14 DAY TRIAL // Windows Vista Service Pack 2 RTM is just around the corner. Microsoft won't say just when the SP2 downloads will go live, but the Redmond company is providing an early notification to users to gear up for the general availability of the second service pack for Vista. It looks like the wait is almost over for both Vista SP2 RTM and for Windows Server 2008 SP2 RTM, with just a few weeks separating customers from the bits. “Just a heads up to prepare for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2. It will be available in the coming weeks on the Download Center (DLC) and also through Windows Update and WSUS,” revealed a member of the Microsoft Update team.
Just as was the case with the first service pack for Windows Vista, the RTM and GA dates failed to coincide for SP2 as well. Microsoft released Vista SP2 to manufacturing at the end of April 2009, but it looks like general availability will come by the end of May. “On April 28th, we announced the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) of Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. SP2 includes all updates that were released since SP1. It also includes support for new types of hardware and other technology improvements,” the MU team representative added.
Concomitantly with Vista SP2 RTM, Microsoft will also release Windows Server 2008 SP2 RTM, as the two platforms have been joined at the hip ever since the availability of SP1. Microsoft already started serving the SP2 bits to MSDN and TechNet subscribers since the end of April 2009. Via MSDN and TechNet, the Redmond company's developer and IT professional communities are even able to grab the DVD ISO images with Vista SP2 RTM and Windows Server 2008 SP2 RTM. As was the case with previous releases of Windows, Vista SP2 RTM and Windows Server 2008 SP2 RTM were also leaked and made available for download through torrent trackers.