For Windows 7, SP1 includes only minor updates, among which are previous updates that are already delivered through Windows Update.

SP1 for Windows 7 will, however, deliver an updated Remote Desktop client that takes advantage of RemoteFX introduced in the server-side with SP1 for Windows Server 2008 R2.

Windows 7 is ready for commercial deployments now and many industry experts have recommended that customers do not wait for SP1. Many organizations are already in the process of deploying and are receiving benefits from their Windows 7 deployment.

We’re not yet announcing a beta or release timeline for SP1 for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 today.

Once SP1 for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 is released, the service pack will be delivered through Windows Update and be available on Microsoft Download Center for download as well.

News source: Windows Team Blog

?

The update, which Microsoft posted to its download servers, will be pushed to users automatically next month via Windows Update, a company engineer said on a support forum.

Although Microsoft regularly issues reliability updates separate from its normal monthly security fixes, this is the first time it has released one specifically for Windows Vista SP1. Microsoft released Vista SP1 to the general public in late March.

Among the fixes included with the update is one that Microsoft characterized as an issue “in which large applications cannot run after the computer is turned on for extended periods of time,” according to an accompanying description of the update’s contents. “For example, when you try to start Excel 2007 after the computer is turned on for extended periods of time, a user may receive an error message that resembles the following: EXCEL.EXE is not a valid Win32 application.”

Users reported the problem on a Vista support forum as early as April 1, claiming that they saw the error message when trying to run Office 2007 applications, including Excel and Access, as well as when launching Vista’s built-in screen capture tool and Windows Media Player.

Within three weeks, Microsoft engineers on the same forum thread had confirmed the bug and said the company was working on a fix. “The error messages are confusing, but the problem is neither an invalid application file nor insufficient system resources,” said John Gray, who identified himself as a Microsoft employee. “It only affects certain applications, and typically only after the user has been logged in for an extended period of time.”

Later, Gray chimed in again to tell users the fix was tucked into the reliability update. “Thanks for your patience!,” he wrote on the forum. “This should resolve this issue for those of you hitting it.”

The SP1 reliability update fixed several other bugs, according to Microsoft’s write-up, including crashes when using Apple Inc.’s QuickTime multimedia player, and stuttering audio and video high-definition playback on systems equipped with Nvidia network adapters.

When Microsoft rolled out Windows Vista Service Pack 1 to millions of users, people had king-sized anticipations about what SP1 would do for their systems. Sadly, for some people, that eagerness turned into an imperial-sized disgust at what SP1 did to their systems. Sometimes SP1 wouldn’t install correctly; sometimes it wasn’t installed at all; and sometimes it left their machines far worse off than before.

I’m going to profile some common disaster scenarios that crop up with Vista SP1 and talk about what can be done in each case. The vast majority of the problems that crop up with SP1 can be solved with a little care and diligence. Even if you have to completely reinstall, you can usually do so without torching your data.

One of the first problems that people reported with Service Pack 1 was that they weren’t being offered SP1 for download through Windows Update in the first place. If they wanted to install it, they had to obtain and apply it manually.

Source: InformationWeek

The update for IDT (Formerly Sigmatel)’s high definition sound and is called “IDT High Def Codec,” according to several users on a Dell customer forum, who claim that installing the update results in a “Code 10″ Error after rebooting, as well as the loss of audio.

“Should you see this update appear, *do not* install it,” warned ‘Chris B’, a Dell Digital Life Liason, in a Thursday forum post.

Sigmatel drivers were on the list of problematic device drivers that caused Microsoft in February to delay the public release of Vista SP1. When Microsoft did release Vista SP1 through Windows Update in March, the vendor blocked users with these drivers on their PCs from downloading the update.

The issue underscores the spotty OEM experience that has plagued Vista since its launch, and Microsoft and Dell share equal amounts of blame in this case, according to Susan Bradley, a Microsoft Small Business Specialist partner in Fresno, Calif.

A spokesperson for Dell Computer, Round Rock, Texas, said Dell is looking into the matter, but didn’t offer an explanation for the issue. Microsoft couldn’t be reached for comment.

Many users vented their frustrations in Microsoft’s Discussion Groups, with some claiming to have fixed the problem by uninstalling the driver, or using System Restore to roll back to a stable configuration. However, other users said they were unable to resolve the conflict this way, and were still searching for answers.

“How is it that we obviously cannot trust Microsoft to provide fully tested software pushed by Windows Update?” asked community member Per Nermo from Oslo, Norway, in a Thursday forum post.

Even Apple users running Vista in dual boot configurations are encountering the problem.

“I have a MacBook Pro with SigmaTel sound card, and I was stupid enough to install this update. After installation, sound is gone and Windows started to say ‘no audio output device,’” wrote ‘salimeryigit’ in a post to Apple’s Boot Camp discussion forums.

