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Aug

30

More details on this weekend’s WGA validation issue

Category: Vista News | Leave a Comment

Further investigation by our WGA team has brought to light more information on the WGA validation issue affecting users this past weekend.  Alex Kochis on the WGA blog breaks down the events of the weekend that caused the validation failure, how it was identified and what was done to fix it, and changes we’ve made to WGA as a result.  The upshot is that we’re working to improve WGA, having learned much from this failure, and the team, with Alex in the lead, is taking the matter and its impact very seriously.


Among the points that Alex calls out, one is that around 12,000 customers were affected worldwide.  While I stated on Saturday that “very few customers” were affected — a poor choice of words, I will be the first to admit –, this by no means was meant to downplay the experience endured by those customers.  As Alex puts it, “one bad customer experience is one too many,” and I completely agree.  That’s the most important point and cannot be overstated.  My apologies to anyone who felt slighted by interpreting that MS’ stance was less than responsive and empathetic; I can assure you that the team worked non-stop to restore service to affected Genuine users.


I’ll not go into the details of the issue here but instead leave you to review them on Alex’s blog.  Also, Alex has invited those with questions to address them to him via his blog.

Aug

29

Announcing Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta

Category: Vista News | Leave a Comment

Now is the time and the time is now:  let’s talk about Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1).  Much has been made of what will or will not be included in SP1 and when it will be released (some accurate, some otherwise).  I’m here to set the story straight:  we’re in the process of developing and deploying a Beta version of SP1.  This post will describe for you what to expect from that effort and how you can be involved in the process.


First, a note on service packs.  As you are aware, service packs are part of our traditional software lifecycle; they’re something we do for most major products as a commitment to continuous improvement.  But, the servicing situation has changed with the advent of Windows Vista, as we no longer rely solely on service packs as the main vehicle used to deploy system fixes and improvements.  The Windows Update online service is one new way to deliver many OS improvements.  For example, yesterday in advance of SP1 we released via Windows Update two separate improvements to Windows Vista’s reliability and performance.  We did this prior to SP1 in lieu of requiring customers to wait for these fixes to be rolled into a single service pack.  Beyond this, we improve the Windows Vista experience by continuing to work closely with software partners to ensure application compatibility.  We likewise align efforts with partners on the hardware side of the business to broaden the range of devices that work with Windows Vista and to constantly improve device driver quality.


What is SP1?  What is it not?


In addition to updates we’ve previously released, SP1 will contain changes focused on addressing specific reliability and performance issues we’ve identified via customer feedback, supporting new types of hardware, and adding support for several emerging standards.  SP1 also makes additional improvements to the IT administration experience.  We didn’t design SP1 as a vehicle for releasing new features; however, some existing components do gain enhanced functionality in SP1.


More information on what’s included in SP1 can be found in the detailed white paper.


When can I get my hands on the Beta of SP1?


A Beta release of Windows Vista SP1 is slated for availability in the next few weeks.  A small group of testers has been putting a preview of the SP1 Beta through its paces to help prepare for broader release.  We made the choice to start with a very small group of testers because we think it’s better for both our customers and for Microsoft to keep the beta program small at the start.


A later pre-release of SP1 will be available to a larger group of testers  via MSDN and TechNet subscribers.


And what about SP1 itself — when will that be available?


We’re targeting releasing SP1 to manufacturing in the first quarter of 2008, but as always, we’re first and foremost focused on delivering a high-quality release, so we’ll determine the exact release date of SP1 after we have reached that quality bar. (FYI, in case you didn’t already know:  the Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 engineering efforts are aligned, so the Server team also said on their blog today that they are targeting the first quarter of 2008 for their release to manufacturing.)


—–


That’s all for now.  Expect more SP1 information here on the blog soon, as well as on MSDN and TechNet when the time comes.  In the meantime, I’d encourage you to check out the Windows Vista SP1 white paper for more detail.  Stay tuned!

Aug

28

10 Things - Volume Mixer

Category: Vista News | Leave a Comment

Our “10 Things You May Not Know About Windows Vista” series continues as we explore one of the least-known features in Windows Vista:  the Volume Mixer.  Although it might not be as well-touted as the Aero interface, you may find it’s one of the more useful features available.


I’m sure we’ve all had the experience of working on one application when another application’s sound suddenly blasted out your speakers.  It can be disconcerting anytime, embarrassing when it happens during a meeting and downright painful when using headphones.


Windows XP had a single control for all sounds, and this controlled only the hardware.  If an application’s sound was louder or softer than that specified by Windows XP’s volume control, you had to constantly adjust the volume.


Windows Vista allows you to choose the right volume for any running application.  It’s also very easy to use.  Right-click the speaker icon in the notification area (systray) of your desktop, then click Volume Mixer to open the control.  You’ll see a list of programs running.  Then, just use the slider bar to adjust the volume up or down.  (Note:  If some of the sliders have a black background, just move the slider and Windows Vista will re-draw it.  KB article 938308 explains this more.)


You can adjust volume for use with either speakers or headphones simply by selecting the desired output in the device column.  You can also choose to mute individual programs so as to not be interrupted by sounds from other running programs.  If you change the output device, you will need to readjust the volume.

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