Today, Microsoft released Service Pack 1 for Windows Vista to the public. I’ve already installed it, and there’s not much that is noticeably different, most of the changes are under the hood. I installed SP1 with no problems, and it seems to be working well. So far, the only thing I’ve noticed that is visually different is the Start Menu. But, the only difference is there is no longer a Search button, which makes the Start Menu just a little bit shorter. Here’s a comparison of the Start Menu on SP1 (left) and on RTM (right) (click for a larger view:
Service Pack 1 is currently available through Windows Update as an optional update, if it determines your computer is ready for it. Make sure to install any drivers or updates Windows Update wants you to install, and then SP1 will probably show up (you’ll have to click Check for Updates again). Alternatively, if SP1 isn’t showing up (and you’re sure you have everything required to install it) or you want to install it on multiple computer, it can be downloaded here. When installed from Windows Update, the download size will be smaller, because Windows Update will only download what’s necessary. Microsoft has said that SP1 will become an automatic update in about a month.
