Hurray, Windows Vista Service Pack 1 finally is here! I'm happy about it, and I hope you are too. Since last fall, I've been telling everyone about the changes coming in Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1). I've given several webinars that discussed the coming enhancements and improvements, which attendees know mostly have to do with correcting performance issues.

NOTE: Dual booting or multi-booting a computer involves installing two or more operating systems. If you plan to dual boot or multi-boot a computer, please read my article entitled "Resolving Boot and Installation Issues After Installing Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Windows Server 2008" before you install Service Pack 1.
 

Hi, my name is William R. Stanek. I have over 20 years of hands-on experience with advanced programming and development. My 65 books include: "Microsoft Windows Vista Administrator's Pocket Consultant 2nd Edition", "Windows Server 2003 Inside Out", "Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Administrator's Pocket Consultant", and "Microsoft IIS 7.0 Administrator's Pocket Consultant" (all from Microsoft Press). I also wrote “MCSE Core Exams in a Nutshell” and “Windows Vista: The Definitive Guide” for O’Reilly. I have an MS degree in Information Systems with distinction, and a BS degree in Computer Science magna cum laude. For fun I use to spend a lot of time mountain biking and hiking, but now my adventures in the great outdoors are mostly restricted to short treks around the Pacific Northwest.

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) currently is released for English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. Other languages will be supported soon. If you've installed language packs for unsupported languages, you'll need to remove those language packs before you can install Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1).

To remove unsupported language packs prior to installing Windows Vista Service Pack 1, complete the following steps:

1. In Control Panel, click Change Keyboards Or Other Input Methods under Clock, Language, And Region.

2. In the Regional And Language Options dialog box, click Install/Uninstall Languages.

3. In the Install Or Uninstall Display Languages, click Remove Languages.

4. Select the language to remove. Keep in mind that once you remove the language, you will not be able to display the user interface in that language.

5. When you click Next and then click Remove, your computer automatically will create a restore point and then remove the language. If a problem occurs with your computer as a result of removing the additional language, you can use the restore point to recover the computer.

6. Click Close. You should now be able to install Windows Vista Service Pack 1.

To install Windows Vista Service Pack 1, follow these steps:

1. Start Setup, either by extracting the components from the executable download or by running Setup on the distribution media.

2. To learn more about the installation process, click the What You Should Know Before Installing Service Pack 1 link.

3. On the Welcome page, click Next.

4. Select the I Accept The License Terms check box and then click Next.

5. Click Install to begin the installation process. Your computer will automatically restart after the installation process initializes.

6. Your computer will then begin installing the service pack, in up to three stages. During the installation, you'll see the current stage of the installation and the percent completion for that stage. This process can take 30 minutes to an hour to complete. Do not turn off your computer.

7. Prior to the final (typically the third) stage, your computer will restart again. During this restart, your computer will reconfigure components and recreate prefetch/superfetch data. As a result, the start up process may be slower than usual. Be patient. Again, don't interrupt the installation and configuration process by turning off the computer.

8. When the third stage completes, you'll be able to log on. The Install Windows Service Pack wizard should confirm that the installation was a success. Click Finish.

9. Your computer should run without any new errors or problems. Once you've confirmed this, I recommend restarting your computer again to help finalize the prefetch/superfetch data, which should ensure faster startup for your computer in the future.

If something goes wrong and you need to uninstall the service pack, you can do this by completing the following steps:

1. In Control Panel, click Uninstall A Program under Programs.

2. In the Tasks pane, click View Installed Updates.

3. On the Uninstall An Update page, click Service Pack for Microsoft Windows (KB936330) and then click Uninstall.

4. When prompted to confirm, click Yes. Follow the prompts. The uninstall process may require several restarts of the computer as well.

Check back soon for a comprehensive article and complete details on what's changed in Windows Vista SP1.

Microsoft Windows Vista Administrator’s Pocket Consultant

By William R. Stanek

Microsoft Windows Vista Administrator’s Pocket Consultant is the readable reference that you will want on your desktop at all times. The guide is designed for quick access so you can easily find what you are looking for, and features in depth coverage of Windows Vista issues like Windows desktop customization, mobile networking, remote access and security. You’ll get the precise information you need to solve problems and get the job done—whether you are at your desk or in the field.

Windows Vista Administrator's Pocket Consultant is available everywhere Microsoft books are sold. I hope you'll order the book from your favorite bookstore. All on-line bookstores carry the book as well. Here's the direct link to order the book at these bookstores:

Amazon.com
BarnesAndNoble.com

Windows Vista: The Definitive Guide

By William R. Stanek

With this new operating system, every corner of traditional Windows has been tweaked, overhauled, or replaced entirely. Windows Vista: The Definitive Guide offers complete details on new features and enhancements, including the superior searching and organization tools, the multimedia and collaboration suite, and the massive, top-to-bottom security-shield reconstruction. With details on setup and deployment and a detailed reference section, bestselling author and Windows expert William Stanek puts power users in full control of Windows Vista. As an added bonus, a handy, complete menu map of all versions of Vista can be found in the endpapers.

Windows Vista: The Definitive Guide is available everywhere Microsoft books are sold. I hope you'll order the book from your favorite bookstore. All on-line bookstores carry the book as well. Here's the direct link to order the book at these bookstores:

Amazon.com
BarnesAndNoble.com

Thank you for visiting. This article is provided as a Web extra for Windows Vista Administrator’s Pocket Consultant published by Microsoft Learning and written by me, William R. Stanek. You can find the current version of this document at www.williamstanek.com/vista/.

Learn more about the feature differences between the various editions of Windows Vista... click here.

Download the Windows Vista Group Policy Reference for administrators... click here.

Everything you ever wanted to know about installing Windows Vista but were afraid to ask... click here.

Where Is It In Windows Vista: The Reference... click here.

Resolving Sleep/Resume and iPod, iTunes, My Book Compatibility Problems... click here.

Resolving Boot and Installation Issues After Installing Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) or Windows Server 2008... click here.

Thank you for reading this article. I look forward to writing more articles.

 William R. Stanek (http://www.williamstanek.com)