Since the initial release of this book and the release of the 70-620 Exam, Microsoft has released Service Pack 1. A service pack is a collection of updates, fixes, and enhancements to a software program delivered in the form of a single installable package. The changes in SP1 include enhancements to performance, reliability, and security. In addition, SP1 supports newer hardware and standards, including additional management and troubleshooting features. You can install SP1 for Windows Vista through the Windows Update website/service or download it as an executable file (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=b0c7136d-5ebb-413b-89c9-cb3d06d12674&DisplayLang=en).
Improves the time to access network file shares by consuming less bandwidth
Improves the performance of copying files
Improves the progress estimation when copying files by using Windows Explorer
Improves the speed of adding files to and extracting files from compressed folders
Improves overall media performance by reducing many glitches
Reduces the time to start Event Viewer
Helps prevent data loss while ejecting NTFS file system–formatted removable media
Improves the reliability of networking in Windows Vista
Improves the built-in backup solution to include Encrypting File System (EFS)–encrypted files
Improves reliability and compatibility of Windows Vista when used with newer graphics cards
Improves reliability when working with external displays on a laptop
Improves reliability of systems that were upgraded from Windows XP to Windows Vista
Increases compatibility with many printer drivers
Increases reliability and performance of Windows Vista when entering sleep and resuming from sleep
Includes improvements to Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption, such as encryption of extra local volumes and adding multifactor authentication that combines Trusted Platform Module (TPM)-protected key with a startup key stored on a USB storage device and a user-generated Personal Identification Number (PIN)
Adds a new cryptographic algorithm used in Windows Firewall and IPSec
Strengthens the cryptography platform with a redesigned random number generator (RNG) that leverages the TPM, when present, which complies with the latest standards
Improves the use of smart cards by introducing a new PIN channel to more securely collect smart card PINs through a computer and enables smart cards that use biometric authentication instead of a PIN
Provides security software vendors a more secure way to communicate with Windows Security Center
Enhances support for 64-bit computers, including support for 64-bit Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) network boot and 64-bit version of the Microsoft OLEDB provider for ODBC Drivers (MSDASQL).
Includes support for new storage technologies exFAT, a new file system that supports larger overall capacity and larger files that Flash memory-storage and consumer devices use.
Adds support for creating a single DVD medium that starts up on computers with either BIOS or EFI.
Enhances support for high-definition (HD) drives by adding new icons and labels that identify HD-DVD and Blu-ray drives as HD drives.
Adds support for Direct3D 10.1, an update to Direct3D 10 that extends the API to support new hardware features, and enables 3Dapplication and 3D-game developers to make more complete and efficient use of upcoming generations of graphics hardware.
Enhances the Windows Network Projector to temporarily resize the desktop to accommodate custom projector resolutions.
Adds support to enable new types of Windows Media Center Extenders, such as digital televisions and networked DVD players, to connect to Windows Media Center systems.
Enhances the MPEG-2 decoder to support content protection across a user-accessible bus on Windows Media Center computers configured with Digital Cable Tuner hardware. This enables higher levels of hardware-decoder acceleration for commercial DVD playback on some computers.
Includes an Enhanced Network Diagnostics tool to help customers solve the most common file-sharing problems
Allows administrators to control the volumes on which to run Disk Defragmenter
Includes Network Access Protection (NAP), a policy-enforcement platform built in to Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 that ensures a Windows Vista machine has the necessary virus protection, Windows updates, and other settings before allowing connection to the corporate network
Enables users to change the default desktop search program to one provided by a third party instead of the Microsoft desktop search program
Supports hotpatching, a reboot-reduction servicing technology that allows Windows components to be updated while they are still in use by a running process and will not trigger a system reboot
For more information about the SP1, visit the following website:
At the time of this writing, Microsoft is finishing up the development of Service Pack 2. When it is released in 2009, SP2 will include the following features:
Windows Search 4.0 for faster and improved relevancy in searches
Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack supporting the most recent specification for Bluetooth technology
Ability to record data on to Blu-ray media natively in Windows Vista
Windows Connect Now (WCN) to simplify Wi-Fi configuration
Improved support for resuming with active Wi-Fi connections
Enables the exFAT file system to support UTC timestamps, which allows correct file synchronization across time zones
Support for ICCD/CCID smart cards
Support for VIA 64-bit CPUs
Different from other service packs released for Microsoft Windows, you need to install SP1 before installing SP2. Of course, this might change by the time SP2 is officially released.