Vista SP1 RC

Just after installing the RC service pack for Vista and one main issue has been resolved for the 32-bit version of the system, it will now detect 4GB of Ram

GBX

I got me a laptop a month ago, should I wait till the full(?) SP1 is released or is this just a beta type version?

Have a read of this and then decide for yourself whether or not to install it:

The updates in Windows Vista SP1 fall into three categories, which the following sections describe in detail:
•Quality improvements, including all previously released updates, which address reliability, security, and performance.
•Improvements to the administration experience, including BitLocker™ Drive Encryption (BDE).
•Support for emerging hardware and standards, such as an Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) and an Extended File Allocation Table (exFAT).

A more comprehensive list of changes can be found in the whitepaper titled Notable changes in Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Release Candidate in the Windows Vista Technical Library.
Quality Improvements

Quality improvements have the broadest impact on all customers. It is the foundation of Windows Vista SP1 and is about improving the overall Windows Vista experience.
First, Windows Vista SP1 will include all previously released updates for Windows Vista. It also will include security, reliability, and performance improvements. These improvements target some of the issues Microsoft has identified as the most common causes of operating system crashes and hangs, giving customers a more reliable experience. These updates also improve performance in key scenarios—for example, when copying files or shutting down the computer.
The following sections describe many of the security, reliability, and performance improvements that will be in Windows Vista SP1.

Security

Security improvements that will be in Windows Vista SP1 include:
•Provides security software vendors a more secure way to communicate with Windows Security Center.
•Includes application programming interfaces (APIs) by which third-party security and malicious software detection applications can work with kernel patch protection on x64 versions of Windows Vista. These APIs help ISVs develop software that extends the functionality of the Windows kernel on x64 computers without disabling or weakening the protection offered by kernel patch protection.
•Improves the security of running RemoteApp programs and desktops by allowing Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) files to be signed. Customers can differentiate user experiences based on publisher identity.
•Strengthens the cryptography platform with a redesigned random number generator, which leverages the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), when present, for entropy and complies with the latest standards. The redesigned RNG uses the AES-based pseudo-random number generator (PRNG) from NIST Special Publication 800-90 by default. The Dual Elliptical Curve (Dual EC) PRNG from SP 800-90 is also available for customers who prefer to use it.
•Enhances BitLocker Drive Encryption (BDE) to offer an additional multifactor authentication method that combines a key protected by the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) with a Startup key stored on a USB storage device and a user-generated personal identification number (PIN).

Reliability

Windows Vista SP1 will include improvements that target some of the most common causes of crashes and hangs, giving users a more consistent experience. Many of these improvements will specifically address issues identified from the Windows Error Reporting tool. The following list describes some of the reliability improvements that Windows Vista SP1 will include:
•Improved reliability and compatibility of Windows Vista when used with newer graphics cards in several specific scenarios and configurations.
•Improved reliability when working with external displays on a laptop.
•Improved Windows Vista reliability in networking configuration scenarios.
•Improved reliability of systems that were upgraded from Windows XP to Windows Vista.
•Increased compatibility with many printer drivers.
•Increased reliability and performance of Windows Vista when entering sleep and resuming from sleep.

Performance

The following list describes some of the performance improvements that Windows Vista SP1 will include:
•Improves the speed of copying and extracting files.
•Improves the time to become active from Hibernate and Resume modes.
•Improves the performance of domain-joined PCs when operating off the domain; in the current release version of Windows Vista, users would experience long delays when opening the File dialog box.
•Improves battery life by reducing CPU utilization by not redrawing the screen as frequently, on certain computers.
•Improves the logon experience by removing the occasional 10-second delay between pressing CTRL-ALT-DEL and the password prompt displaying.
•Addresses an issue in the current version of Windows Vista that makes browsing network file shares consume significant bandwidth and not perform as fast as expected.

Administration Experience

Many of the changes in Windows Vista SP1 will improve the deployment, management, and support experience for Windows Vista customers. The following list describes some of these enhancements:
•BitLocker Drive Encryption encrypts extra local volumes. For example, instead of encrypting only drive C, customers can also encrypt drive D, E, and so on.
•Addresses problems with printing to local printers from a Windows® Terminal Services session.
•The Network Diagnostics tool will help customers solve the most common file sharing problems, in addition to the basic problems that it already diagnoses.
•Administrators can control the volumes on which to run Disk Defragmenter.
In addition to these changes, Windows Vista SP1 will change the tools that customers use to manage Group Policy. Administrators requested features in Group Policy that simplify policy management. To do this, the service pack will uninstall the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) and GPEdit.msc will edit local Group Policy by default. In the SP1 timeframe, administrators can download an out-of-band release that will give them the ability to add comments to Group Policy Objects (GPOs) or individual settings and search for specific settings.
Note: Users will find that after installing Windows Vista SP1, they no longer have access to GPMC, and that the new, enhanced version of GPMC has not yet been released. In this case, administrators can continue to edit Group Policy by opening a remote desktop session directly to the server or to a PC running the release to manufacturing (RTM) version of Windows Vista.

Emerging Hardware and Standards

The technology industry is fast-paced and constantly changing. Throughout the life cycle of any version of the Windows operating system, the industry creates new hardware innovations and defines new standards. Windows Vista SP1 will include support for some of these new hardware innovations and standards, because Microsoft expects them to become increasingly important in the near future. The following list describes some of the enhancements of Windows Vista SP1 that will support these emerging innovations and standards:
•In the future, flash memory storage and consumer devices will use the exFAT file system. Windows Vista SP1 adds support for this file system to Windows Vista.
•The service pack will include support for Secure Digital (SD) Advanced Direct Memory Access (DMA), which will be on compliant SD host controllers soon, to improve transfer performance and decrease CPU utilization.
•x64 PCs can boot using the EFI. Windows Vista currently supports network boot by using Windows Deployment Services for x86, a PC’s basic input/output system (BIOS) for x64 PCs, and EFI for IA-64 PCs. Windows Vista SP1 will add support for network boot by using x64 EFI.
•The service pack will add support for Direct3D 10.1, adding application programming interfaces (APIs) and features that enable 3-D applications, so game developers can better take advantage of a new generation of Direct3D graphics hardware.
•The Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) is a remote access tunneling protocol that will be part of the Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) platform. This protocol helps provide full-network virtual private network (VPN) remote access connections without challenges that other protocols face when traversing NATs, Web proxies, and firewalls. Windows Vista SP1 will include support for SSTP.

ethernet

That's encouraging to see.

It's just a pity you'll probably have to uninstall it when you go to install the final version.

GBX

Thats my thinking too. Is there an exact date on the official release?

ethernet

GBX wrote: »

Thats my thinking too. Is there an exact date on the official release?

Read on a site that it will be released in Q1 of 2008.

god's toy

Did the update but still only seeing 3070 MB RAM... ohwell

god's toy

god's toy wrote: »

Did the update but still only seeing 3070 MB RAM... ohwell

my system was only showing 3028MB before the SP and now it's showing 4GB. Do an update on your score in the Windows Experience Index section and see if that does anything.

god's toy

Ah ha! that did the trick! Showing 4GB now


Thanks for that tip!



EDIT: I wish the sidebar Gadget would update and show 4GB not 3070 it's showing now.

Richard Dower

Has the embedded driver information database been updated?...as in, when you do a fresh install does it have more embedded and updated drivers?....such as 8800 cards etc?

exiztone

hellboy99 wrote: »

my system was only showing 3028MB before the SP and now it's showing 4GB. Do an update on your score in the Windows Experience Index section and see if that does anything.

Is all of that RAM addressable now? I want to upgrade my graphics card without knocking off more of the addressable memory I have out of 4GB (and without moving from 32bit Vista). Is SP1 a workaround for that kind of situation?

SickBoy

exiztone wrote: »

Is all of that RAM addressable now? I want to upgrade my graphics card without knocking off more of the addressable memory I have out of 4GB (and without moving from 32bit Vista). Is SP1 a workaround for that kind of situation?

I'm afraid not. It's a limitation of a 32bit operating system. Microsoft in the past made it possible for 32bit server OSs to address more than 4gb but they charged a fortune for it and the performance wasn't great as it had to page memory from beyond 4gb into a reserved segment between 2.5gb and 3.5gb I think. Something like that anyway...
Long story short, 64bit OS is the most efficient way of addressing more than 4gb.
Also driver support for 64bit windows is now almost as good as 32bit. In order to be WHQL certified drivers must be supplied for both 32bit & 64bit

exiztone

Yeah, looks like you're right. .

Conor108

So general opinion is good? I only have a gig of ram so I'll install this later today

Stephen

I'm running Vista x64 on my main gaming PC and its sweet. Never had any issues with drivers for it, which was a refreshing change from the time I tried XP x64!

rmacm

List of improvements in SP1 here....as mentioned in the link exiztone posted it appears the 32 bit version will only report the correct amount of memory (requires a compatible Bios) and not use it.

http://www.ghacks.net/2007/12/10/windows-vista-sp1-guides-for-it-professionals/