Block Vista SP2 Automatic Upgrades

Microsoft is offering Windows Vista SP1 users the chance to block automatic upgrades to Service Pack 2. In addition to making available Vista SP2 RTM as a standalone download, DVD ISO image, the bits are also released to Windows Update, and subsequently served to Vista SP1 users who have Automatic Updates enabled. With the Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool Kit, Microsoft gives customers, especially businesses, the possibility to temporarily block the delivery of Vista SP2 RTM via Windows Update. Of course that, since Vista SP2 RTM and Windows Server 2008 SP2 RTM are joined at the hip, the Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool Kit is capable of blocking the delivery of the latest released service packs for both Windows client and server.

The temporary period of time for which the tool is capable of blocking Vista SP2 via WU is a year after the general availability deadline. Microsoft released the first wave of Vista SP2 RTM downloads on May 26th, 2009 and, in this context, the end of May 2010 will bring with it the expiration of the restrictions set in place by the blocking solution. Once the Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool Kit expires there will be nothing standing between Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 RTM/SP1 and SP2; with the exception of manually configuring updates not to download and install SP2 automatically, of course.

The Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool Kit is essentially a registry hack. With the executable file packaged into the toolkit, users can choose to block or unblock the delivery of Vista SP2 through WU. Either way the registry key modified will be HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate. Microsoft explained that the DoNotAllowSP key value set to 1 would block SP2. Deleting this key will remove any restrictions set by the toolkit.

The software giant released Windows Vista SP2 to manufacturing at the end of April 2009. A month later the company made available the service pack in English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. As of June 30, Microsoft released all remaining localized flavors of Vista SP2 both to the Download Center and to Windows Update.

Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool Kit is available for download here.

Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) and Windows Server 2008 SP2 RTM DVD ISO Standalone All Versions are available for download here.