Windows Vista SP1

[prose]

Why is it that I am downloading SP1 Beta for Vista and no one else is?
prose072

 

[David]

Why is it that I am downloading SP1 Beta for Vista and no one else is?
prose072

Because you are more of a risk taker than the rest of us???

Dave

 

[prose]

Because you are more of a risk taker than the rest of us???

Dave

Actually Dave, I have been a Microsoft Beta Tester since may of 2006
and SP1 is only available to a small group at this point and I don't
have any problems with Vista, nor do I have any problems using the
Beta version for testing and feed back. Doesn't anybody know that
they too could also become a beta tester, if the slots are open, which
they probally are not. they just released the SP1 Beta and announced
the SP1 will be released gradually to A LARGER GROUP OVER THE NEXT
COUPLE OF MONTHS AND THAT EVERYONE WILL HAVE WITHIN THE FIRST 1/4 OF
2008. Sorry about the caps, its slipped. Download in progress....I
even got free software even though I had the same software over a year
ago, but they sent me Microsoft Office Professional Plus, but like I
said I had it for over a year (May 2006) They just sent me a couple of
disk to thank me.

 

[Guest]

Actually Dave, I have been a Microsoft Beta Tester since may of 2006
and SP1 is only available to a small group at this point and I don't
have any problems with Vista, nor do I have any problems using the
Beta version for testing and feed back. Doesn't anybody know that
they too could also become a beta tester, if the slots are open, which
they probally are not. they just released the SP1 Beta and announced
the SP1 will be released gradually to A LARGER GROUP OVER THE NEXT
COUPLE OF MONTHS AND THAT EVERYONE WILL HAVE WITHIN THE FIRST 1/4 OF
2008. Sorry about the caps, its slipped. Download in progress....I
even got free software even though I had the same software over a year
ago, but they sent me Microsoft Office Professional Plus, but like I
said I had it for over a year (May 2006) They just sent me a couple of
disk to thank me.

Yes. And to make it really stick Billy sent Melinda for a night.
But thats OK. Friends are like that

 

[prose]

Yes. And to make it really stick Billy sent Melinda for a night.
But thats OK. Friends are like that
--
Only two things are infinite,
the Universe and Stupidity.
And I'm not quite sure about the former.
- Albert Einstein- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

What am I suppose to do, I guess I'll have to send melinda every night
until the gap is open. I am just diong what I always do, but all of
you help. I monitor all your issues and compare them what is a stake.
Vista is running good now, SP1 is just going to smooth a few things
over. And I mean really smooth them over!

 

[Geo]

Why is it that I am downloading SP1 Beta for Vista and no one else is?
prose072

It probably has trojans and viruses in it.

 

[prose]

Prose, how about filling us all in as to what Vista SP1 will be all
about? Like will ny new features be introduced? Which ones will be
improved, etc?

I was fortunate enough to be a BETA tester for Vista (Beta 1, Beta 2
and RC1), but I missed the window for the Service Pack 1.

Don't leave us hanging, here.

--
dzomlija

____________________________________
Peter Alexander Dzomlija
Do you hear, huh? The Alpha and The Omega? Death and Rebirth? And as
you die, so shall I be Reborn...

- ASUS A8N32-SLi-Deluxe
- AMD Atlon 64 Dual-Core 4800+
- 4GB DDR400
- ASUS nVidia 6600
- Thermaltake Tai-Chi Watercooled Chassis
- Vista Ultimate x64

Theres a link that is a .doc file that I can send you on the
information. i have been up all night downloading. You know how it is
when you start downloading all the different beta. Its always spread
out and download after another and some quick and others long.
Remember last year when we had about ten million registry keys and
product keys for every single package. Well that was crazy, but it
doesn't seem to be that bad. its just it's so early and I have to find
my way through all the beta to get all the beta download in order to
work it.

I will send you a link to read up on the info and from what I read
BRIEFLY they are smoothing all this xp / vista crap out and have some
smooth addons as well. But I am tired right now and I have to take a
break or get a big cup of Java. Let me do that and it you want me to
email you this info doc that is not in a violation to share of the
terms because it is a posted doc, you just gota be able to access it.
I will email it to you sothat you can read what they have going on and
what I will be getting into. Give me a few to make some java to open
my eyes for a little bit longer.

 

[vista terminal ator]

Because vista is unfixable even with a service pack 2000

 

[prose]

Theres a link that is a .doc file that I can send you on the
information. i have been up all night downloading. You know how it is
when you start downloading all the different beta. Its always spread
out and download after another and some quick and others long.
Remember last year when we had about ten million registry keys and
product keys for every single package. Well that was crazy, but it
doesn't seem to be that bad. its just it's so early and I have to find
my way through all the beta to get all the beta download in order to
work it.

I will send you a link to read up on the info and from what I read
BRIEFLY they are smoothing all this xp / vista crap out and have some
smooth addons as well. But I am tired right now and I have to take a
break or get a big cup of Java. Let me do that and it you want me to
email you this info doc that is not in a violation to share of the
terms because it is a posted doc, you just gota be able to access it.
I will email it to you sothat you can read what they have going on and
what I will be getting into. Give me a few to make some java to open
my eyes for a little bit longer.

By the way did anyone get the following update tonight or is it just
becuase I am downloading this beta for sp1. i was just wondering if
this update is a routine update or tied in with my downloads?

Update for Windows Media Player 11 for Windows Vista (KB931621)

Installation date: 9/ 4/ 2007 5:38 AM

Installation status: Successful

Update type: Recommended

Install this update to enable access to external storage cards on new
Windows Mobile 5 devices using Windows Media Player 11. After you
install this item, you may have to restart your computer.

KB931621 for media player 11?

 

[vista terminal ator]

what is the build number of the SP1 you are using?

thanks

 

[prose]

what is the build number of the SP1 you are using?

thanks

Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta
By Jerry Honeycutt Published August 07
Abstract
Microsoft continuously improves Windows Vista® by providing ongoing
updates while working with software and hardware vendors to deliver
application compatibility and device driver improvements. Windows
Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) will be another vehicle through which
Microsoft provides operating system improvements to customers. This
white paper presents an overview of Windows Vista SP1 and the
improvements it will contain.

To view the hyperlinks in this XPS document, you must install the
Microsoft XPS Essentials Pack. It can be found at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=99252.






This is a preliminary document and may be changed substantially prior
to final commercial release of the software described herein. The
information contained in this document represents the current view of
Microsoft Corporation on the issues discussed as of the date of
publication. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market
conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the
part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any
information presented after the date of publication. This white paper
is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS DOCUMENT. Complying with all applicable
copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the
rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced,
stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,
or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written
permission of Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft may have patents,
patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual
property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as
expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft,
the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these
patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property. ©
2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows,
Windows Server, Windows Vista, BitLocker, and the Windows logo and are
either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in
the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual
companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their
respective owners. Microsoft Corporation · One Microsoft Way ·
Redmond, WA 98052-6399 · USA

Contents
Introduction ..............................................................................................
3
Improving the Customer
Experience .................................................... 4
Ongoing Updates 4
Application Compatibility Improvements 4
Device Driver Improvements 5
Introducing Windows Vista Service Pack
1 .......................................... 7
Quality Improvements 7
Security 7
Reliability 8
Performance 8
Administration Experience 9
Emerging Hardware and Standards 9
Evaluating Windows Vista Service Pack
1 ......................................... 11
Deploying Windows Vista Service Pack
1 .......................................... 12
Summary .................................................................................................
13
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta
2

Introduction
When developing Windows Vista, Microsoft set out to provide higher
levels of productivity, mobility, and security, with lower costs.
After more than six months of broad availability and usage, it's
evident that these investments are improving the Windows computing
experience. For example, in the first six months of use, Windows Vista
had fewer security issues than Windows XP (Windows Vista had only 12
issues, and Windows XP had 36). According to the Windows Vista 6-Month
Vulnerability Report by Jeffery R. Jones, Windows Vista had fewer
security issues than all the popular operating systems he studied.
Although most companies are cautious when deploying a new operating
system, many have already started testing and evaluating Windows Vista
for deployment, and some have already deployed Windows Vista into
their production environments and begun seeing the business benefits
Windows Vista can provide.
Microsoft's efforts to provide the best Windows experience ever in
Windows Vista did not end with its launch. This white paper describes
the ways Microsoft strives to continuously improve Windows Vista. It
then introduces Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) and describes how
the service pack will fit into the ongoing improvement process.
Organizations do not need to wait for SP1 to deploy Windows Vista;
they are encouraged to begin their Windows Vista evaluation and
deployment now: Organizations currently evaluating and deploying
Windows Vista should continue their evaluation, pilot programs, and
deployment on the initial ("Gold") Windows Vista release. Microsoft
provides the tools and guidance needed to deploy Windows Vista today
and will provide additional guidance, tools and support for moving to
SP1 when the service pack is released.
Organizations just starting to evaluate Windows Vista should plan a
pilot program, targeting the PCs that gain the most business value
from Windows Vista (for example, many organizations will find that
mobile PCs get the most benefits) and present the simplest upgrade
from the gold release of Windows Vista to SP1 (How to Start a Windows
Vista Pilot Deployment describes best practices for running a pilot).
Organizations waiting for Windows Vista SP1 should start their
compatibility testing on the gold release of Windows Vista now, and
then begin their evaluation and pilot programs on the release
candidate of Windows Vista SP1 when it is released. Windows Vista
includes architectural changes relative to Windows XP that improve
security and reliability. These changes can cause some applications
which work on Windows XP not to work on Windows Vista. However, these
architectural changes are also part of Windows Vista SP1. For this
reason, testing applications on Windows Vista today will be a very
good proxy for compatibility with Windows Vista SP1.
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta
3

Improving the Customer Experience Improving the Customer Experience
Microsoft uses Windows Vista instrumentation to learn what issues
affect customers most and then address the issues. This
instrumentation includes the Crash Analysis (OCA), both of which opt-
in, anonymous services. Microsoft no only uses this information to fix
Windows Vista issues, but it also shares this information with
software and hardware vendors so they can fix application
compatibility and device driver issues. Microsoft uses Windows Vista
instrumentation to learn what issues affect customers most and then
address the issues. This instrumentation includes the Customer
Experience Improvement Program of which are Microsoft not only uses
this information to fix Windows compatibility and device driver
issues. Microsoft uses Windows Vista instrumentation to learn what
issues affect customers most and then address Customer Experience
Improvement Program (CEIP) and Online information with software and
hardware
The traditional service packs with which most organizations are
familiar are only one way that Microsoft improves the Windows
experience. Continuous improvements to the Windows Vista experience
come from numerous channels, including ongoing updates, application
compatibility improvements, and device driver improvements. The
following sections describe each of these channels in detail. The
traditional service packs with which are familiar are only one Windows
experience. Continuous improvements to the Windows Vista experience
come from numerous channels, including ongoing ments. The following
sections describe each of these channels in detail.
Ongoing Updates
Ongoing updates address some of the most important issues affecting
Microsoft customers. For example, Microsoft recently released two
performance and reliability updates that address issues reported by
customers (see Microsoft Support articles 938979). Microsoft already
delivers these and many other including: Windows Update Ongoing
updates address some of the most important issues affecting Microsoft
customers. For example, Microsoft recently released two performance es
that address issues reported by customers (see Microsoft Support
articles ). Microsoft already delivers these and many other Windows
Vista updates through various channels, important issues affecting
Microsoft customers. For example, Microsoft recently released two
performance es that address issues reported by customers (see
Microsoft Support articles 938194 and Windows Vista updates through
various channels,
Microsoft Download Center
Private updates for enterprise customers and original equipment
manufacturer (OEM) partners Private updates for enterprise customers
and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners Private updates for
enterprise customers and original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
partners
Organizations choose which updates they want to deploy and the Windows
Update, for example. Enterprise Services (WSUS), Microsoft® System
Center Configuration Manager 2007 choose which updates they want to
deploy and the methods for deploying them Windows Update, for example.
Enterprises are more likely to deploy updates using Windows Server
Microsoft® System Center Configuration Manager 2007, or third-party
tools. methods for deploying them-using are more likely to deploy
updates using Windows Server® Update party tools.
Application Compatibility Improvements Improvements
Microsoft is making steady progress toward resolving application
compatibility issues by engaging with independent software vendors
(ISVs) to get major applications networking (VPN) applications-working
on applications have moved to Windows Vista. These include
applications from ISVs like Adobe, Citrix, Oracle, Sun, HP, LANDesk,
and IBM. Hundreds more applications have been tested and remediated
visited the Microsoft ISV application compatibility lab for weeklong
engagements. As a result of these efforts, Microsoft is making steady
progress toward resolving application compatibility issues by engaging
with independent software vendors (ISVs) to get major applications-
such as antivirus and virtual private working on Windows Vista. Since
the launch, more than 70 major enterprise applications have moved to
Windows Vista. These include applications from ISVs like Adobe,
Citrix, Oracle, Sun, HP, LANDesk, and IBM. Hundreds more applications
have been tested and remediated visited the Microsoft ISV application
compatibility lab for weeklong engagements. As a result of these
efforts, Microsoft is making steady progress toward resolving
application compatibility issues by engaging with such as antivirus
and virtual private Windows Vista. Since the launch, more than 70
major enterprise applications have moved to Windows Vista. These
include applications from ISVs like Adobe, Citrix, Oracle, Sun, HP,
LANDesk, and IBM. Hundreds more applications have been tested and
remediated by ISVs that visited the Microsoft ISV application
compatibility lab for weeklong engagements. As a result of these
efforts,



















