Windows Vista SP2 is a traditional service pack release with all cumulative released security updates available since the SP1 release in March 2008. In addition, Windows Vista SP2 includes support for new types of hardware and emerging standards that will grow in importance in coming months, along with fixes discovered via automated error reporting as part of our Customer Experience Improvement program.

What makes the Windows Vista SP2 release unique is that it represents a single service pack which applies to both client (Windows Vista SP1) and server (Windows Server 2008) operating systems—since the code base for Windows Vista is shared with that for Windows Server® 2008, a single update can be deployed across your infrastructure. This service model also provides the ability to detect an incompatible driver and block service pack installation, or warn users of any loss of functionality during installation. Other highlights for IT pros include:

Emerging Hardware Support

* Bluetooth 2.1 feature pack
* Ability to record data on Blu-ray media
* exFAT file system now supports UTC timestamps, which enables correct file synchronization across time zones
* Support for the new VIA 64-bit CPU
* Support for ICCD/CCID smart cards
Hyper-V

* Windows Vista SP2 includes Hyper-V™ technology, enabling full virtualization of server workloads

Security

* Windows Vista SP2 incorporates previously released reliability updates, as well as addressing crashes discovered since the launch of Windows Vista SP1.


Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta - (32-bit)
Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta - (64-bit)