Service Pack

Microsoft releases SP1 betas for Visual Studio 2008 and .NET Framework 3.5

Paul Mah — Tue, 13 May 2008 06:41:02 -0400

The first beta release of SP1 for Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.5 have been released by Microsoft. They have been available for download from Microsoft's Developer Network (MSDN) site since May 12. Some key improvements in SP1 for Visual Studio 2008 appear to be better performance in the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) and new components for Visual Basic and Visual C++. The .NET Framework 3.5, on the other hand, features better start-up performance, as well as improvements pertaining to web development (such as improved AJAX support). Microsoft declined to furnish any target date for the final release of SP1 for both Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.5.

For more on the service packs:
- check out the ZDNet article

Windows XP SP3 and IE

Mehan Jayasuriya — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:39:14 -0400

Microsoft may have put a temporary freeze on Windows XP SP3 due to compatibility concerns, but that hasn't stopped most folks from installing the Service Pack anyway. The fact of the matter is that unless you use Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS), you're probably in the clear and SP3 install files can be easily had if you're willing to do a little detective work. Here's a question, though: What precautions should one take before installing SP3? If you're an Internet Explorer user, you might want to take stock of your situation before installing. IE6 users will have the option of upgrading to either IE7 or IE8 beta 1 after installing, though they can elect to keep on using version 6. Similarly IE7 users will have the option of upgrading to IE8b1. But what if you're already using IE8b1? Microsoft advises you to uninstall the browser before installing SP3 and then reinstalling it afterward. The company warns that XP SP3 should not be installed on any system containing any beta version of Internet Explorer.

For more on IE and SP3:
- see this Ars Technica article

Windows XP SP3 available now

Mehan Jayasuriya — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:00:40 -0400

It's been a long and winding road, but we've finally arrived: Today Microsoft released Windows XP SP3 via its website, the last hurrah for the ill-fated OS. The final service pack contains some 1,100 hotfixes and patches, and even introduces a few new features to the 7-year-old operating system. While it's available now via Microsoft's website and Windows Update, it won't make its way out via Automatic Update until "early summer." The download weighs in at 316MB and appears to be a fairly painless install, based on the early reports we're hearing.

For more on XP SP3:
- see this DailyTech article
- and click here to download the service pack

Vista update zaps USB devices

Mehan Jayasuriya — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:06:44 -0400

Been eyeing that Windows Vista SP1 pre-requisite KB938371 update? You might want to hold off, at least for the time being. Turns out that the update has been inadvertently disabling USB devices like mice and keyboards on some systems--which is not exactly the most useful feature from a productivity standpoint. "We are aware of concerns that a recent Microsoft update may be causing problems with USB devices," the company admitted in a statement. "We are investigating the matter, and at this time, do not have any information to share." In other SP1 news, the service pack still has yet to make its way out via Automatic Update, though it has been available as a download from Microsoft for some time now.

For more on Vista SP1:
- see this Register story

Windows XP SP3: April 29th?

Mehan Jayasuriya — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:53:33 -0400

Hate to say we told you so. While Windows XP SP3 doesn't yet have an official release date, the company did confirm that it's arriving sometime this month. According to tech news site Neowin, that translates to April 29th. Allegedly, official support is already live, OEM copies will be shipped out on the 21st, on the 29th the service pack will go out via Microsoft Update, Windows Update and Download Center and on June 10th, it will get pushed out to the masses via Automatic Update. Bear in mind that these are just rumors, but if you ask us, the dates do sound about square.

For more on the rumored launch date:
- see this article from Neowin