And just where is this download of SP1 available at?I have been running the sp1 beta since the day it came out.I tried windows update and nothing there but a junk mail filter.Any ideas?

Link for me in Italy?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Nice call.  I was planning on coming in this weekend and rolling my work machine back to XP, but now that I don't have to wait six weeks, I'll give you guys a chance.  

Hi Guys - Where can I report issues with Vista SP1? I did download a while ago SP1 and whenever I Log in to my computer with RDP,right thereafter I canot log in to My Vista it blanks out!

TIA

Leo

This is at least a start :-)

Still not good enough.  If the bits are gold, I want them.  What purpose does it serve to make me, a full price Windows Ultimate user, who is willing to risk having to reinstall a device driver, wait for 6 more weeks?

I can't figure out how that's better for MS and its sure not better for me.

I don’t think I had the opportunity to register for it through the connect site, otherwise I would have.  So it looks like I still have to wait until mid March then since I don’t have volume licensing, a MSDN, or A TechNet subscription…  I would have thought that my many days of troubleshooting the SP1 RC and RC refresh on my home machines, as well as working with Vista on home and work machines (both x64 and x86) since Beta 2, would have done something to get SP1 a little earlier than 6 months after the RTM…guess not… :(

I meant 6 weeks, not months, although it does feel that way...

@Korn1699

Yea i new what you meant, even though it does feel like 6 months not weeks.  Been using Vista since the CTP release and i would like to get my hands on the RTM for file move issues =(, oh well.. I dont have access to it via any of those resources either.

As a network support engineer and desktop tech i would like to be able to test this as soon as possible. The driver issue isnt a big deal to me as i can fix that problem, i think MS should release it on the Download Center for those of us who have the tech know how to fix this kind of minor issue

> "We are listening!"

If you were really listening, you would have released this on TechNet and MSDN already.  Why would you keep final code out of IT personnel and developers hands for no reason?  You need to afford them as much time as possible to test this service pack.

IT personnel and developers already have a hard enough time testing compatibility with new versions of Windows and new service packs without you artificially delaying things.  You are making us look bad and making yourselves look bad.

There is simply no reason not to release final code as soon as possible to TechNet and MSDN.  This is EXACTLY why companies are paying good money for these services.

This situation is inexcusable and Microsoft needs to stop waffling about "delivering a great experience" and release the code to TechNet and MSDN.  Blogs are about brutal honesty.  BS about "delivering a great experience" is clearly corpspeak and not honesty.  You very clearly are NOT listening.

@Mike Nash

Firstly I appoligise to the comment made on the "Announcing the RTM of Windows Vista SP1" link you made on the 4th Feb about releasing it.  

There are alot of technicial customers who are installing different versions and there is alot of 'talk' on forums saying 'this is RTM build' 'No, this is the RTM build' e.t.c.  

Can you confirm the full Internal 'BUILD' number or is this not allowed?  This would be great as then we would all know what not to install from fake links?  

Many Regards, Andrew

@rmcardle

Question driver????????

Yes.  Please confirm the full internal build number(s) and the MD5 checksum(s) and your customers can do what they need to without the help you're apparently not going to give us anyway.

@dovella

> "Question driver????????"

Huh?  I don't understand.

I didn't even notice any driver issues with the RC, I don't think...  It worked fine on my PC at work.  I had issues on my laptop and desktop.  My laptop is now working with the RC because I had to uninstall McAfee first.  There was some issue with the refresh where it would not allow windows to boot after the second step of the install, so that might have been a driver issue I guess...  After a couple failed installs on my desktop at home I gave up because I realized that my backups doesn't restore correctly on that machine, so I am waiting until the RTM.  The problem could have also been with McAfee on there too..

I hope it fixes some stability issues I have been having with x64 Ultimate where a program can have an error and lock up my system, so the only thing I can do is log off, restart, or shut down...guess I won't know for a while, but it would be nice to have a reliability rating of more than 1.23 on my laptop...

@ rmcardle

There are incompatible  drivers With Sp1

or Noth Mr N. White?????

@ tjmk24

chi me lo garantisce che sia la versione finale???

You said you made SP1 available to beta testers. As someone who is typing this on RC1, where do I find the upgrade?

@wwahammy

We don't matter...  Only the people who registered through connect do..

I have using RC1 as well and cannot find the update and it does not show up as available on win update....

Vista SP1 works great for me, I got! All though it by looking thru search on a different website not thru what is suggested.  I couldn't wait for them to download sp1 for the general public.  Microsoft should make it avaialable to all NOW!

I guess the other question is "What drivers?" I presume that when it hits MSDN you will identify the culprits; how else could we evaluate it?

I posted this on Keith Combs blog too, he suggests its better here.  He says he's being told there are "Darn good reasons" for not releasing right away.  My response is this:

I'm not believing there are darn good reasons for holding back the release, if there were darn good reasons your senior management would share them with you and you'd be free to share them with us.  That's how darn good reasons work, they're transparent to just about everyone and once they know them just about everyone says, "Hey, that's a darn good reason."

