Capturing Windows 7 and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 images, but also client assessment, updating and deployment are tasks that can be performed with System Center Configuration Manager 2007. More specifically, with the second service pack for System Center Configuration Manager 2007, Microsoft has also added support for Windows 7, Vista SP2, and even Windows Server 2008 SP2, but obviously also for Windows Server 2008 R2. Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 is available for download and testing in Beta development stage via Microsoft Connect.

“Service Pack 2 for Configuration Manager 2007 delivers new platform support for Windows 7 client, Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2. In addition, Service Pack 2 delivers continued innovation with Intel vPro technology, support for Branch Cache enabled environments, and continued development for 64 bit architectures,” reads a message from the Redmond company related to ConfigMgr SP2 beta.

Administrators managing IT infrastructures via ConfigMgr have already discovered that earlier versions of the solutions are useless when it comes down to handling the latest Windows client releases. ConfigMgr RTM and SP1, for example cannot even be used to capture an image of a Vista SP2 or Windows Server 2008 SP2. However, as far as the SP1 and RTM editions of ConfigMgr are concerned the Redmond company has solutions in place.

Via KB969991, Microsoft is offering a hotfix designed to make System Center Configuration Manager 2007 RTM play nice with Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2. “You have a computer that is running Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) or in Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SP2). When you try to capture an image, the image capture process of System Center Configuration Manager 2007 RTM and SP1 fails during the Prepare Windows for Capture stage. Additionally, the following error message is logged in the Smsts log: The sysprep is not supported on this OS,” Microsoft informed. KB970093 is a similar hotfix, but this time around for ConfigMgr SP1.