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Microsoft aiming to deliver Vista SP2 before Windows 7

By | October 15, 2008, 4:43am PDT

Summary: The Windows team is readying second service packs (SP2) for Vista — and for its server complement, Windows Server 2008 — and is aiming to deliver these SP2s before it releases Windows 7, according to my sources.

Microsoft aiming to deliver Vista SP2 before Windows 7The Windows team is readying second service packs (SP2) for Vista — and for its server complement, Windows Server 2008 — and is aiming to deliver these SP2s before it releases Windows 7, according to my sources.

I’m hearing that Microsoft already has delivered a beta of at least Vista SP2 to select hardware and software partners, the same way that it has been providing a hand-chosen few with early builds of Windows 7. I noticed that Microsoft has put up a place holder Knowledge Base article on October 2 regarding the forthcoming SP2 betas. (I see a couple of other bloggers saw this, as well.)

I haven’t heard details from any testers regarding any of the features due in Vista SP2 or Windows Server 2008 SP2. But here are some tidbits of what I have heard from my sources:

  • Microsoft’s goal is to deliver both SP2 releases before it delivers Windows 7 in order to lessen confusion among users as to whether to deploy Vista and Windows Server 2008 — or to wait for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 (a k a Windows 7 Server). Currently, Microsoft is believed to be attempting to RTM Windows 7 in the second half of 2009. The Softies have said Windows Server 2008 R2 is on track for 2010.
  • Because Microsoft is trying to keep Windows client and server code in lock-step, Windows Server 2008 was built around the Vista SP1 codebase. That’s why the first standalone service pack for Server 2008 is being called SP2. As many customers still are reticent to deploy a new OS until the first standalone SP goes out, Microsoft also is pushing to get SP2 for server out there to convince these users to consider upgrading.
  • The biggest deliverable in SP2 for Windows Server 2008 will be the integration of the Hyper-V bits with the server OS.

(I’ve asked the Windows client and server teams for comment on their respective SP2 features/timing and will update this post if and when I hear back. Given how tough it was to get info out of Microsoft on Vista SP1, I am not holding my breath….)

Update: Here’s all the Vista team will say, courtesy of a spokesperson: “Microsoft is working on a second Windows Vista service pack (Windows Vista SP2) and will share more details in the coming months.”

Update No. 2:  From the server team, via a spokesperson: “(T)he comment (above) serves for Windows Server as well; Microsoft is not commenting further on the timing/release plans for the WS08 SP2 at this time, but will share more details in the coming months.”

Microsoft is expected to release a public Beta 1 of Windows 7 in mid-December, according to internal schedule information from sources. I haven’t yet heard when Beta 1 of Windows Server 2008 R2 is due, but I would bet it will be in the next month or two, as well. If Microsoft really is hoping to get Vista SP2 and Win Server 2008 SP2 out first, that doesn’t give the Redmondans a whole lot of time to test and deliver its pair of SP2s.

Given the timing, I’m wondering whether Microsoft might decide to deliver any of the tweaks or features it is building into Windows 7 via Vista SP2. Are there any fixes or tweaks you are hoping Microsoft delivers as part of Vista/Win Server 2008 SP2?

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Topics

Microsoft Windows 7, Service Pack 2, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Corp., Windows Team, Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn), Operating Systems, Software, Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft Windows Server 2008

Mary Jo has covered the tech industry for more than 25 years for a variety of publications and Web sites, and is a frequent guest on radio, TV and podcasts, speaking about all things Microsoft-related. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008).

Disclosure

Mary-Jo Foley

Freelance journalist/blogger Mary Jo Foley has nothing to disclose. WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). I do not own Microsoft stock or stock in any of its partners or competitors. I have no business ventures that are sponsored by/funded by Microsoft or any of its partners or competitors.

Biography

Mary-Jo Foley

Mary Jo Foley has covered the tech industry for 25 years for a variety of publications, including ZDNet, eWeek and Baseline. She has kept close tabs on Microsoft strategy, products and technologies for the past 10 years. In the late 1990s, she penned the award-winning "At The Evil Empire" column for ZDNet, and more recently the Microsoft Watch blog for Ziff Davis.

