Vista Service Pack 2 Finally Ready for Users Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2 Download Now Available Stuart J. Johnston
Microsoft announced this week that it's publicly released Service Pack 2 (Vista SP2) for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 SP2.
The company released the second service pack for Vista to manufacturing, otherwise known as RTM, in late April. The two operating systems can use the same service pack because their code base is fundamentally the same.
Microsoft officials had previously said they would release the service pack by the end of this quarter. SP2 went into beta test early last December. In March, Microsoft shipped the Release Candidate of SP2 — the final testing phase before a product reaches RTM.
Besides rolling up all of the updates and fixes that have been made to Vista and Windows Server 2008 since SP1, which shipped roughly this time last year, the new service pack comes with a single installer that works with both the client and server operating systems.
Additionally, SP2 adds Windows Search 4.0, the Bluetooth 2.1 feature pack, and the capability to record data on Blu-Ray discs natively in Vista.
Microsoft had not said much about the service pack following last month's RTM, and some users were beginning to grouse recently. Then, on May 20, a posting on the Microsoft Update blog said it would be available "in coming weeks on the Download Center."
