Testing Windows Vista SP1

Installation
Windows Vista SP1 arrives in one of three ways. Most users will automatically receive the update via Windows Update. Microsoft says that users will only receive the changes specific for their computer to cut down on network traffic and download times. Users with limited or no Internet connectivity, or who need to update more than one PC, will be able to download a complete image of Windows Vista SP1 via DVD. Volume licence customers (enterprises) will receive an integrated DVD media package for installation on new PCs.

Before installing SP1, all users running Windows Vista RTM -- that is, if you bought your computer with Vista preinstalled -- will need to install three updates from Microsoft. Microsoft's Windows Update will automatically detect and install them. Two of these updates increase the success rate for installing Windows Vista SP1; one is necessary only if you have Windows Vista Enterprise or Windows Vista Ultimate installed.

While all this sounds complicated, Microsoft says it has learned from Windows XP SP2, an upgrade that sometimes stranded users with long, overnight downloads. Windows Vista is modular, so the upgrade will download only the bits of code necessary for your specific system. If you've enabled Automatic Updates, in theory, you should have a much shorter download and installation of the upgrade than someone who hasn't kept up with the numerous updates since Windows Vista's release. Despite the many changes within the code, Windows Vista SP1 does not change the basic hardware requirements for running the different editions of Windows Vista.

Using a disc provided by Microsoft, we found the upgrade of Windows Vista to SP1 on a typical Acer TravelMate required about one hour. During that time, the computer was unusable and automatically rebooted several times. A display informed us exactly where the install was in terms of overall progress (for example, "Configuring update, stage 1 of 3, 34 per cent complete").

Should you, for any reason, want to uninstall this upgrade, Microsoft allows you to do so, although the three preinstallation updates cannot be removed.