In addition to making Windows Vista SP2 Beta along withWindows Server 2008 SP2 Beta available for download, Microsoft is also serving the bits for the second service pack designed for its Windows client and server operating systems via Windows Update. However, the Redmond company is not offering Service Pack 2 Beta automatically packaged as an update to all copies of Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 SP1. In fact, a registry tweak is necessary in order to access the SP2 Beta build via WU, and this is where the Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 Beta and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta - Windows Update Experience Kit comes in.

“Windows Server 2008/Windows Vista SP2 distributed through Windows Update will be applicable to Windows Server 2008 SP1 and Windows Vista SP1 machines that are running on any of the following languages: English, German, French, Spanish, and Japanese. Versions of Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista in any language other than these five, including systems with a Language Pack of another language installed, will prevent Windows Update from offering you the service pack package,” Microsoft explained.

The SP2CPPRK.cmd file contains the actual registry hack necessary to tweak Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 RTM/SP1 in order to identify, download, and install Service Pack 2 Beta through the Windows Update infrastructure. However, as it was the case with the delivery of Vista SP1 via WU, SP2 Beta is also intimately connected with a pre-requisite update, namely KB955430, which has to be installed ahead of the Beta development milestone of the service pack.

“Windows Server 2008 SP2/Windows Vista SP2 requires the installation of a 'pre-requisite' package prior to installing the service pack itself. Once the prerequisite package is officially released, it will be delivered to most customers over Windows Update, as part of their regular monthly updates prior to the release of the service pack itself. For Beta, the prerequisite package has not been publicly released, so two separate installations over Windows Update will be required,” the company revealed.

Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) Beta is available for download here.

Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 (SP2) Beta is available for download here.