In case you missed it - Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is now officially out and available for download. You can download the 434mb update now from Microsoft if it's not yet available in your Windows Update (check this MS blog post for some reasons why it might not be available yet). As with any Service Pack, there's a massive list of bug fixes and changes - check the overview page for more information.

i installed it the other week and and i like it.

It's smaller if you've been updating regularly up until this point, right?

In case anyone is wondering: we can't mirror MS patches that are not specifically labeled as "redistributable".

I don't have Vista so can't check the terms of the downloadable version, but on the download page it specifically mentions that "This update is provided to you and licensed under the Windows Vista License Terms", so its unlikely that it's redistributable. If anyone with Vista downloads the standalone version and installs it and wants to copy/paste the EULA (assuming there is one) and send it to me, I'll have a read and see what it says.

i remember when service pack 2 for xp came out the microsoft rep came around to us at global and gave us a box of like 1000 cds with Service Pack 2 on it.

Thats cause they improved the activation system so that people with pirated versions would get locked out, and they wanted everyone to use SP2 ASAP.

I don't think they've changed activation much in Vista.

I've been using RC1 for a while, going to buy a new HDD tomorrow and reinstall with SP1 proper, although I'm not expecting much of a difference between RC1 and the real deal.

ah, makes sense
didnt stop me though
uhh, cos mine was perfectly legal yeah
also
can't wait till sp3 for xp
gonna do a format when that hits (havent formatted in 2 years)

FKN dell and their s***ty driver updates.. I cant get SP1 because my Sigmatel Audio card drivers are incompatible.. And I cant update my drivers cause Sigmatel don't release drivers, you have to get it from the computer manufcaturer. Dell's drivers havent been updated since Jan 07, and are several versions behind what MS lists as compatible. GG.

For those peons running Vista x64 go here

Unfortunately its quite a bit larger at 726.5 MB :(

the rdp client is different.

I've heard this but I havent witnessed it personally wtf

I read some release notes or something on the sp1 for vista and it says you might need to re-activate windows even if its installed and activated because SP1 updates or changes drivers that will require a re-activation on some systems. Sounds more like a way around piracy to me.

Trog: If I copy/paste the EULA for the sp where do you want it? in a pm or trog at qgl dot org?

edit: ok who didn't read the ms website before they posted the article? :p

The Microsoft Download Center site is your only authorized web source for downloading a licensed copy of Windows Vista Service Pack 1. To report a website offering unlicensed copies of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 for download, please send e-mail to: piracy@microsoft.com or visit http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/ReportingUs.mspx.

last edited by whoop at 19:18:01 19/Mar/08

edit: ok who didn't read the ms website before they posted the article? :p

Ah, yeh that's pretty definitive

SP1 also includes updates that deal with two exploits we have seen, which can affect system stability for our customers.
•

The OEM Bios exploit, which involves modifying system files and the BIOS of the motherboard to mimic a type of product activation performed on copies of Windows that are pre-installed by OEMs in the factory.
•

The Grace Timer exploit, which attempts to reset the “grace time” limit between installation and activation to something like the year 2099 in some cases.



Also removes Activation reduced functionality, and apparently replaces with nag screens.



last edited by 3x0dus at 19:54:48 19/Mar/08

Hasn't fixed file copying woes for me.

When copying large quantities of files between drives it will still claim that the origin file is no longer available, even though I can still see it and open it and all that. Argh.

Yes it has fixed that copy issue.

For those peons running Vista x64 go here

much <3

FKN dell and their s***ty driver updates.. I cant get SP1 because my Sigmatel Audio card drivers are incompatible.. And I cant update my drivers cause Sigmatel don't release drivers, you have to get it from the computer manufcaturer. Dell's drivers havent been updated since Jan 07, and are several versions behind what MS lists as compatible. GG.

omg i have the same prob wtf dell. GG

Yes it has fixed that copy issue.

Nah-uh. Still borked.

The OEM Bios exploit, which involves modifying system files and the BIOS of the motherboard to mimic a type of product activation performed on copies of Windows that are pre-installed by OEMs in the factory.

pr0ps MS... I truely thought they'd never figure a way around that.