Got a tip? Send her an email with your rants, rumors, tips and tattles. Confidentiality guaranteed.

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RE: Microsoft aiming to deliver Vista SP2 before Windows 7
homeioy5601-24353691178103414473906713593234 11th Nov
infene,good post!
View in thread
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Excellent.
Sleeper Service 15th Oct 2008
Making a good OS even better.

*Puts on flameproof suit*

Anyway, no surprise there. I've no intention of upgrading to W7 until I have to - my current Quadcore is about a year old so another two years yet I think.
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Why not just upgrade, sounds like you are all set..
xuniL_z 15th Oct 2008
MS has claimed the win7 will run on any machine which runs Vista.

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Why upgrade
tikigawd 15th Oct 2008
Unless you need to?
My main computer will probably be 4 yo by the time Win 7 comes out, so maybe I'll just get a new one. Otherwise, I'd just keep Vista.
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Exactly
Sleeper Service 16th Oct 2008
{NT}
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It goes w/o saying that you have to *want* to...I thought your post....
xuniL_z 16th Oct 2008
suggested you would not do so due to feeling your hardware would not be adequate.


My mistake. Sorry.
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RE: Microsoft aiming to deliver Vista SP2 before Windows 7
simonxbarker 15th Oct 2008
Nearly 2 years on and I've still got page rendering issues in IE7 (supposedly offering an "enhanced" user experience under Vista) with text not being displayed at the correct font size resulting in text and images getting overlaid and making some sites unuseable. Same goes for some dialogs in Vista, with text getting cut off vertically at arbitrary points.
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examples?
reverseswing 15th Oct 2008
could you share some links? I have been using Vista Ult at home and Bus at work for over a year now and the only time i saw rendering issues was when IE7 was new (sites like NYTIMES.com did not work). Now everything seems to work.Which dialogs in Vista? Just curious cuz I never saw any.
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You must be new around here.
ye 15th Oct 2008
Providing details, specifics, or examples is not the way anti-Vista people work. They'll just re-word their vague "examples" and then start up with the personal attacks if you don't accept them.
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So true
rjohn05 15th Oct 2008
Preach it!
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Peanut gallery alert
hasta la Vista, bah-bie 15th Oct 2008
grin
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um..
rikasa 15th Oct 2008
and anti *nix etc... windows fans never respond in the manner on zdnet??

Granted; regardless of who does it, it is rather unconstructive and annoying.
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Strawman.
ye 15th Oct 2008
and anti *nix etc... windows fans never respond in the manner on zdnet??

Unless you can demonstrate where I stated said behavior was limited to anti-Vista posters. As it is I have not. Yes you see it from all sides. But, IMO, it is much worse with the ABMers.
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What Strawman?
rikasa 15th Oct 2008
At least give it to me that on a blog like this you risk having what you said being inferred in that manner.

Anyway; I don't know about any one side being worse... I've seen some pretty stupid stuff consistently from all sides. For instance; take that poster that goes on about having to compile things in Linux & segfaults all the time and then nailing (well at least trying to nail) anyone who begs to differ.

Regardless; in the end it's not an issue of who's worse. It's more about people bearing really intelligent and constructive opinions that will soon quit posting due to all this childish carry-on. Then what will become of this site?
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I sometimes get similar issues
Michael Kelly 15th Oct 2008
when I change the system font DPI. The default setting is fine, and I'm not sure about the preselected choices, but I have my media center set manually to 160 dpi (I think... I don't have that system in front of me and in case it makes a difference my screen resolution is at 1080p). Not so much with IE (although I don't spend a lot of time web browsing on the media center), but dialogs boxes tend to grow in size as a result of this change and thus get cut off sometimes at the bottom, which wouldn't be that much of an issue if it were easy to move the top of the dialog box over the top edge of the screen.

You could, I suppose, say that this is an application issue, but this is something that could be fixed at the window manager level. And they probably should, since not all app vendors are going to take adjustable DPI issues into consideration when going through their testing routines.
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Jason Hiner's Article: Top Five Reasons Vista Failed. (Oct 6,2008)
El Condor 15th Oct 2008
It is worth a re-read. Font size is a minor issue. But, "just another nail".
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It is.
Sleeper Service Updated - 16th Oct 2008
But purely for comedy value.
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I run into this from time to time
itpro_z 15th Oct 2008
I see this more often on my XP system at work than I do on Vista, but it does occur. Usually I just refresh and the page displays correctly.

