Vista SP1 might be just around the corner but that hasn’t stopped Microsoft from pushing out security and stability updates in advance of the Service Pack’s early 2008 release. To that end, Microsoft has unleashed five new updates, all of which we can probably expect to show up in SP1.

• KB 941649: “Comprehensive reliability, compatibility, and stability update” that addresses a number of issues including startup time and battery life
• KB 941833: MSXML Reliability update, fixes bugs in Microsoft’s XML Core Services toolkit for XML developers
• KB 941651: Improves reliability of Windows Media Player 11
• KB 941600: Resolves “reliability issues in the USB core components on the Windows Vista operating system”
• KB 941229: Windows Media Center cumulative update

If you’re supporting Vista, head on over to Microsoft’s website in order to download the latest fixes.

For more on the updates:
– see this Ars Technica article