Application Compatibility Improvements Compatibility Improvements






































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Ongoing Updates





































Device Driver Improvements
Windows Quality













































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta Beta
4

nearly 2,100 applications now have the Windows Vista logo Windows
Vista are designed and tested to deliver a superior experience with
PCs running the Windows Vista operating system so software is easy to
install, better performing earned the Works with Windows Vista logo
have been tested for baseline compatibility with PCs running the
Windows Vista Operating System. nearly 2,100 applications now have the
Windows Vista logo, (see Figure 1). Applications that are Certified
for Windows Vista are designed and tested to deliver a superior
experience with PCs running the Windows Vista operating system so
software is easy to install, better performing, and more secure, while
products earned the Works with Windows Vista logo have been tested for
baseline compatibility with PCs running the Applications that are
Certified for Windows Vista are designed and tested to deliver a
superior experience with PCs running the Windows Vista while products
that have earned the Works with Windows Vista logo have been tested
for baseline compatibility with PCs running the

2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0




November 2006 January 2007 June 2007 July 2007

Windows Logo Applications
254
652
1709
2076

Figure 1. Applications with the Windows Applications with the Windows
Vista logo
In addition to helping ISVs resolve application compatibility issues,
Microsoft provided robust tools at the Windows Vista launch to help
information technology (IT) professionals assess and mitigate problems
with existing applications. The primary tool they use i migrating to
Windows Vista easier, Microsoft has created the connects its
enterprise customers with selected partners that deliver high volume,
low cost application compatibility and remediation services. ion to
helping ISVs resolve application compatibility issues, Microsoft
provided robust tools at the Windows Vista launch to help information
technology (IT) professionals assess and mitigate problems with
existing applications. The primary tool they use is the Application
Compatibility Toolkit 5.0 migrating to Windows Vista easier, Microsoft
has created the Application Compatibility Factory connects its
enterprise customers with selected partners that deliver high volume,
low cost application compatibility and remediation services. ion to
helping ISVs resolve application compatibility issues, Microsoft
provided robust tools at the Windows Vista launch to help information
technology (IT) professionals assess and mitigate problems with
Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.0.. To help make Application
Compatibility Factory (ACF) that connects its enterprise customers
with selected partners that deliver high volume, low cost application
Device Driver Improvements
Device compatibility is also important t coverage continues to grow
for Windows Vista. Microsoft has added initial Windows Vista release
in November 2006. Including device drivers in the box and those
available from Windows Update, by July 2007 Windows Vista supported
nearly 2 majority of devices in use. The number of Window outpacing
Windows XP. important to Windows Vista customers. As shown in Figure
coverage continues to grow for Windows Vista. Microsoft has added
700,000 new device types since the tial Windows Vista release in
November 2006. Including device drivers in the box and those available
from 2007 Windows Vista supported nearly 2.2 million devices. That
covers . The number of Windows Vista logo devices exceeds 10,000, and
the growth is Figure 2, device driver 00,000 new device types since
the tial Windows Vista release in November 2006. Including device
drivers in the box and those available from million devices. That
covers the vast s Vista logo devices exceeds 10,000, and the growth
is
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta Beta
5

2.4
2.2
2
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1

































































































































































































































































































































































November 2006 November 2006 January 2007 May 2007 July 2007

Devices in Millions
1.5 1.5
1.7
1.9

2.2

Figure 2. Device driver coverage for Windows Vista Device driver
coverage for Windows Vista
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta Beta
6

Introducing Windows Vista Service Pack 1
In addition to regular Windows Vista updates, application
compatibility improvements, and device driver improvements, Windows
Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is another way Microsoft will deliver
improvements to the Windows Vista customer experience.
The goal of Windows Vista SP1 is to address key feedback Microsoft has
received from its customers without regressing application
compatibility. Windows Vista SP1 will deliver improvements and
enhancements to existing features that significantly impact customers,
but it does not deliver substantial new operating system features. For
example, the service pack improves the performance of the desktop
shell, but it does not provide a new search user interface or a new
version of Windows® Media Center.
The updates in Windows Vista SP1 fall into three categories, which the
following sections describe in detail: Quality improvements,
including all previously released updates, which address reliability,
security, and performance.
Improvements to the administration experience, including BitLocker™
Drive Encryption (BDE).
Support for emerging hardware and standards, such as an Extensible
Firmware Interface (EFI) and an Extended File Allocation Table
(exFAT).
Quality Improvements
Quality improvements have the broadest impact on all customers. It is
the foundation of Windows Vista SP1 and is about improving the overall
Windows Vista experience.
First, Windows Vista SP1 will include all previously released updates
for Windows Vista. It also will include security, reliability, and
performance improvements. These improvements target some of the issues
Microsoft has identified as the most common causes of operating system
crashes and hangs, giving customers a more reliable experience. These
updates also improve performance in key scenarios-for example, when
copying files or shutting down the computer.
The following sections describe many of the security, reliability, and
performance improvements that will be in Windows Vista SP1.
Security Security improvements that will be in Windows Vista SP1
include: Provides security software vendors a more secure way to
communicate with Windows Security Center.
Administration Experience Improvements
Reliabiliy and Perfomance Improvements
Support for Emerging Hardware and Standards
Service Pack 1
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta
7

Includes application programming interfaces (APIs) by which third-
party security and malicious software detection applications can work
with kernel patch protection on x64 versions of Windows Vista. These
APIs help ISVs develop software that extends the functionality of the
Windows kernel on x64 computers without disabling or weakening the
protection offered by kernel patch protection.
Improves the security of running RemoteApp programs and desktops by
allowing Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) files to be signed. Customers
can differentiate user experiences based on publisher identity.
Adds an Elliptical Curve Cryptography (ECC) pseudo-random number
generator (PRNG) to the list of available PRNGs in Windows Vista.
Enhances BitLocker Drive Encryption (BDE) to offer an additional
multifactor authentication method that combines a key protected by the
Trusted Platform Module (TPM) with a Startup key stored on a USB
storage device and a user-generated personal identification number
(PIN).
Reliability Windows Vista SP1 will include improvements that target
some of the most common causes of crashes and hangs, giving users a
more consistent experience. Many of these improvements will
specifically address issues identified from the Windows Error
Reporting tool. The following list describes some of the reliability
improvements that Windows Vista SP1 will include: Improved
reliability and compatibility of Windows Vista when used with newer
graphics cards in several specific scenarios and configurations.
Improved reliability when working with external displays on a
laptop.
Improved Windows Vista reliability in networking configuration
scenarios.
Improved reliability of systems that were upgraded from Windows XP
to Windows Vista.
Increased compatibility with many printer drivers.
Increased reliability and performance of Windows Vista when entering
sleep and resuming from sleep.
Performance The following list describes some of the performance
improvements that Windows Vista SP1 will include: Improves the speed
of copying and extracting files.
Improves the time to become active from Hibernate and Resume modes.
Improves the performance of domain-joined PCs when operating off the
domain; in the current release version of Windows Vista, users would
experience long delays when opening the File dialog box.
Improves performance of Windows® Internet Explorer® 7 in Windows
Vista, reducing CPU utilization and speeding JavaScript parsing.
Improves battery life by reducing CPU utilization by not redrawing
the screen as frequently, on certain computers.
Improves the logon experience by removing the occasional 10-second
delay between pressing CTRL-
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta
8

ALT-DEL and the password prompt displaying.
Addresses an issue in the current version of Windows Vista that
makes browsing network file shares consume significant bandwidth and
not perform as fast as expected.
Administration Experience
Many of the changes in Windows Vista SP1 will improve the deployment,
management, and support experience for Windows Vista customers. The
following list describes some of these enhancements: BitLocker Drive
Encryption encrypts extra local volumes. For example, instead of
encrypting only drive C, customers can also encrypt drive D, E, and so
on.
Addresses problems with printing to local printers from a Windows®
Terminal Services session.
The Network Diagnostics tool will help customers solve the most
common file sharing problems, in addition to the basic problems that
it already diagnoses.
Administrators can control the volumes on which to run Disk
Defragmenter.
In addition to these changes, Windows Vista SP1 will change the tools
that customers use to manage Group Policy. Administrators requested
features in Group Policy that simplify policy management. To do this,
the service pack will uninstall the Group Policy Management Console
(GPMC) and GPEdit.msc will edit local Group Policy by default. In the
SP1 timeframe, administrators can download an out-of-band release that
will give them the ability to add comments to Group Policy Objects
(GPOs) or individual settings and search for specific settings.1
Emerging Hardware and Standards
The technology industry is fast-paced and constantly changing.
Throughout the life cycle of any version of the Windows operating
system, the industry creates new hardware innovations and defines new
standards. Windows Vista SP1 will include support for some of these
new hardware innovations and standards, because Microsoft expects them
to become increasingly important in the near future. The following
list describes some of the enhancements of Windows Vista SP1 that will
support these emerging innovations and standards: In the future,
flash memory storage and consumer devices will use the exFAT file
system. Windows Vista SP1 adds support for this file system to Windows
Vista.
The service pack will include support for Secure Digital (SD)
Advanced Direct Memory Access (DMA), which will be on compliant SD
host controllers soon, to improve transfer performance and decrease
CPU utilization.
x64 PCs can boot using the EFI. Windows Vista currently supports
network boot by using Windows Deployment Services for x86, a PC's
basic input/output system (BIOS) for x64 PCs, and EFI for IA-64 PCs.
Windows Vista SP1 will add support for network boot by using x64 EFI.
The service pack will add support for Direct3D 10.1, adding
application programming interfaces (APIs)

1 Beta testers will find that after installing Windows Vista SP1, they
no longer have access to GPMC, and that the new, enhanced version of
GPMC has not yet been released. In this case, administrators can
continue to edit Group Policy by opening a remote desktop session
directly to the server or to a PC running the release to manufacturing
(RTM) version of Windows Vista.
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta
9

and features that enable 3-D applications, so game developers can
better take advantage of a new generation of Direct3D graphics
hardware.
The Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) is a remote access
tunneling protocol that will be part of the Routing and Remote Access
Service (RRAS) platform. This protocol helps provide full-network
virtual private network (VPN) remote access connections without
challenges that other protocols face when traversing NATs, Web
proxies, and firewalls. Windows Vista SP1 will include support for
SSTP.
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta
10

Evaluating Windows Vista Service Pack 1
In key areas, Windows Vista SP1 will compare favorably to earlier
Windows service packs. Windows® 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4) and Windows
XP SP1 both made limited changes to the user interface and had limited
impacts to application compatibility. Both service packs were small in
download size. Windows XP SP2 was an exceptional case, as noted in the
next paragraph. It significantly impacted the user interface and
application compatibility, and was large in download size. While
Windows Vista SP1 is still in beta, Microsoft's intention is that it
will make limited changes to the user interface, have limited impact
to application compatibility, and the Windows Update and WSUS download
size will be small.
The purpose of Windows Vista SP1 is different from the purpose of
Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). Windows XP SP2 was a special update-
Microsoft recognized that it was in a unique position to address new
and emerging security threats, and the service pack was the best
answer. To address these threats, Microsoft incorporated significant,
well-considered changes into the service pack, which had a significant
impact on application compatibility. For example, the service pack
enabled Windows Firewall by default, causing some applications to fail
until the customer configured the exceptions in the firewall. However,
Microsoft determined that the security benefit far outweighed any
challenges the changes caused to end users and administrators.
(Likewise, moving from Windows XP SP2 to Windows Vista introduced new,
well-considered changes, such as User Account Control, which impacted
compatibility).
Although Windows Vista SP1 does compare favorably to earlier service
packs, specific benefits have certain costs:
Benefits
Tradeoffs
The standalone service pack will include all languages. It can update
all PCs running Windows Vista -regardless of language2.

