Josh's Windows Weblog » Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta Download Available

Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta Download Available

 

While the release date for the production version of the Windows Vista Service Pack 2 may be targeted for April, today MSDN and Technet subscribers can download the Beta version that clocks in at 301MB. Among the improvements:

Support for new technologies:

  • SP2 contains Blue tooth 2.1 feature pack supporting the most recent specification for Blue tooth technology
  • Ability to record data on Blu-Ray media
  • Adds Windows Connect Now (WCN) Wi-Fi Configuration to Windows Vista SP2
  • exFAT file system now supports UTC timestamps, which enables correct file synchronization across time zones
  • SP2 provides support for new form factors, such as ICCD/CCID.  new form factor support --example USB form factor as opposed to PCMCIA).
  • Support for the new VIA 64-bit CPU

Performance

  • Resume performance when Wi-Fi connection is no longer available after resume from sleep
  • Inclusion of Windows Search 4 for improved indexing performance,  improved relevancy in search, broader indexing scenario inclusion, as well as new Group Policy integration for Windows Search
  • Improvements to the RSS feeds sidebar gadget to improve update performance and responsiveness.

Administration and Support Improvements

  • Customers installing .net framework 3.5 service pack 1 will notice shorter download and installation times with Vista service pack 2 or Windows 2008 service pack 2 already installed
  • Service Pack Clean up tool (Compcln.exe): This tool helps restore the hard disk space by permanently deleting the previous versions of the files (RTM & SP1) that are being serviced by Service Pack 2.
    Single installer for both Vista & Server 2008
  • Ability to detect an incompatible driver and block service pack installation or warn users of any loss of functionality
  • Better error handling and providing more descriptive error messages where possible
  • Better manageability through logging in system event log
  • Componentization for Serviceability of the installer

If you aren't a subscriber don't worry December 4th there is supposed to be a public link for the download.

Posted Dec 02 2008, 02:45 PM by Josh Phillips
Filed under: ,

Follow Me on Twitter

Did you enjoy this article? If yes, then subscribe to our RSS 2.0 feed or

Comments

Vista SP2: What’s inside? | All about Microsoft | ZDNet.com wrote Vista SP2: What’s inside? | All about Microsoft | ZDNet.com
on 12-02-2008 3:00 PM

Pingback from  Vista SP2: What’s inside? | All about Microsoft | ZDNet.com

Viking Dude wrote re: Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta Download Available
on 12-02-2008 4:07 PM

It sounded exciting before I looked at the list of new things of which there is absoulutely nothing that grabs. Yawn. Do we geet an SP2 logo when booting, that'd be cool.

Josh Phillips wrote re: Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta Download Available
on 12-02-2008 4:57 PM

I don't think it is meant to be exciting.  I want it to as boring as possible and make the OS just more reliable.

Learning Remix, Fall 2008 wrote Vista SP2: What's inside?
on 12-02-2008 6:50 PM

Microsoft show us Vista SP2. So, Let's look inside what changed and what is new. Vista SP2 features -- such as the ability to record data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista and the addition of Windows Connect...

Vista SP2: What???s inside? « TUWW - The Unofficial Windows Weblog wrote Vista SP2: What???s inside? « TUWW - The Unofficial Windows Weblog
on 12-02-2008 7:00 PM

Pingback from  Vista SP2: What???s inside? « TUWW - The Unofficial Windows Weblog

Windows Vista SP2 Beta | Ankit 360 wrote Windows Vista SP2 Beta | Ankit 360
on 12-02-2008 9:45 PM

Pingback from  Windows Vista SP2 Beta | Ankit 360

Windows Vista SP2 ??????????????????????????? | LiveSino - LiveSide ????????? wrote Windows Vista SP2 ??????????????????????????? | LiveSino - LiveSide ?????????
on 12-03-2008 2:41 AM

Pingback from  Windows Vista SP2 ??????????????????????????? | LiveSino - LiveSide ?????????

Microsoft wrote Vista SP2: What’s inside?
on 12-03-2008 9:28 AM

blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft 2nd, 2008 Posted by Mary Jo Foley Microsoft

Viper wrote re: Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta Download Available
on 12-03-2008 9:53 AM

3 main things I would like Microsoft to fix with Vista.

1. The boot screen, there is only a loading bar and nothing else like what XP and all the previous MS OS had that said what operating system you were using.

2. The admin rights. Okay, it is good when you want to clarify you want to run a program like when a message pops up asking you to Continue or Cancel after.... say trying to open the Command Prompt. Thats to make sure the computer doesn't auto execute the program. Make it better by having someone needing to put in a password when the current user (non-admin) doesn't execute something they weren't suppose to. That is a nice feature, but a major security flaw when friends are using your computer.

3. Remember that you can choose between using the Welcome Screen or not using the Welcome Screen to sign in? Well, thats another thing they should get in there. Vista is hard to operate as a domain without that. I have always been using a Microsoft-based computer that have always been in some sort of work group with that. Without it, it makes Vista a lot easier to hack into. Quite literally I should know. Being apart of a workgroup/domain makes it a lot harder to get into.

I am a life long user of computer whether it be Windows, Linux or Mac. I am 19 years old, I know a lot about computers and I've been using them sense I was 6. I've been fixing them and hacking sense I was 8... programming software and websites sense I was 12/13 years old. People call me a super genius.

taz1211 wrote re: Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta Download Available
on 12-04-2008 12:01 AM

On the sp2 what they sould do is befor the welcome screen they should make it where It sould say Microsoft windows vista on the loading screen

Vista SP2 Beta is out « Srikanth Says wrote Vista SP2 Beta is out « Srikanth Says
on 12-04-2008 12:03 AM

Pingback from  Vista SP2 Beta is out « Srikanth Says

The things that are better left unspoken wrote Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 SP2 Beta Available
on 12-05-2008 11:57 AM

Mike Nash and Justin Graham announced the Customer Preview Program for Service Pack 2 Beta for Windows

Windows Vista Service Pack 2 by funky | Sleeping Death Weblog wrote Windows Vista Service Pack 2 by funky | Sleeping Death Weblog
on 01-29-2009 4:31 AM

Pingback from  Windows Vista Service Pack 2 by funky | Sleeping Death Weblog

Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Powered by Community Server (Non-Commercial Edition), by Telligent Systems Themed By nb development