Secret darn good reasons are usually bad reasons or no reasons at all and are kept secret because they will not stand the light of day.

I believe there may be reasons why some big OEM's with which you wish to maintain good relations want the release delayed.  I do not believe there are any reasons the majority of your customers would believe is a good reason to withhold the release.

So it comes down to this, you guys are screwing the installed base so some of your OEM partners can look better.  If it ain't so, then come clean about the real reasons.

@shollomon

Why OEM wonts this????

So they roll out fixes first or are not flooded with support calls because people upgrade and their drivers don't work.  I don't have any information, but think about the trouble it would cause, say HP if their system board drivers had difficulty with SP1.

I still think you guys should make a manual download of SP1 available for anyone. Really, if you think about it, the people that manually install it will be more technically knowledgable (at least most of them) and will be able to fix any driver issues that may ensue. Also, Put a notice on the page to manually download it from notifying people of the issues, and list the drivers that are known to have the issue. C'mon, put a little more trust in the more technical users that don't have MSDN or TechNet subscriptions.

incredible this SP1 SPy Story

Driver issues?  Come on.  The #1 reason people give for not upgrading to Vista in the first place is driver issues.  Is MSFT, with an additional 3-4 weeks, going to magically fix all those driver issues that have gone unresolved (largely due to vendors in the first place) for over  year?  I highly doubt it.

I've installed the RTM code on 6 different PC's (one a dual boot, so 7 different installs, one of which is 64-bit) and have not had a single driver or other issue.  There is no reason to delay the public availability any longer.

@Hurricane Andrew  

you are sure 100% you have real RTM?????????''

Still not good enough. I am not a member of the press nor do I have a MSDN or Technet subsciption so I am forced to wait until mid martch. Why because I dont write about microsoft or I havent paid to a subscription to a service I dont need. Does this make me less technically competent ? Well according to Microsoft it does. Make the download available to the public that want to download it. I guess its time to hit the torrents and cover yet another poor effort by the Vista team.

Sorry Mr Nash but are you trying to kid me/us? Later this month to MSDN and TechNet Plus Subscriber??? And administrators / companys without a subsciption? Thats a bad joke! You tell us Microsoft will not change ANYTHING till the release to all but you don’t make it available to all interested admins / experienced users??? C’mon tell us the true reason of this delay or at least confirm that the registry tweak installs the real RTM SP1 via windows update.

Dear Mr. Nash,

The following are genuine questions and observations. I must say, your stated goals and subsequent actions are completely inconsistent with one another. I'm just trying gauge how stupid you think we really are. So here it goes:

Did you and your team NOT anticipate the backlash of announcing the RTM release and then delaying the release for everyone else? Seriously, are you that removed from the average and not so average user? This isn't a question of your reasons for the delay. It's a question of your complete lack of common sense and understanding of human psychology. If you and your team DID anticipate this reaction, as any sentient being would, then why did you do it?

No, I don't think you're listening as you claim. You're simply spewing out the standard corporate rhetoric and not being forthright in your so-called "explanation", but then we should expected that, right? Do you really think this "Blog Post" does anything to mollify your truly imbecilic move in announcing the February RTM release? YOU'VE ACTUALLY MADE IT WORSE!

I don't expect you to answer me or anyone else responding to this "post" because what you're doing is nothing other than providing a PR firewall for Microsoft – an ineffective one at that. Blogs as you know are an interactive medium, that is, you interact with your readers and not just make proclamations from on-high.

I have no problem waiting for SP1 until kingdom come. What really chaps my derriere is your insulting display of "...address[ing] the needs of our customers while delivering the best experience." Do you really think anyone buys that crap?

@dovella

Yes.

You can download Vista SP1 RC refresh 2 (build 6001.1800) which is RTM. Just run the registry patch and you're set, get it via Windows Update.

@Hurricane Andrew

Can only understand as you make to having sp1 RTM.

Torrent?

Scipt?

Why would anyone who is technical be running Vista?

@boe

..Because Vista is an enhanced version of XP with lots more features.

On the other hand there is mac OSX and Linux.  If a user wants 'Simplicity - OSX', 'Technical - Linux', 'Both - Vista'

Andrew

Stability, security and ease of use. It's a good OS once you get to know it.

Yes,I have been running the SP1 Beta since the day it was released to the public,yet I am not considered a beta tester since i didnt do it through the completely stupidly designed connect website? I've put up with this beta garbage this long and i don't even get to download it before the general public? Screw you guys then,time to buy a Mac.

You may as well download service pack 1 via other known torrent places.  Guess it is the only way for us the general public to aquire it.  Even though I know many of us don't but why wait for a more trusted website like microsoft.com to release it to us!  I have it from those other so called sites, and it works great, a lot faster, more relizble just like they said.  I did not however had any driver or driver related issues download it. Those places give you a cmd script that you use, then download via microsoft update!

Who do I harass about my RTM SP1, I did it through connect.microsoft.com and then did the upgrade to Windows Update version.

