Vista Service Pack Pre-Release Version Available to Public
Those who were denied the opportunity to get the Release Candidate (RC)
for the first service pack for Windows Vista last week now have their
opportunity, as it's now available for public download.
RC1 for SP1
was first made available
last week, but only to those with MSDN or TechNet subscriptions. It's now
accessible via Windows Update.
Be
prepared for some heavy slogging if you download the RC, however, as
Microsoft hasn't made it easy. First, you have to uninstall any previous
beta versions of SP1. Then, after the uninstall, head to lunch, because
Microsoft wants you wait before installing the RC.
If you don't, bad
things could happen, Microsoft warned on TechNet. "Please wait 1 hour after uninstalling a prior build before
installing the RC. The installer service needs to clean up and complete the
uninstall prior to installing a later build. Failing to do this can result
in installation errors for the RC version."
Redmond also takes pains
to remind users not to use RC1 on primary or mission-critical systems and
to back up data before the install. Those, of course, are more common-sense
procedures to take before installing unfinished software.
The RC will
stop working after June 30 of next year. But seeing as how most users and
corporations normally upgrade pretty quickly to SP1, that shouldn't be much
of a problem. In fact, a majority of IT departments wait until the first
service pack to upgrade to a new product, which partially accounts for
Vista's slower-than-expected uptake in the marketplace.
About the Author
Keith Ward is online news editor for the Redmond Media Group. You can contact him at [email protected].