Windows Vista SP2 now available

Author: Tim Smalley
Published: 26th May 2009
Comments (27) Stumble
Windows Vista SP2 now available

Microsoft has made Service Pack 2 available for Windows Vista and Server 2008 - grab the installers within if you need 'em.

Although most of us are waiting for Microsoft to release Windows 7, the software giant is still hard at work maintaining the current versions of Windows; namely Vista and Server 2008.

Today it has made Service Pack 2 available for download after a fairly lengthy beta period – we first looked SP2 performance back in December last year and we found very little difference between SP1 and the SP2 beta.

Microsoft posted some important ‘things to know’ about the Service Pack last month, where it says to uninstall any beta versions of the Service Pack before installing the RTM version and also noted that if you’ve used ‘vLite’ to customise your Vista install, you may have removed components that prevent SP2 from installing.

There is a workaround, though, which Microsoft has detailed in this entry on its knowledge base.

Another important thing to note is that the beta version of the Service Pack is time limited and will expire on 1st June 2010 – if you have a beta version installed, Microsoft strongly recommends upgrading before that deadline.

Unified installers for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Vista and Server 2008 are available – grab them from the links below if you’re still running Vista.

32-bit – Download
64-bit – Download

Discuss in the forums.
Quote perplekks45 26th May 2009, 13:18
Meh. Vista SP1 runs perfectly on my desktop. I don't think there's anything in SP2 to make me upgrade.
Quote Saivert 26th May 2009, 13:31
perplekks: that is stupid. You need the latest Service Packs
Quote quack 26th May 2009, 13:43
Snagged both earlier, will be updating my PCs tonight. :)
Quote exceededgoku 26th May 2009, 13:45
^^ Are you joking?? You should always update!
Quote Bursar 26th May 2009, 13:55
I'm using Vista with SP2 integrated ISOs from our MS licensing site, and there is no way to uninstall the SP2 RC and install the SP2 RTM.

So unless MS start supporting some kind of upgrade path, it looks like I've got a number of machines to wipe and reinstall :(
Quote pimonserry 26th May 2009, 14:12
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bursar
I'm using Vista with SP2 integrated ISOs from our MS licensing site, and there is no way to uninstall the SP2 RC and install the SP2 RTM.

So unless MS start supporting some kind of upgrade path, it looks like I've got a number of machines to wipe and reinstall :(

Ooft, unlucky :( Someone somewhere will be in the same situation as you though, so there has to be a workaround somehow ;)

I will be upgrading once it gets onto Windows Update (2 weeks I guess?), 'cause I trust that system more

Edit: Scratch that, I found a changelog and though it'd be worth getting it now ;)
Took ~1hr to install. Vista seems to boot a little slower to log-in, but faster from log-in to desktop. Who knows?
Quote chrisb2e9 26th May 2009, 14:27
Quote:
Originally Posted by perplekks45
Meh. Vista SP1 runs perfectly on my desktop. I don't think there's anything in SP2 to make me upgrade.

I dont need to update my antivirus, it works fine now.
Quote BioSniper 26th May 2009, 14:42
Thanks for the heads up. This doesn't appear to be showing on windows update yet.
Quote Hustler 26th May 2009, 15:00
With SP2 installed wont Vista be basically the same as Windows 7, but with just an inferior UI..?.

It may take a few tweaks here & there within Vista SP2, but the 'nuts & bolts' of both OS will be basically the same no?.
Quote thehippoz 26th May 2009, 15:13
thanks
Quote robyholmes 26th May 2009, 16:28
Windows Vista, WTF is that. Wasn't that like some shity OS between XP and Windows 7 that know one talks about anymore!

Windows 7 FTW!

I just installed windows server so will in updating that.
Quote ChaosDefinesOrder 26th May 2009, 18:58
SP2 is on WIndows Update - I checked as soon as I saw this article on RSS and although it wasn't there when I opened Windows Update client, after I clicked "check for updates" it was there and ready to download. took about 15 to 20mins for me (I sat and watched it so it definitely didn't take an hour!) I do have a Velociraptor as OS drive so might have helped...
Quote Laitainion 26th May 2009, 19:20
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChaosDefinesOrder
took about 15 to 20mins for me (I sat and watched it so it definitely didn't take an hour!) I do have a Velociraptor as OS drive so might have helped...

