Microsoft said on Wednesday that it is beginning automatic distribution of Windows Vista Service Pack 1, the first major update to the year-and-a-half-old operating system.
The company finalized the Vista update in February, but has held off until now pushing it directly to individuals.
Starting Wednesday, the company will start sending it to Vista users who have Windows' automatic update feature turned on. However, the company cautioned that not everyone will get SP1 immediately.
"While Microsoft is beginning automatic distribution today, it's important to note that customers might not see the update download right away since Microsoft is distributing the service pack in phases to ensure a seamless download experience," the company said in a statement.
Vista SP1 was made available for download to customers last month. Service Pack 1 doesn't add much in the way of new features, but rather is a collection of changes designed to fix bugs and improve performance, as well as address competitive concerns raised by Google over Vista's desktop search system. Microsoft also changed how its antipiracy mechanism works with SP1.
The release of Vista SP1 via automatic update is the second milestone this week for the Windows team. On Monday, Microsoft announced it had finished work on Windows XP Service Pack 3. That product will be available for download next week, Microsoft said, but won't start being pushed out via automatic updates until summer.
Microsoft said on Monday that it has wrapped up development of its long-awaited Service Pack 3 update to Windows XP.
The update, which consists of previously released updates and a few new bug fixes and changes, will be available for download via the Web on April 29. Microsoft said it plans to start pushing out XP SP3 this summer to "home users" who have Automatic Updates turned on.
A Microsoft representative said the company won't update boxed copies of Windows XP with the service pack, though it will be an option for computer makers that are still offering XP on new machines. Large computer makers have only until June to sell XP on standard systems, though some low-cost, low-memory machines can be sold with XP until 2010, as can some PCs aimed at emerging markets.
Microsoft has been testing Windows XP Service Pack 3 for some time. The product was planned to be released as early as 2006, but was pushed back several times as Microsoft focused on developing and updating Windows Vista.
Colleague Robert Vamosi will have a hands-on look shortly and I'll post a link here.
Update 12:40 p.m.: Robert's blog is now live and available here.
Microsoft said on Tuesday that it is making public its latest test version of Windows XP Service Pack 3.
The software maker said Release Candidate 2 of XP SP3 will be available after 5 p.m. PST via Microsoft's download center. "We're broadening the availability of the release candidate in order to receive further user feedback prior to the release of Windows XP SP3," it said in a statement.
The same test version was released to a smaller group of testers on February 8. Microsoft said at the time that it was still on track to release the software in final form before the end of June.
It was originally expected as early as 2006, but has been pushed back several times as the bulk of Microsoft's energy has been focused on Windows Vista. The update focuses mainly on bug fixes and other minor changes to the operating system, as opposed to new features.
Microsoft said Friday that it has issued a second near-final "release candidate" version of Windows XP Service Pack 3. The move follows the company having finished the first service pack for Windows Vista.
"Yesterday, we released Windows XP SP3 RC 2 to private beta testers," the software maker said in a statement. "This release catches the build up on previously released hotfixes and responds to critical feedback from previous betas."
The software maker repeated that it plans to finalize the XP update by the end of June, but added its customary hedging that its "timing will always be based on customer feedback as a first priority."
The third (and perhaps final) service pack for Windows XP was originally expected as early as 2006, but was pushed back as the Windows team focused on getting Vista, and then Vista Service Pack 1, out the door.
Microsoft said Monday that it has expanded its testing of Windows XP Service Pack 3, to include subscribers of its MSDN and TechNet programs. Last month, Microsoft made available a test version of XP Service Pack 3 to a group of about 15,000 testers.
The update is significant in that it is the largest change in some time to Microsoft's most-used operating system. However, the XP update is largely a collection of previously issued bug fixes and security updates.
A public beta is scheduled for some later date, with a goal of having it released in final form in the first half of next year. However, Microsoft cautioned that its "timing will always be based on customer feedback as a first priority."
Anticipation over the timing and features of the release has been going on for years. XP SP3 was initially expected as early as 2006, but was delayed as Vista work remained the priority for the Windows team. The first service pack for Windows Vista is also due out in the first half of next year.
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