Windows Vista SP2 RTM Released

**topgear** · 03-05-2009, 05:58 AM

Today we are announcing the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. SP2 represents the latest step in Microsoft’s commitment to continuous improvement. It includes all updates that have been delivered since SP1, as well as support for new types of hardware and emerging hardware standards.

As we have mentioned before, here are some of the key benefits of Windows Vista SP2:

Windows Search 4.0 for faster and improved relevancy in searches

Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack supporting the most recent specification for Bluetooth Technology

Ability to record data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista

Adds Windows Connect Now (WCN) to simplify Wi-Fi Configuration

Windows Vista SP2 enables the exFAT file system to support UTC
timestamps, which allows correct file synchronization across time zones.

And since it comes with a single installer for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, SP2 will be easy for IT Pros to manage, deploy, and support. For a complete overview of the changes introduced in SP2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, check out the notable changes document on TechNet.

Business customers with Windows Vista will find that the transition from Windows Vista to Windows 7 will be significantly more straightforward due to the high degree of compatibility between Windows Vista and Windows 7. If your Windows Vista SP1 deployment is already underway we recommend you continue with SP1 as planned. Then you can deploy SP2 using your systems management infrastructure. If you are in the early stages of deployment or still planning Windows Vista deployment our best advice is that you plan on testing and deploying Windows Vista SP2. For more, I suggest reading this blog post from Gavriella Schuster in regards to guidance on Windows deployments.

We expect Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 SP2 to be publicly available in Q2 2009.

As a quick reminder, Windows Vista SP1 Service Pack Blocker Tool is being removed today, as we announced back in January. For customers who previously had the blocker tool in place, Windows Vista SP1 will now be offered to them via Windows Update.

Source : http://windowsteamblog.com/blogs/win...l-removed.aspx

Useful Links :

Notable Changes in Windows Server 2008 SP2 and Windows Vista SP2

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windo...t-110618.shtml

comp@ddict · 03-05-2009, 10:25 AM

Does SP2 bring DX11 to Vista? Or will MS make it compulsory to upgrade to Windows 7 if you want DX11?

naveen_reloaded · 03-05-2009, 11:54 AM

i dont hink it will bring dx11

it will be one of the features of W7 ..

may be after W7 release

wht other changes SP2 brings..

as fas i could see... i dont think its worth updating for simply for search 4.0 , other features.. are not useful for me..

how mcuh is the size ?

amitash · 03-05-2009, 12:37 PM

DX11 is supposed to come out for vista...hope it does

ishanjain · 03-05-2009, 01:22 PM

I had it my mind that Vista will improve with sp2, just like xp did.... but it shattered all my expectations..... I tried it and found absolutely no overall improvement. About the search 4.0 , i see no difference..... Vista is an absolute crap and i am going to dump it forever as soon as windows 7 is out.
Most of the features like power saving mode and backward compatibilities are just useless and are not working properly, atleast for me even when i update my windows regularly. When i used them in windows 7, it actually feel some difference. People who have used the windows 7 will understand what i am trying to say.

mayanksahni · 03-05-2009, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amitash

DX11 is supposed to come out for vista...hope it does

It wont be possible anyway......

**topgear** · 03-05-2009, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by comp@ddict

Does SP2 bring DX11 to Vista? Or will MS make it compulsory to upgrade to Windows 7 if you want DX11?

Sp2 does not come DX11 so anyone want to use DX11 will have to upgrade to win7 as M$ did it with vista & DX10 in the past.

**topgear** · 03-05-2009, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by naveen_reloaded

i dont hink it will bring dx11

it will be one of the features of W7 ..

may be after W7 release

wht other changes SP2 brings..

as fas i could see... i dont think its worth updating for simply for search 4.0 , other features.. are not useful for me..

how mcuh is the size ?

Application compatibility improvements

Thanks to the rich instrumentation capability of Windows operating systems, we are able to understand the types of issues that our customers experience while respecting their personal information and privacy preferences. We use this information to focus improvements in Windows, but we also share this information with our software vendor partners to help improve the reliability and compatibility of non-Microsoft applications. For example, in SP2, Spysweeper and ZoneAlarm, now work with POP3 e-mail accounts.

Our goal for SP2 is that applications that are written using public APIs and that run on the Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 operating systems will continue to work as designed.

