software, the Redmond company does offer free copies of its operating systems.
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23.1.2008 Vista SP2 and XP SP3 Get Windows 7s AutoPlay-AutoRun
Even before the release of Windows 7 Release Candidate Build 7100 Microsoft announced that it would take extreme measures in order to increase end user protection and amputate the AutoPlay/AutoRun feature of the operating system.
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26.8.2009 XP SP3: Now on Windows Update
A week after deciding not to release Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 3 via Windows Update and the Microsoft Download site as planned, Microsoft has begun pushing the collection of updates and fixes through those channels again.
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6.5.2008 Windows Server 2003 SP2 RC now available via Windows Update
Starting December 12th, the Windows Server 2003 SP2 RC build (build 2825) will be made available via Windows Update.
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13.12.2006 Windows XP SP3 Brings the Death of SP2 - July 13, 2010
The advent of Windows XP Service Pack 3 has brought with it the proverbial "beginning of the end" for its predecessor, Service Pack 2.
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19.5.2008 Connect Windows 7 with XP SP3 Vista SP2 via Remote Desktop Connection 7.0
Microsoft is gearing up to release a tool that will permit users of Windows Vista and Windows XP computers to connect to Windows 7 machines, and to take advantage of features that only the latest version of the Windows client brings to the table.
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12.9.2009 Download Free Windows Vista and Windows XP SP2 Straight from Microsoft
Via the Internet Explorer Application Compatibility VPC Image. That's right! Microsoft is offering access to free downloads of Windows Vista and Windows XP SP2.
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6.3.2008 Free Windows Vista Business and Windows XP SP2 on Parade
Free Windows... Not a concept you would expect from Microsoft. With a business strategy focused on proprietary software, the Redmond company is by all means at the opposite technology spectrum from open source and free software.
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9.3.2008 .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.
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11.8.2008 How to Update iPod Touch to 3.0 Firmware For Free
Apple is all set to release iPhone & iPod Touch Firmware 3.0. OS 3.0 is second major firmware update for iPhone & iPod touch. iPhone 2G, 3G users are allowed to have free upgrade to iPhone firmware 3.0, however iPod touch users need pay $9.95 to upgrade to OS 3.0.
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17.6.2009 SP1 Is Old News, Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) Already in the Making
Microsoft made available for download the first service pack for Windows Vista on March 18, 2008, this even though the bits had been released to manufacturing as early as February 4, 2008.
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15.10.2008 The First Update for XP SP3 RTM
Although it was released to manufacturing on April 21, 2008, the third and last service pack for Windows XP has yet to make it to end users. Despite this, Microsoft has already made available the first update tailored on XP SP3.
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22.4.2008 Vista SP2 and XP SP3 June 2009 Patches ISO Image Available
This month’s release addresses 31 total vulnerabilities with 15 rated as “1” on our Exploitability Index, meaning there is a high likelihood that reliable exploit code may be developed in the next 30 days,” stated Jerry Bryant, Sr. security program manager lead.
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12.6.2009 Vista SP2 and XP SP3 Patch Security Release ISO Image Available
A DVD5 ISO image file containing all the security bulletins made available on November 10th, 2009 for all supported Windows platforms, is now up for grabs via the Microsoft Download Center.
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13.11.2009Expiration dates for Vista SP1 and XP SP3 blocks announced
If you're an IT professional and currently using Microsoft's Service Pack Blocker, the software giant recently announced that the current
blocks for Vista SP1 and XP SP3 are going to expire in a few months. The Service Pack Blocker Tool only temporarily prevents Windows from the
installation of a Service Pack via Windows Update, and the block is only effective for one year after the Service pack is released to the market via
Windows Update. Effective April 28th, 2009, Windows Vista SP1 will no longer be blocked by the tool and will be delivered via Windows Update. The
same goes for Windows XP SP3, but the block will be lifted on May 19th, 2009.
Read full story.....
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30.01.2009Vista SP1 Also Halted
This is a bit of an update to the story posted earlier, but just so everyone knows… Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3 have been halted. I know there are a
bunch of websites out there telling you that they are available through Windows Update but that is incorrect. Both Vista SP1 and WinXP SP3 have been
pulled for now.