Componentization brings benefits such as the ability to uninstall
updates in any order more reliably.

The standalone package will be large (1 GB for x86).

Installing the service pack will require a large amount of free disk
space (7 GB for x86 and 12 GB for x64). However, most of this space
will be reclaimed after installation.
SP1 will improve the performance, reliability, and other areas of
Windows Vista.

Windows Vista contains a significant amount of files shared with
Windows Server 2008 and therefore benefits from the continual
improvements made during the Windows Server 2008 development cycle.3
SP1 will change a significant number of files; customers cannot apply
SP1 to offline Windows Vista images.

2 The Windows Vista Service Pack 1 package is platform specific. Each
platform (x86 or x64) requires a separate package.
3 Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 have been built from the same
fundamental source code base since the beginning. Many of the core
files are identical between the two products, although each product
has unique features, specific individual files and functional
behaviors that are appropriate for the intended customer uses for the
specific product. For example, Windows Media Center only appears in
Windows Vista, while Active Directory or Windows Clustering only
appear in Windows Server 2008. Examples of common files shared
between the two operating systems are the
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta
11

Deploying Windows Vista Service Pack 1
Windows Vista SP1 will support a number of deployment scenarios and
methods, which the upcoming Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Deployment
Guide will describe in detail. This section provides an overview of
the delivery methods that Windows Vista SP1 will support.
Windows Vista SP1 will support the following delivery methods:
Express. Requires an Internet connection but minimizes the size of the
download by sending only the changes needed for a specific computer
(approximately 50 MB for x86-based operating systems).
Stand-alone. Recommended for computers with limited Internet
connectivity and for applying the service pack to multiple computers.
The download size is larger than the express package, but customers
can apply a single package to any Windows Vista version and language
combination (within a platform). Distribution tools like System Center
Configuration Manager 2007 use stand-alone packages to deploy Windows
Vista SP1.
Slipstream. The slipstream version of Windows Vista SP1 is media
that already contains the service pack, which companies can use to
deploy the operating system to new computers or to upgrade existing
computers. Availability will be limited. Microsoft will update Windows
Vista retail media with Windows Vista SP1 slipstream media in the
future. Slipstream media will also be available to Volume Licensing
customers.
For express and stand-alone deployment methods, Microsoft recommends
the following: Laptops must be plugged in to an AC power source.
A minimum of 7 GB free disk space on the system partition for x86-
based operating systems and a minimum of 12 GB free disk space for x64-
based operating systems.
The stand-alone deployment method requires administrative
credentials.

kernel and core OS files, the networking stack, file sharing. In the
past year since the Windows Vista public release, the common files in
Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 have been continually improved
based on customer beta feedback, customer deployments, and Microsoft
internal testing.

Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta
12

Summary
Customers can take advantage of all that Windows Vista has to offer by
evaluating and deploying the operating system now. They do not need to
wait for Windows Vista SP1. Windows Vista enables higher levels of
productivity and mobility than earlier versions of Windows, and it
helps lower the cost of ownership.
Customers currently evaluating and deploying Windows Vista should
continue their evaluation, pilot programs, and deployment on the
currently available version of Windows Vista. Microsoft provides the
tools and guidance customers need to deploy Windows Vista today and
will provide additional guidance, tools, and support for moving to
Windows Vista SP1 when Microsoft releases it.
Customers just starting to evaluate Windows Vista should plan a pilot
program based on the original release and then move to a pilot or
deployment when Windows Vista SP1 becomes available. Pilot programs
are an effective way to introduce the operating system into the
production environment. Pilot testing is best performed on PCs that
present a high business value or a simple upgrade path.
Customers waiting for Windows Vista SP1 should start their
compatibility testing on the currently available release of Windows
Vista now, and then begin their evaluation and pilot programs on the
release candidate of Windows Vista SP1 when it is released. Windows
Vista includes architectural changes relative to Windows XP that
improve security and reliability. These changes can cause some
applications which work on Windows XP not to work on Windows Vista.
However, these architectural changes are also part of Windows Vista
SP1. For this reason, testing applications on Windows Vista today will
be a very good proxy for compatibility with Windows Vista SP1.
See the whitepaper How to Start a Windows Vista Pilot Deployment today
to get started moving to Windows Vista so that your organization can
begin taking advantage of the benefits that Windows Vista provides.

Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta
13

 

[prose]

Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta
By Jerry Honeycutt Published August 07
Abstract
Microsoft continuously improves Windows Vista® by providing ongoing
updates while working with software and hardware vendors to deliver
application compatibility and device driver improvements. Windows
Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) will be another vehicle through which
Microsoft provides operating system improvements to customers. This
white paper presents an overview of Windows Vista SP1 and the
improvements it will contain.

To view the hyperlinks in this XPS document, you must install the
Microsoft XPS Essentials Pack.  It can be found athttp://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=99252.

This is a preliminary document and may be changed substantially prior
to final commercial release of the software described herein. The
information contained in this document represents the current view of
Microsoft Corporation on the issues discussed as of the date of
publication. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market
conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the
part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any
information presented after the date of publication. This white paper
is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS DOCUMENT. Complying with all applicable
copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the
rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced,
stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording,
or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written
permission of Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft may have patents,
patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual
property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as
expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft,
the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these
patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property. ©
2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows,
Windows Server, Windows Vista, BitLocker, and the Windows logo and are
either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in
the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual
companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their
respective owners. Microsoft Corporation · One Microsoft Way ·
Redmond, WA 98052-6399 · USA

Contents
Introduction ............................................................................­..................
3
Improving the Customer
Experience .................................................... 4
Ongoing Updates 4
Application Compatibility Improvements 4
Device Driver Improvements 5
Introducing Windows Vista Service Pack
1 .......................................... 7
Quality Improvements 7
Security 7
Reliability 8
Performance 8
Administration Experience 9
Emerging Hardware and Standards 9
Evaluating Windows Vista Service Pack
1 ......................................... 11
Deploying Windows Vista Service Pack
1 .......................................... 12
Summary ............................................................................­.....................
13
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1  Beta
2

Introduction
When developing Windows Vista, Microsoft set out to provide higher
levels of productivity, mobility, and security, with lower costs.
After more than six months of broad availability and usage, it's
evident that these investments are improving the Windows computing
experience. For example, in the first six months of use, Windows Vista
had fewer security issues than Windows XP (Windows Vista had only 12
issues, and Windows XP had 36). According to the Windows Vista 6-Month
Vulnerability Report by Jeffery R. Jones, Windows Vista had fewer
security issues than all the popular operating systems he studied.
Although most companies are cautious when deploying a new operating
system, many have already started testing and evaluating Windows Vista
for deployment, and some have already deployed Windows Vista into
their production environments and begun seeing the business benefits
Windows Vista can provide.
Microsoft's efforts to provide the best Windows experience ever in
Windows Vista did not end with its launch. This white paper describes
the ways Microsoft strives to continuously improve Windows Vista. It
then introduces Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) and describes how
the service pack will fit into the ongoing improvement process.
Organizations do not need to wait for SP1 to deploy Windows Vista;
they are encouraged to begin their Windows Vista evaluation and
deployment now:   Organizations currently evaluating and deploying
Windows Vista should continue their evaluation, pilot programs, and
deployment on the initial ("Gold") Windows Vista release. Microsoft
provides the tools and guidance needed to deploy Windows Vista today
and will provide additional guidance, tools and support for moving to
SP1 when the service pack is released.
  Organizations just starting to evaluate Windows Vista should plan a
pilot program, targeting the PCs that gain the most business value
from Windows Vista (for example, many organizations will find that
mobile PCs get the most benefits) and present the simplest upgrade
from the gold release of Windows Vista to SP1 (How to Start a Windows
Vista Pilot Deployment describes best practices for running a pilot).
  Organizations waiting for Windows Vista SP1 should start their
compatibility testing on the gold release of Windows Vista now, and
then begin their evaluation and pilot programs on the release
candidate of Windows Vista SP1 when it is released. Windows Vista
includes architectural changes relative to Windows XP that improve
security and reliability. These changes can cause some applications
which work on Windows XP not to work on Windows Vista. However, these
architectural changes are also part of Windows Vista SP1. For this
reason, testing applications on Windows Vista today will be a very
good proxy for compatibility with Windows Vista SP1.
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1  Beta
3

Improving the Customer Experience Improving the Customer Experience
Microsoft uses Windows Vista instrumentation to learn what issues
affect customers most and then address the issues. This
instrumentation includes the Crash Analysis (OCA), both of which opt-
in, anonymous services. Microsoft no only uses this information to fix
Windows Vista issues, but it also shares this information with
software and hardware vendors so they can fix application
compatibility and device driver issues. Microsoft uses Windows Vista
instrumentation to learn what issues affect customers most and then
address the issues. This instrumentation includes the Customer
Experience Improvement Program of which are Microsoft not only uses
this information to fix Windows compatibility and device driver
issues. Microsoft uses Windows Vista instrumentation to learn what
issues affect customers most and then address Customer Experience
Improvement Program (CEIP) and Online information with software and
hardware
The traditional service packs with which most organizations are
familiar are only one way that Microsoft improves the Windows
experience. Continuous improvements to the Windows Vista experience
come from numerous channels, including ongoing updates, application
compatibility improvements, and device driver improvements. The
following sections describe each of these channels in detail. The
traditional service packs with which are familiar are only one Windows
experience. Continuous improvements to the Windows Vista experience
come from numerous channels, including ongoing ments. The following
sections describe each of these channels in detail.
Ongoing Updates
Ongoing updates address some of the most important issues affecting
Microsoft customers. For example, Microsoft recently released two
performance and reliability updates that address issues reported by
customers (see Microsoft Support articles 938979). Microsoft already
delivers these and many other including:   Windows Update Ongoing
updates address some of the most important issues affecting Microsoft
customers. For example, Microsoft recently released two performance es
that address issues reported by customers (see Microsoft Support
articles ). Microsoft already delivers these and many other Windows
Vista updates through various channels, important issues affecting
Microsoft customers. For example, Microsoft recently released two
performance es that address issues reported by customers (see
Microsoft Support articles 938194 and Windows Vista updates through
various channels,
  Microsoft Download Center
  Private updates for enterprise customers and original equipment
manufacturer (OEM) partners Private updates for enterprise customers
and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners Private updates for
enterprise customers and original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
partners
Organizations choose which updates they want to deploy and the Windows
Update, for example. Enterprise Services (WSUS), Microsoft® System
Center Configuration Manager 2007 choose which updates they want to
deploy and the methods for deploying them Windows Update, for example.
Enterprises are more likely to deploy updates using Windows Server
Microsoft® System Center Configuration Manager 2007, or third-party
tools. methods for deploying them-using are more likely to deploy
updates using Windows Server® Update party tools.
Application Compatibility Improvements Improvements
Microsoft is making steady progress toward resolving application
compatibility issues by engaging with independent software vendors
(ISVs) to get major applications networking (VPN) applications-working
on applications have moved to Windows Vista. These include
applications from ISVs like Adobe, Citrix, Oracle, Sun, HP, LANDesk,
and IBM. Hundreds more applications have been tested and remediated
visited the Microsoft ISV application compatibility lab for weeklong
engagements. As a result of these efforts, Microsoft is making steady
progress toward resolving application compatibility issues by engaging
with independent software vendors (ISVs) to get major applications-
such as antivirus and virtual private working on Windows Vista. Since
the launch, more than 70 major enterprise applications have moved to
Windows Vista. These include applications from ISVs like Adobe,
Citrix, Oracle, Sun, HP, LANDesk, and IBM. Hundreds more applications
have been tested and remediated visited the Microsoft ISV application
compatibility lab for weeklong engagements. As a result of these
efforts, Microsoft is making steady progress toward resolving
application compatibility issues by engaging with such as antivirus
and virtual private Windows Vista. Since the launch, more than 70
major enterprise applications have moved to Windows Vista. These
include applications from ISVs like Adobe, Citrix, Oracle, Sun, HP,
LANDesk, and IBM. Hundreds more applications have been tested and
remediated by ISVs that visited the Microsoft ISV application
compatibility lab for weeklong engagements. As a result of these
efforts,

