Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is now available for installation on your systems. The updates in this service pack can be grouped into three broad categories:

• Quality and reliability improvements
• Support for emerging standards and hardware
• Business infrastructure related enhancements

Whilst there may not be much visible change on the surface there's plenty of changes 'under the hood' that will improve your experience using the Windows Vista operating system.

To get your system upgraded to Windows Vista Service Pack 1 call us now on 023 39496 or email dhollingworth@comptroub.com.

Quality and Reliability

Service Pack 1 contains all the updates and security patches for Vista, except those issued in the last two months. The reason for this is to reduce the number of last-minute changes in the critical period running up to release. If you've not been updating Vista regularly then it's important that you upgrade to SP1 as soon as possible to ensure your system is fully protected.

The service pack not only addresses security vulnerabilities; but also reliability issues too. Microsoft analysed a large set of system crashes and application crashes reported by Windows Vista customers and released numerous reliability updates through Windows Update that address almost half of the application and operating system failures initiated in Microsoft code from that set. SP1 also includes new improvements that further address a total of about two-thirds to three-quarters of the failures traced back to Microsoft code in the same set, helping to make Windows Vista easier to use and users more productive.

Most users will be pleased to read of the performance improvements in SP1, here's just a few culled from the list:

• Improves the performance of copying files. In internal tests, copying files from one folder to another on the same local disk was 25 percent faster. Copy files over a network from other computers was up to 50% faster.
• Improves the progress estimation when copying files by using Windows Explorer so that the time estimate in the progress window appears within two seconds.
• Improves the performance of power transitions (for example, resuming from hibernation and standby mode).
• Improves battery life on some computers by reducing CPU use and redrawing the screen less frequently.
• Improves the logon experience by removing the occasional 10-second delay between pressing CTRL-ALT-DELETE and the password prompt appearing.
• Reduces the time to return to a user’s session when using the Photo screensaver.

Standards and Hardware

Of more concern to business users will be the improvements in Vista SP1 to ensure it's longevity. These include improved support for new hardware and new standards. These include:

• Enhanced support for 64 bit hardware.
• Support for new storage technologies including exFAT file systems
• Support for Secure Digital Advanced Direct Memory Access improving transfer rates and reducing CPU usage.
• Enhanced support for high-definition drives such as HD-DVD and Blu-Ray.

Business Enhancements

There's a large number of business enhancements in Vista SP1 aimed at improving the way Vista is incorporated into the business domain. The list is simply too long to explore here and includes improvements to =the network deployment of Vista and its readiness for Windows Server 2008.