When I go to the Connect site it is not listed as available. I would like access to it...

I mean I have to wait until "later this month" to get it via Technet so getting it by Connect would be good!

Leonard...

Microsoft says "No soup for you!"

I will bite my tongue no more.

Let us download the damn software from a "trusted" source. Release the software to Technet.

Your reasoning for not releasing it is noted; and unacceptable.

Subscriber....for now

I don't know what else it's gonna take for you guys to get the message - actually, several messages (including the one that the army of knowledgeable amateurs who provide helpdesk services to family and friends are no less significant than paid up members of Connect/TechNet Plus etc - many of us also beta testers putting time and effort into the forums). OK, hold off on the WU distribution for while, I can understand the sense in that; but make it available to those of us who know where to go and what to do, who know what we're doing and who lead implementation in suburbia - not the corporate world (although many of us are part of that too). And, whom, I might add, actually have to pay retail prices for your software. It's a different world from 10-15 years ago. Whether you like it or not, you have a different relationship with your multitude of customers (in all their diversity). Listen to us; read these postings (well, most of 'em anyway); go figure....

what I still don't get is why it isn't being released to the public, if it's done! That makes no sense to me. I have a few problems with my PC running Vista Ultimate that I hope SP1 will fix and I really can't wait for it. So I beg of you, PLEASE RELEASE IT SOONER THAN MID-MARCH!!!

If you care, my WMI is screwed up and it can't access my computer's setup which pisses me off.

Anyway, RELEASE SP1!!

SPEAK UP THOSE WHO AGREE!!!

Hey guys (Mike) - Do you know when a FULL version of Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 will be available on technet or at retail (retail/oem dvd).

How long before we can get a hold of full Vista with SP1 included?

Thanks.

Please give me a shout at dzjepp<at>gmail.com if you have the answer.

I'll tell you why they are not releasing yet.  This breaks some drivers installed used by one or more of their big OEM partners.  The OEM's said,"If you release this our help desks will be swamped, it'll cost us lots of money and plenty of bad press.  Give us time to push out new drivers before you release."

MS decided that the OEM(s) were their customers, not us and acted in the OEM's interests and contrary to the interests of their end users.  The customer experience they are interested in maximizing is the customer experience of their OEMs.

Sucks.

It is good that MS is showing some flexibility in letting some users download SP1 before mid-March, However, I will not be able to and I am upset. I am a hobbyist/system builder and own several legal copies of Vista that cost a lot of money. I am perfectly capable of troubleshooting any driver issues that I may encounter and am willing to take the “risk” of installing the “final code.”

I can't believe how much whining there is on here. Quit your sobbing. Sound like a bunch of end users.

 So you have to wait to get SP1, you've obviously waited until now, so what, wait a short time longer and carry on.

 If anybody worth their salt in IT knows, you test in the lab (MS internal), then pilot to your technical power users (technet,MSDN, beta testers ect) and then the community. You can only test so much internally before slowly rolling out to the masses. Us beta testers and technical power users can recover quickly if problems(WIM backups,complete backups, driver recovery, troubleshooting tools ect) and know testing techniques to submit bugs.

  Not everybody has a subsciption to MSDN or Technet plus, but beta testing is open to all. If your not part of these groups, you wait..period!

  Everything slips, Apple, Adobe, Google apps. When your user base is 100's of millions and growing, you bet their going to do was is best for the majority.

  And no I'm not Microsoft, just a partner making a living off their great products.

Troy

...I can't stand it!

I don't understand microsoft release-policies anymore! As an EA-corporate customer, I'm eager to prepare and test our internal programs against SP1-RTM. Therefore I’m also paying for MSDN-access to get _early_ access to new technologies. And now I still have to wait more than two weeks? Come on! This could be serious!

Maybe holding back windows-update release is wise - but PROVIDE THE TECHNICAL CHANNELS NOW!!!

JH.

I have reed a home page,insite information from microsoft i think, and som on tell ,microsoft still have problems wit vista sp1, and all this talk at sp1 is fake, Microsoft will have more time to loss problems wit sp1, and therefore, i don't trust microsoft morre, deer friends bay APPEL computer, and you vill not have this not,truu storys, you no  microsoft is a money machine, think over this ????????

way do you think ,availability for technical, way not public, because microsoft still have problems

something is wrong, microsoft will not direct speech about vista sp1, i have phone to microsoft tech net, i am TechNet Plus Subscriber, and have a serious opportunity to talk and chat et al, TechNet Subscriber Support.

She did not know what to think of the situation and he vill not at all talk about vista sp1 ,

There is something weird going on here ...

I'll reiterate what I said in the TechNet Plus Blog:

"Having Windows Server 2008 RTM up on TechNet but not Vista SP1 suggests that there isn't a consistent set of processes organisation-wide for releases.

