Microsoft: Vista SP1 will break these programs

Microsoft has published a list of programs that will not work or that will suffer from reduced functionality after the installation of Vista Service Pack 1.

The list of programs consists mostly of security applications, such as Trend Micro Internet Security 2008. However, programs such as The New York Times Reader application also feature on the list. Users are advised to install updates from the application vendor to fix the problem.

"Windows Vista Service Pack 1 contains many security, reliability, and feature updates for Windows Vista," the company said. "A program may experience a loss of functionality after you install Windows Vista SP1. However, most programs will continue to work as expected after you install Windows Vista SP1."

The list is not considered to be comprehensive, and Microsoft has asked users who encounter problems with other applications to first restart their PC and, if they still encounter problems, to install a newer version of the program or contact the software vendor.

Without SP1 incompatibilities, Windows Vista is already facing an ingrained perception by enterprise users of incompatibility with old systems, said Joseph Sweeney, an analyst at Intelligent Business Research Services.

Issues of back compatibility require regression testing on old applications, making any deployment very painful to do in one install, he said. "In theory, you only have to fix it once, and you should be able to deploy it across your whole environment, but many organizations do not have a highly automated deployment."

The problems with SP1 will only make backward-compatibility issues worse, he said, especially since many companies have been waiting to deploy the operating system until the release of the service stack.

The positive thing about Vista, he said, has been that organizations are stepping back and looking at their deployment methods. Because the desktop market is maturing, the trend would have happened anyway, he said, but Vista's problems have acted as a catalyst.

Suzanne Tindal of ZDNet Australia reported from Sydney.

[thedreaming]

The more I read about vista....

the more I realize I don't want it on my desktop...

[WJeansonne]

Blah, Blah, Blah

I installed it, have dozens of third party apps and absolutely no problem. This is just another Chicken Little story from CNET to make sensational headlines.

[schmidty1985]

Vista LoL

Microsoft is making a service pack for this product already? How
about making an OS that WORKS. 2 years or so Vista has been
around, yet when i purchased a computer 2 days ago the OS that
came with my computer was said to be, not the Original. WoW This
is only one thing that is wrong with this product. Hey Bill make
something that people like or Apple may start taking your biz.

[garry_k]

Suck it up people!

Gee, Microsoft should just ignore any problems and bring on the Service Pack, that way nobody could complain about them doing their job. It's a new OS, it will prevail, learn to use it, let Microsoft fix the problems and quit complaining. I'd sure like a dollar for every problem I've run into with XP, but now it's the darling of the masses. Everybody wants to go back to XP, blah, blah, blah. Suck it up people, if you can't deal with a new OS, go back to a typewriter, because it's always going to be this way, NEW OS...problems!

[jeolmeun]

"...release of the service sack."

"waiting to deploy the operating system until the release of the service sack."

[iertry]

2 years?

Vistas only been arouns a year. It came out jan 31st 2007. I agree though thats its not good. I use XP after trying to use vista for most of the alst year.

[sliptip1]

What a mistake

I've already had my camcorder's computer interface rendered useless by Vista, and now this. I should have bought a computer with XP. Vista has given me nothing but problems.

[martinburger]

Sticking with XP!

I see no reason whatsoever to move from XP. I had high hopes that more things would work with SP1, not less!

[the_piano_man]

ms vista sp1 will break these programs

Fix it then; ms - can't you see your whole process is broken. The practice of one company controlling everything just doesn't work. It takes more people than you can hire and enslave to write good software. Deal with it. And don't ask people to send you bug reports either - or try to make-believe you are some kind of open source advocate all of a sudden now. . . liars.

[Ted Miller]

Stupid and stupider

When will this foolishnes end?

When will Microsoft smarten up?

For crying out load! Whats wrong with all of this.

I am a Vista user at home and I HATE IT PERIOD. Used for over a year. I use XP a lot on several computers at work, and I build many ITX computers using XP for machines. WHAT A DIFFERANCE!!!!

I am sure the Microsoft Boot lickers are going to answer to this, but can't you see I am truly upset with this.

They where supposed to fix it and they only made it worse then ever.

I really wish I could be there to fire some people!

[danwade]

Vista has made me a believer. OS X for me!

MS Windows Vista is a useless operating system that has made every attempt to function like the MAC OS X. Windows XP is at least functional, supportive for all your applications and relatively reasonable in the way it utilizes resources for both hardware and software solutions. OS X simply works, intuitive (especially when it comes to media related items) and has great support for MAC hardware and software. Apple continues to evolve it's Operating system and thinks outside the box. Pair up their Intel hardware with their Operating System and you can run BOTH Windows and MAC on the same machine....wait, you can even run Linux natively via Terminal Window. When will Microsoft get a clue?

I have gone back and forth about what kind of system I want to buy for my next home computer. And Windows Vista is the primary reason why I'll put up the money and buy a MAC. Why pay for two, when you can run both on one. Now if only Apple will lower it's darn prices so the rest of us can afford their gear.

[frankz00]

Fruedian Slip?

"many companies have been waiting to deploy the operating system until the release of the service sack"

Sack is right!

[frankz00]

Are you paying for the upgrade?

It was going to cost me $1000 extra in software upgrades to become Vista compatible with software that already worked. That and lack of support for half of my hardware just wasn't worth it. I'm using XP until it dies.

[rogueDBA]

No New York Times Reader is Good

Disabling the New York Times Reader should be considered a feature not a defect

[Gunady]

My Application Runs as if without SP1

I haven't found single application error since I have installed SP1 about 1 week ago. I have number of applications and games installed on my machine. SP1 works without much different, except for the more stability, but sadly, there're no major improvements, like WinXP SP2.

[terrylparks]

VISTA - ME

The Microsoft Monster continues to consume all in its path. World domination is at hand. What was life like before Bill and his brood?

[holstein9]

Service Sack?

Sounds dirty to me...

[GHammer]

Bogus Report- Misleading

Um, the Microsoft page linked in this article says for each of the affected programs there is an updated version that DOES run with SP1.

Kind of a misleading headline, eh?

Trend Micro Internet Security 2008 Trend Micro http://esupport.trendmicro.com/support/enterprise/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=PUB-en-1036628 (http://esupport.trendmicro.com/support/enterprise/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=PUB-en-1036628) A supported version (16.1 or a later version) is now available.
Zone Alarm Security Suite 7.1 Zone Alarm http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/catalog/products/vista.jsp?dc=12bms&ctry=US&lang=en (http://www.zonealarm.com/store/content/catalog/products/vista.jsp?dc=12bms&ctry=US&lang=en) A supported version (7.1.218.0 or a later version) is now available.

[rapier1]

Its 12 applications total

So the number of application that will the upgrade will break is
12. Of these half are security products. What's interesting about
this is that SP1 is designed, in part, to give security product
vendors official hooks into the kernel as opposed to the hacks
they are using now. So it actually makes a certain amount of
sense that these products would no longer function properly.

I'm not sure of the reasons for the other failures but 6 apps isn't
a disaster or a huge issue.

[RicRoe]

No More Windows

Since Microsoft seems unable to create an operating system that works properly, and since their alleged fixes cause competing programs not to function, I am done with Windows.

I have ordered and will be installing Ubuntu, and converting my computers to Linux.

Open soruce is now the way to go for me, no more dealing with an operating system from the boys at Microsoft that does not work or is incompatible with my hardware.

No more WGA issues. No more unnecessary upgrades that break already installed programs. No more expense of a new operating system every 4 years that works worse than the last.


So long Bill Gates, your company has been pushing us harder and harder to go open source, personally, I am sorry I waited so long.