Microsoft has already released several application compatibility updates which allow more applications to work seamlessly for the end user. These appear in SP2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, but they are also available through Windows Update. Windows Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2 contain additional application compatibility fixes for individual applications.

For more information about previously released compatibility updates, refer to article 947562 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=128900.

Hardware ecosystem support and enhancements

SP2 adds support for the 64-bit central processing unit (CPU) from VIA Technologies, which adds the ID and vendor strings for the new VIA 64-bit CPU.

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 updates to the RSS feeds sidebar for improved performance and responsiveness.

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

Operating system experience updates

SP2 includes Windows Search 4.0, which builds on Microsoft’s search technology with improved indexing and search relevance. It also helps find and preview documents, e-mail (including signed e-mail messages), music files, photos, and other items on the computer. The search engine in Windows Search 4.0 is a Microsoft Windows® service that is also used by programs such as Microsoft Office Outlook® 2007 and Microsoft Office OneNote® 2007. Autotuning Diagnostics in SP2 now interprets current network conditions when implementing Windows scaling. This feature includes full netsh support.

SP2 improves Windows Media Center (WMC) in the area of content protection for TV.

SP2 adds a registry key that enables modification of the maximum number of open TCP connections to increase application compatibility.

Enterprise improvements

SP2 provides the Hyper-V virtualization environment as a fully integrated feature of Windows Server 2008, including one free instance with Windows Server 2008 Standard, four free instances with Windows Server 2008 Enterprise and an unlimited number of free instances with Windows Server 2008 Datacenter.

SP2 increases the authentication options for WebDAV redirector, enabling Microsoft Office users greater flexibility when authenticating custom applications using the WebDAV redirector.

SP2 provides an improved power management (both on the server and the desktop), which includes the ability to manage these settings via Group Policy.

SP2 improves backwards compatibility for Terminal Server license keys. Windows Server 2008 changed the licensing key from 512 bytes to 2,048 bytes which caused clients using older Terminal Server versions to fail. SP2 allows legacy license keys on Citrix applications to work with Windows Server 2008 Terminal Server.

Setup and deployment improvements

The SP2 standalone installer:

Provides a single installer for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.

Includes the ability to detect an incompatible driver and either block service pack installation or warn users of any potential loss of functionality.

Provides better error handling and descriptive error messages where possible.

Improves manageability through logging in the system event log.

Provides a secure install experience.

Includes the ability to service the installer post release.

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.

Hotfixes and Security Updates in Windows Server 2008 SP2 and Windows Vista SP2.
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=143706
================================================== ====

Vista SP2 Standalone package :

32 bit :

About 302 MB (Five language package)

About 390 MB (Available in seven languages)

64 bit :

About 508 MB (Five language package)

About 622 MB (Full 36 language package)

Through windows update :

for 32 bit

About 43 MB

for 64 bit

About 60 MB

naveen_reloaded · 03-05-2009, 11:36 PM

43 MB ?? thru wu ?

is it available in WU?

clmlbx · 04-05-2009, 02:17 AM

RTM is released when it be available for Public download (RTM or say Final Version) .

when........ which Date ?

clmlbx · 04-05-2009, 02:18 AM

RTM is released when it be available for Public download (RTM or say Final Version) .
when........ which Date ?

**topgear** · 04-05-2009, 05:45 AM

RTM means Release to Manufacturing - so it will be available to oem system makers.
But it's also available through technet & MSDN.

The public release of sp2 will be on Q2 2009.

**topgear** · 04-05-2009, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by naveen_reloaded

43 MB ?? thru wu ?

is it available in WU?

Don't know buddy. But I think it's not available on WU coz sp2 update through WU means it's a public release which will be on Q2 2009. But M$ has
released only the RTM version as of now.

clmlbx · 05-05-2009, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by topgear

RTM means Release to Manufacturing - so it will be available to oem system makers.
But it's also available through technet & MSDN.

The public release of sp2 will be on Q2 2009.

That all I knew but thanx for reinfo

So I guess No specific date has been announced.

Krazy_About_Technology · 05-05-2009, 12:30 AM

AFAIK, RTM Stands for Release to Manufacturing, and at this time the software is released to Microsoft Manufacturing for shipping on CDs etc etc. OEMs get it a little later. Web release of RTM build of SP2 has been given to the MSDN and Technet subscribers and the public availability date as known to us now is 10th May.