Microsoft have good consistent processes in place for product support within the SDLC, but the inconsistency with 2008 and Vista SP1 highlights a need for releases to be also consistently handled within the SDLC across all products. There should be defined order in releasing across all channels - i.e. RTM, retail build, RTW (including TechNet, MSDN, MVLS, WU, download servers), Partner offerings, etc. This order should also be publicly available, like the support offerings, so that people understand where the product release is up to and when they can roughly see when their preferred method becomes available."

While I understand there are some specific driver issues with SP1 (which means it's not really ready for GA, but TechNet/MSDN may be OK), this type of event should be catered for in a proper release deployment process that's consistent across products.

So how about it Mike? Up for championing consistent release processes occurring across multiple products? I'd have to say if they were in place, you wouldn't be in the pickle you're in at the moment - one, because this sort-of-RTM wouldn't have happened and two, most people (including Microsoft staffers) would know which distribution channel would be next to get it (i.e. TechNet or MSDN or whatever) with an approximate timeframe.

With regard to why I am so chapped about the non-release of SP1:

I bought an operating system from Microsoft with problems Microsoft thought were worth spending a lot of time and money to fix.  I agree the problems are significant and want them fixed on my system.  Microsoft says SP1 will fix the problems.  I want the fixes now when Microsoft says they are ready, not in six more weeks.

Neither unreasonable or whining.  The reason you buy closed source is so you can hold the vendor accountable.  Microsoft needs to be accountable to me, the customer, and release the SP1 now that they say its ready.

I think anyone who comments here should be competent enough to deal with any of the issues with SP1.  If there are people who aren’t, it would probably be a good experience…just make sure you have a backup you can restore to.. :)

Kind of a hypocritical excuse for not releasing don’t you think?  You have a few driver problems with it, so it won’t be released until March.  Yet you stated that the code is locked in, and nothing would be changed in that time.  So what is the real reason?

Microsoft stop making excuses if there are companies who's drivers are causing problems give us a list and we will pressure them with emails .They have had plenty of time to get ready and have obviously dragged their feet on this. So what if they are not ready by march are you going to put us off another 6 weeks.Just put it on Microsoft.com and let us who want it, use it at are own risk and stop making lame excuses and telling us your listening because if you were listening you would release it. I can handle a few driver issues and who knows maybe I don't even have any of these drivers on my PC but then I would not know because you won't even give us a list of the offending drivers maybe someday there will be an operating system that can compete with windows and then you won't get away with this kind of behavior .

I'm sorry to say, this is really *CRAP*.  I am NOT a bomb-thrower -- this is the best description I can conjure.

It is beyond me how you can leave MSDN subscribers out in the cold.  

This is NOT the way to correct a mistake, it's a way to say "MSDN subscribers are third-class citizens".

As a small business owner, I pay for the full MSDN subscription out of my pocket -- there is no big company doing it for me.  I pay for it in order to access the latest of everything as soon as it's available.

You're telling me that it's OK to have the RTM of Windows Server 2008, but I have to *wait* until "the end of the month" to get a SERVICE PACK for Vista?!

This is crap, crap, crap, and I'm tired of spending thousands of dollars a year to be treated like a third-class citizen.

BTW, I also beta tested SP1, but I guess somehow I did not rate a golden ticket to the precious SP1 release.

Your feedback has enabled Microsoft to make the Windows Vista operating system even better. Now you can reap the benefits. Sell more with hardware, software, and services built around Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 (SP1). Offer your customers the enhanced security, performance, reliability, and application compatibility they demand. And capitalize on the sales opportunities these new features deliver. Get ready: Windows Vista Service Pack 1 will be available for download in March 2008 to TechNet and MSDN subscribers.

As a small business guy, I have done lots of beta testing for Microsoft, and help sell a lot of product, but this is a stupid decision by Mr. Nash.  I have been so mad this past week, that went out today a bought a bright shinny new Mac Pro.   First Microsoft tells everyone who will listen to buy Vista Ultimate because there will be all these great features...and as it turns out...the only thing ultimate about that version of Vista is the price.

Second, the SP1 saga was the straw that broke the camels back.  I do not plan on being taken a third time.

I was so mad last night that I was looking at Macs on their site...and I haven't done that since last summer, which had been only to compare their laptops with my new laptop from Dell.

The announcement in this post doesn't really make anyone happy, except maybe one or two technet or msdn subscribers who aren't mad because they will still have to wait 4 weeks from the RTM to get it.

I have been an MSDN Premium subscriber for about six years. My subscription ends in June and I will think very long before I renew it.

I see no reason why MSDN/Technet subscribers wouldn't get any software within a few days of the RTM release.

"We are listening!"   excuse me if I treat that statement with the contempt it deserves. I got mine via torrents and no issues so far.

They are listening to us, they just give greater weight to what their OEM partners are saying.  One more reason why it sucks not to be a billion dollar corporation buying 5 million units of windows a year from MS.

"We are listening!"  

And we are waiting, peeps at MS treat sp1 as if it were some sort of game everyone wants rather than a piece of essential kit to finally get reliable performance out of an OS millions of packages were sold of already.

