Latest Vista Sp1 Now Available

[Guest Reimar]

New Vista SP1 test build public

After saying it planned to make its latest test build of Windows Vista Service Pack (SP) 1 available to a private group of testers only, Microsoft has done an about-face and made the code available to the public.

Late in the day on January 11, Microsoft posted the new Vista SP1 Release Candidate (RC) code – which it rolled out a couple of days ago on its password-protected Web site — to the Microsoft Downloads site.

Microsoft released the newest update of its Vista SP1 RC build on January 9. At that time, Microsoft made sure to note that the build was not available for public download.

According to a company spokeswoman, the build includes "a number of bugs that testers encountered in previous pre-release versions of SP1." She declined to be more specific.

On the Microsoft Downloads site, the company notes that "systems running on Windows Vista RTM typically require two or three updates before SP1 can be installed. These updates are permanent on your Windows Vista systems." Two of the updates "service specific Windows components prior to the installation of the service pack and a third update which services the installation software built into Windows Vista."

The three prerequisites, according to Microsoft:

* KB935509 This updates is only required on Windows Vista Enterprise and Windows Vista Ultimate editions (which have Bitlocker capabilities).

* KB938371 This update consists of fixes for several components (including the TrustedInstaller), increases the success rate for installing the service pack and enables the service pack to be uninstalled successfully.

* KB937287 This is an update to the "Servicing Stack" or the Windows Vista component installer technologies built into Windows Vista.

Unlike the case when it released previous Vista SP1 builds, Microsoft did not release simultaneously a new build of Windows XP SP3, the spokeswoman confirmed.

Microsoft confirmed this week that Vista SP1 is still tracking toward first quarter 2008 availability. (February is the target month, my sources say.) Windows XP SP3 is due in the first half of 2008, according to the company.

(Thanks to Winbeta.org for a heads-up on availability of the public Vista SP1 RC download.)

Update: Here's Microsoft's statement, relayed after I posted on Friday, about the SP1 Release Candidate buil:

"In the interest of gaining additional tester feedback, on Thursday, we made the Windows Vista SP1 RC Refresh available via Windows Update to interested beta testers on the public TechNet site. We are still on schedule to deliver SP1 RTM in Q1 CY08. The final release date is based on quality, so we will continue to track customer and partner feedback from the beta program before setting a final date."

Download at MS

Edited January 14, 2008 by george
Topic name edited /George

[wpcoe]

Is this a different "Release Candidate 1" (RC1) that you posted about on 12-12-2007 in Windows Vista Sp1 Rc, Released to Public just 1 hour ago! Download at MS?

I downloaded and installed last month's RC1, and it is displayed on the desktop as "Build 6001," and in Control Panel > System as "Service Pack 1, v.668." What build/version is this newer one?

// edited to correct link //

Edited January 14, 2008 by wpcoe

[Guest Reimar]

Is this a different "Release Candidate 1" (RC1) that you posted about on 12-12-2007 in Windows Vista Sp1 Rc, Released to Public just 1 hour ago! Download at MS?

I downloaded and installed last month's RC1, and it is displayed on the desktop as "Build 6001," and in Control Panel > System as "Service Pack 1, v.668." What build/version is this newer one?

// edited to correct link //

Yes it's a new one. For more info go to the Microsoft website.

Cheers

[Guest Reimar]

Is this a different "Release Candidate 1" (RC1) that you posted about on 12-12-2007 in Windows Vista Sp1 Rc, Released to Public just 1 hour ago! Download at MS?

I downloaded and installed last month's RC1, and it is displayed on the desktop as "Build 6001," and in Control Panel > System as "Service Pack 1, v.668." What build/version is this newer one?

// edited to correct link //

Yes it's a new one. For more info go to the Microsoft website.

Cheers

[Wash]

Is this a different "Release Candidate 1" (RC1) that you posted about on 12-12-2007 in Windows Vista Sp1 Rc, Released to Public just 1 hour ago! Download at MS?

I downloaded and installed last month's RC1, and it is displayed on the desktop as "Build 6001," and in Control Panel > System as "Service Pack 1, v.668." What build/version is this newer one?

// edited to correct link //

Yes it's a new one. For more info go to the Microsoft website.

Cheers

Reimar,

Thanks for your diligent and informative efforts it is greatly appreciated.

I did the previous two VISTA SP 1 releases without problems. When I tried this new one this morning the first requirement is to uninstall 936330 which I tried to do. Have not followed things to conclusion yet, but did run into problems. After waiting for the uninstall process to go though all its paces It got to stage 3 and 100% and then to a new window that said it did not uninstall, reverting. That took an additional hour plus to complete. I am now back and running and the notification about 6001 release has gone away from bottom right of screen, but am not sure if it will reapear after rebooting again or not.

My first suspect for it not uninstalling is the fact that I have installed the COMODO Firewall after I did the RCSP1 so will try again after I uninstall the COMODO Firewall.

