经过数月的猜测、谣传与沉默，微软最终开始公开讨论 Windows Vista Service Pack 1。微软表示第一个公开的 Windows Vista SP1 Beta 版本将在近几周向 TechNET 及 MSDN 的订阅用户发布。同时他们也确认确实有一小部分测试者已经先期拿到了 SP1 并展开了测试。

个人用户如果想体验 SP1 beta 看来还得等一段时间，微软只表示说将在此次测试，也就是第二次测试完毕后，根据反馈情况确认代码足够稳定后才会发布一个预览版本。如果此次 9 月份发布的第二个 beta 版测试顺利的话，那么我们就可以在今年的 11 月或 12 月看到这个预览版。

微软的 Vista SP1 白皮书也已上线，其中包括所有的更改细节，其中一些亮点包括：

- All of the updates that had been previously offered through Windows Update
- Improved reliability and compatibility with newer graphics cards
- Improved reliability when working with external displays on a laptop
- Improved reliability of systems that were updated from Windows XP to Vista
- Improved printer driver compatibility
- Increased reliability and performance when entering and returning from sleep mode
- Includes APIs by which third party security and malicious software detection applications can work with kernal patch protection on x64 versions of Vista
- Improves the security of running RemoteApp programs and desktops by allowing Remote Desktop Protocol files to be signed
- Enhances BitLocker Drive Encryption to offer an additional multifactor authentication method that combines a key protected by the Trusted Platform Module with a startup key stored on a USB storage device and a user-generated PIN
- Faster copying and extracting of files
- Improves the time to become active from Hibernate and Resume modes.
- Reduces Internet Explorer 7 CPU utilization and speeds up JavaScript parsing
- Improves battery life by not redrawing the screen as often on certain computers
- Support for exFAT file system which will be used in forthcoming flash memory storage devices
- Support for Secure Digital Advanced Direct Memory Acces
- Support for Direct3D 10.1

白皮书中指出 SP1 主要针对管理员及可管理性、安全性、EFI的原生支持、Direct3D 10.1 以及性能及兼容性几方面进行加强。如果你细心点就会发现规划中有关"性能"及"兼容性"的补丁早在几周前就已发布。

"质量第一！"，微软产品主管 Nick White 说："SP1 的最终版本预计将在 2008 年第一季度发布，但这只是一个预计时间。""当达到预期的质量要求后我们才能知道准确的 SP1 发布时间。"

此外，自从 Vista SP1 及 Windows Server 2008 被确认需要同期发布以来，Windows Server 2008 的开发团队也不得不将 RTM 版本的发布时间定为明年第一季度，但愿这是 Windows Server 2008 的最后一次跳票吧。