Application Compatibility Improvements Compatibility Improvements

Ongoing Updates

Device Driver Improvements
Windows Quality

Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1  Beta Beta
4

nearly 2,100 applications now have the Windows Vista logo Windows
Vista are designed and tested to deliver a superior experience with
PCs running the Windows Vista operating system so software is easy to
install, better performing earned the Works with Windows Vista logo
have been tested for baseline compatibility with PCs running the
Windows Vista Operating System. nearly 2,100 applications now have the
Windows Vista logo, (see Figure 1). Applications that are Certified
for Windows Vista are designed and tested to deliver a superior
experience with PCs running the Windows Vista operating system so
software is easy to install, better performing, and more secure, while
products earned the Works with Windows Vista logo have been tested for
baseline compatibility with PCs running the Applications that are
Certified for Windows Vista are designed and tested to deliver a
superior experience with PCs running the Windows Vista while products
that have earned the Works with Windows Vista logo have been tested
for baseline compatibility with PCs running the

2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0

November 2006   January 2007    June 2007       July 2007

Windows Logo Applications
254
652
1709
2076

Figure 1. Applications with the Windows Applications with the Windows
Vista logo
In addition to helping ISVs resolve application compatibility issues,
Microsoft provided robust tools at the Windows Vista launch to help
information technology (IT) professionals assess and mitigate problems
with existing applications. The primary tool they use i migrating to
Windows Vista easier, Microsoft has created the connects its
enterprise customers with selected partners that deliver high volume,
low cost application compatibility and remediation services. ion to
helping ISVs resolve application compatibility issues, Microsoft
provided robust tools at the Windows Vista launch to help information
technology (IT) professionals assess and mitigate problems with
existing applications. The primary tool they use is the Application
Compatibility Toolkit 5.0 migrating to Windows Vista easier, Microsoft
has created the Application Compatibility Factory connects its
enterprise customers with selected partners that deliver high volume,
low cost application compatibility and remediation services. ion to
helping ISVs resolve application compatibility issues, Microsoft
provided robust tools at the Windows Vista launch to help information
technology (IT) professionals assess and mitigate problems with
Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.0.. To help make Application
Compatibility Factory (ACF) that connects its enterprise customers
with selected partners that deliver high volume, low cost application
Device Driver Improvements
Device compatibility is also important t coverage continues to grow
for Windows Vista. Microsoft has added initial Windows Vista release
in November 2006. Including device drivers in the box and those
available from Windows Update, by July 2007 Windows Vista supported
nearly 2 majority of devices in use. The number of Window outpacing
Windows XP. important to Windows Vista customers. As shown in Figure
coverage continues to grow for Windows Vista. Microsoft has added
700,000 new device types since the tial Windows Vista release in
November 2006. Including device drivers in the box and those available
from 2007 Windows Vista supported nearly 2.2 million devices. That
covers . The number of Windows Vista logo devices exceeds 10,000, and
the growth is Figure 2, device driver 00,000 new device types since
the tial Windows Vista release in November 2006. Including device
drivers in the box and those available from million devices. That
covers the vast s Vista logo devices exceeds 10,000, and the growth
is
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1  Beta Beta
5

2.4
2.2
2
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1

November 2006 November 2006     January 2007    May 2007        July 2007

Devices in Millions
1.5 1.5
1.7
1.9

2.2

Figure 2. Device driver coverage for Windows Vista Device driver
coverage for Windows Vista
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1  Beta Beta
6

Introducing Windows Vista Service Pack 1
In addition to regular Windows Vista updates, application
compatibility improvements, and device driver improvements, Windows
Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) is another way Microsoft will deliver
improvements to the Windows Vista customer experience.
The goal of Windows Vista SP1 is to address key feedback Microsoft has
received from its customers without regressing application
compatibility. Windows Vista SP1 will deliver improvements and
enhancements to existing features that significantly impact customers,
but it does not deliver substantial new operating system features. For
example, the service pack improves the performance of the desktop
shell, but it does not provide a new search user interface or a new
version of Windows® Media Center.
The updates in Windows Vista SP1 fall into three categories, which the
following sections describe in detail:   Quality improvements,
including all previously released updates, which address reliability,
security, and performance.
  Improvements to the administration experience, including BitLocker™
Drive Encryption (BDE).
  Support for emerging hardware and standards, such as an Extensible
Firmware Interface (EFI) and an Extended File Allocation Table
(exFAT).
Quality Improvements
Quality improvements have the broadest impact on all customers. It is
the foundation of Windows Vista SP1 and is about improving the overall
Windows Vista experience.
First, Windows Vista SP1 will include all previously released updates
for Windows Vista. It also will include security, reliability, and
performance improvements. These improvements target some of the issues
Microsoft has identified as the most common causes of operating system
crashes and hangs, giving customers a more reliable experience. These
updates also improve performance in key scenarios-for example, when
copying files or shutting down the computer.
The following sections describe many of the security, reliability, and
performance improvements that will be in Windows Vista SP1.
Security Security improvements that will be in Windows Vista SP1
include:   Provides security software vendors a more secure way to
communicate with Windows Security Center.
Administration Experience Improvements
Reliabiliy and Perfomance Improvements
Support for Emerging Hardware and Standards
Service Pack 1
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1  Beta
7

  Includes application programming interfaces (APIs) by which third-
party security and malicious software detection applications can work
with kernel patch protection on x64 versions of Windows Vista. These
APIs help ISVs develop software that extends the functionality of the
Windows kernel on x64 computers without disabling or weakening the
protection offered by kernel patch protection.
  Improves the security of running RemoteApp programs and desktops by
allowing Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) files to be signed. Customers
can differentiate user experiences based on publisher identity.
  Adds an Elliptical Curve Cryptography (ECC) pseudo-random number
generator (PRNG) to the list of available PRNGs in Windows Vista.
  Enhances BitLocker Drive Encryption (BDE) to offer an additional
multifactor authentication method that combines a key protected by the
Trusted Platform Module (TPM) with a Startup key stored on a USB
storage device and a user-generated personal identification number
(PIN).
Reliability Windows Vista SP1 will include improvements that target
some of the most common causes of crashes and hangs, giving users a
more consistent experience. Many of these improvements will
specifically address issues identified from the Windows Error
Reporting tool. The following list describes some of the reliability
improvements that Windows Vista SP1 will include:   Improved
reliability and compatibility of Windows Vista when used with newer
graphics cards in several specific scenarios and configurations.
  Improved reliability when working with external displays on a
laptop.
  Improved Windows Vista reliability in networking configuration
scenarios.
  Improved reliability of systems that were upgraded from Windows XP
to Windows Vista.
  Increased compatibility with many printer drivers.
  Increased reliability and performance of Windows Vista when entering
sleep and resuming from sleep.
Performance The following list describes some of the performance
improvements that Windows Vista SP1 will include:   Improves the speed
of copying and extracting files.
  Improves the time to become active from Hibernate and Resume modes.
  Improves the performance of domain-joined PCs when operating off the
domain; in the current release version of Windows Vista, users would
experience long delays when opening the File dialog box.
  Improves performance of Windows® Internet Explorer® 7 inWindows
Vista, reducing CPU utilization and speeding JavaScript parsing.
  Improves battery life by reducing CPU utilization by not redrawing
the screen as frequently, on certain computers.
  Improves the logon experience by removing the occasional 10-second
delay between pressing CTRL-
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1  Beta
8

ALT-DEL and the password prompt displaying.
  Addresses an issue in the current version of Windows Vista that
makes browsing network file shares consume significant bandwidth and
not perform as fast as expected.
Administration Experience
Many of the changes in Windows Vista SP1 will improve the deployment,
management, and support experience for Windows Vista customers. The
following list describes some of these enhancements:   BitLocker Drive
Encryption encrypts extra local volumes. For example, instead of
encrypting only drive C, customers can also encrypt drive D, E, and so
on.
  Addresses problems with printing to local printers from a Windows®
Terminal Services session.
  The Network Diagnostics tool will help customers solve the most
common file sharing problems, in addition to the basic problems that
it already diagnoses.
  Administrators can control the volumes on which to run Disk
Defragmenter.
In addition to these changes, Windows Vista SP1 will change the tools
that customers use to manage Group Policy. Administrators requested
features in Group Policy that simplify policy management. To do this,
the service pack will uninstall the Group Policy Management Console
(GPMC) and GPEdit.msc will edit local Group Policy by default. In the
SP1 timeframe, administrators can download an out-of-band release that
will give them the ability to add comments to Group Policy Objects
(GPOs) or individual settings and search for specific settings.1
Emerging Hardware and Standards
The technology industry is fast-paced and constantly changing.
Throughout the life cycle of any version of the Windows operating
system, the industry creates new hardware innovations and defines new
standards. Windows Vista SP1 will include support for some of these
new hardware innovations and standards, because Microsoft expects them
to become increasingly important in the near future. The following
list describes some of the enhancements of Windows Vista SP1 that will
support these emerging innovations and standards:   In the future,
flash memory storage and consumer devices will use the exFAT file
system. Windows Vista SP1 adds support for this file system to Windows
Vista.
  The service pack will include support for Secure Digital (SD)
Advanced Direct Memory Access (DMA), which will be on compliant SD
host controllers soon, to improve transfer performance and decrease
CPU utilization.
  x64 PCs can boot using the EFI. Windows Vista currently supports
network boot by using Windows Deployment Services for x86, a PC's
basic input/output system (BIOS) for x64 PCs, and EFI for IA-64 PCs.
Windows Vista SP1 will add support for network boot by using x64 EFI.
  The service pack will add support for Direct3D 10.1, adding
application programming interfaces (APIs)

1 Beta testers will find that after installing Windows Vista SP1, they
no longer have access to GPMC, and that the new, enhanced version of
GPMC has not yet been released. In this case, administrators can
continue to edit Group Policy by opening a remote desktop session
directly to the server or to a PC running the release to manufacturing
(RTM) version of Windows Vista.
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1  Beta
9

and features that enable 3-D applications, so game developers can
better take advantage of a new generation of Direct3D graphics
hardware.
  The Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) is a remote access
tunneling protocol that will be part of the Routing and Remote Access
Service (RRAS) platform. This protocol helps provide full-network
virtual private network (VPN) remote access connections without
challenges that other protocols face when traversing NATs, Web
proxies, and firewalls. Windows Vista SP1 will include support for
SSTP.
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1  Beta
10

Evaluating Windows Vista Service Pack 1
In key areas, Windows Vista SP1 will compare favorably to earlier
Windows service packs. Windows® 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4) and Windows
XP SP1 both made limited changes to the user interface and had limited
impacts to application compatibility. Both service packs were small in
download size. Windows XP SP2 was an exceptional case, as noted in the
next paragraph. It significantly impacted the user interface and
application compatibility, and was large in download size.  While
Windows Vista SP1 is still in beta, Microsoft's intention is that it
will make limited changes to the user interface, have limited impact
to application compatibility, and the Windows Update and WSUS download
size will be small.
The purpose of Windows Vista SP1 is different from the purpose of
Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). Windows XP SP2 was a special update-
Microsoft recognized that it was in a unique position to address new
and emerging security threats, and the service pack was the best
answer. To address these threats, Microsoft incorporated significant,
well-considered changes into the service pack, which had a significant
impact on application compatibility. For example, the service pack
enabled Windows Firewall by default, causing some applications to fail
until the customer configured the exceptions in the firewall. However,
Microsoft determined that the security benefit far outweighed any
challenges the changes caused to end users and administrators.
(Likewise, moving from Windows XP SP2 to Windows Vista introduced new,
well-considered changes, such as User Account Control, which impacted
compatibility).
Although Windows Vista SP1 does compare favorably to earlier service
packs, specific benefits have certain costs:
Benefits
Tradeoffs
The standalone service pack will include all languages. It can update
all PCs running Windows Vista -regardless of language2.

Componentization brings benefits such as the ability to uninstall
updates in any order more reliably.

The standalone package will be large (1 GB for x86).

Installing the service pack will require a large amount of free disk
space (7 GB for x86 and 12 GB for x64). However, most of this space
will be reclaimed after installation.
SP1 will improve the performance, reliability, and other areas of
Windows Vista.

Windows Vista contains a significant amount of files shared with
Windows Server 2008 and therefore benefits from the continual
improvements made during the Windows Server 2008 development cycle.3
SP1 will change a significant number of files; customers cannot apply
SP1 to offline Windows Vista images.