Source: ChannelWeb

GNUCitizen, a computer security consultancy, on Friday warned of a zero-day vulnerability in Apple’s QuickTime media player for Windows XP and Windows Vista.

“A remote vulnerability exists in the QuickTime player for Windows XP and Vista (latest service packs),” said company founder Petko D. Petkov in a blog post. “An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by constructing a specially crafted QuickTime supported media file that allows remote code execution if a user visited a malicious Web site, opened a specially crafted attachment in e-mail, or opened a maliciously crafted media file from the desktop.”

Petkov said that if the malicious file was opened by logged-in user with administrative privileges, the attacker could take control of the affected system.

“The vulnerability was successfully tested in Windows XP SP2 and Windows Vista SP1 environments,” Petkov said, adding that other versions of QuickTime are believed to be exploitable too.

Petkov said that in keeping with responsible disclosure practices, his group will make the privately held vulnerability known to Apple. He did not say whether details of the attack would be made public after Apple has had a chance to patch the vulnerability.

GNU Citizen has posted a video demonstrating that attack on its Web site.

Earlier this month, Apple released QuickTime 7.4.5, which contained a dozen security fixes.

In January, Italian security researcher Luigi Auriemma posted a proof-of-concept exploit for a zero-day vulnerability in what was then the most current version of Apple’s QuickTime media software (7.3.1).

Source: Information Week

Not all customers will receive Vista SP1 immediately via Automatic Update, however. The company is distributing it in phases to “ensure a seamless download experience”, Microsoft said. A timeline for when all customers would receive Vista SP1 via Automatic Update was not immediately available.

SP1 is a rollout of software updates that fix bugs and glitches in Vista and is seen as a milestone that will inspire many customers – especially those in the business market – to adopt the OS. In fact, in a recent report, ‘Building the Business Case for Windows Vista’, Forrester Research said more business customers plan to upgrade to Vista now that SP1 is available. This comes as no surprise, considering companies often wait for the first service pack after a major Windows release to update corporate desktops.

Full story at PC Advisor

Users can manually install Windows Vista SP1 through Windows Update or download the standalone installer from the Microsoft Download Center, but there’s still no word on when Vista SP1 will be made available to users who’ve configured Windows Update and Microsoft Update to download updates automatically.

Microsoft, which has imposed a cone of silence around nearly every aspect of Vista SP1, isn’t saying much about when Vista users might expect to avail themselves of the SP1 automatic update option.

Susan Bradley, a Microsoft Small Business Specialist partner in Fresno, Calif., says that service pack installations shouldn’t be done through automatic update.

“I’m glad they’ve delayed it. If you need it, you can manually update the system. If a VAR needs it, they can get it or build a new system with it. But it’s a several part service pack that shouldn’t be rushed,” Bradley said.

Read the rest at ChannelWeb.

• Bluetooth version 2.1 support
• Unified Pairing user interface
• Windows Connect Now updates

Some of these features may work with existing hardware. However, you must have new hardware to take advantage of the new functionality.

This update is compatible with all versions of Windows Vista. It can be installed only on a computer that is running Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1).

Update information

To download this software update, contact the manufacturer of the computer.

For information about how to contact the manufacturer of the computer, click the appropriate article number in the following list to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

65416 Hardware and software vendor contact information, A-K

60781 Hardware and software vendor contact information, L-P

60782 Hardware and software vendor contact information, Q-Z

Prerequisites

You must have Windows Vista SP1 installed to install this update.

Restart requirement

You must restart the computer after you apply this update.
This update may not automatically request a restart after you install it. The full benefits of this update may not take effect until the system is restarted. You do not have to restart immediately. However, we recommend that you restart the computer as soon as possible.

Update replacement information

This update does not replace a previously released update.

File information

The English version of this update has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.

Read t rest of the article at Microsoft.

The bundle of updates, which includes all updates released for the OS since its debut in February 2007, is available for download via Microsoft’s Windows Update service.

The easiest way to get your hands on Vista SP1 is to sit back, relax, and let Microsoft Update grab it for you. However, if you can’t wait, you can get the standalone update in a 32-bit version or a 64-bit version.

Full story at PC World India

I have a quick update for you about Windows Vista SP1. The Microsoft Update Blog contains some important information about updates to the SP1 prerequisite distribution plan. Starting tomorrow, we are resuming the automatic update and installation of the Servicing Stack Update.

In mid-April, we will begin distributing SP1 (in the first 5 languages) using the Automatic Update system. We have a lot of Windows users, so not everyone will get it on the same day. In fact, it will go to a small percentage of Windows Vista users each day. The exact timing of when you will receive it depends on when your PC is ready for Windows Vista SP1.

In addition to starting the automatic delivery of the first 5 languages, I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you that also we’re on track for the initial release of SP1 in the remaining languages in mid-April.