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University Bans Vista SP1 Upgrades as Problems Continue By Barry Levine March 21, 2008 11:11AM     Driver problems are having a big impact on users upgrading to Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and the University of Pennsylvania has advised against using Vista SP1. Among the drivers that Vista SP1 doesn't like are those for the common Intel 945G Express chipsets, used in PCs from Gateway, Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard and others.   Related Topics Microsoft Vista SP1 Drivers Gateway Lenovo Hewlett-Packard Latest News Plasma-TV Ban Could Be Costly Barnes & Noble Nook Is Delayed Flat PC Shipments Hurt Dell's Stock Ballmer Says Windows 7 Sales Good New Pogoplug 'Cloud' Gets Social Microsoft 's Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is hitting more bumps in the road and institutions are beginning to weigh in. As one example, the University of Pennsylvania's IT department has reportedly issued a bulletin to faculty and students not to update with SP1, at least for the time being. The department has said it will support users who have Vista with SP1 preinstalled, however. Major Driver Problems Drivers are becoming a major issue. One of the reasons Microsoft delayed SP1's release was because of problems with drivers. New reports indicate that, while the actual number of problematic drivers may be small, as Microsoft indicates, their impact is not. The drivers include those in a common Intel chipset, the 945G Express series, used in PCs from Gateway, Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard and others. Microsoft has recommended that all drivers be updated before installing SP1. One central location for SP1 complaints, as well as some favorable comments, is Microsoft's Vista blog. A commenter called rikki-UK sarcastically described Microsoft as "GENIUS at work" because it released the update two days before a long holiday weekend, thus limiting access to support. According to rikki-UK, the company issued advice to some users to replace an Ethernet card or a router, even though the same hardware worked fine on XP machines. One user going by the name of bowlman posted Friday that he has had SP1 installed for two days and the "only problems" are that e-mail opens slower, Vista wants to do an error report when it closes, and the documents folder "wants to lock up and takes 10 minutes to close it down." Exorcist Needed? "Sometimes," posted a user called Microsoft News Tracker, "I think what Microsoft's Vista operating system really needs is an exorcist" because of the number of "unnatural occurrences plaguing it." Laura DiDio, an analyst with industry research firm Yankee Group, noted that SP1 has only been out for a few days, and it will take a few weeks to gauge overall reaction accurately. She had problems with drivers being unavailable for an existing printer when she upgraded to Vista, but she noted that, "to be fair," those who are happy with SP1 probably aren't going to post their happiness on blogs. She pointed out that it's the unhappy ones, looking for help or commiseration, who show up on blogs. DiDio also recalled the conventional wisdom that "you only get one chance to make a first impression," adding that, if complaints continue much longer, Microsoft has to move quickly to put out a statement addressing the issues.   Advertisement  Microsoft/Windows 1.   Ballmer Says Windows 7 Sales Good 2.   Office 2010 Integrates with the Web 3.   MS Told To Stop Some Windows Sales 4.   Microsoft Releases Multiple Betas 5.   IE9 Likely To Access PC Hardware Just How Secure Is Windows 7? Sophos, Microsoft have different views. Average Rating: Vista More Secure Than Windows XP Windows 7 security could be expensive. Average Rating: Patch Tuesday Fixes Serious Threats Three of six patches rated critical. Average Rating:

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Network Security Spotlight

House Lawmakers Push Ban on Peer-to-Peer Software Stung by an embarrassing electronic leak revealing ethics investigations into dozens of lawmakers, Congress moved to prohibit federal employees from using the file-sharing software blamed for the disclosure.   GAO: Los Alamos Computer Security Has Weaknesses Security weaknesses uncovered in Los Alamos National Laboratory's computer network increase the risk of a classified-information breach, says the Government Accountability Office.   Computer Security Firm Fortinet Plans IPO This Week Fortinet plans to go public in an initial public offering, giving investors a chance to tap a network security provider with sales that are expected to grow. The IPO could be valued at $137.5 million or more.

Enterprise Hardware Spotlight

Flat Shipments Hurt Dell Despite Increased Earnings Dell's earnings are up and expectations are solid, but the company's stock still took a hit after analysts signaled the company isn't playing a key role in the PC market recovery.   New Pogoplug 'Personal Cloud' Does Social Networking Cloud Engines has released its newest version of the Pogoplug, a small "multimedia sharing device" that connects hard drives to the Internet and allows a user to access the files remotely.   Apple Tablet Rumored Delayed as Publisher Gears Up There have been so many rumors of an Apple tablet that it has taken on legendary status. But now the legend is being revised with reports of a delay and that a major publisher is getting ready.

Enterprise Technology Spotlight

Flat Shipments Hurt Dell Despite Increased Earnings Dell's earnings are up and expectations are solid, but the company's stock still took a hit after analysts signaled the company isn't playing a key role in the PC market recovery.   Smartphones: A Bigger Target for Security Threats Smartphones are increasingly prevalent and adept at handling more tasks, including trading stocks, paying bills, and buying stuff online. That makes them attractive to thieves and hackers.   FBI Says Hackers Targeting Law Firms, PR Companies Hackers are targeting law firms and public relations companies with a sophisticated e-mail scheme that breaks into their computer networks to steal sensitive data, often linked to large corporate clients.

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