On Monday, September 24, Microsoft introduced the first fully-fledged Beta build of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and almost immediately the release was leaked to peer-to-peer file sharing applications. Build 6001.16659 of Vista SP1 was preceded by the availability of two pre-beta versions of the service pack that received quite a lot of attention and one that almost managed to get by unnoticed. Windows Vista SP1 build 6001.16549.070628-1825, build 6.0.6001.16633 and build 6.0.6001.16655 were all pre-beta versions of the service pack. Because of the nature of the pre-beta, the build that preceded Vista SP1 Beta in terms of availability was dropped into the laps of a very exclusive pool of testers.

Then at the end of August, Microsoft broke the Windows Omerta imposed by Steven "Codename Translucency" Sinofsky, senior vice president for the Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group - the user experience of Microsoft Windows and Windows Live services. The Redmond company revealed plans to make the first beta of Vista SP1 available for download in September. At the beginning of this week, Microsoft delivered on this promise and released Vista SP1 Beta Build 6001.16659, both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions, to over 12,000 testers via connect.microsoft.com.

Now both Vista SP1 Build 6.0.6001.16633 and Build 6.0.6001.16549 were leaked to torrent trackers following their availability. And in this context the actual beta of Vista SP1 makes no exception to the rule. Vista SP1 Beta Build 6001.16659 is also available for download from peer-to-peer file sharing networks. Of course that judging by the large volume of testers inherent with the beta label, it's no wonder that Microsoft is incapable of containing leaks. However, this is one download that you should keep away from. Microsoft currently plans to release Vista SP1 in February 2008, after the RTM of Windows Server 2008. Additionally there was talk about an expanded public beta program for Vista SP1 by the time the service pack is ready to hit release candidate stage sometime this year.