I'd say it's time MS came clean on her promises, the source is locked in as Nash said, then let's have it now and we can collectively wait for the driver updates from the OEM.

I do understand that MS wants to keep it away from the general public who are overall too moronic to use a computer in the first place, but it should be available through Technet at least.

Just my two cents...

I completely agree with those that say that this is not nearly good enough. If there are issues with driver re-installation during the update process as you say, I can understand that you want to postpone the release to non-technical customers to avoid support issues for your OEM customers as some people suggested, but this is no reason to delay the release for technical customers. Because of this delay we currently see some of our (technical) employees downloading and installing SP1 from non-Microsoft sites, with all the risks this causes.

Also, if this is only an issue with the update process, there is also no reason not to release the FULL versions of Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 built-in on MSDN/TechNet Subscriber downloads.

Based on our experience with the Release Candidates on our notebooks (which all use BitLocker) and now these potential driver issues, we have very little confidence in the SP1 upgrade process anyway, and we lean more towards rolling out SP1 by reinstalling Windows Vista SP1 images on those systems.

Sorry, but there has got to be something completely foul with SP1. If you wont change the code on SP1 until release, then for christs sake release it to the tech folks NOW. Do you seriously think that anyone that subscribes to MSDN or Technet isnt capable of reinstalling a driver? You think we are some kind of morons? What the heck are we paying for lots of €/$/"insert your local currency sign here"?

They/We want to test NOW what kind of problems there might be with SP1 and existing applications. The more headroom we get for testing, the better it is.

I feel seriously screwed.

And on a personal note, im a also starting to get really frustrated with the, at the time of buying, promised regular Ultimate extras. Last we got were the missing language packs, which was nearly 4 months ago....

THIS IS NO WAY TO TREAT ANY CUSTOMER!!!

I have a word with microsoft inside frind he write.

Windows Vista Service Pack 1. This download will be available no later than February 22, 2008.

I noticed that they changed the security on the OEM site so the link that was posted earlier in the comments doesn't work without a login...  I thought the server was overloaded yesterday, but they must have just taken it down to add the security because microsoft doesn't want anyone to have SP1.  I am not going to mess with any Beta or RC stuff again from them because they don't know how to take care of the people who test the software, other than the small group who were invited through connect.  I submitted errors on SP1 and participated in the forums like a lot of other people who used SP1, but where not the chosen testers...  It should have been available to anyone who is using an RC of SP1, not just those through connect.

"Later this month" for MSDN huh? But, in true Microsoft tradition, no firm date?

So the folks who have to manage the implementation of SP1 get perhaps only 2 weeks to sort out the many issues before the general release? With SP1 frozen on the 4th, Microsoft's choice to delay the release to some of their most technical users seems completely irrational. This delay only creates LOTS of unhappy MSDN subscribers, LOTS of bad press and thousands of angry blog entries. All for what benefit?

Microsoft is getting increasingly adept at shooting their own foot. They've done it yet again with the most awaited service pack I can remember in years. This is another prime example of why Google, Apple, Linux, and open source applications are stealing every more of Microsoft's market share and will continue to do so as long as Microsoft keeps making more and more of their paying customers unhappy. Are you still listening Mr Nash?

Still not good enough.  Why can't you just post the thing for download?  Its in the wild now anyway.  Just answer the question: what harm comes to whom if you post it to the Microsoft Download Center but delay releasing through Windows Update?  If you can't answer that question, then you have no good reason to withhold the download.

By the way, argh matey, ye've turned me pirate.

what shollomon said. I to am on my 2nd day of testing SP1(torrent sourced) on a virtual PC . This whole SP1 has been handled very poorly by the Vista team. Unless your an influential member of the press or a multi million dollar corp Microsoft just pays you lip service and treats everyone as being not good or smart enough to give a meaningful answer to.

As long as my $2000 machine can still handle e-mail, I'll be happy.

let me give some insight (just based on being a EX employee nothing offical) on why the delay exists between a product being RTM & the file being made widely avail - either internally to all MS Employee outside of Dev/windows teams (you know the Accountants, lawyers and other people you never think of) or publically up on Microsoft.com

you can't simply copy a file up to microsoft.com and hope for the best or you have a BIG PR nightmare. Remember what happened with WGA (windows genuine Advantage)see

http://blogs.msdn.com/wga/archive/2007/08/28/so-what-happened.aspx

you have to build the webpages, then it gets replicated to 2-3 "test" pre-production (non public) web Datacenters that are of copy of actual microsoft.com in US UK Asia etc. you stress test everything - See Microsoft.com Operations Team's Blog on

http://blogs.technet.com/mscom/default.aspx

so what would you have prefered Mike to do? say nothing have Dev Quitely sign off on SP1 RTM then after it's avail for download for everyone make a public announcement? Apple takes this approach with Macworld etc. or do you want to know the "day to day" type stuff that Blogs bring  

in closing as Mike Said, SP1 will be up on MSDN/Technet "later this month" given it's now 2/14 and the month ends on 02/28 (14 days) you'll probably see it in 5-7days..  it's not the end of the world to wait.

kevinfor,

I believe you when you say (essentially) that MS is hidebound and drowning in bureaucracy. If it takes MS 6 weeks (or even more than 48 hours) to be able to put a file up on the web for download, the institutional pathologies that implies are so serious I question their competency.

