Windows Vista SP2 Beta Download

Windows Vista SP2 Beta is available for download for Technet and MSDN subscribers today and will be available for public download on Dec 4th. SP2 supports new types of hardware and emerging standards that will grow in importance in the coming months and years. Vista SP2 also improves the administration experience and eases certain management and support challenges. Windows Vista SP2 builds on the solid foundation laid by Windows Vista SP1.

Features inside Vista SP2;

Emerging Hardware Support

• 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

Security

• SP2 includes all previously released security updates, and builds on the proven security benefits of Windows Vista
• Secure Development Lifecycle process updates, where we identify the root cause of each security bulletin and improve our internal tools to eliminate code patterns that could lead to future vulnerabilities
• Reliability
• SP2 addresses previously released reliability updates, as well as addressing crashes, caused by Microsoft code,  discovered since the launch of SP1

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,

Application Compatibility

• Previously released Application Compatibility updates are included in Windows Vista SP2.
• Spysweeper and ZoneAlarm now working with POP3 email accounts

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

Some Specific Fixes/Additions Include:

• Inclusion of Hyper-V
• Event logging support in SPC
• DNS Server now listens over ISATAP address
• Fixes DRM issues from WMP upgrades
• Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless
• Reduction of resources required for sidebar gadgets
• Improved power settings for WS08

Source: Microsoft