Updated: July 11, 2020 (November 9, 2009)

Windows Vista, Server 2008 Platform Update

Michael analyzed and wrote about Microsoft's operating systems, including the Windows client OS, as well as compliance and governance. Michael... more

A free update to Windows Vista and Server 2008 delivers some features of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 to the older OSs. The updates will allow developers to write applications that take advantage of some new Windows 7 features but also work on Windows Vista. However, other new features, such as the DirectAccess component for streamlined remote access, will likely never be available on the legacy OSs.

Platform Update

The Platform Update for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 contains changes for the APIs and services to update the following features.

Windows Graphics, Imaging, and XPS. The update includes the latest version of the DirectX APIs, such as Direct3D 11; the Windows Advanced Rasterization Platform (WARP); DirectWrite (high-quality text rendering); and the XPS Print API. It also updates Windows Imaging Components and the XPS Rasterization Service.

Windows Automation. An updated Windows Automation API enables accessibility software and automated test tools to work consistently with the Windows user interface across OS versions: for example, the API provides programmatic access to most interface elements on the desktop for assistive technology products, such as screen readers.

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