That does not even mention the notion that they could have had the two areas coordinate their activities so they were preparing for the release on the web while they were testing the SP (doing two things at once is a novel concept to some companies).

And there is still no answer as to why everybody who wants it shouldn't have it now.

We don't want to wait because there are serious flaws in Vista.  There is a fix available, we waited patiently for the fix and we want the fix now that its ready.  Still, there are no good reasons being advanced for the delay.

Well put Shollomon. I have friends within MS and I often hear the same sorts of weak rationalizations as those put forth by Kevinfor above when I ask why something is broken or a poor decision was made.

Microsoft management, to an extent that's hard to even comprehend, somehow believes they're largely doing a good job, making the right decisions, etc. But, as viewed by an outsider or even their peers in other companies, they frequently make choices that result in massive public outcry, broken software, angry users, bad press and even lawsuits.

Those poor decisions often have little rational justification beyond blaming the now almost completely dysfunctional Microsoft bureaucracy as Kevinfor does above. MS employees frequently sit in meetings and literally convince each other the wrong way is the only way. Just ask the hundreds of ex-MS employees who couldn't stand it anymore and now work at places like Google. Once they stop drinking the MS Koolaide, they start to see just how wrong Microsoft management often is.

That said, there's a new post at the MSDN Subscriptions Weblog claiming Vista SP1 will be available to MSDN subscribers by "end of week". Hopefully they're talking about THIS week? If that's the case, perhaps someone at MS actually listened to all the angry screaming over the "Mid March" and "end of month" dates? If so, that's a step in the right direction.

But if it's true it SP1 will be available on MSDN by week end, why hasn't Mr Nash (or anyone else at MS) posted anything here? It's yet another example of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing within Microsoft.

********************************************

Windows Vista SP1 is available on TechNet now. TechNet Plus subscribers can now access Windows Vista SP1 in the Top Subscribers Download section on the subscriptions home page.

********************************************

Windows Vista SP1 also available on MSDN subscriptions.

Always the people waiting for SP1, when also this comming in german?

I've got to speak up on this again Mr. Nash. I trust your motives are good in this case (even if I don't understand them). What bothers me most is that I went through the trouble of testing SP1 for you. As always Microsoft says that beta software hasn't been tested fully and it may cause issues with your system; you know the standard beta software spiel. If I am risking my system at your benefit, I expect to be given immediate access to the final code when its available. Not next week, not a few weeks from now, not a month from now. I EXPECT it n-o-w. I don't see how making SP1 available through the download center and say its intended for technical users for now. Then in a month release SP1 to all users via Windows Update.

I wanted to get a headstart on SP1 and I test this software which makes your job easier. Without me, you have one less system and possible hardware combination to test on your own. Pretend you're a small development company for a second who has only a few customers. When those people use your software, you treat them with the utmost respect and if you've got a way to make their software better you're not going to hold back for a month, just in case. Here's the problem: even when you're Microsoft's size, you have to continue to treat customers that way and sadly your company has been rather poor at doing so. From the inside these complaints might seem unreasonable but understand this is how people from outside your company view it. And that's not a good thing.

@wwahammy

I definitely feel the same way.  I have the RC on two PCs that I use EVERY DAY and it would REALLY be nice if they released it to the people who tested it...

I had some difficulties starting the Vista SP1 setup. It turned out that I had installed the Dutch language pack, although I had never used it. I had to uninstall it before the Vista SP1 setup would continue. Read more about it on my blog:

http://www.wirwar.com/blog/2008/02/15/vista-sp1-setup-language-pack-error/

So if I have a volume license for MSDN for my developers and a volume license for Vista for my non-development staff, where do I go to get SP1?

I have talk to Denmarks large newspaper, and i have tell the story of Mcrosoft/Win Vista and SP1,he was upset, and say to me ,he would like to enter this story and follow up, I think the story comming soon,

Still no soup for you.

So Technet subscribers can get it now, why can't anybody else who wants it get it?  Paying customers want SP1 now, not in March.

My one computer that didn't have the RC died from this month's updates because of possibly the same McAfee issue I experienced with the RC.  That PC only has a dialup connection, and since McAfee requires you to download on the PC that it is being installed on, it takes a LONG time whenever I need to.  Will you Please just put it on the downloads page because I have spent the last two days trying to figure out how to fix my PC so that it can start in a mode other than safe mode.  If I have to take McAfee off there, I don't want to have to do it twice because I don't know if I will have to do it when SP1 comes out too.  I am not sure which security update had the issue, but one of them cause my system to blue screen whenever it starts, but it appears to be working now with the update uninstalled.

