Download Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta

Yesterday Microsoft released Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta to the public. If you have been waiting for a second service pack for Windows Vista, give the new beta a shot!

You can download Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista and Server 2008 here. Note that this is the beta version and the final version of the service pack is not expected to be released until April 2009. However, if you enjoy testing new service packs or want to test it out before deploying it to your network next year, try out the beta.

So what’s new in Service Pack 2 that would make you want to install it in the first place? Here is a quick overview of what Vista Service Pack 2 has in store:

• Support for new types of hardware and support for emerging standards
• Addition of Windows Search 4.0 for improved relevancy and speed in searches
• Ability to burn Blu-ray discs natively in Windows Vista
• Addition of Windows Connect Now (WCN) to make connecting to wireless network easier
• Addition of Bluetooth 2.1 feature pack that supports the most recent version of Bluetooth
• Support of the exFAT file system and UTC timestamps which will allow file synchronization across time zones
• Focus on reliability and performance issues with Windows Vista

There are also many application compatibility issues that have been fixed. For example, Spysweeper and ZoneAlarm now work with POP3 email accounts. Other enhancements include several hardware enhancements including:

• Improved Wi-Fi connection after resuming from sleep mode
• New capabilities to Direct X graphic display reliability. For gamers or anyone running graphic intensive applications, the graphic experience has been significantly improved.
• Update to RSS feeds sidebar with faster performance
• Improved audio and video performance streaming HD content

For IT administrators who have to deploy Service Pack 2, there are also several enhancements:

• Single installer for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008
• Ability to detect incompatible drivers and block the installation of the service pack or warn users
• Better error handling and more detailed error messages
• Service Pack installation logged in the System event log for better manageability

The service pack also include a Service Pack Clean-up Tool (compcln.exe), which will free up disk space by removing previous versions of both the RTM and SP1 installs.

Overall, there are many enhancements and fixes that Windows Vista users will be happy to see. If you have a couple of spare test boxes, it would definitely be worth the time to test out the service pack on your current applications and systems. Enjoy!