On February 4, 2008 Microsoft releases Windows Vista Service Pack 1 in five languages (English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese) to manufacturing (RTM). TechNet Plus subscribers can now access Windows Vista SP1 as a standalone update or integrated with Windows Vista SP1. MSDN subscribers can now access Windows Vista SP1 as a standalone update or integrated with Windows Vista SP1. OEMs are already strarting to ship PCs with Windows Vista Service Pack 1 preinstalled.

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is an update to Windows Vista that addresses feedback from our customers. In addition to previously released updates, SP1 contains changes focused on addressing specific reliability and performance issues, supporting new types of hardware, and adding support for several emerging standards. Windows Vista SP1 also addresses some management, deployment, and support challenges.

Windows Vista SP1 will be available to the public in mid-March via Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center.

Vista SP1 Prerequisite

Is your computer ready for Windows Vista Service Pack 1? Read on.

If you have a prior version of Windows Vista SP1 beta or Release Candidates installed, you must uninstall it prior to installing the final version. Use the Control Panel applet "Programs and Features" and select "View installed updates" from the top left of the task pane. Under Windows, look for "Service Pack for Windows (KB936330) and uninstall it.

Two or three additional software updates are required before you install Windows Vista SP1. The software updates that are required depend on the version of Windows Vista that you want to upgrade. Prerequisite update 935509 that is listed in this article only applies to Windows Vista Enterprise and to Windows Vista Ultimate. The other prerequisite updates that are listed in this article apply to all versions of Windows Vista.

Before Windows Vista SP1 is released, these prerequisite updates will be delivered to most users through Windows Update as part of regularly scheduled monthly updates. These updates will be installed together with other updates that will require that you restart the computer. Therefore, an additional restart will not be required. This delivery method will help simplify installation of the required updates.

If you decide to install Windows Vista SP1 by using the stand-alone installer instead of by using Windows Update, you will not have to install the prerequisite updates separately. The prerequisite updates will be installed by the stand-alone installer if they are necessary. The following three updates are required before you install Windows Vista SP1. However, these updates are also recommended if you do not intend to install Windows Vista SP1. These updates help improve reliability and performance when you install future individual updates from Microsoft:

• 935509 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/935509/) A software update is available for versions of Windows Vista that include the Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption feature
Update 935509 lets you correctly service Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption-capable computers. This update only applies to the following versions of Windows Vista that include Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption:

• Windows Vista Enterprise
• Windows Vista Ultimate

• 938371 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/938371/) A software update is available for the Windows Vista installation components
Update 938371 updates several internal components that Windows Vista requires in order to install or to remove Windows Vista Service Pack 1 more reliably. This update must be applied separately before you install Windows Vista SP1 to make sure that Windows Vista SP1 can be installed or removed from the computer. You must install this update in order to install and to remove Windows Vista SP1 on all versions of Windows Vista. This update will be available on the Windows Update Web site soon after the release of update 935509 and before the release of Windows Vista SP1.

• Update 937287 updates the Windows Vista installation software. For more information, see the "Update information" section.