2 The Windows Vista Service Pack 1 package is platform specific. Each
platform (x86 or x64) requires a separate package.
3 Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 have been built from the same
fundamental source code base since the beginning.  Many of the core
files are identical between the two products, although each product
has unique features, specific individual files and functional
behaviors that are appropriate for the intended customer uses for the
specific product. For example, Windows Media Center only appears in
Windows Vista, while Active Directory or Windows Clustering only
appear in Windows Server 2008.  Examples of common files shared
between the two operating systems are the
Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1  Beta
11

Deploying Windows Vista Service Pack 1
Windows Vista SP1 will support a number of deployment scenarios and
methods, which the upcoming Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Deployment
Guide will describe in detail. This section provides an overview of
the delivery methods that Windows Vista SP1 will support.
Windows Vista SP1 will support the following delivery methods:  
Express. Requires an Internet connection but minimizes the size of the
download by sending only the changes needed for a specific computer
(approximately 50 MB for x86-based operating systems).
  Stand-alone. Recommended for computers with limited Internet
connectivity and for applying the service pack to multiple computers.
The download size is larger than the express package, but customers
can apply a single package to any Windows Vista version and language
combination (within a platform). Distribution tools like System Center
Configuration Manager 2007 use stand-alone packages to deploy Windows
Vista SP1.
  Slipstream. The slipstream version of Windows Vista SP1 is media
that already contains the service pack, which companies can use to
deploy the operating system to new computers or to upgrade existing
computers. Availability will be limited. Microsoft will update Windows
Vista retail media with Windows Vista SP1 slipstream media in the
future. Slipstream media will also be available to Volume Licensing
customers.
For express and stand-alone deployment methods, Microsoft recommends
the following:   Laptops must be plugged in to an AC power source.
  A minimum of 7 GB free disk space on the system partition for x86-
based operating systems and a minimum of 12 GB free disk space for x64-
based operating systems.
  The stand-alone deployment method requires administrative
credentials.

kernel and core OS files, the networking stack, file sharing.  In the
past year since the Windows Vista public release, the common files in
Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 have been continually improved
based on customer beta feedback, customer deployments, and Microsoft
internal testing.

Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1  Beta
12

Summary
Customers can take advantage of all that Windows Vista has to offer by
evaluating and deploying the operating system now. They do not need to
wait for Windows Vista SP1. Windows Vista enables higher levels of
productivity and mobility than earlier versions of Windows, and it
helps lower the cost of ownership.
Customers currently evaluating and deploying Windows Vista should
continue their evaluation, pilot programs, and deployment on the
currently available version of Windows Vista. Microsoft provides the
tools and guidance customers need to deploy Windows Vista today and
will provide additional guidance, tools, and support for moving to
Windows Vista SP1 when Microsoft releases it.
Customers just starting to evaluate Windows Vista should plan a pilot
program based on the original release and then move to a pilot or
deployment when Windows Vista SP1 becomes available. Pilot programs
are an effective way to introduce the operating system into the
production environment. Pilot testing is best performed on PCs that
present a high business value or a simple upgrade path.
Customers waiting for Windows Vista SP1 should start their
compatibility testing on the currently available release of Windows
Vista now, and then begin their evaluation and pilot programs on the
release candidate of Windows Vista SP1 when it is released. Windows
Vista includes architectural changes relative to Windows XP that
improve security and reliability. These changes can cause some
applications which work on Windows XP not to work on Windows Vista.
However, these architectural changes are also part of Windows Vista
SP1. For this reason, testing applications on Windows Vista today will
be a very good proxy for compatibility with Windows Vista SP1.
See the whitepaper How to Start a Windows Vista Pilot Deployment today
to get started moving to Windows Vista so that your organization can
begin taking advantage of the benefits that Windows Vista provides.

Overview of Windows Vista Service Pack 1  Beta
13

Windows Vista Deployment Tools Overview
BDD 2007 Provides a Framework for All Windows Vista Deployment Tools
By Jerry Honeycutt
Published: June 2007
Abstract
Understanding the inventory of deployment tools for Windows Vistaâ„¢ is
the first step toward successfully deploying the operating system.
This white paper describes the tools built into Windows Vista and the
Microsoft® Windows® Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK). It also
describes other critical deployment technologies, including Microsoft
Windows Deployment Services (Windows DS) and Microsoft System Center
Configuration Manager and how they fit into the overall Business
Desktop Deployment 2007 solution.




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publication. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market
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Contents
Overview 1
Windows Imaging 3
Windows Vista 4
Application Compatibility Toolkit 7
User State Migration Tool 9
Volume Activation 10
Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 11
Windows Automated Installation Kit 12
Business Desktop Deployment 15
Windows Deployment Services 19
Systems Management Server 2003 and System Center Configuration Manager
2007 20
Summary 22
Glossary 23





Overview
Understanding the new deployment tools and how they interconnect is
the first step in beginning a Windows Vistaâ„¢ deployment project.
Microsoft has invested in providing a breadth of tools as well as the
guidance to enable repeatable, scalable, and cost-effective
deployments.

Figure 1 illustrates the Windows Vista deployment platform based on
the Microsoft® Solution Accelerator for Business Desktop Deployment
(BDD) 2007.

Figure 1. BDD 2007 deployment platform
At the lowest tier are Windows Imaging Format (WIM) files, which are
highly compressed, file-based operating system images. Microsoft ships
Windows Vista in Windows image files.
At the second tier are answer files. Earlier versions of the Microsoft
Windows® operating system had numerous answer files, including
Unattend.txt and Sysprep.inf, to drive the deployment process. Windows
Vista uses a single Extensible Markup Language (XML)–based answer
file, Unattend.xml, to drive all its configuration passes. This
improvement makes configuration more consistent and simplifies
engineering.
At the third tier are the various deployment tools for Windows Vista.
The Windows Vista distribution media include some of these tools, such
as Windows Setup, the System Preparation Tool (Sysprep), and other
command-line tools. The Microsoft Windows Automated Installation Kit
(Windows AIK) includes the larger tools, such as Microsoft Windows
System Image Manager (Windows SIM), Microsoft Windows Preinstallation
Environment (Windows PE) 2.0, and ImageX. These basic tools are
necessary for creating, customizing, and deploying Windows Vista
images. They are stand-alone tools that don’t provide a deployment
framework or add business intelligence and best practice to the
process, however.
The fourth tier, BDD 2007, provides the right framework, business
intelligence, and best practices. BDD 2007 is a process and technology
framework that uses all the tools in the third tier, helping you save
hundreds of hours of planning, developing, testing, and deployment.
BDD 2007 is based on best practices developed by Microsoft, its
customers, and its partners. It includes time-proven management and
technology guidance as well as thousands of lines of thoroughly tested
script code that you can use as is or customize to suit your
organization’s requirements.
Using BDD 2007, you can perform both Lite Touch Installation (LTI) and
Zero Touch Installation (ZTI) deployments. LTI requires very little
infrastructure and is suitable for most small and medium businesses.
Microsoft Windows Deployment Services (Windows DS) helps make
deployment more efficient by starting computers from the network. ZTI
deployments take advantage of the Microsoft System Center
Configuration Manager 2007 (or Systems Management Server 2003)
infrastructure and are suitable for organizations that already have
this enterprise-class infrastructure in place.
The following sections provide more information about the components
shown in Figure 1.
Windows Imaging
Windows Vista will be distributed in .wim files, the new image-file
format. This format has the following advantages:
• Windows imaging files are a file-based image format that lets you
store multiple images in one file. You can perform partial volume
captures by excluding files (such as paging files) that you don’t want
to deploy with the image.
• This format reduces file sizes significantly by using a compressed
file format and single-instance storage techniques (the image file
contains one physical copy of a file for each instance of it in the
image file, which significantly reduces the size of image files that
contain multiple images).
• You can service the image contained in the .wim file, including
adding and deleting packages, software updates, and device drivers,
without recreating a new image by applying it, customizing it again,
and recapturing it. For more information, see the section “Other
Deployment Tools†later in this white paper.
• You can mount .wim files as folders, making it easier to update
files in images they contain.
• Windows Imaging files enable the nondestructive application of an
image to the destination computer’s hard disk. You can also apply an
image to different-sized destination disks since .wim files don’t
require the destination hard disk to be the same size or larger than
the source hard disk.
• Windows Imaging files can span media, enabling you to use CD-ROMsto
distribute large .wim files.
• Windows PE .wim files are bootable. For example, you can start
Windows PE from a .wim file. In fact, Windows Vista Setup and Windows
DS start Windows PE from the Boot.wim file, which you can customize by
adding items such as device drivers and scripts.
The WIMGAPI is the Windows Imaging application programming interface
(API) that developers can use to manage .wim files. The API exposes
all imaging functionality. In fact, ImageX is a command-line interface
for WIMGAPI. For more information about ImageX, see the section
“ImageX†later in this white paper.
The possibilities are endless. For example, a developer can use the
API’s functions to create a new .wim file and capture an image to it.
The developer’s code can mount the .wim file to a folder, update its
contents, and unmount the .wim file. Finally, a developer’s code can
prepare a computer’s hard disk by partitioning and formatting it, then
applying the .wim file to the computer. The API even provides callback
messages that enable the developer’s code to display progress and
error messages to the user.
WIMGAPI enables independent software vendors (ISVs) to develop third-
party image deployment and servicing products to fill almost any need.
It also enables your company’s information technology (IT) developers
to more easily create custom imaging solutions for your organization.
Windows Vista
Many of the deployment tools for Windows Vista are included in the
operating system. The two primary tools are Windows Setup, which
drives the installation process, and Sysprep, which prepares master
installations for imaging. The following sections provide an overview
of these tools.
Windows Setup
Windows Setup (Setup.exe) is the program that installs Windows Vista.
It uses image-based setup (IBS) to provide a single, unified process
with which all customers can install Windows. IBS performs clean
installations and upgrades of earlier versions of the Windows
operating system to Windows Vista. With Windows Setup and IBS, you can
easily and cost-effectively deploy Windows Vista in your organization.
Windows Setup includes several new features that facilitate faster and
more consistent installations:
• Improved image management. Windows Vista images are stored in a
single .wim file. A .wim file can store multiple instances of the
operating system in a single, highly compressed file. The installation
file, Install.wim, is located in the Sources folder on the Windows
Vista media. During installation, Windows Setup copies the contents of
the image to the destination computer’s hard disk.
• Streamlined installation. Windows Setup is optimized to enable the
deployment scenarios that most organizations use. Installation takes
less time and provides a more consistent configuration and deployment
process, resulting in lower deployment costs.
• Faster installations. Because Windows Setup is now image-based,
installing and upgrading Windows Vista is faster and easier. You can
perform clean installations of Windows Vista by deploying the Windows
image to destination computers; you perform upgrades by installing a
new image onto an existing installation of Windows. Windows Setup
protects the earlier Windows settings during the installation.
• More robust answer files. With earlier versions of the Windows
operating system, Windows Setup was automated by multiple answer
files, including Unattend.txt, Sysprep.inf, and Winbom.ini. These
answer files enabled automation during a particular phase of
installation—one answer file for each phase. Windows Vista uses a
single answer file, Unattend.xml, for all configuration passes, which
leads to consistency across different passes. Windows Vista supports
more settings in this XML-based answer file than earlier versions of
the Windows operating system, making it easier to deploy the right
configuration using nothing more than an answer file. You use the
Windows SIM to edit Windows Vista answer files (see “Windows SIMâ€).
System Preparation Tool
You use Sysprep to prepare a master installation for imaging and
deployment. BDD 2007 automatically runs Sysprep to prepare the
installation prior to capturing a disk image. Sysprep performs the
following tasks:
• Removes computer-specific data from Windows Vista. Sysprep can
remove all computer-specific information from an installed Windows
Vista image, including the computer security identifier (SID). You can
then capture and install the Windows installation throughout your
organization.
• Configures Windows Vista to boot to Audit Mode. You can use Audit
Mode to install non-Microsoft applications and device drivers as well
as to test the functionality of the computer.
• Configures Windows Vista to boot to Windows Welcome. Sysprep
configures a Windows Vista installation to boot to Windows Welcome the
next time the computer starts. Generally, you configure a system to
boot to Windows Welcome as a final step before delivering the computer
to the user.
• Resets Windows Product Activation. Sysprep can reset Windows Product
Activation as many as three times.
Sysprep.exe resides in the %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\sysprep directory on
all Windows Vista installations. You don’t have to install Sysprep
separately, as in earlier versions of Windows, because it’s a native
part of the installation. You must always run Sysprep from the
%SYSTEMROOT%\system32\sysprep directory on the version of Windows
Vista with which it was installed.
Other Deployment Tools
Windows Vista includes many of the command-line deployment tools
natively. The following list describes the most commonly used tools:
• Bcdedit.exe. A command-line tool for managing Boot Configuration
Data (BCD) stores. BCD files provide a store that describes boot
applications and boot application settings. The objects and elements
in the store replace Boot.ini. Bcdedit.exe has many uses, including
creating new stores, modifying existing stores, adding boot menu
options, and so on. Bcdedit.exe serves the same purpose as Bootcfg.exe
on earlier versions of the Windows operating system, but it provides
more options and is easier to script.
• Bootsect.exe. Updates the master boot code on hard disk partitions.
Use this tool to switch between BOOTMGR and NTLDR. You also use this
tool to restore the boot sector on a computer. Bootsect.exe replaces
FixFAT and FixNTFS.
• Diskpart.exe. A text-mode command interpreter that enables you to
manage disk-related objects (disks, partitions, or volumes) by using
scripts or direct input at a command prompt.
• Expand.exe. Expands one or more compressed update files. Expand.exe
supports opening updates for Windows Vista as well as earlier versions
of Windows. By using Expand, you can open and examine updates for
Windows Vista on a Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Server® 2003
operating system. The Windows AIK also includes this tool so you can
use it on versions of Windows earlier than Windows Vista.
• Lpksetup.exe. Performs unattended language-pack operations.
Lpksetup.exe can install and uninstall language packs silently, for
example. This tool only runs online—you can’t use it to addlanguage
packs to an offline Windows Vista image.
• Pkgmgr.exe. A command-line tool that you can use offline to install,
remove, or update Windows Vista packages. You can add packages,
provided as .cab files, to an offline Windows Vista image. Pkgmgr.exe
(Package Manager) can enable or disable features, either offline or on
a running installation. You can use this tool to do the following with
offline Windows Vista images:
• Install or uninstall updates that Microsoft provides.
• Install language packs.
• Add out-of-box drivers to the driver store.
• Enable or disable Windows features.
• Accept an answer file as input (offlineServicing settings only).
• Add packages to an offline Windows image.
• Install or uninstall multiple packages with one command string.
• Powercfg.exe. Controls power settings and configures computers to
default to Hibernate or Standby modes. You can use this tool to fully
script power-management configurations during deployment.
Application Compatibility Toolkit
The Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) 5.0 provides tools for
creating an application inventory, identifying compatibility issues,
and mitigating those issues.
The software requirements for the ACT are straightforward. It requires
at least Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 1 (SP1) or a later
version of the Windows operating system. You must have a database in
which to store application data. You can use Microsoft SQL Serverâ„¢
2005, SQL Server 2005 Express, or SQL Server 2000. You must also
install the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 on the server computer.
After installing and configuring ACT, use the following four-step
process to create an application inventory for your environment:
• Inventory. During the inventory process, you deploy the ACT agentto
computers running at least Microsoft Windows 2000 with SP4 or a later
version of the Windows operating system. You can deploy the agent by
using a logon script or your existing systems management
infrastructure. The agent gathers an inventory from each computer by
looking at different installation areas. ACT includes Windows Vista–
specific compatibility evaluators to help you identify issues in your
application inventory. For example, the Windows Vista User Account
Control (UAC) Compatibility Evaluator identifies compatibility issues
resulting from permission restrictions that UAC enforces.
• Analyze. After collecting an inventory, the next step is to analyze
it. During this analysis, you gather metadata about each application
in the inventory that will help you develop a strategy around how you
will organize the applications. ACT allows you to create custom
compatibility reports that meet your own requirements. You can also
assign custom categories for your applications that help you add more
meaning to your requirements. For example, you can create categories
for geographies, departments, and vendors.
• Rationalize. After analyzing the application inventory, you
rationalize it by refining the list. Your organization might have
hundreds if not thousands of applications. However, you can’t worry
about every application in the organization. In this phase, you reduce
the list of applications you’re examining to focus your efforts on the
correct set of applications. ACT includes new filtering features that
help you refine your application inventory. For example, you can
eliminate irrelevant applications, applications that have specific
issues, or applications with no compatibility information. You can
also find and share compatibility information with industry peers
through the Online Compatibility Exchange.
• Prioritize. After narrowing down the list of applications by
rationalizing it, you can further refine the list by prioritizing each
application. The goal is to focus on delivering a smooth and almost
transparent operating system deployment. ACT helps you prioritize your
applications and identify those applications that are mission-
critical. ACT also provides basic workflow management by helping you
track the deployment process with status levels such as Not Tested, In
Testing, In Mitigation, and Ready to Deploy.
The latest version of ACT is much more than just a tool for testing
application compatibility. It’s now a life cycle–managementtool for
applications, enabling you to gather an inventory into a complete
picture of the applications in your organization—an application
portfolio. Even after you deploy the operating system, ACT will
continue to be a valuable part of your IT operations.

