SP1 Available on Windows Update?

[rider]

I just installed Vista Ultimate 64-bit on a newly built computer. As might
be expected, I immediately began to download and install updates via Windows
Update. I went through the process a few times and thought that I was nearly
done.

I clicked "Check for Updates" one more time. Another update appeared,
"Total:1 important update, 120.0 MB - 711.6 MB". Curious, I clicked to view
the available update... "Windows Vista Service Pack 1 for x64-based Systems
(KB936330)" published 20 Feb 2008 and marked Important. The details on the
update are ambiguous and suggest that it may be a Beta version. More
information is linked to:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/bb738089.

I'm confused. My understanding was that Microsoft was not releasing the
final version of SP1 though Windows Update until mid-March. But why would a
Beta version be made available through Update and marked Important rather
than Optional? Is this the final version of SP1? I do not want to have to
uninstall any Beta version to put the final version on my machine. Any
information would be appreciated.

 

[rider]

Providing a little more information, here are the details provided for the
update in question. (In the "Choose the updates you want to install" window,
right click on Update name, then select View Details.) Something about this
update just does not seem right to me.




Windows Vista Service Pack 1 for x64-based Systems (KB936330)

Download size: 120.0 MB - 711.6 MB

Update type: Important

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) Beta is an update to Windows Vista
that addresses key feedback from our customers. Windows Vista SP1 Beta
addresses specific reliability and performance issues, supports new types of
hardware and adds support for several emerging standards. After you install
this item, you may have to restart your computer.

More information:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/bb738089

Help and Support:
http://support.microsoft.com

 

[Saucy]

This is just an off the cuff guess from right when I read your post .. but
perhaps it is now available for x64 systems? That doesn't mean it is
available for x86 systems yet, though.

The service pack has been available to OEMs for a while now. Technet got the
stand-alone installer a few days ago (Yey!). It's being gradually rolled
out. Yours here is probably the latest.

Saucy

 

[David A. Lessnau]

I came here looking for the answer to the same question. As you said, the
write-ups are ambiguous: is this the beta or the RTM? And, why is it being
pushed as an Important Update when it's not due to be formally released
until next month?

Dave Lessnau

 

[Peter]

sp1 for vista is out for 64bit version. Just started to download it


--
roy69

- Core 2 Quad Q6600
- Abit IP35 Pro
- 4 x 1GB OcUK PC2-6400 C5 800 MHZ Dual Channel
- Leadtek GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB GDDR3
- CiBox TFT 22" Widescreen LCD Panel. 1680 x 1050
- Creative X-Fi 7.1 PCI-E
- Antec 900 Ultimate Gaming Case
- Creative Inspire 7.1 T7900 Speakers
- Corsair HX 620W ATX2.2 Modular SLI Complient PSU

...started downloading it from a doubtful source no doubt if you aren't an
MSDN subscriber. SP1 RTM has NOT been released to the general public and
the above poster already stated that Windows update was offering a BETA
SP1...why is anyone's guess.
At this late stage I would wait until it is legally available.
SP1 enquiries should be addressed to the SP1 forum:
http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=1992&SiteID=17

 

[Saucy]

One thing of note. If you have installed a beta version of the service pack
before or manually edited your registry, SP1 may be showing up on Windows
Update.

So far, Windows Update will not show the availablility of the service pack.
But with a little registry editing, you can trigger Windows Update to
download and install the RTM SP1. If you want to know how, Google it.

SP1 is out, but Microsoft is being selective as to who gets it, from where,
and when. Be patient and don't be tempted by the hacked versions available
through torrent software etc. and instead be sure to get it through regular
channels.

Saucy

 

[rider]

Peter-
That dubious source is Microsoft. The update is being reported directly from
Control Panel> System and Maintenance> Windows Update. Further, it is marked
as an automatic update which, I believe, is an automatic update if you have
your system configured for them. So, for someone who configures Windows
Update as recommended, to "wait until it is legally available" is not an
option.