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30.04.2008Windows XP SP3 Release Candidate 2 via Windows Update
Microsoft yesterday made Service Pack 3 RC2 available to both testers and the general public. They have provided a small script to run on your XP SP2
machine that will allow for SP3 to be available through Windows Update.
The build, now at v3311, cannot be installed over previous SP3
betas. Versions of Windows XP Service Pack 3 prior to Release Candidate 2 should be removed before attempting to use the registry key. Windows Update
will not offer Release Candidate 2 to machines with previous versions of the Windows XP Service Pack 3 beta.
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20.02.2008Windows Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3: Official Release Dates
A French website,
PC Inpact, has posted
the official Microsoft product change request forms for Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3. So just when do our friends from France say Microsoft is
planning on releasing our little Service Pack friends? Well, according to them, we will be seeing Vista SP1 a little earlier than previously
anticipated:
Windows Vista SP1: February 18th or 19th
Windows XP SP3: March 23rd or 24th
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06.02.2008What Windows platforms will Windows Installer 4.5 ship in?
Our friends at InstallShield had some questions about schedule and platforms. One of those questions was:
Question:
What Windows platforms will Windows Installer ship in?
Answer:
Windows Installer 4.5 will initially ship as a
Windows redistributable component via download center. At RTM, redistributable packages will support installing to Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows
Server 2003 SP1 and SP2, Windows Vista RTM and SP1, and Windows Server 2008. These redistributable packages will support the three CPU architectures
Windows to which these platforms ship: x86, x64, and ia64. These choices for platform support are consistent with the
Windows Service Pack road map...
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01.09.2007Vista 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 …
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15.02.2008Why 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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20.03.2008Windows XP SP3 now available via Windows Update
Windows XP SP3 is finally here for those that use Windows
Update, and
here is a direct link to the stand-alone version of SP3 for x86 XP systems (32 bit). Thanks
Bink! I can't confirm if the 64bit version of SP3
is available from today, can anyone confirm?
Here is an interesting
article regarding SP3 performance, ignoring the fact that Vista SP1 is still faster than XP SP2/SP3 users will enjoy a performance boost
over SP2. When will people learn that Vista ain't all bad!
Windows® XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) includes all previously released
updates for the operating system. This update also includes a small number of new functionalities, which do not significantly change customers’
experience with the operating system.
This white
paper summarizes what is new in Windows XP SP3.
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29.04.2008Microsoft Steers Firefox Users Wrong On XP SP1
Microsoft, which will end
support of Windows XP SP1 in
less than two weeks,
incorrectly flags users
running Mozilla's Firefox
browser that they need to
update when they visit the
Windows Web site.
The Redmond, Wash. developer
has warned users of the
four-year-old Windows XP
Service Pack 1 (SP1) several
times that it will stop all
support for the operating
system Oct.10, the next
regularly-scheduled patch
date. It has repeatedly
recommended that users update
to Windows XP SP2, which can
be downloaded free of charge
from the company's Web site.
On that Web site, however,
users running Windows XP SP2
and Firefox are incorrectly
told that their PCs must be
upgraded. Internet Explorer
users, on the other hand, are
given the correct
information.
"Your
computer is not up to date
with the latest version of
Windows XP. Upgrade to Windows
XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) today
to help keep your computer
secure," the site tells
Firefox users. IE users,
however, are shown a different
message: "Your computer has
already been upgraded to
Windows XP Service Pack 2
(SP2)."
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30.09.2006Daylight Saving Time Update Available For XP SP2 & SP3
Looks like we've got our first XP SP3 update although this was expected as Microsoft had
previously announced that the DST update would not be included with
SP3.
Installing this update enables your computer to automatically adjust the computer clock on the correct date in 2007 and
2008 due to revised Daylight Saving Time laws in many countries. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer.
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22.04.2008Windows 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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24.11.2007Windows Vista SP1 outperforms Windows XP SP2 in file copy.
"Its interesting that people seem to think that Vista under performs in every area of the system which is quite an incorrect perception. In this demo
I show how Vista outperforms Windows XP and I show the under the covers process traces of just how it achieves it."
