Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) FAQ
Major update: In December 2007, Microsoft made a release candidate version of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) available to the public. This FAQ has been updated to reflect that update.
While most Windows service packs are hardly worth discussing, Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) has been steeped in mystery almost since before Vista itself was completed. With Vista, Microsoft has engineered a new update deployment technology that allows administrators and power users to "slipstream" service packs and other fixes into new Vista installations in a manner that is much simpler than with previous Windows versions. But the real issue with SP1 is in how Microsoft is handling--or mishandling, in my opinion--the dissemination of information about this release. For this reason, and because there are so many silly rumors floating around, I've created a FAQ for Vista SP1 that will be updated as new information is released. If it's not in this FAQ, it's just speculation.
Q: What is Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1)?
A: Previously codenamed Fiji, Windows Vista SP1 is the first major update to Windows Vista, a collection of bug fixes, minor functional changes, and other additions to Microsoft's latest operating system. As is the case with Vista, however, the feature set for SP1 has changed dramatically over time. Originally, Microsoft hoped to ship a Media Center update with SP1 but this update will no longer be included in SP1. Indeed, from an end user point of view, there won't be any major functional changes added to Vista with SP1.
Q: Why all the secrecy?
A: During a Microsoft briefing in 2006, I was told that the company planned to ship SP1 alongside Windows Server 2008, which is now due in February 2008. However, since then, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer twice publicly disavowed any knowledge that the company had even considered releasing such an update. The first time he said this was at the Windows Vista business launch in November 2006, and I was in the audience at the time. My guess is that Ballmer didn't want to discuss SP1 then because the company's corporate customers typically wait for the first service pack release of an OS before upgrading. Microsoft was hoping that with Vista, companies would upgrade on the initial release and not wait for a service pack. Now we know that Microsoft's corporate customers are proceeding as they always do, so Microsoft has quietly, begrudgingly begun discussing SP1.
In late August 2007, Microsoft finally came clean about SP1 by officially announcing the update and explaining its feature set, such as it is. Now, a public version of a Vista SP1 release candidate is available.
Q: What features will Vista SP1 include?
A: The following features will be included in Windows Vista Service Pack 1:
1. A collection of previously-released and new security fixes, bug fixes, and other minor updates.
2. An update to the Windows kernel to bring the Vista kernel (version 6.0) up to date with the version in Windows Server 2008 (version 6.1).
3. A change to the Kernel Patch Protection ("PatchGuard") feature in the Vista kernel that prevents security companies like McAfee and Symantec from integrating as tightly with the OS as they could in previous Windows versions. This will include a set of APIs aimed at helping developers write code that interacts with this security feature.
4. A change to Vista's Instant Search feature that will allow third party desktop search product makers to more closely integrate their products with Windows Vista. In the initial shipping version of Vista, the Instant Search indexer still runs at full speed even if a third party product is installed, reducing overall system performance.
5. A change to Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) that will remove the Reduced Functionality Mode (RFM) and Non-Genuine State (NGS) mode for Vista installs in expired non-activated and non-genuine states. See
New WGA Behavior in Windows Vista Service Pack 1 for more information about this change.
And folks, that's about it. For a more complete rundown of SP1's features, please read my showcase,
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Revealed.
Q: When will Microsoft release Vista SP1?
A: Microsoft shipped a public beta version of SP1 in December, and Microsoft says it will publicly ship the service pack in the first quarter of 2008, alongside Windows Server 2008 (as they told me they would do in 2006).
If you're interested in downloading the Vista SP1 release candidate, please see my
blog post about this release.
Q: But I heard that Microsoft would release the final version of SP1 by the end of 2007.
A: That it is not the case. Microsoft will ship Vista SP1 in 2008.
Q: Any word on when Microsoft will ship the much-need Media Center update?
A: No, when I last spoke with the Media Center team, I was told that Microsoft shipped a Media Center update every year around the holiday season and they would try to keep doing that. At the time, SP1 was expected by late 2007, so the delivery schedule made sense. Right now, it's unclear if the Media Center update will ship out of band by itself to Vista users this year or as part of a set of related updates (like "XP Reloaded" from 2005) later on. What is clear is that it will not ship as part of SP1.
Q: Why was Microsoft so secretive about SP1? They've even discussed Windows 7, an OS release that's not due until 2010.
A: As noted above, Microsoft is concerned that news about a new service pack will cause corporations to put off their Vista deployments even further and the company desperately needs a success story for this OS, which was delayed over a five year span. So it's not really surprising that Microsoft was a bit edgy about SP1 right after Vista shipped. After all, it's just a service pack. Anyone who thinks that SP1 is going to dramatically alter the Vista experience needs a reality check: It's still Windows Vista, and nothing major is changing from a user experience viewpoint.
Q: Where can I learn more about Vista SP1?
A: My
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Revealed showcase includes a detailed rundown of everything that's expected in Vista SP1. Also, stayed tuned to my
Vista Activity Center for the latest information.