Update: Microsoft Releases New Reliability Update for Windows Vista, XP SP3 Beta

Microsoft releases KB941649 hotfix which "improves the compatibility, reliability, and stability of Windows Vista"

When people talk about Windows Vista these days, two things often come to mind: the perceived inferiority to the six-year-old Windows XP operating system (which also just happened to get a new lease on life) and what Service Pack 1 (SP1) will bring to the table as far as improvements are concerned.

In the mean time, Microsoft is proceeding with continual improvements to Windows Vista ahead of the official release of SP1. Microsoft yesterday released a new hotfix, KB941649, which "improves the compatibility, reliability, and stability of Windows Vista."

KB941649 address the following issues:

• It extends the battery life for mobile devices.
  
• It improves the stability of portable computers and of desktop computers that use an uninterruptable power supply (UPS).
  
• It improves the reliability of Windows Vista when you open the menu of a startup application.
  
• It improves the stability of Internet Explorer when you open a Web page.
  
• It improves the stability of wireless network services.
  
• It shortens the startup time of Windows Vista by using a better timing structure.
  
• It shortens the recovery time after Windows Vista experiences a period of inactivity.
  
• It shortens the recovery time when you try to exit the Photos screen saver.
  
• It improves the stability of Windows PowerShell.
  
• A compatibility issue that affects some third-party antivirus software applications.
  
• A reliability issue that occurs when a Windows Vista-based computer uses certain network driver configurations.
  

If you're running Windows Vista it might be wise to install this latest hotfix to see if it may fix some of your OS woes.

Updated 10/4/2007
Microsoft just sent an email to beta testers informing them that a beta of Windows XP SP3 is now available for download. The update weighs in at 1,037.24 MB. No other details are available on the update.