It would appear that Microsoft is getting ready to release what is being called the Performance and Reliability Pack for Vista. While it's only supposed be available to select beta testers, it has been leaked on to the Web for download.

While we don't have any official idea about how Microsoft will be distributing the final version of the Performance and Reliability Pack or when it will be released to the general public, the fixes are welcomed by Vista users who are still having many problems with the new OS.

Fixes are said to include:

* Enhancements and fixes for additional compatibility with video drivers

* Visual appearance enhancements to games with high intensity graphics

* Quality improvements of HD-DVD/Blu-ray playback on large screen monitors

* Compatibility enhancements targeted at the reliability of Internet Explorer with third party toolbars.

* Changes to improve the performance and system stability of users that did an upgrade from Windows XP

* Fixes an issue with AVI file corruption on Vista

* Enhanced performance of the memory manager for Vista to fix customer issues that have led to memory corruption.

While Microsoft continues to say that Service Pack 1 for Vista will not arrive until next year, it seems that the continued complaints and lack of driver maturity has forced Microsoft to take some action to resolve some of the nagging issues that continue to give Vista a “black eye,” so to speak.

While we don't recommend it, the fixes are out there if you want download them and give them a try, but be warned that it could cause you more headaches than it is worth. Waiting for the actual release might be the right move, as to give Microsoft a chance to debug and test these fixes a bit more before getting them out the door.

With all of the reported problems with Vista so far, it is hard to say how much of an impact this Performance and Reliability Pack will have in rehabilitating Vista’s less than sterling product reputation.