Vista LUT problem: solution!?

[Simon Tindemans]

Hello all,

As a color-managing Windows user, I have been holding off on upgrading to Vista until the LUT-table bug would be fixed. I was just browsing around for the current status of this bug and found the following thread: http://neosmart.net/blog/2007/windows-vistas-gamma-table-bug/ The most recent comment at the bottom of that page suggests that a fix has been released, referring to this page: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/951537/en-us

Can anyone verify that, with the fix in place, the LUTs no longer get trashed during normal use of Vista?

Thanks in advance!
Simon

 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Can anyone verify that, with the fix in place, the LUTs no longer get trashed during normal use of Vista?

Hallo Simon,

I cannot confirm it yet, but one of my friends is awaiting (in at least 2 weeks time) delivery of their new PC with Vista pre-installed. I'll see if I can profile their display, and if it holds. I'm not sure if the localised (Dutch) Vista SP1 is already issued, but I'll report back here if it is and whether the fix works as intended.

Should you get a confirmation somewhere else, then please report back here at OPF as well, since I'm also postponing a new purchase.

Bart

 

[Simon Tindemans]

Bart, thank you for offering to check this. Vista SP1 NL is indeed out, so that shouldn't be a problem.

I'll post back here if I find additional information elsewhere. It would be great if this bug is finally squashed, 18+ months after introduction.... sheesh.

Simon

 

[Chris Lilley]

As a color-managing Windows user, I have been holding off on upgrading to Vista until the LUT-table bug would be fixed. I was just browsing around for the current status of this bug and found the following thread: http://neosmart.net/blog/2007/windows-vistas-gamma-table-bug/

The report on that unfortunate bug is very good, but unfortunately some of the introductory statements in that article are wrong.

Windows Color Systems. It purports to offer advanced color management and better results than the age-old (and forever dying) ICC/ICM color system. ICC has been buggy the whole way,

ICM has been buggy, yes (which is why most programs on Windows replace it with their own CMS from Kodak, Adobe, etc). Also, it was stuck as ICC v.2 while other platforms (Mac, linux) have been using ICC v.4 for some time now.

However, the Vista Windows Color System is also ICC based. it brings windows up to ICC v.4 and uses a new colour management engine written by Canon Informations Systems Research (Australia).

The rest of the article seems to be correct (and its amazing this bug was never spotted in beta).

 

[Simon Tindemans]

Ok, I visited the Photokina in Cologne yesterday and popped by the Microsoft stand to get an answer straight from the horse's mouth It took some asking around to find a person who knew a person who could give an authoritative answer, but to cut a long story short: yes, it's been solved as part of a post-SP1 patch (likely the one referred to above).

I'm happy that this can now be put to rest, but I cannot understand why Microsoft didn't announce this fix in a more prominent manner (namely, at all). Oh well, large organizations... I had the feeling the photography team wasn't too happy about how this was handled either.

Cheers,
Simon

 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

I'm happy that this can now be put to rest, but I cannot understand why Microsoft didn't announce this fix in a more prominent manner (namely, at all). Oh well, large organizations... I had the feeling the photography team wasn't too happy about how this was handled either.

Hi Simon,

After several unforeseen delays, I only partially finished my test of a friends (another one than planned) Vista PC after SP1. Unfortunately his display is not that well suited for colormanagement, despite my efforts with an EyeOne Pro. I therefore had planned to do another test on another system, just to confirm my initial findings. However, despite the sub-optimal profiling end result (which made judging more difficult), I didn't notice any LUT reset either.

It indeed seems like the bug has been eliminated with Vista Service Pack 1 (localized Dutch version).

Bart

 

[Simon Tindemans]

Hi Bart,

Thanks for the confirmation!
[little nitpick: I believe it was fixed in a post-SP1 update, but just install all recommended updates and it's fixed]

Simon

PS - Now if they could also supply a multi-monitor LUT loader for windows Vista like they did for XP it would make life even easier...