For those of you asking for links, I have seen it on ZDNet and other common sites, but it is random and not all that common. It seems to be an IE7 issue rather than a Vista issue.
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I've also seen this...
Sleeper Service 15th Oct 2008
..rarely and mainly on XP. A quick refresh sorts it.
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RE: Microsoft aiming to deliver Vista SP2 before Windows 7
lawryll@... 15th Oct 2008
It'll be interesting to see where Microsoft toes the line. Unless it's strictly bug-fixes and such, any performance improvements or additional features will completely go against Windows 7. In other words, if Windows 7 is going to be similar to Vista and Vista is finally stable enough with the second service pack (after 3 years btw), who is going to want to buy Windows 7?

It's like a catch-22 for a company who didn't previously deliver much in the way of ROI. Hopefully Windows 7 will blow the doors off with even better performance, new ROI features, a streamlined interface, and a focus on application support. In other words, Windows 7 better be a noticable improvement over VistaSp2.

Does anyone really think that will happen? Seeing as how Windows 7 is based on Vista, I don't see much improvement beyond VistaSP2 if that's the case.
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look around more the info's out there
iceykola 15th Oct 2008
apparently you've missed all the leaks of new features in windows 7. wait a week until they show it at PDC then you'll see what they're doing for 7. will businesses upgrade? probably not, since they're always lagging by a year or two... but they're more consumer-centric
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new features?
lawryll@... 15th Oct 2008
I've heard rumors of more ribbon bars and such, but let's face it...that's not really much improvement (if any) over what we already have in either XP or Vista. Some kind of touchpad support will be there, but - eh - not really interested because I can type much faster than I can use a mouse so that method of input seems like a step-backwards. I could be surprised though - it could be mind-blowingly revolutionary and soon everyone will have multitouch support requirements and want Windows 7 specifically for that reason - but I doubt it.
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multi touch CAN revolutionise organising folders
Bozzer Updated - 15th Oct 2008
Actually multi touch support would be ideal if you wished to organise a picture/photo collection. Being able to select visual photos and fling them into different bins (folders)would be far easier than selecting each one with a mouse with the ctrl key held down and then moving to a folder.

In fact, if you have a big enough screen it would also be ideal if you can have a visual representation of word documents, or excel documents and do the same again.

In fact, if you think about it, it really could revolutionise the explorer view.

Do you have a folder where all your important documents are stored? Bills, credit card receipts, birth certificates, etc. You organise these by touch and visual representation. Now imagine how tedious it would be to select little check boxes on each of them, then hold down the kitchen light switch whilst moving the chopping board to place them in different drawers. Well, you get the idea.

Touch screen will never replace typing. But when I am oragnising my folders at home I rarely wish to type. I use my hands and my eyes. Its so much easier.
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Okay...so...
lawryll@... 15th Oct 2008
All I have to do is replace all my PC's and monitors with expensive large new ones to take advantage of an ability to move folders in my OS.

I'm not going to do that. It's much easier for businesses to use Sharepoint, which does a marvelous job at that already. For home users, I can see nothing but frustration at having to work with a 1.0 version of a product...much the same as Home Server users found joy and fun in managing files that randomly disappeared. Much the same way HDTV users have found joy and fun with using Media Center trying to recognize their cable formats. Adding touch will only slow things down significantly and make things that much more difficult to troubleshoot.

Touchscreen is nice, but don't forget about the other 98% of the people who really don't care about this technology at the moment. From a personal standpoint relying on Microsoft to provide a touch-screen interface that is critical to my ability to perform my job is frankly terrifying.
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Do you still use a dot matrix printer?
Bozzer 16th Oct 2008
Or did you keep it because you didn't want to upgrade?

Fair enough if you're still using a dot matrix, an old 15" CRT screen and do your washing in the river.

However, it seems like your arguing with yourself. No-one is asking you to do these things (replace PC's and monitors).