 

[Martin Racette]

I did not installed the beta, nor did I modify the registry, and I still get
the SP1 on the Windows Update

 

[rider]

Saucy -
The installation of Vista is brand new. The SP1 update appeared at the end
of the series of updates one typically does immediately after a fresh
installation. No Beta version of SP1 has been installed and the registry has
not been hacked. (In fact, the purpose of the post is to avoid putting a
Beta version of SP1 on the computer.)

 

[Martin Racette]

BTW, is there a way to have the search in the right side of the start menu
back after SP1, this is the most usefull of all Vista's feature

 

[David A. Lessnau]

No registry tweaks or beta service packs here. Yet, Microsoft Update on
this Vista (x64) system is pushing this SP1 update.

After looking at the links provided with the Update, I'm even more confused.
The title of the update makes no mention of Beta or RTM. Under Details, the
text description says Beta. The provided link to the TechNet page
(http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/bb738089.aspx) implies it
ought to be RTM. The Help and Support link (http://support.microsoft.com/)
is just a generic help page. But, searching there for the "KB936330"
reference included with the update results in a page
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/936330/en-us) which says it's RTM. So,
that gives me one place with no indication, one place indicating it's the
Beta, and two places indicating it's the RTM.

Also, this is not from some questionable source. It's on Microsoft Update.
And, since it's marked as an Important Update, it downloaded itself and is
sitting on the machine just waiting for me to push the Install button.

Dave Lessnau

 

[rider]

You and I are reading this situation the same way. Microsoft is pushing this
update as if it is the final version of SP1, yet its words are ambiguous. As
stated in my post, my installation of Vista was fresh. Still, I was prompted
to install 50-60 updates (both Important and Optional) prior to having the
SP1 update become available.

Assuming that the SP1 update is final, are these smaller updates
prerequisite to installing SP1? One of the stated purposes of SP1 was to
roll-up most of the previous updates into a single package. Perhaps,
Microsoft made the SP1 update available during that period of time that I
was updating. I'm considering doing another fresh reinstall of Vista to see
if the SP1 update appears earlier in the update sequence.

 

[Peter]

Peter-
That dubious source is Microsoft. The update is being reported directly
from Control Panel> System and Maintenance> Windows Update. Further, it is
marked as an automatic update which, I believe, is an automatic update if
you have your system configured for them. So, for someone who configures
Windows Update as recommended, to "wait until it is legally available" is
not an option.

According to other posts I've read this appears to be an error - it should
not be available on Windows Update at all.

 

[Peter]

Saucy -
The installation of Vista is brand new. The SP1 update appeared at the end
of the series of updates one typically does immediately after a fresh
installation. No Beta version of SP1 has been installed and the registry
has not been hacked. (In fact, the purpose of the post is to avoid putting
a Beta version of SP1 on the computer.)

Support for Windows Update has always been free from Microsoft. I would
give them a call.

 

[rider]

Providing even more information, here is a link to a blogger who has
installed the SP1(x64) update that has been available on Windows Update:
http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=11914

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

According to other posts I've read this appears to be an error - it should
not be available on Windows Update at all.

--
Peter
Toronto, Canada
XP Pro SP2/SP3 Beta/Vista Ultimate SP1 Beta
Triple Boot

I think that MS is doing a controlled release, starting with the 64 bit
version as there will be less pull on the servers..


--
Mike Hall - MVP
How to construct a good post..
http://dts-l.com/goodpost.htm
How to use the Microsoft Product Support Newsgroups..
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=newswhelp&style=toc
Mike's Window - My Blog..
http://msmvps.com/blogs/mikehall/default.aspx

 

[Saucy]

My old laptop was a Thinkpad with the tiny red mouse stick - so it wasn't an
issue! My new laptop is an Acer with a touchpad - and has a FN key +
touchpad key combo that toggles so it's easy to use.

Saucy

 

[David A. Lessnau]

Based on the posts I was seeing in the SP1 forum, I let this thing install.
The short version is that everything seems to have gone well (it took a
total of around 35 minutes) and it seems to be the RTM version, not the
Beta. So, that's goodness. Here's some more detail:

- I started with SP1 already downloaded via Microsoft Update. Just to make
sure nothing was locked for the update, I rebooted before doing anything and
waited for the Microsoft Update prompt telling me an Important Update had
been downloaded and was waiting to be installed. I then clicked on that
icon and told it to install SP1.

