Report: Serious Bug Delays Vista RTM

At least two news outlets are citing sources claiming the final version of Windows Vista has been delayed at least a week due to a bug which could crash a system that was upgraded from Windows XP. The bug was found in build 5824, said to be the "release to manufacturing" build.

Taiwan-based DigiTimes cited sources saying Microsoft had been successful in cutting the 1,400 known bugs in Vista RC2 by a third. However, the bug caused the company to adjust its timeline on an RTM release from the fourth week of October to the second week of November.

In a subsequent IDG story, Ethan Allen of thehotfix.net was quoted as saying, "the bug totally crashed the computer requiring a full reinstallation. With such a severe flaw, November 8 was now the new target date for completing Vista, meaning the business version will come very close to missing its November deadline."

The bug has been fixed in build 5840, which is likely undergoing testing as of the writing of this article. It is unclear, however, if this build would be released to testers to ensure no future problems could delay Vista's RTM even further.

In a statement to BetaNews, a company representative said, "Microsoft has not publicly confirmed a date for Windows Vista RTM. The company has internal target dates, but we do not provide specific dates for milestones. We are in the final stages of development and we are on track for Windows Vista business availability in November and general availability in January 2007."

Earlier this month, JupiterResearch analyst Joe Wilcox said the only thing stopping Microsoft from meeting its deadline would be a major issue. "If developers find a showstopper bug, Microsoft might need time for additional testing--and there is still plenty of time for that," he said. "I don't think Microsoft would let any bugs create another delay."