"Demo environment
consists of two images. One Vista SP1 and the other Windows XP SP2 both on the same HDD IO and communicating across my home wireless network to a
Windows Server 2008 box on my main LAN. Once the two images get going latency gets introduced and things start to slow down....except Vista doesnt
slow down." Watch and see at
Edge TechNet.
Read full story.....
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27.05.2008Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP2
WSUS 3.0 SP2 delivers important customer-requested management, stability, and performance improvements. Some of the features and improvements include
the following:
- Integration with Windows Server 2008 R2.
- Support for the BranchCache feature in Windows Server 2008
R2.
- Support for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 clients.
- Compliance Report
- Windows Update Agent (WUA)
offers a collection of performance enhancements, user experience improvements, and bug fixes software updates.
WSUS 3.0 SP2 can be
installed alone, or as an upgrade of WSUS 3.0 SP1.
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26.08.2009Vista SP2 Released to Testers
Yesterday, Microsoft sent an email to select testers notifying them that the RC-Escrow Build of Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista and Server 2008 was
available for download.
This Service Pack was made available to testers via Windows Update, as a standalone installer, and as a
slipstreamed version. This service pack includes 656 hotfixes, and the usual tweaks.
At this "Escrow" stage in development, the Service
Pack is essentially complete; unless major errors are spotted, this version will likely be very close to that of the RTM version.
One
more public beta is expected before it RTMs however, so if you'd like to get your hands on one more beta build, your chance will come soon enough.
The only pre-requisite for the SP2 install is that you have SP1 installed; all other updates are included in SP2. Their reason for not
making a cumulative update with SP1 already included is because of the huge filesize that would result. Most clients already have SP1 installed; new
Windows Vista discs and Server 2008 was shipped with it included.
It would seem that, contrary to some recent rumors, SP2 will ship long
before June.
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31.01.2009Rumor: Vista SP1 coming February 18, XP SP3 on March 23
French tech website
PC INpact is reporting that
it got its grubby little hands on the exact release dates of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 as well as Windows XP Service Pack 3. According to a source,
Vista SP1 is to be released on the night of February 18 while XP SP3 will be released on the night of March 23.
Although Microsoft has not
given a tight timeframe for when to expect XP SP3, it did state earlier that Vista SP1 will be available in mid-March. The screenshots should be
therefore taken with a grain of salt. It is possible that these memos were sent out before Microsoft delayed Vista to mid-March. Could it be that the
Vista date is wrong but the XP one is correct?
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
07.02.2008XP 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...
betanews.com -
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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28.11.2007MS08-030 Re-released for Windows XP SP2 and SP3
Christopher Budd: I wanted to let folks know that weve just re-released
MS08-030. This is to let you know theres a new version of this
security update available for Windows XP SP2 and SP3 customers and to encourage them to deploy these new updates. There are no new updates for the
other versions of Windows discussed in the bulletin.
After we released
MS08-030 we learned that the security updates for Windows XP SP2 and
SP3 might not have been fully protecting against the issues discussed in that bulletin. As soon as we learned of that possibility, we mobilized our
Software Security Incident Response Process (SSIRP) to
investigate the issue.
Our investigation found that while the other security updates were providing protections for the issues
discussed in the bulletin, the Windows XP SP2 and SP3 updates were not.
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19.06.2008Microsoft releases Windows Vista SP2 and Server 2008 SP2
Microsoft has released a standalone installer for Windows Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2 today. The software giant posted some things to know
about the service packs last month, one of the warnings is if "vLite" was used to customize your Windows Vista installation, you may have removed
required system components which prevent Service Pack 2 from installing. Microsoft has a workaround for this issue. Microsoft is expected to post the
bits to Windows Update in the coming weeks but if you are eager to install SP2 today then the download links are listed below. Download: Vista
SP2/Server 2008 SP2 32 bit Download: Vista SP2/Server 2008 SP2 64 bit
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
26.05.2009Windows Vista SP1 & XP SP3 Release Dates
A French website,
PC Inpact, has posted
the official Microsoft product change request forms for Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3. So just when do our friends from France say Microsoft is
planning on releasing our little Service Pack friends? Well, according to them, we will be seeing Vista SP1 a little earlier than previously
anticipated:
Windows Vista SP1: February 18th or 19th
Windows XP SP3: March 23rd or 24th
jcxp.net -
06.02.2008