- This is somewhat embarrassing, but I let the machine "work" on the update
for an hour before starting to worry that nothing seemed to be happening.
It turns out that there were dialog boxes telling me about the update and
giving me the license terms hidden under the Microsoft Update windows. I
don't know why they popped under instead of popped up. Anyway, I clicked
through all that and the update finally started.

- After about 15 minutes, Microsoft Update prompted me to reboot. I did so.
The machine booted up into a screen saying: "Installing Service Pack:
Stage 1 of 3 -- xx%...." After about 7 minutes, it changed to "... Stage 2
....." After another 4 minutes, it rebooted itself and came back to the same
type of screen saying "... Stage 3 ...." Six minutes later, up popped my
normal logon dialog. I signed in. After a total of about 35 minutes (start
to finish), I was back at my desktop. The computer churned for about
another 8 minutes and then popped up a dialog asking if I wanted to joint
the Customer Experience Improvement Program. I got rid of that and all the
excess activity reverted to normal. I never got any kind of notification
that SP1 had successfully installed.

- Based on the material from the SP1 forum, I ran Regedit and went to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion and checked
the BuildLabEx subkey. It contains the value
"6001.18000.amd64fre.longhorn_rtm.080118-1840". Again, according to the SP1
forum, this seems to indicate the version off of Microsoft Update is the RTM
version, not the Beta. Interestingly, that key includes that "amd64..."
string even though I'm running an Intel Core 2 Duo and System Information
confirms it.

I haven't run any kind of tests to see how things are working. But, from an
cursory inspection, everything seems to be working fine.

Dave Lessnau

 

[bjr]

I'm proud of you Dave. How's the family doing?

Based on the posts I was seeing in the SP1 forum, I let this thing
install. The short version is that everything seems to have gone well
(it took a total of around 35 minutes) and it seems to be the RTM
version, not the Beta. So, that's goodness. Here's some more detail:

- I started with SP1 already downloaded via Microsoft Update. Just to
make sure nothing was locked for the update, I rebooted before doing
anything and waited for the Microsoft Update prompt telling me an
Important Update had been downloaded and was waiting to be installed. I
then clicked on that icon and told it to install SP1.

- This is somewhat embarrassing, but I let the machine "work" on the
update for an hour before starting to worry that nothing seemed to be
happening. It turns out that there were dialog boxes telling me about
the update and giving me the license terms hidden under the Microsoft
Update windows. I don't know why they popped under instead of popped
up. Anyway, I clicked through all that and the update finally started.

- After about 15 minutes, Microsoft Update prompted me to reboot. I did
so. The machine booted up into a screen saying: "Installing Service
Pack: Stage 1 of 3 -- xx%...." After about 7 minutes, it changed to
"... Stage 2 ...." After another 4 minutes, it rebooted itself and came
back to the same type of screen saying "... Stage 3 ...." Six minutes
later, up popped my normal logon dialog. I signed in. After a total of
about 35 minutes (start to finish), I was back at my desktop. The
computer churned for about another 8 minutes and then popped up a dialog
asking if I wanted to joint the Customer Experience Improvement
Program. I got rid of that and all the excess activity reverted to
normal. I never got any kind of notification that SP1 had successfully
installed.

- Based on the material from the SP1 forum, I ran Regedit and went to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion and
checked the BuildLabEx subkey. It contains the value
"6001.18000.amd64fre.longhorn_rtm.080118-1840". Again, according to the
SP1 forum, this seems to indicate the version off of Microsoft Update is
the RTM version, not the Beta. Interestingly, that key includes that
"amd64..." string even though I'm running an Intel Core 2 Duo and System
Information confirms it.

I haven't run any kind of tests to see how things are working. But,
from an cursory inspection, everything seems to be working fine.

Dave Lessnau

 

[Martin Racette]

Yesterday, to make sure that I would get all other updates, and since I
wasn't sure that the SP1 was genuine, I hid the update, and now when I'm
trying to restore this update and have it installed, it's no where to be
found in Windows Update

How to I get it back