For more information about ACT, see Microsoft Application
Compatibility Toolkit 5.0 at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa905102.aspx.
BDD 2007 provides guidance for using ACT within the scope of a larger
deployment project and the BDD solution enables you to download and
install this toolkit.
User State Migration Tool
Operating system deployment always involves user state migration—the
process of migrating users’ documents and settings from one operating
system to another. Even when you don’t migrate user state during
deployment, users will spend countless hours trying to restore their
preferences (desktop backgrounds, screensavers, and themes). Because
this manual process reduces user productivity and usually increases
support calls (because users often forget how to configure settings),
organizations often choose to migrate some portion of user state to
new operating systems as they’re deployed.
User satisfaction is another reason to elevate the importance of user
state migration in your project. Users are simply more satisfied and
feel less overwhelmed when they sit down in front of a new operating
system and they don’t have to recover their preferences. The fact is
that unsatisfied users can lead to poor post-implementation reviews
and have negative consequences for future deployment projects. For
example, user dissatisfaction with previous projects can stall a
deployment project that you know will benefit the company in the long
term.
Use Microsoft Windows User State Migration Tool (USMT) to migrate user
state in high-volume deployment projects. It can execute complex,
repeatable migrations of user state data between operating systems.
You can script USMT, or you can execute it directly in a Command
Prompt window. BDD 2007 automatically runs USMT during LTI and ZTI
deployments. Of course, BDD 2007 provides options for customizing how
it runs USMT.
In addition to document and settings migration, USMT can migrate
application preferences for Microsoft Office applications between
versions of Microsoft Office. For example, USMT can migrate Microsoft
Office XP or later settings to newer versions of Microsoft Office,
including the 2007 Microsoft Office system.
Volume Activation
Microsoft Volume Activation 2.0 is technology for activating Windows
operating systems and, in the future, other Microsoft programs such as
Microsoft Office, ensuring that both Microsoft and the customer are
protected from casual copying. Through the creation of limited-use
product keys (called Multiple Activation Keys, or MAKs) or by
requiring systems to periodically renew their activation using a Key
Management Service (KMS) infrastructure, Microsoft gives organizations
a solution that may protect their license investments. This solution
has several benefits, in addition to helping solve the problems of
intellectual property theft and customers’ loss of product support:
• Flexible, easy activation options. The new KMS infrastructure is
simple to operate, requiring little time for proper configuration and
activation. Systems imaged for this environment automatically maintain
their activation with no additional effort on the part of IT
administrators. MAKs are easy to distribute, and the entire process is
invisible to users no matter which option is used.
• Better software asset management. Although Volume Activation is in
no way tied to the billing process, administrators will be able to
generate reports on software activation by using a provided reporting
tool, a Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) pack, or a non-Microsoft
license auditing tool. By knowing the number of activated products in
their environment, administrators can monitor volume license usage and
know when to budget for additional licenses. Microsoft’s online
license management portals allow administrators to request additional
keys to activate the computers purchased to replace stolen systems or
to reactivate systems that have gone out of tolerance or have been re-
imaged.
• Better Volume License Key management tools. Volume License Keys are
now encrypted and kept in a trusted store on the client, and in
general they are easy for IT professionals to manage and protect,
especially in the case of KMS. Using BDD 2007 tools, administrators
can prepare reference systems for image capture. Administrators can
activate Windows by using scripts after systems are imaged, providing
automation of activation and helping to reduce administrative effort.
The Microsoft Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT) is part of
Volume Activation and allows organizations to manage the activation of
their Windows Vista computers using MAKs. These new capabilities allow
much tighter control of activation keys. Organizations can now ensure
that their activation keys are used only to activate their systems
without extensive custody control processes.
• Better protection for data on lost and stolen systems. Systems
activated with KMS must periodically renew their activation against
the customer’s hosted KMS to remain in operation. Systems taken from
environments protected by this system eventually revert to Reduced
Functionality Mode (RFM), limiting their usefulness and making them
less attractive to theft.
For more information about volume activation, see Volume Activation
Guide at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/desktopdeployment/bdd/2007/VolumeAct.mspx.
Windows Vista Hardware Assessment
Windows Vista Hardware Assessment (WVHA) is a centralized and
agentless tool that assesses the readiness of computers for Windows
Vista. It quickly inventories computers, identifies the supported
Windows Vista experience, and recommends specific hardware upgrades.
WVHA runs on a single networked computer to assess all computers on
the network.
WVHA provides detailed reports that describe the readiness of existing
computers for Windows Vista. It describes each computer’s readiness
using the following three levels:
• Computers that are incompatible with Windows Vista
• Computers that are ready for the Windows Vista Capable experience
• Computers that are ready for the Windows Vista Premium Ready
experience
In addition to reporting the readiness of existing computers, WVHA
recommends specifications that you must address to get a computer
ready for Windows Vista installation to improve the user’s experience.
For example, WVHA might recommend that you upgrade a computer to 512
megabytes (MB) of memory to get the Windows Vista Capable experience.
It might recommend that you upgrade the graphics card to get a Windows
Vista Premium experience.
WVHA provides you with clear guidance on the computer assets you have
and their capability to run Windows Vista. It also provides
recommendations for computers that are not capable of running Windows
Vista. It’s an unobtrusive, centralized method for capturing this
information, and it complements tools like ACT 5.0 and BDD 2007. For
more information about WVHA, see http://www.microsoft.com/technet/wvha.
Windows Automated Installation Kit
The Windows AIK includes Windows PE, Windows System Image Manager, and
other Windows Vista deployment tools. Using these tools together, you
can customize and deploy Windows Vista. BDD 2007 fully leverages all
these tools, however, and it applies best practices and business
intelligence to them. In fact, you can download and automatically
install Windows AIK by using BDD 2007. Abstracting these tools by
using BDD 2007 is a better way to deploy Windows Vista than using
these tools directly. For more information about Windows AIK, see
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa905061.aspx.
Windows PE
Prior to Windows PE, organizations often had to use MS-DOS® boot
floppy disks to start destination computers, and then start Windows
Setup from a network share or other distribution media. MS-DOS boot
floppy disks had numerous limitations, however, including no support
for the NTFS file system, no native networking support, and a
requirement to locate 16-bit device drivers that worked in MS-DOS.
Windows PE 2.0 provides a minimal Win32® operating system with limited
services—built on the Windows Vista kernel—that you use to prepare a
computer for Windows Vista installation, copy disk images to and from
a network file server, and start Windows Setup. Windows PE 2.0 is
designed solely as a stand-alone preinstallation environment and as an
integral component of other setup and recovery technologies, such as
Windows Setup, Windows DS, Configuration Manager 2007, SMS Operating
System Deployment (OSD) Feature Pack, and BDD 2007. Unlike earlier
versions of Windows PE, which were only available as a Software
Assurance (SA) benefit, Windows PE 2.0 is now publicly available in
the Windows AIK.
Windows PE provides the following features and capabilities:
• Native support for NTFS 5.x file system, including dynamic volume
creation and management
• Native support for TCP/IP networking and file sharing (client only)
• Native support for 32-bit (or 64-bit) Windows device drivers
• Native support for a subset of the Win32 API; optional support for
Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and Windows Script Host (WSH)
• Can be started from multiple media, including CD, DVD, USB Flash
Drive (UFD), and Windows DS
Windows PE runs every time you install Windows Vista, whether you
install the operating system by starting the computer with the Windows
Vista DVD or deploy Windows Vista from Windows DS. The graphical tools
that collect configuration information during the setup phase run
within Windows PE. In addition, you can customize and extend Windows
PE to meet specific deployment needs. For example, BDD 2007 customizes
Windows PE for LTI deployments by adding device drivers, deployment
scripts, and so on.
When using BDD 2007, you don’t have to build or customize Windows PE
manually. BDD 2007 automatically generates fully customized Windows PE
images that you can burn to DVDs or add to a Windows DS server. BDD
2007 allows you to refine these Windows PE images by providing several
options, such as choosing the device drivers to include, choosing
optional fonts to include, and changing the Windows PE background.
Windows System Image Manager
You use Windows System Image Manager (SIM) to create and configure
Windows Vista answer files. Windows Setup uses answer files you create
by using Windows SIM to configure and customize the default Windows
Vista installation for all configuration passes. For instance, you can
customize Windows Internet Explorer®, configure Windows Firewall, and
specify the hard disk drive configuration. You can use Windows SIM to
customize Windows Vista in the following ways and more:
• Install non-Microsoft applications during installation.
• Customize Windows Vista by creating answer files (Unattend.xml).
• Apply language packs, service packs, and updates to an image during
installation.
• Add device drivers to an image during installation.
BDD 2007 automatically generates answer files that fully automate the
Windows Vista installation process. It’s possible that you won’t need
to further customize the answer file when using BDD 2007. However, BDD
2007 provides easy access to Windows SIM when you create an operating
system build, which allows you to further customize the answer file
associated with the build.
ImageX
ImageX is an easy-to-use command-line utility that you use to create
and manipulate Windows Imaging files. With ImageX, you can capture
images and apply them to prepared destination computers’ hard disk
drives. You can mount .wim image files as folders and thereby edit
images offline. ImageX addresses the challenges that organizations
face when using sector-based imaging formats or the MS-DOS XCopy
command to copy an installation of Windows onto new hardware. For
example, sector-based imaging:
• Requires that the destination computer use the same Hardware
Abstraction Layer (HAL) as the master computer.
• Requires that the destination computer boot from the same type of
mass-storage controller as the master computer.
• Destroys the existing contents of the destination computer’s hard
disk drive, complicating migration scenarios.
• Duplicates the hard disk drive exactly; therefore, the image can
deploy only to partitions that are the same type and at least as large
as the source partition on the master computer.
• Does not allow for direct modification of image file contents.
The limitations of sector-based imaging led Microsoft to develop a
file-based imaging solution, ImageX, and the accompanying .wim image
file format. You can use ImageX to create an image, modify the image
without going through the extraction and re-creation process, and
deploy the image to your environment—all using the same tool.
Because ImageX works at the file level, it provides numerous benefits.
It provides more flexibility and control over your images. For
example, you can mount an image onto a folder, and then add files to,
copy files from, and delete files from the image using a file-
management tool such as Windows Explorer. ImageX allows for quicker
deployment of images and faster installations than with earlier
versions of the Windows operating system. With the file-based image
format, you can also deploy images nondestructively so that ImageX
does not erase the destination computer’s hard disk drive.
ImageX supports highly compressed images. First, .wim files support
single instancing: File data is stored separately from path
information so if duplicate files exist across multiple paths, the
file data is stored one time, saving space. Second, .wim files support
two compression algorithms—fast and maximum—which give you control
over the size of your images and the time required to capture and
deploy them.
BDD 2007 uses ImageX to capture images of master installations. It
also uses ImageX to optionally back up the destination computer before
installing an operating system build to it.
Other Tools
Windows AIK includes many other deployment tools, including the
following:
• Drvload.exe. Adds out-of-box drivers to a booted Windows PE image.
It takes one or more driver .inf files as inputs. To add a driver to
an offline Windows PE image, use the Peimg.exe tool.
• Intlcfg.exe. Changes the language, locale, fonts, and input settings
of a Windows Vista image. Typically, you run Intlcfg.exe after
applying one or more language packs to a Windows Vista image.
• Oscdimg.exe. Creates an image (.iso) file of a customized 32-bit or
64-bit version of Windows PE. You can then burn that .iso file to a CD-
ROM or DVD-ROM.
• Peimg.exe. Creates and modifies Windows PE 2.0 images offline. You
use Peimg.exe to import and install optional packages to Windows PE.
You also use it to add device drivers, choose a language, and optimize
a Windows PE image.
• WIMGAPI. The Windows Imaging API that developers can use to
manage .wim files. The API exposes all Windows imaging functionality.
In fact, ImageX is a command-line interface for WIMGAPI. Windows AIK
includes file system driver for WIMGAPI that you can use with versions
of the Windows operating system earlier than Windows Vista. Windows
Vista already includes WIMGAPI.
• Wpeinit.exe. Initializes Windows PE each time it boots. When Windows
PE starts, Winpeshl.exe executes Startnet.cmd, which launches
Wpeinit.exe. Wpeinit.exe installs Plug and Play devices, processes
Unattend.xml settings, and loads network resources.
• Wpeutil.exe. Enables you to run various commands in a Windows PE
session. For example, you can shut down or restart Windows PE, enable
or disable firewalls, and initialize a network.
Business Desktop Deployment
BDD 2007 is a holistic approach to desktop deployment, bringing
together the people, processes, and technology required to perform
highly successful, repeatable, and consistent deployment projects.
Because of its strong focus on methodology and best practices, BDD
2007 is much more valuable than the sum of its parts. Not only does
BDD 2007 have the benefit of decreasing the time required to develop a
desktop-deployment project, but it also reduces errors and helps you
create a higher-quality desktop-deployment project.
Microsoft has been working with industry experts, system integrators,
and deployment/management software providers in building this guidance
so that it captures best practices from throughout the industry. The
result is the significantly improved Business Desktop Deployment (BDD
2007) methodology for desktop deployment.
Microsoft has two implementations of BDD methodology: Lite Touch (LTI)
and Zero Touch (ZTI). The Lite Touch version of BDD is most useful for
companies that might not have a management infrastructure but want to
take advantage of the solution to do a full, end-to-end deployment.
Microsoft's recommended and high-end BDD solution is the Zero Touch
implementation, using the enterprise-class infrastructure that SMS
2003 provides.
BDD 2007 includes an information center that helps you get easily
started with the solution. The information center provides easy access
to all of the solution’s guidance. It also allows you to download and
automatically install all of the components that BDD 2007 requires,
including Windows AIK, ACT5.0, WVHA, Volume Activation tools, USMT,
Office migration tools, and required updates.
Microsoft recommends that you use BDD 2007 to deploy Windows Vista
instead of using the basic deployment tools directly. All the
deployment tools in Windows Vista and Windows AIK are huge
improvements over the deployment tools for earlier versions of the
Windows operating system. However, they are simply tools without a
framework and without any business logic. They have no glue to bind
them into an end-to-end process. BDD 2007 provides this glue in the
form of a complete technology framework. Internally, BDD 2007 is an
extremely sophisticated solution. It provides solutions for the
problems facing most customers during deployment, including
preinstallation phases (disk partitioning, formatting, and so on),
installation (disk imaging), and post-installation phases (user state
migration, application installation, customization, and so on). Even
though BDD 2007 is complex internally, the solution makes building,
customizing, and deploying Windows Vista images easy by masking most
of the details.
Figure 2 describes the typical process for using BDD 2007 to deploy
Windows Vista. The process is the same whether you’re capturing an
image in the lab or deploying images in a production environment. In
addition, BDD 2007 provides a user interface (UI) to configure all its
processes. Behind the scenes, thousands of lines of code work to
implement your choices during deployment.