I just vistied the Technet downloads, Vista SP1 is not there yet.

You have released sp1 where is RSAT - how can we possibly manage any systems when gpmc is removed and there is no replacement?

Pete

I'm just curious if anyone of you guys reporting SP1 availablility on TechNet did actually download SP1 from there. I say this because I have checked the site myself and SP1 is not there.

I was able to download it last night.  Try this url:  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/subscriptions/default.aspx

What ever happened to the Ultimate Extras?  So far we've gotten a card game, bitlocker, and Dreamscene.   I don't consider language packs to be all that extraish.  Who installs language packs for fun?  Personally I'm beginning to think there aren't going to be any extras.

Strange. The most recent entry I can see is "Server 2008 without Hyper-V" from FEB13th. Maybe I should call Microsoft.

Go to the technet homepage and click on technet subscriptions in the dark blue bar at the top

I nearly missed the "Updated 2/14: SP1 is now available on both MSDN and TechNet for subscribers to download." one-liner at the top of the blog.  

Sorry Mike, I won't let you off the hook that easily.

I'd like to see 3 or 4 paragraphs on what exactly transpired inside of Microsoft.  Lots of whiney MSDN users got Vista SP1 released to them 6 weeks earlier than Management ever intended?  Or Microsoft mis-communicated their intentions, and set off a firestorm for no good reason?  Or Microsoft Upper Management finally saw the big picture, and adjusted their thinking so this doesn't ever happen again?

I think these questions deserve an honest answer.  Quietly inserting ones foot into ones mouth isn't good enough when thousands of paying customers were throwing a fit of rage only days earlier.  The firestorm would not have happened if we had been given "February 14th" as the MSDN/Technet Date in your initial blog posting on the 4th.  

Respectfully, please come clean so we all can have some closure.  

Thanks

There it is, I've found it. Thanks for your help, I did not know to look there.

For anyone considering Vista here are the latest benchmarks with SP1

http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=1332

I second the comments by dohboy. What exactly was all this about? I stated in my earlier post that my MSDN subscription was ending in June. So far, I'm still not convinced that renewing it is worth the cost.

MS has to do a better job of working with its customers and nothing about this snafu makes me think that they will. We still don't have a slipstreamed version available. We don't have any feedback on why this decision was made or why we should believe that it will be handled better next time.

I'm not a Technet or MSDN subscriber, just a full price paid user of Windows Vista Ultimate.  What I have not heard is any reason why I can't have SP1 Today.  What's in there you won't let your users have today and why?

No soup for us.

I just installed SP1 on my production PC without issue you can read about it here

http://techdribble.wordpress.com/2008/02/16/vista-service-pack-1-on-my-production-pc/

A colleague has run into a problem with his machine shutting down while the SP was installing. He describes the scenario"

"Problem Description: I have an HP Pavilion laptop. Last night I was going to shut down and saw there was a Windows Vista Home Premium update ready to be downloaded. I clicked on it. It began, and got to "Installing update 3 of 3. 0% complete. Do not turn off your computer, etc." I inadvertently closed the computer lid. It is now in a permanent loop, going to shutdown, restart, and then the message in quotes above appears, it goes to shutdown again, etc.."

Although I can't be certain I believe the SP1 file is one of these updates he was getting.

Any quick suggestions on what might be done?

FYI, my experience with this release of Vista SP1 has been terrible. After installing it on my new HP Pavilion DV2745se, I had only 1 problem, but it was a huge deal breaker.

The problem was that the computer would not Sleep correctly. It would go into sleep mode, but when you open the lid to awaken the computer, the computer reboots, and asks you if you want to start normally or in safe mode as if you turned the power off.

Yes, my sleep mode settings are correct. Yes, I have all the latest drivers (I'm a stickler about having all the latest WHQL drivers direct from HP's site).

Basically, if I close the lid, I lose all my work. I uninstalled SP1 and Sleep works fine again.

What the heck are Pavilion users supposed to do when SP1 inevitably shows up on Windows Update??

I had to install, uninstall, re-install, download, report bugs, reactivate Vista (yes the technical refresh of the RC did cause this problem on BOTH test machines - I even reported this to Microsoft but the person I spoke to stated that this was not an important issue) troubleshoot problems and report on solutions with beta testing on two (2) machines.

The RTM of SP1 is NOT available to me and most likely will not be made available until it is released to the public.

I will quote Mike Nash in a statement he has made above -

"Late Friday we made SP1 RTM available to individuals and companies who participated in the SP1 beta program "

Why don't Microsoft live up to this statement.

The statement made by Mike Nash shows that one or more of the following are happening at Microsoft.

1)- Their senior staff are not being kept fully informed about the state of the software they manage

2)- They are happy to mis-inform the very customers that DO assist in testing their software.

