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Subject: Windows - Vista Service Pack 1

Yes, it's true! February's ELM Bulletin is actually coming out in early March. Sorry about the delay, our time machine's in the shop. Actually, it's been a busy several days at ELM as we resolved computer problems of varying severity for several of our clients. If we don't already provide the same service for you why not give us a call, we're easy to work with and very good at what we do.

This month's (February's) ELM Bulletin will cover Windows Vista's Service Pack 1 (SP1) in broad brush strokes, giving you the information you need as you prepare to install this upgrade to one of Microsoft's most popular operating systems.

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 - Although not quite the most anticipated service pack since Service Pack 2 for Windows XP, Vista SP1 has certainly been looked forward to by those of us using Vista on our systems. With its promise of improved speed, security and ease of use SP 1 is bound to be a very popular download. Many updates that are part of SP1 have already been released through Vista's Automatic Update feature and you may have noticed improved system performance as a result. Microsoft lists all updates included with SP1 in the following document, which goes into great detail on what updates are included in Vista SP1:

Notable Changes in Windows Vista SP1

Microsoft has also released the following list of applications that are known to have compatibility problems with Vista SP1. Although this is not an exhaustive list it does indicate that the majority of Vista users will not encounter compatibility problems:

Compatibility Problems

Necessary Precautions - Before you install either Vista SP1 you should take the following steps to prevent data loss or lost time - DO NOT attempt to install Vista SP1 without going through this list (Microsoft has made a similar list available here):

1. Backup, backup, backup - Ensure that you have a good backup of your data prior to installation of any upgrade, especially service packs. Test your backup by attempting to restore a portion of it to an alternate location. Do not, ever, upgrade your computer without a reliable backup.

 

2. Disconnect UPS - Disconnect any Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) connected to your PC by a serial or USB cable. The system's power cord can remain connected to the UPS.

 

3. Un-Install Betas - Some of you may have installed pre-release versions of Vista SP1, these will interfere with the installation of the final release and should be removed before installing Vista SP1.

 

4. Power - Notebook computer users, this applies to you. Make sure that your notebook is not operating on its battery as it is very possible for the battery to be run down by the intense disk activity of the installation. If that should happen before the service pack is completely installed it is possible that your system will need to have everything re-installed. Confirm that your notebook is plugged into an electrical outlet.

 

5. Check for Corruption - Your hard drive should be scanned for corruption by using the following series of commands:

a - Click the Start button

b - Type "command" in the Start Search box

c - Right-click "Command Prompt"

d - Click "Run as administrator"

e - Type "chkdsk c: /F" and press Enter (assuming the system is installed on drive C:, use the appropriate drive letter otherwise)

f - Once step e has completed, type "SFC /Scannow" and press Enter

This should take care of any corruption on the hard disk and enable a successful Vista SP1 install.

 

6. Disk Space - Service Packs typically require a significant amount of available free hard disk space; Service Pack 1 is no different. Vista SP1 can require anywhere from 2Gb (via Windows Update) to 8Gb (using the stand alone installer).

 

7. Drivers - Ensure that drivers necessary to allow Windows to properly use the hardware on your system are readily available. There have been some reports that installing Vista SP1 can result in loss of functionality of various hardware devices, this can be easily resolved by re-installing the driver. The most critical drivers to have available would be those for your system's network (wireless or wired) and display adapters.

 

8. Time - Ensure that you have at least an hour available in which to perform the actual installation. Several of the additional tasks in this list (such as #5) could require significant additional time. Do not leave your computer for extended periods during the installation as you will be required to provide input at specific points during the installation process.

 

9. Remove Malware - It is highly recommended that you scan for and remove malware (viruses, spyware, worms & etc.) before installing any new software as they can have a serious impact on the overall integrity and reliability of your system.

 

10. Close Programs - Any program running on your system that can be shut down should be shut down prior to installing SP1. Antivirus software is especially problematic in interfering with service pack installation (although I encountered no problems with the AVG virus scanner that was running during my installation of SP1). At the very least a running program will cause the installation to proceed more lethargically.

I hope that the above will be of some help to you as you plan your upgrade to Vista and/or Vista SP1 and I encourage you to contact me if you have a specific concern that I have not discussed here.

As always, please contact me if you have any questions about this or any other computer issue.

Peter Rhebergen - MCP

Technical Specialist, Systems and Software

Email: peter@elmcomputers.com

ELM Computer Systems Inc.

502 Gordon Baker Road

Toronto, Ontario, M2H 3B4

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