Windows Vista SP1 Causing More Problems

by Bill Lindner on 20080324 @ 00:39AM EST

Not that it should come as any surprise, but Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1), Microsoft's first update to (the never ending nightmare known as) Windows Vista, has reportedly been causing more problems for users.

When Windows Vista was released to the public over a year ago, a plethora of users found out that it was riddled with slow speed and compatibility issues. So much so that even Microsoft executives complained.

As reported by our own John Lister, Microsoft recently released Windows Vista SP1 as a means to improve performance and security issues. True to form, it has instead caused more problems.

The University of Pennsylvania is advising faculty and students not to upgrade to Windows Vista SP1. Comments from some technology websites show that some users could not begin updating to Vista SP1 at all while others who were able to update their systems had more problems after it was installed.

The Windows Vista SP1 website states that the update will not work if the computer is using a particular device from Intel, Symantec or RealTek AC. Users need to resolve certain software conflicts for these devices before they can begin the update. It also states that Vista SP1 is not compatible with Zone Alarm Security Suite and BitDefender Antivirus.

Extreme Tech tested SP1 using graphics-intensive first-person shooter Crysis and found that the updated version of Vista was only slightly faster than Windows XP, but fell behind XP in a high-resolution setup.

Meanwhile, the "Save Windows XP" petition has over 100,000 signatures as the campaign to save Windows XP gains momentum and Apple sales have soared to capture 14% of U.S. PC retail sales. Apparently, I'm not the only one who will be purchasing an Apple next time if Windows XP is no longer available.

Links related to the information above can be found below:

Microsoft list of incompatible devices
Windows Vista SP1 support (Australia)
Windows Vista team blog
Peter Griffin's blog
Crysis tested on SP1 from Extreme Tech
Windows Vista SP1 Flunks Out At Penn article from Information Week
The "Save Windows XP" Campaign Rages On! article from Earthweb
Apple sales soar to capture 14% of US PC retail sales article from ZDNet

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