3)- They consider that people who have tested SP1 (but do not wish to pay for subscriptions) are not able to troubleshoot some simple driver issues (even though the issues were brought to Microsoft's attention by beta testers)

4)- They consider non-subscribers second rate customers (after all they already have our money and the assistance of the many thousands of hours of testing and troubleshooting that we have all contributed to)

5)- They are staging the release of SP1 to give OEM's time distribute SP1 loaded computers to their vendors to appear at about the same time as SP1 is made publicly available

I would like to hear what everyone else has to say about these possible 'real' causes for the delay in release

I would also like to hear from Microsoft why SP1 is not available to ALL individuals who participated in beta testing

139 comments and not one of them is a response from Nick, Mike, or another Microsoft employee about those comments.  The only thing that was done, is that subscribers can now get it, NOT ALL THE PEOPLE HERE WHO ARE ACTUALLY RUNNING SP1 RC...  (I understand some subscribers did test the RC too, and subscribers do pay for their subscription so the testers do sometimes matter less to Microsoft.  I just think that ANYONE who is running SP1 RC should have been included with the group who participated in beta testing with getting it early.)

There are no good reasons why anyone who is a paid owner of Vista shouldn't have it now if they want to manually download and install it.  None whatever.  I understand not putting it in windows update, but not putting it up for download.

I am a Corporate MSDN Subscriber, in the Dev group.  My MSDN is not show SP1 as available.  Why???  When am I going to get it???  This is so retarded to wait.  wtf?

So happy of being on 'connect' :) So I enjoy using it! :p

Microsoft— Only “some are disappointed they are not able to immediately download it”?  I think a majority of the Vista user community is quite disappointed.

I don’t think you really get it.  Let me repeat myself:  Didn't your mother or father teach you that teasing isn't nice?

I have two systems with Vista... the first now has 437 problems awaiting "solutions" in the "Problem Reports & Solutions" queue, while the other now has 266.

I don't know if SP1 will help with any of those problems, but I'd sure like to see SP1 released on Windows Update... NOW!

I’m a technical user, and a customer, but not a “technical customer.”  If drivers are the only problem, and beta users had little problem “simply uninstalling and reinstalling the driver”, why not make the SP1 RTM bits widely available too?  In the original RTM post, you said the install process checks for those drivers anyways, and if you’re affected, it won’t install.  If that’s the case, those users/computers that are good to go, won’t be harmed.

Additionally, why not publish a list of the conflicting/bad drivers so that users that have them will know they are affected?  If the manufacturers names are released, maybe a little embarrassment will get them to act a bit quicker… or at least make sure their future drivers are coded better.  Once SP1 is finally released, it certainly would be nice to be able to know what is causing SP1 to not show up in Windows Update.

about a week ago, i installed the SP1 update. ironically, it brought back all the problems I had. when i got my laptop everything was working fine, then one day, the sleep and hibernate would not wake up, i fixed that by basically uninstalling all the updates for vista... the sp1 brought that back so i uninstalled it. to me, there are still problems with my computer to the point that i SERIOUSLY cannot tell the difference with SP1...other than that it recognizes 4gb of ram though it still utilizes 3gb. but for me, problems still exist and annoyed me so i uninstalled it. i was thinking about re-installing it after the launch or a month after. feel free to respond

can't wait to get my new macbook!!

Question (if it has been answered before I apologise): will this sp1 bring havoc and devestation to existant systems as sp2 did to XP?

If so then I really don't understand why we the costumers were not given this pack asap since we add programs, pile up data etc. almost everyday this could be very time consuming not to mention time wasting.

Some of the Vista RTM bugs that breaked compatibilty with TSAdmin (Terminal Services manager) were fixed even though release notes mention nothing about it.

The fix for KB941561 was NOT included though but the hotfix for KB941561 cannot be installed on SP1 !!

See also http://www.remkoweijnen.nl/blog/2008/03/02/vista-sp1-changes-to-terminal-server-api/

I have been using Vista since it came out in beta.I have had driver issues in the past and i,ll surely have some in the future but what I can,t uderstand is why We can't have service pack 1 now I have built many computers and consider myself to be well informed The intel quadcore i'm using right now I built it and if I'm smart enough to do that I think I can Handle a few driver issues . I seen a list of some of the  affected drivers most of us probably are not even running any of them.I guess it comes down to my not being able to afford a technet subscription . I have to wait until the almighty Microsoft decides its safe for someone with limited intelligence like me to use.

are you sure as night follows day ?????????????????????

...deocamdată doar celor care au testat versiunile Beta și/sau RC de Windows Vista, așa cum a anunțat

Un importante aggiornamento sulla disponibilit&#224; (molto attesa!) di Windows Vista SP1, riguardante

This just in... Mike Nash just announced on the Windows Vista Team Blog some specific availability dates

As I forecast when I posted the news of Vista&#160; SP1's release the delay in making it widely available

Nur eine kurze Notiz - die Vorbereitungen für die deutsche Launchveranstaltung nächste Woche brauchen

There is an interesting post over at teched.indepthtalk.net

I received the following email from Microsoft with regards to my many questions last week about the Vista

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First off thank you to everyone you commented, emailed, and otherwise gave direct feedback to Mike Nash

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