An October 2008 update is available for the Windows Vista Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP)

The Windows Vista Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) collects information about how you use Windows Vista. The Windows Vista CEIP also collects information about any problems that you experience when you use Windows Vista. Microsoft uses this information to improve the features that you use most frequently.

If you join the Windows Vista CEIP, Microsoft will use the information that is collected only to improve the software. Microsoft will not use this information to identify you or to contact you.

This article describes an update to the Windows Vista CEIP. This update configures the existing Windows Vista CEIP settings to improve the quality of the software-oriented information that is sent to Microsoft.

Update information

Who should apply this update

You can apply this update only if you have already joined the Windows Vista CEIP. Otherwise, the package will not be installed.

To verify that you have joined the Windows Vista CEIP, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Control Panel Home, and then click System and Maintenance.
3. Click Problem Reports and Solutions, and then click Customer Experience Improvement Settings.
4. Verify that the Join the Customer Experience Improvement Program option is selected.

How to obtain this update

The following files are available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

• Download the Update for Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems (KB957000) package now.
• Download the Update for Windows Server 2008 x64 Edition (KB957000) package now.
• Download the Update for Windows Vista for x64-based Systems (KB957000) package now.
• Download the Update for Windows Server 2008 (KB957000) package now.
• Download the Update for Windows Vista (KB957000) package now.

For more information about how to download Microsoft support files, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: Microsoft scanned this file for viruses. Microsoft used the most current virus-detection software that was available on the date that the file was posted. The file is stored on security-enhanced servers that help prevent any unauthorized changes to the file.



The English version of this update has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.

Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 file information notes

• The files that apply to a specific product, milestone (RTM, SPn), and service branch (LDR, GDR) can be identified by examining the file version numbers that are listed in the following table.
  
  Collapse this tableExpand this table

  Version	Product	Milestone	Service branch
  6.0.6000.16xxx	Windows Vista	RTM	GDR
  6.0.6000.20xxx	Windows Vista	RTM	LDR
  6.0.6001.18xxx	Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 SP1	SP1	GDR
  6.0.6001.22xxx	Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 SP1	SP1	LDR

• Service Pack 1 is integrated into the original release version of Windows Server 2008. Therefore, RTM milestone files apply only to Windows Vista RTM milestone files that have a 6.0.0000.xxxxxx version number.
• GDR service branches contain only those fixes that are widely released to address widespread, critical issues. LDR service branches contain hotfixes in addition to widely released fixes.
• The MANIFEST files (.manifest) and the MUM files (.mum) that are installed for each environment are listed separately. MUM and MANIFEST files, and the associated security catalog (KBnumber.cat) files, are critical to maintaining the state of the updated component. The security catalog files (attributes not listed) are signed with a Microsoft digital signature.

For all supported x86-based versions of Windows Server 2008 and of Windows Vista

For all supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 and of Windows Vista

For all supported Itanium-based versions of Windows Server 2008

Additional file information for Windows Server 2008 and for Windows Vista

Additional files for all supported x86-based versions of Windows Server 2008 and of Windows Vista

Additional files for all supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 and of Windows Vista

Additional files for all supported IA-64-based versions of Windows Server 2008

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for installing this package. Only those users who are enrolled in the Windows Vista CEIP will be affected by this update.

Restart information

You may have to restart the computer after you apply this update.

Update replacement information

This CEIP package does not supersede any other package.

How to remove this update

To remove this update, follow these steps:

1. In Control Panel, click Programs and Features, and then click View Installed Updates.
2. Click Update for Microsoft Windows (KB957000), and then click Uninstall.

For more information about the Windows Vista CEIP, visit the following Microsoft Web site: For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: