The Windows Portable Device (WPD) API collects and transfers Software Quality Metrics (SQM) data to Microsoft servers. The SQM data is collected only on an opt-in basis through the Microsoft Customer Experience Improvement Program. An update is available that disables the collection and transfer of SQL data to Microsoft servers.

This update affects Windows Vista-based computers, Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1)-based computers, and Windows Server 2008-based computers that are in the Microsoft Windows Media Player Customer Experience Improvement Program.

Note: This update does not apply to Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems.

Consider the following scenario:

• You install Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI) 4.5 on a Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP-based computer.
• You install multiple instances of an MSI application on the same computer.

In this scenario, one of the installations may fail. Additionally, the following error message is logged:

API call rejected - No actions in Context

All other MSI installations are successful.

Note: This issue is most likely to be encountered during the installation of SQL Server 2008 or during an upgrade from SQL Server 2005 to SQL Server 2008.

Virtual Disk Service: A set of application programming interfaces (APIs) that provides a single interface for managing disks. VDS provides an end-to-end solution for managing storage hardware and disks, and for creating volumes on those disks.

On Windows, every volume is assigned a unique volume name in the format \\Volume\{GUID}\, where the GUID uniquely identifies that volume. Under certain circumstances described in the “More Information” section, it is possible for a volume to be assigned multiple unique volume names and thus be assigned multiple GUIDs. When this happens, the GetVolumeNameForVolumeMountPoint() Win32 API function will return one of the assigned names, but it may return a name which cannot be used.

The existing File system APIs in Windows Vista do not provide an easy way to discover and restore deleted files. A new version of the File system API is available that enables third-party developers to discover and restore deleted files from nonencrypted volumes by extending the File Management APIs.

This new API also lets developers pass a password or a recovery key file. Therefore, you can discover and restore deleted files from BitLocker-encrypted volumes. This API does not support the restoration of files from other kinds of encrypted volumes.

This API can only be used to extend the File Management APIs for Windows Vista. Additionally, these functions are only supported when you use the functions in an offline environment, such as Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) or Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE).

Consider the following scenario. You develop an application that uses Microsoft Windows GDI+ API functions. You use the application in Windows Server 2008, in Windows Vista, in Windows Server 2003, or in Windows XP. In this scenario, when you use the application to display or to print Japanese full-width (zenkaku) characters, the Unicode hyphen character (U+2010) is not drawn.

For example, you use a hyphen (-) to separate some digits as follows:

1-2-3A

However, when the characters are displayed or printed by the application that uses GDI+ API functions, you see the following string:

123A

Note: This problem does not occur when the application uses Graphics Device Interface (GDI) API functions.

You develop an application that uses the VerFindFile function to determine where it can install a file. However, when the application runs on a Windows Vista-based or Windows Server 2008-based computer, the VerFindFile function always returns the following value:

VFF_CURNEDEST (0×1)

Therefore, the application may be unable to run on a Windows Vista-based or Windows Server 2008-based computer.

You have a computer that is running a non-English version of Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista. A Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) application uses the IP Helper API to collect Management Information Base (MIB) interface information. However, the information is not displayed correctly. Instead, the information is blank or incomplete.

When you run an application on a Windows Vista operating system as a user who is not an administrator, you receive one of the following access error messages when the application calls the StgOpenStorage method:

Windows Vista

ERROR_DIRECTORY

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1)

STG_E_ACCESSDENIED

This problem occurs if the program process impersonates a user who is not an administrator.

Consider the following scenario:

• You are running a Windows Vista-based computer or a Windows Server 2008-based computer.
• The computer has multiple IP addresses.
• You run the gethostbyname function.

In this scenario, the gethostbyname function returns the IP addresses in numeric order. Therefore, the IP address that has the lowest number is returned first. You expect the primary IP address to be returned first.