Have you any substantive evidence to backup your claims that you speak for the other 98% of the people? And how do you know it is only 2% that do care about this technology?

And why are you "terrified" about using a touch screen. Seems like someone is being a little over dramatic. You won't win an Oscar here you know.
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Full circle...
914four 17th Oct 2008
Wow. My first experience with Windows was Windows 1.1 on an HP 150 TouchScreen. It was a run time version (I think; it could have been the complete program but I seem to remember that APM always included run-times in those days) that came with Aldus Page Maker and had this neat artillery game. No colour (the 150 was monochrome green) but it worked very well, so much that seeing "Minority Report" brought back memories.
What goes around come around I guess. Next we should be hearing of using beetles and pens as pointing devices...
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A link to Windows 7 FAQ for comparison
BillDem 15th Oct 2008
Here is a link to a site which keeps up with all the Windows 7 leaked information if you want to compare it to Vista SP2.
http://www.winsupersite.com/faq/windows_7.asp
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Think Win2K => WinXP
mwagner@... 15th Oct 2008
When Windows XP shipped it had all the goodies of Windows 2000 and then some. It was also faster and more stable than Win2K. Windows 2000 continued to get it's service packs and improvements but it never quite lived up to XP. It'll be the same with "Seven". It will be a little faster than Vista and it will be more feature rich but Vista will still get performance enhancements without the new features.

In other words, there will be little reason for Vista users to uprade to Seven right away but there will be every reason for XP hold-outs to go directly to "Seven".
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RE: Microsoft aiming to deliver Vista SP2 before Windows 7
iceykola Updated - 15th Oct 2008
delete this please.
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RE: Microsoft aiming to deliver Vista SP2 before Windows 7
Loverock Davidson 15th Oct 2008
Nice! Now this will give more incentive to upgrade to Vista for those who have not done it yet.
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BWHAW HAW HAW HAW....
hasta la Vista, bah-bie 15th Oct 2008
-
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evil laught?
magallanes 15th Oct 2008
:-P
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It's always happy news when.....
xuniL_z 15th Oct 2008
you hear the best is getting even better.


Glad I don't use OS X, or I'd have to pay for my updates.

With Windows you get cutting edge technology and free support and upgrades for many years to come.

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Mac OS X doesn't charge you to update.
dobestpossible@... 15th Oct 2008
I don't know where you got that from. I have never seen a cost to update my OS X.
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Well, let's just see ...
mwagner@... 15th Oct 2008
MacOSX 10.0 shipped around 2000. XP shipped in late 2001. By mid 2007, SP3 was released for XP. Anyone can install original Windows XP media and bring it completely up to XP SP3 at absolutely no additional cost -- and XP Home users will get free security updates at least through 2009. Windows XP Pro users will get free security updates through 2014.

MacOSX is now at version 10.5 and each 0.1 version had a $130 (retail) price tag associate with it. If you are running a version of MacOSX older than 10.3, you can no longer get security updates at all.

Think of Apple 0.1 upgrades the way that MS thinks of Service packs and you realize that SP1, SP2, and SP3 for XP were all free.

So, YES INDEED, Apple charges you for upgrades!
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Oh I wouldn't say that!
dobestpossible@... 15th Oct 2008
One can't expect to pay for a .1 update. I never pay for them since pirated copies are everywhere happy
But then, I don't buy what I can't afford, and yes, if I could steal a home I would (again,big smile)
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And people complain
tikigawd 16th Oct 2008
that companies come up with anti-piracy schemes

Bravo for you
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Point updates
SpikeyMike Updated - 16th Oct 2008
Let's see...

Windows 2000 - Version 5.0

Windows XP - Version 5.1

Now, I realize that Microsoft provides service packs, I have no knowledge of how Apple updates their software. But to be fair, you're citing that you must pay for a point update from Apple, and claim that they are free from Microsoft. That is clearly not the case.
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RE: Microsoft aiming to deliver Vista SP2 before Windows 7
Lovedork_Anderson 15th Oct 2008
Great news! This will make Vista even more popular and powerful than ever!!!
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LOL
boed 15th Oct 2008
Stop - I'll have to pee!
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Sounds like you have control issues.
xuniL_z 16th Oct 2008
So, you are laughing to the point of wetting yourself at someone that has named her/himself "lovedork"?