Figure 2. BDD 2007 development and deployment process
The following list describes each part of the BDD 2007 deployment
process:
• Information Center. After installing BDD 2007 on a build server in a
lab environment, you can use the information center to read the
recommended guidance and methodology. You can also use the components
page to get and install all the latest tools, including all the free
tools mentioned in this white paper.
• Distribution share. You first use the BDD 2007 Deployment Workbench
to stock the distribution share with source files that you’ll use to
build images for your environment. Source files include Windows Vista
images, applications, device drivers, and packages. Deployment
Workbench provides a UI for adding all source files to the
distribution share. The UI also provides intelligence, such as error
checking and building a device driver database for device driver
injection during deployment.
• Build. After the distribution share is fully stocked, you use
Deployment Workbench to create a build. A build associates source
files from the distribution share with a configuration that customizes
the operating system installation. The configuration includes a setup
answer file (Unattend.xml) and a task sequence. A task sequence is a
list of steps to take during installation. The task sequence specifies
when to take each step and when to skip it. The task sequence supports
restarts during installation, and data collected during the task
sequencer persists between restarts. The task sequence represents one
of the primary customization points for BDD 2007.
• Deployment point. After creating a build, you create deployment
points for installing it. A deployment point is a subset of the BDD
2007 distribution share in much the same way that configuration sets
are subsets of Windows SIM distribution shares.

A deployment point specifies which source files and builds from the
distribution share to distribute and how to distribute them.
Deployment points also provide a way for users to connect and begin
installation. For example, a network deployment point copies a subset
of the distribution share to another network location and generates a
Windows PE boot image that automatically connects to the distribution
share and begins installation. A Microsoft Systems Management Server
(SMS) OSD Feature Pack deployment point creates a subset of the
distribution share that you can deploy by using a Configuration
Manager 2007 OSD Feature Pack deployment program. A special deployment
point, called a Lab deployment point, always points to the full
distribution share on the build server.

Deployment points are customizable. The primary customization points
for deployment points are rules, which are stored in a file called
CustomSettings.ini. This file contains rules for installing Windows
Vista on destination computers and configuring it. You can configure
the BDD 2007 Windows Deployment Wizard UI, for example, by hiding
certain pages and automating others. You can also target specific
Windows Vista settings at different groups of computers based on Media
Access Control (MAC) address, location, and so on.
It is worth noting that this is an infrastructure that is separate
from a traditional SMS 2003 or System Center Configuration Manager
network hierarchy. In the ZTI approach, SMS 2003 OSD or SCCM OSD are
used that take advantage of a deployed network infrastructure,
including the benefits of SMS site replication, centralized
management, and granular control of build distribution. In SCCM,
network efficiency from Binary Delta replication ensures that your
network only replicates changes that are made to larger OS packages.
• Destination computer. With a fully stocked distribution share, a
defined build, and a defined deployment point, you can use BDD 2007 to
deploy Windows Vista to destination computers. You can use an LTI or a
ZTI deployment to deploy Windows Vista. To use LTI, you start the
destination computer using the deployment point’s Windows PE boot
image. You can put the boot image on removable media (DVD, UFD, and so
on) or add it to a Windows DS server. Either way, you start the
destination computer using the Windows PE boot image that the
deployment point provides to begin the Windows Deployment Wizard. The
wizard displays several screens to collect data from you (computer
name, domain membership, applications to install, and so on), and then
the wizard installs the operating system without any further
interaction. You can also use ZTI deployment to deploy Windows Vista.
To deploy Windows Vista using ZTI, you must utilize an SMS OSD Feature
Pack deployment point.
This infrastructure is similar in SCCM, the primary difference being
that for SCCM, OS Deployment is an out-of-the-box feature included in
the product. There are also significant improvements over all of
today’s OS deployment methodology within SCCM, including WinPE boot
support, increased scenario support, PXE integration, Task Sequences,
Driver catalogue services, and full integration to Windows Vista and
Windows Server 2008 AIK.

