Microsoft Releases Vista SP1 Refresh to Public

Microsoft has made publicly available a new Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Release Candidate—what the company is calling a “refresh.” The real test is Windows Update delivery of the software.

In the words of Harry Calahan in the movie “Dirty Harry:” “You’ve got to ask yourself a question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?”

Earlier this week, Microsoft released the update to a select group of 15,000 testers.

The broadened code availability is as much about testing Windows Update delivery as it is about making the service pack available to more testers. Microsoft widely released SP1 RC in early December. Windows Update was an optional delivery mechanism.

The Windows Update test also signals that Microsoft is close to wrapping up Windows Vista RC1 testing. The broadened test, particularly through Windows Update, suggests Microsoft confidence about SP1 code readiness.

I expect that Windows Server 2008, Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Windows Vista SP1 will release to manufacturing around the same time—probably no more than a few days apart. Windows Server development leads the other two products, and Version 2008 is due to launch in late February.

“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,” according to a statement provided by Microsoft. “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.”

I haven’t yet updated my main machine to SP1, but I’m thinking about it now. Do I feel lucky? Do you?

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 RC Refresh Public Availability Program

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