So Microsoft finally released the official (as in not beta) Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista. Sort of. Microsoft, in their infinite Wisdom and alacrity, released SP1 for only a handful of languages, otherwise known as: English, French, German, Spanish, and Japanese. Except that English users seem to only be American (or maybe Brit too) English users, as reports show Australians cannot download SP1 even though last the world knew, they too speak the English language. But if you can install Vista SP1, you will be unhappy to know that you can now turn your Windows Vista nightmare into an even worse experience. Congratulations!

What does Service Pack 1 bring you? Well, I’m sure Microsoft can tell you what it officially does. However what you may not know are that a good many of your drivers will no longer be supported once you install SP1. You know, drivers from those dirty underhanded companies that no one uses like Intel, Realtek, or nVidia. (Yes, that was sarcasm by the way.) I’m sure no Windows Vista users will have problems with losing those drivers.

So how are the Windows Vista SP1 updates going? Let’s check the Windows Vista Team Blog for all the fun-filled Vista SP1 update action! Remember folks, these are real Microsoft Windows Vista users with real problems!

mosqueda: “I have been trying to download the SP1 update and I continue to get an error Code 8E5E03FB – which I cannot find anything on anywhere on Microsoft.com and very little on the internet.”

sroussey: “still no 64bit drivers for Microsoft’s own hardware (fingerprint reader and associated keyboards/mice).”

Fatalah: “I have SigmaTel audio drivers that are in conflict with SP1.”

kurrier: “went from using 650mb ram idle to 1gig… i’ll be be switching back and a very bleak outlook for ms.”

drqc terry: “I tried installing sp1 standalone–it worked on 1 machine-not other!”

MrSpock: “According to KB948343 (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=948343) SP1 will not show up in WU if version 11.0.1000.1091 or earlier of the Symantec Endpoint Protection driver is installed. I have run Symantec LiveUpdate and the driver version is still 11.0.1000.1091.”

jamieburchell: “I was asked to activate my copy of Windows which I had not previously been asked prior to the upgrade. On trying to activate the product key online I was informed that it was “already in use”. I tried re-keying in my product key and repeating the process to no avail. In the end I used the phone system method and this worked, although I have no idea why.”

Uyghur: “In Unicode standard, national and local standard, one of our letter, F’s unicode number is 0641, but Microsoft have used 06A7 instead, resulting in serious incompatibility issues.”

rkpatrick: “To read the description of why I wouldn’t see SP1, I would think “a small number of device drivers” means that a small number of users would be affected. Imagine my surprise when SP1 didn’t show up for me (mine’s a pretty stock machine). But looking at this “small” list of drivers, right at the top is RealTek ‘97, which is the codec for built-in sound for a TON of motherboards.”

Bikkja: “After installing SP1 things seem to go really slow, even though my computer shouldnt have any problems runing vista (dual 2,4Ghz with 4gb ram, 64 bit os).”

butters286: “I have installed vista sp1 today now i have no sound and my dvd drive does’nt work nice one microsoft.”

SeppDietrich: “Well, I installed Vista SP1 after seeing it on Windows Update last night.
In retrospect, not my finest decision.
What a disaster! It exiled all of my Nvidia drivers to the Bermuda Triangle..they’re simply all GONE.
Okay, no big deal, go to the Nvidia site, download the latest drivers, install and nada.Zip, Zilch, Nothing changes.
Windows Update keeps telling me I have an available update to install, an Nvidia update dated 12/7/07..which is OLDER than the Nvidia drivers I just lifted off their site.
Either way it doesn’t matter, the install fails…every time,without fail.(Pun intended)”iggy23: “I downloaded it via Windows Update, and got a bluescreen on the third part of the update. Took 5 hours to “revert to previous”. So I downloaded the package version, and tried that. Same bluescreen. Same hours.”

hi_im_nysa: “since installing SP1 I’ve had issues with my wireless internet. It would say that I only have “local access only” and I cannot access the internet nor can I access anything on my LAN, not even my home router. Although it says I’m connected to local, I’m not at all.”

kennethpletz: “after SP1 was installed – Outlook (2007) kept crashing.”