I really am hoping that I am not stuck in cannot uninstall mode which of course would prevent me from installing the final complete release of SP1 and force me to do a complete reinstall of my OEM VISTA 64 Ultimate.

Interesting to say the least. I will keep you posted with results of new efforts.

Thanks again for your efforts to keep us all informed.

[bkkperson]

Is this a different "Release Candidate 1" (RC1) that you posted about on 12-12-2007 in Windows Vista Sp1 Rc, Released to Public just 1 hour ago! Download at MS?

I downloaded and installed last month's RC1, and it is displayed on the desktop as "Build 6001," and in Control Panel > System as "Service Pack 1, v.668." What build/version is this newer one?

// edited to correct link //

Yes it's a new one. For more info go to the Microsoft website.

Cheers

It is the same one, i downloaded it Friday and have the same build numbers as you do so no need to redo it

[Wash]

Is this a different "Release Candidate 1" (RC1) that you posted about on 12-12-2007 in Windows Vista Sp1 Rc, Released to Public just 1 hour ago! Download at MS?

I downloaded and installed last month's RC1, and it is displayed on the desktop as "Build 6001," and in Control Panel > System as "Service Pack 1, v.668." What build/version is this newer one?

// edited to correct link //

Yes it's a new one. For more info go to the Microsoft website.

Cheers

Reimar,

Thanks for your diligent and informative efforts it is greatly appreciated.

I did the previous two VISTA SP 1 releases without problems. When I tried this new one this morning the first requirement is to uninstall 936330 which I tried to do. Have not followed things to conclusion yet, but did run into problems. After waiting for the uninstall process to go though all its paces It got to stage 3 and 100% and then to a new window that said it did not uninstall, reverting. That took an additional hour plus to complete. I am now back and running and the notification about 6001 release has gone away from bottom right of screen, but am not sure if it will reapear after rebooting again or not.

My first suspect for it not uninstalling is the fact that I have installed the COMODO Firewall after I did the RCSP1 so will try again after I uninstall the COMODO Firewall.

I really am hoping that I am not stuck in cannot uninstall mode which of course would prevent me from installing the final complete release of SP1 and force me to do a complete reinstall of my OEM VISTA 64 Ultimate.

Interesting to say the least. I will keep you posted with results of new efforts.

Thanks again for your efforts to keep us all informed.

I just finished my retry of doing the uninstall of 936330 after removing COMODO and it worked like it is supposed to. Suspect just stopping COMODO would have done it as well, but intended to remove it anyhow.

I did the install of the above RC1 software and it too went smoothly but for sure is a far cry from other updates in that you are required to reboot several times, (like maybe 5 or 6) and the updates that are listed do not install until you reboot, recheck updates and install several times, and repeat until Update tells you there are no new updates.

At least the uninstall crisis is past. I did ask myself why I am doing an uninstall of the RC1 that was already installed when in fact the official release is not much more than a month away, and do not have an intelligent answer to the question. If I was doing it over again I would just leave the RC1 that I had installed and wait for the official candidate because I will again have to go through the cumbersome uninstall and all again.

Advice is to wait for the official release and save yourself quite a few hours like, maybe as much as 10 or more doing the uninstall and reinstall and then doing it all again next month.

[Guest Reimar]

Just the latest infos from Microsoft about the Vista SP1 RC1 with an neu downloaf link arrived.

""Microsoft Switches Plan, Offers Vista SP1 Public Beta

Web site offers instructions to download and install the latest preview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1.

In a quick turnabout, Microsoft Corp. made the newest tweak to Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) available to the public on Friday.

Just two days earlier, the new version, dubbed Windows Vista SP1 RC Refresh, had been handed out to a group of about 15,000 testers who had been working with the service pack for several months. At the time, Microsoft said the refresh was "not available for public download."

Friday, it changed its mind and posted instructions on its Web site for downloading and installing the new code using the Windows Update service.

According to the Windows Vista Service Pack 1 RC Refresh Public Availability Program, users must uninstall Vista SP1 Release Candidate -- the earlier version offered to the general public a month ago -- before attempting to download and install the refresh.

The refresh requires the same time-consuming, multiple-reboot process used by Vista SP1 RC in December. Also, users who have uninstalled that version must wait an hour before beginning the laborious update. "The installer service needs to clean up and complete the uninstall prior to installing the RC," said instructions posted on the Web. "Failing to do this can result in installation errors when installing the RC version."

Three prerequisite updates are also required before SP1 can be installed. Windows Update feeds them to the PC prior to downloading SP1, with a reboot after each. One of the prerequisites is a patch Microsoft mistakenly sent to all Vista users' PCs last week when it meant to send it only to machines running Vista Enterprise or Vista Ultimate.

The company, which has slated Vista SP1 for final delivery this quarter, said as recently as Thursday that the update remains on track. ""

Manual and Download: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows...a/bb738089.aspx