• Figure 2 makes no reference to creating a master installation and
capturing an image. In BDD 2007, creating and capturing an image is an
LTI process. You can configure any deployment point to automatically
capture an image of an installation and store the image in the
distribution share. After you make this choice, the imaging process is
fully automated. You don’t have to run Sysprep. You don’t have to run
ImageX. The Windows Deployment Wizard automatically runs Sysprep, and
then it runs ImageX to capture the image and store it in the
distribution share. Then, you can simply add the image to the
distribution share using Deployment Workbench.
See http://www.microsoft.com/desktopdeployment/ for more information
about BDD 2007.
Windows Deployment Services
Windows Deployment Services (Windows DS) is the updated and redesigned
version of Remote Installation Services (RIS) in Windows Server 2008.
A Windows DS update is also available for Windows Server 2003 SP1.
Windows AIK includes this update. Windows Server 2003 SP2 includes
Windows DS as an operating system component. Windows DS helps
organizations rapidly deploy Windows operating systems, particularly
Windows Vista. Using Windows DS, you can deploy Windows operating
systems over a network without using the media.
Windows DS delivers a better in-box deployment solution than RIS. It
provides platform components that enable you to use custom solutions,
including remote boot capabilities; a plug-in model for Pre-Boot
Execution Environment (PXE) server extensibility; and a client-server
communication protocol for diagnostics, logging, and image
enumeration. Also, Windows DS uses the Windows Imaging file format and
provides an improved management experience through Microsoft
Management Console (MMC) and scriptable command-line tools.
For organizations that have already deployed RIS, Windows DS maintains
parity with RIS by providing both coexistence and migration paths for
RIS. Windows DS will continue to support RIS images in legacy or mixed
mode. Windows DS also provides tools to migrate RIS RIPREP images to
the new .wim image file format.
BDD 2007 generates Windows PE images that you use to connect to a
distribution share and install Windows Vista. You can add these
Windows PE images to Windows DS to make starting Windows PE quicker
and easier than starting Windows PE from removable media.
See Deploying Windows Vista at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa905061.aspx
for more information about Windows DS.
Systems Management Server 2003 and System Center Configuration Manager
2007
Systems Management Server and the new Configuration Manager 2007
provide a comprehensive solution for change and configuration
management for Microsoft platforms, enabling organizations to quickly
and cost-effectively provide operating systems, software, and updates
to users. The desktop deployment capability of these solutions is
based on the BDD 2007 methodology. They give you a solution for
planning, testing, deploying, analyzing, and optimizing your software
using a familiar Windows interface.
Systems Management Server 2003
Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003—the update, deployment,
and inventory management solution—combines with the deployment tools
in Windows Vista and Office 2007 to efficiently and reliably deploy to
your client computers, implementing the BDD end-to-end guidance for
large-scale deployments.
You can deploy applications on your network in several ways: through
CD-based installation, through script-based installation, with
Microsoft Active Directory® Group Policy software deployment, or with
SMS, which is the most flexible deployment method. SMS gives you
control over the targeting of users or systems, the elevation of user
rights for installation, and the ability to specify when an
installation can take place. It also lets you determine user
interaction levels, controlled restarts, and security accounts.
SMS helps you better plan your deployment by providing you with a
detailed hardware and software inventory. You can obtain information
about your hardware base, existing applications, version information,
and current service pack and hotfix levels. Software distribution can
then be specifically targeted to users and to computers based on their
network and hardware configuration, Active Directory organization
unit, and group membership and software installation status.
SMS 2003 can further simplify and streamline the deployment process
for you with its Operating System Deployment (OSD) Feature Pack Update
and with the Solution Accelerator for Business Desktop Deployment
(BDD). The SMS 2003 OSD Feature Pack Update is a publicly available
download that you can easily install on your SMS primary site server.
It provides a customizable, centralized, and scalable way to create
and deploy x32-bit and x64-bit client operating systems. The OSD
Feature Pack simplifies Windows Vista deployment; it enables you to
deploy Windows Vista in much the same way as you deploy other software
applications. The SMS OSD Feature Pack Update uses an open
architecture and is fully integrated with SMS. It provides an
inventory based on planning and targeting, and it provides centralized
tracking and status messages. With SMS, it manages the replication of
images throughout distributed enterprises.
Out of the box, the OSD Feature Pack Update supports bare-metal and
refresh scenarios. The OSD Feature Pack Update includes a version of
Windows PE and includes features for capturing your master image. The
OSD Feature Pack Update steps you through the process of capturing and
managing the settings for individual deployments, including
notifications, distribution settings, and network settings. The OSD
Feature Pack Update uses the new Microsoft Windows Imaging (WIM)
format.
The OSD Feature Pack Update integrates with the User Migration Tool
(USMT) to preserve user profiles during the Windows Vista
installation. The entire migration process is driven by the migration
rules and logic that are built into the tool. You can specify all or
none of the default files on the command line, depending on the
particular migration. The OSD Feature Pack Update also reports on
specific deployments to help troubleshoot and to demonstrate the
success of the Windows Vista deployment.

System Center Configuration Manager 2007
System Center Configuration Manager 2007 (SCCM) provides a major
upgrade for OS deployment functionality; it features significant
enhancements from the SMS OSD Feature Pack Update and it brings in
server deployment scenarios from Automated Deployment Services (ADS).
There are many deployment scenarios possible with Configuration
Manager: new machine, wipe-and-load, side-by-side, in-place migration,
offline with removable media, and Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE)
boot. Configuration Manager OS deployment provides enhancements for
numerous scenarios—built-in integration with Windows Deployment
Services for bare-metal deployment with PXE, and State Migration
Points (SMP) as file shares to migrate user state and settings for
side-by-side deployment. Configuration Manager provides device driver
management, which provides generic OS images with separate
installation of the device drivers needed by each client computer. It
also adds enhanced security and extensibility.
System Center Configuration Manager is an enterprise-class management
toolset and, as a result, all of the existing features of management
are exposed to the Administrator throughout the deployment. Complete
integration with software distribution, patch management, driver
management, user state migration, the Vista deployment toolset (AIK),
and the BDD methodology allows a full life-cycle approach to any scale
deployment.
The System Center Configuration Manager operating system deployment
(OSD) feature provides automated and hands-off deployment of Windows
XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008
operating systems to x86, x64, and IPF servers. It supports a variety
of deployment scenarios, including wipe-and-load upgrade of an
existing server, bare-metal provisioning from removable media or by
using PXE via integration with WDS, and offline provisioning from
removable media in branch offices with limited network bandwidth. OSD
is based on the deployment technologies in Windows Vista and Windows
Server 2008, including the WIM format, Windows DS, Windows PE, and
sysprep. Thus, interchangeability of file images and tools is
preserved regardless of which Microsoft deployment method is used.
When used in combination with other System Center Configuration
Manager capabilities, such as Software Distribution, Software update
services, Desired Configuration Management, Asset Intelligence,
Internet-based Management, Branch Services, Network Access Protection
and Device Management, the solution is robust, scalable, and centrally
managed, answering the needs of even the largest organization.

For more information visit www.microsoft.com/technet/sms

Summary
BDD 2007 provides the framework, guidance, and business intelligence
that brings together all the Windows Vista deployment tools. By using
BDD 2007 and the tools that this white paper describes, you can reduce
the time required to deploy Windows Vista. To learn how the Instituto
Nacional de Estadística Geografía e Informática reduced deployment
time by 80 percent, see the case study at
http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/casestudy.aspx?casestudyid=200234.
To preview the BDD 2007 guidance, see Microsoft Solution Accelerator
for Business Desktop Deployment 2007 at http://www.microsoft.com/desktopdeployment.
You can download BDD 2007 from the same Web page. After installing BDD
2007, it can automatically download and install the other tools that
this white paper describes.
Glossary
The following terms are unique to Windows Vista deployment and BDD
2007. Understanding this terminology will help you better understand
the deployment content in this book and the resources to which it
refers.
• Answer file. A file that scripts the answers for a series of dialog
boxes during installation. The answer file for Windows Setup is often
called Unattend.xml. You can used Windows SIM to create and modify
this answer file.
• Build. In BDD 2007, a build associates an operating system with a
configuration containing an answer file (Unattend.xml) and a sequence
of tasks to run on the destination computer during installation.
• Catalog file. A binary file that contains the state of all of the
settings and packages in a Windows Vista image. When you use Windows
SIM to create a catalog file, that file queries the Windows Vista
image for a list of all settings in that image. Because the contents
of a Windows Vista image can change over time, it is important that
you re-create the catalog file whenever you update an image.
• Component. A part of the Windows Vista operating system that
specifies the files, resources, and settings for a specific Windows
Vista feature or part of a Windows Vista feature. Some components
include unattended installation settings, which you can customize by
using Windows SIM.
• Configuration pass. A phase of Windows Vista installation. Different
parts of the Windows Vista operating system are installed and
configured in different configuration passes. You can specify Windows
Vista unattended installation settings to be applied in one or more
configuration pass.
• Configuration set. A file and folder structure that contains files
that control the preinstallation process and define customizations for
the Windows Vista installation.
• Deployment point. In BDD 2007, a deployment point contains the
collection of source files necessary to install builds and provides a
mechanism for installing builds from the deployment point (Windows PE
boot images).
• Destination computer. The computer on which you install Windows
Vista during deployment. You can either run Windows Setup on the
destination computer or copy a master installation onto a destination
computer.
• Distribution share. A folder that contains the source files for
Windows products that you install. It may also contain additional
device drivers and application files. You can create this folder
manually or by using Windows SIM. In BDD 2007, the distribution share
contains operating system, device driver, application, and other
source files that you configure by creating builds and distributing
them through deployment points.
• Image-based setup. A setup process based on applying a disk imageof
an operating system to the computer.
• Master computer. A fully assembled computer containing a master
installation of Windows Vista.
• Master image. A collection of files and folders (sometimes
compressed into one file) captured from a master installation. This
image contains the base operating system as well as additional
configurations and files.
• Master installation. A Windows Vista installation on a master
computer to be captured as a master image. You create the master
installation using automation to ensure a consistent and repeatable
configuration each time.
• Package. A group of files that Microsoft provides to modify Windows
Vista features. Package types include service packs, security updates,
language packs, and hotfixes.
• Task sequence. A sequence of tasks to run on a destination computer
to install Windows Vista and applications, and then configure the
destination computer. In BDD 2007, the task sequence is part of a
build, and the component responsible for executing the task sequence
is the Task Sequencer.
• Task Sequencer. The BDD 2007 component that runs the task sequence
when installing a build.
• Technician computer. The computer on which you install BDD 2007 or
Windows SIM. This computer is typically located in a lab environment,
separate from the production network. In BDD 2007, this computer is
usually called the build server.
• Unattend.xml. The generic name for the Windows Vista answer file.
Unattend.xml replaces all the answer files in earlier versions of the
Windows operating system, including Unattend.txt and Winbom.ini.
• .wim. A file name extension that identifies Windows image files that
ImageX creates.
• Windows image file. A single compressed file containing a collection
of files and folders that duplicate a Windows installation on a disk
volume.
• Windows Vista feature. An optional feature of Windows Vista that you
can enable or disable.

 

[prose]

what is the build number of the SP1 you are using?

thanks

I believe this is going to be the build # but not exactly sure. It is
noted within the docs. The final build number is 12.0.4518.1058.
Don't quote me on that until I am sure.

 

[Peter]

a) It is illegal most likely.
b) It is legal and you are very brave
c) In that case you aren't supposed to be discussing it in these groups
anyway, but in the suuport area that would have supplied along with it.
Peter
Toronto, Canada

 

[Frank]

Because vista is unfixable even with a service pack 2000

hehehe...you must be as stupid a our resident mr genius seeing as how
you too are unable (that dumb huh?) to get your one little install of
Vista to run correctly. It that why you've taken to whining and crying
like a little baby in this ng?
Why not just ask your mummy to wipe your dirty little arse and feed you
some baby food.
As least that'll shut your ignorant mouth up...for a while.
Frank

 

[Frank]

Actually Dave, I have been a Microsoft Beta Tester since may of 2006
and SP1 is only available to a small group at this point and I don't
have any problems with Vista, nor do I have any problems using the
Beta version for testing and feed back. Doesn't anybody know that
they too could also become a beta tester, if the slots are open, which
they probally are not. they just released the SP1 Beta and announced
the SP1 will be released gradually to A LARGER GROUP OVER THE NEXT
COUPLE OF MONTHS AND THAT EVERYONE WILL HAVE WITHIN THE FIRST 1/4 OF
2008. Sorry about the caps, its slipped. Download in progress....I
even got free software even though I had the same software over a year
ago, but they sent me Microsoft Office Professional Plus, but like I
said I had it for over a year (May 2006) They just sent me a couple of
disk to thank me.

If you are a "real" Microsoft beta tester vs. a CPT, then you've just
violated your NDA.
Bad move!
Frank

 

[Adam Albright]

If you are a "real" Microsoft beta tester vs. a CPT, then you've just
violated your NDA.
Bad move!
Frank

Frank pull your head out of Microsoft's ass and wipe the shit off!

Damn you're such a pathetic loser.

 

[Terrynconnct]

Hey Prose,

I have downloaded the service pack for Vista. It's not easy beta testing
since you have to have a lot of patience and persistence to work through some
of the bugs that you may encounter. After RC, I think I've finally stabilized
all my systems.

 

[Sparky61]

Hi..My name is dave also and I have been a microsoft user since
Day1..remember 3.0 version of windows or when I wrote batch files to run a
menu for my programs??
well enough of that. Vista SP1 is available to everyone now on windows
update if U know how to get it. I have been showing people how to get it for
the last 2 weeks. If ur interested give me Ur e-mail and I will send the
information and file to U..have a great week.

 

[John Barnett MVP]

As the official release is only days away (18 March) why such a rush and
such a mystery? All users need to do is wait for windows update to download
it to their computer there is no need for you to send anyone the information
or file. if the link to the download I that important you could just have
easily posted here.

--
--
John Barnett MVP
Associate Expert
Windows Desktop Experience

Web: http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org
Web: http://vistasupport.mvps.org

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