The stand alone installers include every update Microsoft have ever released since Vista shipped, what you updated from WU will have been only the updates your specific configuration needed.
Quote perplekks45 26th May 2009, 19:48
Tell me again why exactly I need the latest SP? Oh, if you can give me any really good reason I'll give you my ex-boss' number so you can tell him off for still using XP SP2. Thank you very much.

Seriously guys? What could possibly happen if I don't install it? The security holes are closed by updates anyways, I don't need WinSearch 4.0, exFAT and all that other stuff.
Give me a good reason and I'll think about it. And even if I update I'll wait at least 1 week to see what happens this time. I still remember there were quite a few people screaming, spitting and biting after XP SP3 screwed up their installation. I waited until I head to reformat anyways, installed SP3 on a clean Windows and didn't encounter 1 problem with it.
Quote leexgx 26th May 2009, 20:46
last time they sayed that you needed SP1 installed before you could put on SP2, can we now upgrade to sp2 now from no sp vista

should try windows 7 works very well far better then windows vista (or it could be the Corsair S128 SSD i just installed) but on my laptop with 1.6ghjz cpu and 756mb ram works very fast
Quote trig 26th May 2009, 23:05
Quote:
Originally Posted by leexgx
...(or it could be the Corsair S128 SSD i just installed)...

gimme...me wants it...
Quote The_EXorcist 27th May 2009, 08:53
eh not too fussed, im running server08, will upgrade to win7 when it suits me, not too worried about security, nothing special on this PC, i'll just format and re-install if it goes bad
Quote quack 27th May 2009, 09:31
Upgraded 3 installs last night, no issues at all.
Quote g3n3tiX 27th May 2009, 09:32
Downloading it now.
Looking at the changelog, I saw :
Quote:
SP2 removes the limit of 10 half open outbound TCP connections. By default, SP2 has no limit on the number of half open outbound TCP connections.
source : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd335036.aspx
Interesting, no ?
Quote quack 27th May 2009, 09:37
Quote:
Originally Posted by leexgx
last time they sayed that you needed SP1 installed before you could put on SP2, can we now upgrade to sp2 now from no sp vista
No, you need SP1 installed to install SP2 on Vista.


Other notable changes you won't get any other way:
# SP2 integrates the Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless, which contains support for Bluetooth v2.1 and Windows Connect Now (WCN) Wi-Fi Configuration. Bluetooth v2.1 is the most recent specification for Bluetooth wireless technology.

# SP2 improves performance for Wi-Fi connections after resuming from sleep mode.

# SP2 includes ability to record data to Blu-Ray Disc media.

# SP2 also includes a Service Pack Clean-up tool (Compcln.exe) which helps recover the hard disk space by permanently deleting previous versions of files (RTM and SP1) that are being serviced by SP2. The Service Pack Clean up tool can also be run offline while creating slipstream images to reduce the size of the image.
Quote g3n3tiX 27th May 2009, 09:53
Installed. Pretty quick (10-15 mins), on a core i7 920 with Spinpoint F1 1TB. Vista x64.
Quote impar 27th May 2009, 11:52
Greetings!
Quote:
Originally Posted by quack
# SP2 also includes a Service Pack Clean-up tool (Compcln.exe) which helps recover the hard disk space by permanently deleting previous versions of files (RTM and SP1) that are being serviced by SP2.
SP1 also had that. Made SP1 permanent.

Google keyword: vsp1cln.exe
Quote quack 27th May 2009, 12:20
Good point. I'd forgotten there was a version included in SP1.
Quote yodasarmpit 27th May 2009, 21:25
Quote:
Originally Posted by article
Microsoft posted some important ‘things to know’ about the Service Pack last month, where it says to uninstall any beta versions of the Service Pack before installing the RTM version and also noted that if you’ve used ‘vLite’ to customise your Vista install, you may have removed components that prevent SP2 from installing.

There is a workaround, though, which Microsoft has detailed in this entry on its knowledge base.
Microsoft's workaround is to reinstall Vista, however if you remove the registry key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\vLite" then the install should proceed fine, it did for me.
Quote kenco_uk 28th May 2009, 00:10
Quote:
Originally Posted by g3n3tiX
Installed. Pretty quick (10-15 mins), on a core i7 920 with Spinpoint F1 1TB. Vista x64.

18mins from starting and finishing back to desktop for me. Similar setup but with a C2Q.
Quote sadlydefiant 1st June 2009, 12:04
Works well here, no difference at all.
Quote DAVEtheRAVE 1st June 2009, 12:21
Quote:
Originally Posted by sadlydefiant
Works well here, no difference at all.

+1 I haven't noticed any change what so ever.
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