Microsoft have just made a new update available for both 32 and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista which is said to improve overall compatibility, reliability and stability of the OS.

This update improves the compatibility, reliability, and stability of Windows Vista. This update includes the following improvements and fixes:-

• It extends the battery life for mobile devices.
• It improves the stability of portable computers and of desktop computers that use an uninterruptable power supply (UPS).
• It improves the reliability of Windows Vista when you open the menu of a startup application.
• It improves the stability of wireless network services.
• It shortens the startup time of Windows Vista by using a better timing structure.
• It shortens the recovery time after Windows Vista experiences a period of inactivity.
• It shortens the recovery time when you try to exit the Photos screen saver.
• It improves the stability of Windows PowerShell.

This update also resolves the following issues in Windows Vista:

• A compatibility issue that affects some third-party antivirus software applications.
• A reliability issue that occurs when a Windows Vista-based computer uses certain network driver configurations.

It shouldn't be too long before this major update makes its way into Microsoft's automated Update service, but in the meantime you can download it manually from Microsoft Support.