Makes good on 2006 deal, includes APIs for security vendors to circumvent PatchGuard Microsoft Corp. has posted a detailed account of the changes to Windows Vista in the service pack it is scheduled to roll out as a public beta this week. The 17-page Word document details what Microsoft called “notable changes” in Vista SP1 Release Candidate 1 (RC1), the preview version that has been seeded to thousands of invitation-only testers in recent weeks and soon will be opened to all comers. Microsoft touted scores of additions, improvements and enhancements to Vista in areas ranging from hardware support and reliability to security and synchronization with the also-upcoming Windows Server 2008. The “performance and power consumption improvements” category, which sported the largest number of bullet-point items, promised that Vista would copy files locally 25% faster than before and copy files from a remote PC also running Vista SP1 50% faster. Vista SP1 will also read large images faster, and the bundled Internet Explorer 7 has been tweaked so that it renders JavaScript-intensive sites as fast as earlier versions of IE.
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Here’s that Windows Vista service-pack blocker tool
While some customers are clamoring for Windows Vista Service Pack (SP) 1, others aren’t going to rush out and install an update without testing it first. As mentioned earlier this week, Microsoft is making available for download a service-pack blocker tool for Windows users who don’t want Vista Service Pack (SP) 1 pushed to users’ desktops without their IT administrator’s official OK.
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Microsoft Releases New Windows Server, Vista SP1 Test Code
Microsoft on Wednesday released new test versions of Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista Service Pack, two highly anticipated technologies that are scheduled to be released early next year. Microsoft also revealed partner resources to prepare customers for the release of the server OS, which the company plans to release to manufacturing on Feb. 27, 2008, the same day as a joint-launch event that also will promote SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008. Combined, the three mark Microsoft’s major product release cycle for the year, although the products are not scheduled to be released simultaneously. Vista SP1 is expected to be available around the same time, but in a two-part release, the company said on Wednesday. According to a post on the Windows Vista Team Blog, a stand-alone installer will be released to the Web in both x86 and x64 versions for the following languages: English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese. About eight to 12 weeks after this release, all of the remaining Vista languages will be released in both x86 and x64 versions. Both Windows Server 2008 and Vista SP1 are key releases for the business adoption of the Vista client OS, as many companies have been awaiting the release of both its complementary server OS and first service pack to upgrade their desktops. Windows Server 2008 is an especially important technology for enterprise and business customers, who have been waiting for a major update to the OS for nearly five years. Windows Server 2008 Release Candidate 1 (RC1), the follow-up to Release Candidate 0 in September, can now be downloaded from Microsoft’s Web site. According to the company, more than 1.8 million customers have acquired the evaluation code for Windows Server 2008 to date. Windows Vista Service Pack 1 RC1 is available to users through the Microsoft Connect Web site. More information about the releases can be found on the Windows Server Division Weblog and on the Windows Vista Experience Blog. Microsoft also has made changes to its Windows Server 2008 software certification program for partners, creating a “Works with Windows Server 2008″ program and offering test tools so ISVs can test their applications to ensure they work reliably on the product. The program and tools are available online. Microsoft ran into trouble with Vista because many third-party software vendors didn’t have applications ready for the OS in time, causing compatibility headaches for customers. Partners whose applications pass the “Works with” tests can then submit test results to be validated for “Certified for Windows Server 2008″ status, which has higher technical bars for achievement.
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Windows XP SP3 To Include Vista Elements, Researchers Say
A forthcoming update to the Windows XP operating system will include patches that add pieces of Vista, according to a research group that says it has seen the code. A forthcoming update to Microsoft’s Windows XP operating system will include patches that add pieces of Windows Vista to the operating system, according to a research group that has seen the code.”Contrary to popular belief, Windows XP SP3 does ship with all-new features, not just patches and hotfixes,” said researchers at NeoSmart, a nonprofit group that tracks computer technology. Most of the new features are “backported from Windows Vista,” according to NeoSmart. Specifically, Windows XP Service Pack 3 steals a page from Vista’s product activation model, meaning that product keys don’t need to be entered during setup, said NeoSmart. The feature should prove popular with corporate IT managers, who often need to oversee hundreds, or even thousands, of operating system installations. Vista’s Network Access Protection modules also will show up in XP SP3. The system verifies a computer’s “health” before allowing it access to a network, and has been “one of the more well-received features in Windows Vista,” according to NeoSmart. XP SP3 also will include the Microsoft Kernel Mode Cryptographic Module, which is meant to “provide easy access to multiple cryptographic algorithms,” NeoSmart reports. Microsoft is typically secretive about the contents of its software service packs until they are released, but NeoSmart researchers say they’ve seen the code. Windows XP SP3 is set to debut early next year. Over the weekend, Microsoft reportedly widened the beta test program to include members of its MSDN and TechNet program. Microsoft is in a bit of a Catch-22 with XP. The more it strengthens the OS, the less reason users have to upgrade to the newer Windows Vista, which by many accounts has failed to catch on with computer users in both the home and office since it debuted in January. According to a recent InformationWeek survey, 30% of businesses do not plan to upgrade their desktop systems to Windows Vista.
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