A Vista SP2 warning

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

Just a quick warning for anybody thinking of updating to Vista SP2. Our very own Paul Ockenden subjected himself to this supposedly painless process only recently and discovered that when it’s done installing, SP2 automatically reboots the machine without any warning.

Now, as Paul notes “at the start of the install it does warn you that this will happen, and suggests that you don’t use the machine while the update is taking place. But it’s on one of those screens that no-one ever reads!”

Needless to say, we highly recommend that you don’t begin patching in the background if you’re halfway through writing your War and Peace rivalling masterwork.

Given the fuss Microsoft’s been making in its Windows 7 promotion about listening to the customer and making life easier for them, there’s something particularly fitting about the gnashing of teeth likely to be caused by Vista SP2. On the bright side, it looks like Vista’s going to go out in much the same way it came in, against a chorus of complaints.