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Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 Beta

Dec. 2, 2008 Paul Thurrott | Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows

As expected, Microsoft announced Windows Vista and Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SP2) today. Fear not, it’s just a traditional service pack with no major new features, but here’s the news from Mike Nash:

This week we're opening up the beta to a broader audience. Starting today, MSDN and TechNet subscribers will have access to the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 Beta to begin testing.  

Beginning Thursday Dec. 4th, we will be making the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 Beta available to everyone through a Customer Preview Program (CPP). The CPP will launch on TechNet and be available to anyone interested in trying out this service pack. The CPP is intended for technology enthusiasts, developers, and IT Pros who would like to test Service Pack 2 in their environments and with their applications prior to final release. For most customers, our best advice would be to wait until the final release prior to installing this service pack.

For those of you who choose to test this service pack, we encourage you to install the beta as soon as you can; your feedback will help us to ship a solid and stable service pack for Windows Vista.

Windows Vista SP2 builds on the solid foundation of Windows Vista SP1, and represents our ongoing commitment to Windows Vista today. Windows Vista SP2 includes all of the updates that have been delivered since the release of Windows Vista SP1, and incorporates improvements discovered through automated feedback from the Customer Experience Improvement Program (where users voluntarily opt-in to sending Microsoft error reports from their systems).  In addition to these updates, SP2 also includes support for new types of hardware and emerging standards that will grow in importance in the coming months. For specific changes in Windows Vista SP2 - see my previous post on Windows Vista SP2 or check out the notable changes document.

Your feedback from testing will help us deliver the highest quality release possible. As of today, we are tracking to ship Windows Vista SP2 in the first half of 2009.

Discuss this Article 12

animositysomina
on Dec 2, 2008
I wish they removed totally idiotic and braindead restriction on Windows Media Player where you can't share your media library if you have just one public network on your PC. This is ridiculous. I have a private network on my PC and a public network too, and Windows Media Player is so unbelievably stupid that it tells me "no, you can't share your media library at all, not even to your private network". Could someone explain to me why it is so dumb? Is there some serious technical reason for that? I thought I could share my library easily just for my private network(s) because it totally logical and intuitive, but as it's often the case with MS "intuitive and logical" equals "not implemented in Windows". So sad. This new SP2 thing is not going to solve that, alas, and there's no way to talk to someone from MS about it. Too bad. Only thing that's soothing is that Apple is even worse - I tried to contact them multiple times about bugs in Quicktime and never got even an acknowledgement that they rceived my messages. Looks like all commercial OSes are like that.
robertsjoe
on Dec 2, 2008
Now with more plugs for your Vista security holes! The tarnished brand of Vista gets a patch. Woopeee!
SandmanX82
on Dec 2, 2008
Roberstjoe: How many patches for Leopard has Apple released to date again?
robertsjoe
on Dec 2, 2008
@SandmanX82: Nowhere near as many as Microsoft for Windows. If you leave Windows unused for a week or two, there is always a boatload of security patches waiting for you. Shows you how bad the OS is.
tayme
on Dec 2, 2008
@robertsjoe - please provide documented proof that the Vista name is tarnished. Also, please provide a list comparing the Vista security holes(both patched and unpatched) to the OS X security holes(again, patched and unpatched) Maybe then, somebody here will take you seriously. Can you do it? --tayme
tayme
on Dec 2, 2008
@robertsjoe - "Nowhere near as many as Microsoft for Windows. If you leave Windows unused for a week or two, there is always a boatload of security patches waiting for you. Shows you how bad the OS is" Back that statement up with documented proof, or continue to be thought of as the zit faced teenager in the basement on daddy's iMac. --tayme
robertsjoe
on Dec 2, 2008
@tayme: "please provide documented proof that the Vista name is tarnished. Also, please provide a list comparing the Vista security holes(both patched and unpatched) to the OS X security holes(again, patched and unpatched) Maybe then, somebody here will take you seriously. Can you do it?" Vista tarnished? You don't read newspapers? Read blogs? It's all over the place. Why do you think Microsoft spends $1.2 billion in advertising? A lot of it to improve the tarnished brand that is Vista. You man that the numerous security patches that keep coming up in Windows are not really plugging holes? Maybe it's just secret updates to Solitaire, disguised as Windows Security patches? Go update your anti-virus software, make sure it's all up to date so you don't get infected with something leaking through the Windows sieve.
tayme
on Dec 3, 2008
@robertsjoe - Your ramblings are not documented proof. You should know that I have multiple PC's in my home, 2 of which are Macs running AV software and receiving patches on a regular basis. I also support multiple Operating Systems on a regular basis..try again. So, is Apple spending thier advertising budget to spread FUD? It is, right??? Since I typed it here, that makes it a fact...oh, wait, that is in your mindset, which I obviously don't share. You and mikegalos are exactly the same...enjoy that. --tayme
Delmont
on Dec 3, 2008
Tayme, I try my best not to respond to Robertsjoe too...but at times...it is like watching a train wreck, you just can't help yourself. I've replied to him too and I shouldn't. It just gives him more stupidity. When we reply to him, it's not just feeding the troll, but feeding his stupidity. Maybe when he grows up, enrolls in college, moves out of his parent's basement he'll understand.
tayme
on Dec 3, 2008
@Delmont - I know, I know...I just can't stand idiocy!!! Thanks for the reminder! --tayme
Delmont
on Dec 3, 2008
Yeah, we both have a thing with the truth! :-)
Dipsh t Admin
on Dec 3, 2008
I hate to feed the troll, but I call up the always reliable Secunia for a breakdown of vulnerabilities and patches for an OS. This is not meant to call out similarities in that much detail since the way that they are categorized makes it difficult to compare, and they cover a different time period. However, read these links and tell me how one could make any sort of assumption that one OS was innately more secure than another. You simply can't, making robertsjoe's argument completely wrong. OS X: http://secunia.com/advisories/product/96/?task=statistics Vista: http://secunia.com/advisories/product/13223/?task=statistics

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