Yes it has fixed that copy issue.

huh? I thought that was just a problem with using drivers that weren't MS certed? Did that change? The OS transfers data awesomely, but only if you're using a driver for your controller that the oem has forked out the dosh to be MS certed, otherwise the OS 'backs off' and checks everything with the scrutiny of your average tin-foil-hat-netizen. It could just be MS marketing hype, but that was the jist of what I got at my MS Vista training

basically, it was a marketing idea flogged onto oems - pay the bucks to have your s*** certed or see it run like ass.

Am I wrong here?

last edited by koopz at 21:59:49 19/Mar/08

Not sure about the cause, the problem is this:

I want to copy a pile of .avis and such from a system drive to an external HDD (USB connection), I try to copy and paste, it moves a few files then claims the files I'm tryng to copy are no longer avavilable. The system drive is still online, I can access it through windows and play the contents, but if I try to have windows copy from there it says they're unavavilable. Annoying.

So now that this is out, and my PC is due for a cleansing, I'm thinking of installing Vista. Wondering if I should go 32 bit or 64 bit though, is the 64 bit version of Vista as much of a c*** to work with as the 64 bit version of XP?

I havn't heard good things about the 64 bit Vista. Wait and see if its problems are fixed by the SP.

The OEM Bios exploit, which involves modifying system files and the BIOS of the motherboard to mimic a type of product activation performed on copies of Windows that are pre-installed by OEMs in the factory.

Fail... maybe they mean the emulated method, thats all Ima say :)

For all you doubters, I have been running Vista64 since it was released on my gaming machine.

I have really had no issues with it, apart from a USB tuner not being supported that I really didn't care about.


last edited by rubba-chikin at 00:16:02 20/Mar/08

same, love 64bit vista works a treat, and games love 4gb of ram ^_^

People are still buying dells:S?

Dell laptops are generally very good value for money, with awesome warranty. Their [large] monitors are good also. I'd stay away from all of their other products though :)

So now that this is out, and my PC is due for a cleansing, I'm thinking of installing Vista. Wondering if I should go 32 bit or 64 bit though, is the 64 bit version of Vista as much of a c*** to work with as the 64 bit version of XP?

64bit Vista has been fine for me since day one. The only problem I have with 64bit Vista is that it requires signed drivers. This normally isn't a problem, since all of your hardware will have signed drivers anyway, but there are a few things like PeerGuardian which installs its own drivers to work, and they aren't signed yet.

AFAIK pg2 is not vista compatible as of yet, sure it installs but it doesn't actually do anything.

Dell have great alue laptops and monitors as noted; also their servers are pretty good too.

I wouldn't touch a Dell desktop with a barge pole tho. That said I do recommend that randoms buy their machines from Dell (because of the warranty).

Also, my laptop has a sigmatel based audio thingy and the SP installed fine. I didn't use Wndows Update tho..

Installed the x64 pack today, no worries and everything running smoothly.

Haven't noticed a difference yet from the 6008 RC1 that I was previously running. I presume its gonna be pretty close anyway.

I want to copy a pile of .avis and such from a system drive to an external HDD (USB connection), I try to copy and paste, it moves a few files then claims the files I'm tryng to copy are no longer avavilable.

:/

your ide or sata controller is intermittantly failing? ya got me there dude

last edited by koopz at 20:24:46 20/Mar/08

I just installed this today. I was having some problems initially, because I (no idea why) had extra language packs installed which aren't yet compatible with SP1. I uninstalled them, and I was on my way.

Haven't really played around with it much yet, but there are two things I've noticed. One, is that my wireless card seemed to connect much much quicker than it ever has before, which is a plus.

The other is that I can FINALLY copy files without Vista doing its "calculating time remaining" bulls***. I had already installed the hotfix for that problem, but it never went away. It's finally working correctly now.

So, judging on what others have said, and on my own short experience with it, I say that anyone who hasn't installed this yet should hurry up and do so.