In order to improve the quality of the software information collected from the users' operating systems and sent to Microsoft, the Redmond company introduced an update to the spy tool included by default into every copy of Windows Vista, following the release of Service Pack 1. The June 2008 update for the Windows Vista Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) is now available for both Vista RTM and Vista SP1. Windows Vista copies are constantly communicating with Microsoft, and CEIP is an integral part of the infrastructure used to gather data from users' computers and send it to the Redmond company's servers. Of course, this can only happen with the explicit permission of end users.

"The Windows Vista Customer Experience Improvement Program 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," Microsoft explained.

Designed for the 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows Vista (with or without Service Pack 1), the update will tweak the CEIP settings on the machines that are alread part of the experience improvement program. Users that have not joined CEIP will not receive the update. The new CEIP configuration will increase the quality of the data collected about the software solutions running on Vista which is subsequently sent to Microsoft. In order to access CEIP to either switch it on or off, you will have to navigate to Control Panel, System and Maintenance, Problem Reports and Solutions and in the left hand side corner, at the bottom select the Customer Experience Improvement Settings option.

Users can download the CEIP update for Windows Vista (SP1), 32-bit and Windows Vista (SP1), 64-bit.