Microsoft replaces Vista kernel in SP1

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James Bannan05 February 2008, 12:20 PM

So what happened to the fabled kernel upgrade which was supposed to be a fundamental feature of Windows Vista SP1? Well, turns out that it is there, with some rather interesting twists...

One of the “big” features discussed in early speculation of Windows Vista SP1 was the kernel upgrade, which was supposed to bring the operating system into line with the Longhorn kernel used in Windows Server 2008. And yet with Vista SP1 going RTM, there hasn't been so much as a peep from Microsoft about the mooted kernel update. Has it happened?

Well the answer is yes it has, and presumably the main reason for Microsoft’s silence on the subject is that as they’re keen to promote the improvements and enhancements to Vista, rather than placing emphasis on a kernel upgrade, which some people might see as a risk of newly-introduced instability.

The whole thing is still quite interesting. You can tell what build of Windows you’re running by a variety of means:

if you open a Command Window it will immediately tell you what version you have
or go Start --> Run --> winver
or check out the properties of C:\Windows\System32\NTOSKRNL
or open Regedit and navigate to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version.

All these methods will give you an idea of what version and build of Windows you’re running, although the last two give more detailed information.

Build info - Vista SP1 RTM

Build info - Server 2008 RTM

The version and build information of Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 (RTM) are exactly the same as each other. And yes, Vista's kernel has been replaced. Windows Vista pre-SP1 is Windows version 6.0 build 6000 (6.0.6000) whereas Windows Vista SP1 RTM is version 6.0 build 6001 (6.0.6001) – the same as Server 2008.

Don't ask me how I know what's in the RTM versions of Server 2008 and Vista SP1. (Zip it ... I said, don't ask me.)

Interestingly, if you do a winver on Server 2008, you’ll see that the version information is actually version 6.0 build 6001 Service Pack 1. No, it’s not Server 2008 Service Pack 1, but rather Service Pack 1 of the original Longhorn code (Windows 6.0).

So if you look at it one way, the Windows Vista “kernel upgrade” isn’t a fundamental update, but rather, an alignment of the two operating systems. In some ways, both can be said to be running Windows Vista SP1, which is interesting in a seriously geeky sort of way.

Windows Server 2008 WINVER

Still, makes you realise just how long SP1 code has been in the pipeline...

Just goes to show how little you know about what you're talking about. It's relatively common knowledge that Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 would be aligned on the same bits. That has been a matter of record for at least 2 years. It does not mean that the Vista kernel has been "replaced", Vista and Windows Server have been on the same codebase since the project was restarted in 2005. Since it takes an extra year to test Windows Server, it only makes sense that SP1 would be the ultimate alignment of the client and server bits.

What would have been a more interesting article is the impact that running server bits on the desktop has on the general population, in terms of security and reliability.

But I wouldn't expect APCMag to actually provide relevant information like that.

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Me:

MS will not release WS2008 until it is confident that it will seemlessly integrate with Vista. Which means SP1 will be a good thing (or at least, a start) AND MS has a long term plan for Vista.

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Microsoftie:

The phrasing here is more than a little sensationalist. "junks and replaces"? Hardly. That's like saying that upgrading from Firefox 3 beta to Firefox 3 junks and replaces Firefox 3 beta. This is, quite simply, an incremental improvement on a codebase. Nothing more, nothing less. But hey, it's hip to hate Vista, so talking about Microsoft junking its kernel will bring in a few more hits... Those of us who actually know what we're talking about, however, see through this nonsense.

Windows Server 2008 does not yet exist as a consumer product, so talking about its kernel is silly. We really don't know what its kernel would be. However, as SP1 has a new kernel, I think that it would be most semantically accurate to say that Windows Server 2008 is using the Vista SP1 kernel, not the other way around.

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tin:

I agree...
Seeing the first part of the headline in my RSS list, I thought it was going to be about the next release of Windows having a kernel completely re-written.

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Anonymous1234:

Can you post a screenshot of what version of DirectX dxdiag reports? Thanks.

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Nash:

Its a very good thing. I have found that current Vista drivers work with Win2008. Well for my hardware anyhow...

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Julian:

This article is nonsense. Mate, get a clue...

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jake (Frequent poster):

i got vista sp1 on my computer yea its kernel is (6001) but it thats not my point sp1 is faster at file trasfer and i have found no compaiiblay problems like wen i had the normal vista my webcam and dvd drive used to stuff up and not work now its all fixed

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