Sounds like it's time for depends. wink
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Look who's talking...
hasta la Vista, bah-bie 16th Oct 2008
(laughs) grin
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Lovedork, you'll make a good Winbloze fanbui, yet...
hasta la Vista, bah-bie 16th Oct 2008
grin
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Oh right, so Windows 7 will be a free upgrade for Vista users, then...?
David Gale 15th Oct 2008
Oh right, so Windows 7 will be a free upgrade for Vista users, then...?
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If one hasn't migrated to Vista yet
Mahegan 15th Oct 2008
then why would one with the advent of SP2?

I think that I will wait a while.
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There are ...
mwagner@... 15th Oct 2008
... early adopter and late adopters. The early adopters take the most risks but they also enjoy the most rewards. Then there are the late adopters -- they take the fewest risks but wait until the technology is already obsolete before they upgrade. They enjoy the fewest benefits. What's YOUR tolerance for risk?
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Wow! The exact reasoning we used...
SpikeyMike 16th Oct 2008
... to ditch Microsoft and embrace Linux. The tide is turning and it's picking up momentum.

The caveat is that instead of assessing our tolerance for risk, we've exhausted our tolerance for lock-in and mediocre software. WGA didn't help their case either.
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Why am I not waiting with breathless anticipation?
schmandel@... 15th Oct 2008
1. I'm not a journalist who makes my living on Microsoft's endless series of non-event announcements.
2. I moved on from the soul-sucking nightmare of Windows computing and took my firm with me.

Get a clue, folks, you really don't have to pay retail for yesterday's news in the marketplace of ideas.
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So now...
gypkap@... 15th Oct 2008
you're buying all new software (and maybe Macs if you're going that way), or are going through the configuration snafu that is Linux/Unix.
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Probably a windows user anyway.
Bozzer 15th Oct 2008
Usually I find that the following is really the case with most of these types of post

1. The poster probably is a windows user.
2. The poster would buy a mac if the price wasn't so outlandish for the hardware.
3. Even if the poster could buy a mac they couldn't migrate because the mac doesn't support the same breadth of applications that they use.
4. If the poster knew anything about Linux (9/10 of the time they probably know nothing about it) then would be in a worse situation with regards to software than if they bought a mac.

Translation:

I am a windows user, and secretly I will be on the torrents just as soon as this comes out. I only post like this to justify that I wouldn't have bought windows if I couldn't get it for free.

Yeah, pretty much sums it up really.
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Yawn
SteveMak 15th Oct 2008
Vista: Lipstick on a pig.

Windows 7: Same pig, but with a nice party dress?

The consensus from the world at large, and even from Microsoft, is that Vista has not been well-received. Not since Windows ME has Microsoft felt such widespread rejection from consumers. Enough flogging of the dead horse.

My understanding is that Windows 7 is still Vista, under the hood. This means that the fewer than 1 in 10 Windows users, those being the few who actually use Vista (not the "downgrades to XP" that count as Vista sales), will have a fairly easy time moving to Windows 7. Meanwhile, the rest of us Windows users, those being the vast majority, will experience similar headaches moving from XP and older versions of Windows, to Windows 7, as when moving to Vista. That is, unless Microsoft makes a sharp turn somewhere. Unlikely, as they are "committed" to the new Vista architecture, and so, we consumers are tied to the Bad News Baggage that goes with it.

So what do I have to look forward to in Windows 7? The same headaches I had when I moved from XP to Vista: Legacy device drivers not working, or glitching (buy new peripherals), some of my favorite apps not working (buy new apps, if you can get them, or pay for upgrades), and slower performance as compared to XP, given the same hardware. Then there is the learning curve for the new peripherals, new apps, new OS, and a user interface that is different for the sake of different. Oh joy sad

Tell me one more time: Who are these people who are allegedly getting excited about Windows 7?
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RE: Microsoft aiming to deliver Vista SP2 before Windows 7
homeioy5601-24353691178103414473906713593234 11th Nov
infene,good post!

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