A little more than a year after its withdrawal, Windows Vista, finally there, headed the first package service updates. Microsoft said that the main advantage of the package are to increase productivity OS, the increase compatibility with third-party hardware components, increased reliability and safety. Was that the case?

Unlike previous Windows XP SP2, which was a new feature Automatic Updates and advertising blocker in Internet Explorer, Windows Vista SP1 is an updated code, deprived of any new functions. Most functions, which focuses on Microsoft, relate to the Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate editorial.

Installation

Windows Vista SP1 will get to you in one of three ways. Most people will get this update through Windows Update. Microsoft said that users will only upgrade necessary to reduce network traffic and the load time, which is quite logical. People who have limited access to the Internet (or no), as well as those who need to update multiple computers will be able to download the full image Windows Vista SP1. Corporate customers also receive an integrated DVD package for installation on new PCs.

Before installing SP1 all users to Windows Vista RTM would establish three updates from Microsoft. Windows Update will automatically detect their absence, and will propose to set before installing SP1. Two of them increase the proportion of successful installations Windows Vista SP1, and the only one designed for Enterprise, or Ultimate editorial.

While all this sounds complicated enough, Microsoft says it has learned a bitter experience on Windows XP SP2. Windows Vista - modular OS, and allows downloading only those parts of the code that are needed for your particular installation. If you have the Automatic Updates, it is theoretically download and installation time will be much shorter than that of those who did not set all the updates since the advent of Windows Vista. Despite the multiple changes in the code, Windows Vista SP1 does not change the hardware requirements for various editorial OS.

Using disk-provided Microsoft, we found that upgrading to Windows Vista SP1 on customary Acer Travelmate require about 1 hour. During this time the computer was not available for work and automatically perezagruzhalsya several times. The system we constantly informed, at what stage it is installed, for example: Is the upgrade, stage 3, 34% complete.

If for any reason you want to remove this update, Microsoft will allow you to do so, although the three updates can not be removed.

Functionality

In Windows XP SP2 was submitted Windows Security Center and the updated Windows Firewall, while in Vista SP1 no little visible change. While inside the OS made about 300 changes, almost no new features, and most of those that have concern Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate-editorial.

Increased reliability due to new opportunities to prevent the loss of data when extracting device with a removable file system NTFS, changes in the TCP / IP v6, the drivers work with Immersion system and the raising of sleep, changes in the Meeting Space, Remote Assistance, as well as the roles of backup which now supports EFS (abb. of Encrypting File System).

Microsoft said that to increase productivity SP1 during browsing of files using less bandwidth and automatically selects between wireline and wireless network in the event of the two networks. It was also a lot of changes in ReadyDrive and ReadyBoost, and SuperFetch. As a result, users using Windows SuperFetch note that after installing Windows Vista SP1 originally system will be slower to respond. Microsoft said that this is because SP1 removes existing data SuperFetch. Once the new data will be collected, the system will work as before. According to the company it needs a few days.

In SP1 pieces of developing new standards. For example, the new Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, x64 Extensible Firmware Interface, Direct X 10.1, a new file system for flash disks exFAT, identifiers HD-DVD and Blu-ray, support for SD Advanced Direct Memory Access, the second generation of Windows Media Center Extenders, improved decoder MPEG-2 and improved support for Windows Network Projector.

In terms of security SP1 offers significantly finalized Bitlocker encryption function, available in the editorial Windows Vista Enterprise, and Ultimate, which were added multifunctional identification methods, and in addition, Microsoft now allows encrypt disks and other than the boot. SP1 also contains some improvements for smart cards, and also allows for biometric authentication to access SmartCard. As part of the Vista SP1 system creates a more secure channels for authentication.

For most home users the bulk of new features for every day use will not have any value. And they will be difficult to notice.

Productivity

According to the results of testing CNET Labs difficult to make a categorical conclusion on the installation of Windows Vista SP1. For example, Microsoft said that with SP1 read and write files will be much faster. Tests conducted in CNET Labs at the Dell XPS M1530 notebook showed that productivity improved in one case, the second, it remained the same and even worse in the third. As you move folders on the same section of the performance really improved. However, when reading or recording the same files on the external drive productivity was the same or lower.

File Copy Time (seconds)

In CNET Labs found that the performance of the most frequent tasks in applications after installing SP1 improved.

Processing images in Adobe Photoshop CS3 (seconds)

Those who are waiting for that after installing SP1 their laptop batteries will work longer, will be disappointed. While Microsoft and said that after the installation of the internal study, 14 out of 16 randomly selected notebooks after installing SP1 time battery life has improved, CNET Labs on the results of testing of these data could not confirm.

Support

We found that Microsoft provide good support on upgrading to SP1. For example, before you start the installation, you will be given a link to a page Read Me, which is called "What you need to know before installing Service Pack 1, where you explain that you need to do before, during and after installation. In addition, Microsoft has improved the process of updating such a way that it is now if the installation of an update fails, the installer moves on to the next, while preparing to re-launch fails established. This should speed up the installation of the majority of users. But if the user is faced with the errors, he can always remove the upgrade.

Conclusion

Do you Vista SP1? Yes and no. For any operating system is always good to install the latest (read propatchenny) code. But to download and install the package for some users will take a lot of time, that real change and they might not notice.

As always, there are good and there is bad news. Good that Windows Vista SP1 improves the process of updating, fixes hundreds of minor problems, facilitates the creation of applications by third-party developers. The bad news is that in Windows Vista SP1 does not have any new features, in most cases, performance is not growing, and in some cases, even declining.