Vista SP1 available for download now

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Dan Warne12 February 2008, 12:46 PM

Officially, the long awaited Vista SP1 won't be available to consumers until March. But here's a little secret: you can download it anyway from Microsoft's own web servers.

IN BRIEF | Officially, the long awaited Vista SP1 won't be available to consumers until March. But here's a little secret: you can download it anyway from Microsoft's own web servers, using this link.

Beware, it's a full copy of the Vista 32 and Vista 64 SP1 DVD, so it's 1.2 GB in size. If you're counting your megabytes, you're probably better off waiting a couple of weeks to get it through Windows Update.

WinBeta made the discovery after registering on Microsoft's OEM partner site. Microsoft is making SP1 available to computer system makers immediately, but releasing it officially to consumers next month.

Microsoft says one of the things users should beware of is driver incompatibilities with SP1, which it blames on driver makers not following Microsoft's strict policies on how drivers should be installed in order to survive system upgrades.

UPDATE: Looks like Microsoft's OEM server is being hammered: the ISO is trickling down for some people at just a few KB per second.

That would be nice but unfortunatley Microsoft wont allow magazines such as APC to publish services packs or updates on a cd as there is a risk that they may tamper with it and degrade the integrity hence the only way to get a cd with SP1 on it would be to get it from Microsoft or download and burn it. Also the link the 2nd post is for a application to configure SP1 and doesnt actually contain SP1.

29 February 2008, 8:50 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

APC administrator:

Actually, Microsoft does let magazines publish the service packs on the cover discs -- their only requirement is that the magazine must put the service pack on a CD of its own (and in fact, usually the magazine has to buy the CDs from Microsoft).

We've published most of the major service packs recently under those requirements.

29 February 2008, 8:50 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Wal:

Well, you learn a new thing everyday!

29 February 2008, 8:50 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Me:

And all have been appreciated too.
All the dial-up peasants will forever worship the ink you spill !

29 February 2008, 8:50 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

MichaelC:

Any chance you could work something out APC? That'd be great to have :D

29 February 2008, 8:50 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

kenny:

The link in the article does not work.

29 February 2008, 8:33 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Daz:

Perhaps its just the sheer number of people trying to download SP1, but it appears to me that the link no longer works.

29 February 2008, 8:33 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Andy:

The link can not be accessed as it is reporting an HTTP 403 Forbidden error, requires you to log in to the oem site. Looks like security has been tightened up. Oh well whats a few more weeks.

29 February 2008, 8:33 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Daz:

Any predictions on how long SP1 will take to crack?

29 February 2008, 8:33 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

James Bannan:

Supposedly it's already been done - by an updated version of the OEM activation bypass used to get around the original RTM build. However it seems rather flaky, more likely to result in BSODs than a working system.

Apparently. So I've been told. By a guy who knows a guy...

29 February 2008, 8:50 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

tin:

Apparently SP1 will only break the more commonly used BIOS emulator method, and the 2099 grace period hack.

I highly doubt they'll ever break the modded BIOS method, for 2 reasons:
1) It takes some skill and effort to pull off. The number of people running these methods is really low.
2) True OEM installs would almost certainly break too. Imagine the backlash when millions of users find their computer whinging that their key needs to be re-entered. And imagine the millions of people who don't understand what it wants that for.

29 February 2008, 8:50 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Craig:

Winbeta says it has been pulled till the 22nd Feb.

I think Microsoft are jerks for holding up the supposedly finished SP like this.

But I'm just bitter as there is a fix I've been waiting on for months that is only being released in the SP (ie, not being released separately). What ever happened to SP's only being rollups of previous fixes?

29 February 2008, 8:33 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend

Eckka:

I did a search for "vista sp1 registry hack" and came up with a link which allowed me to download said hack. I uninstalled the previous RC vesion, rebooted twice and and windows update found the streamlined version - 85Mb-347Mb, downloaded and updated the necessary files. I now have the final Service Pack ie. Build 6001.1800. It's certainly easier than downloading an ISO.

29 February 2008, 8:33 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend