Microsoft is continuing to broaden the pool of Windows Vista Company Pack 2 (SP2) testers beyond the relatively little, choose group who;ve been working with test builds for your past couple of months.
On December two, Microsoft made the most recent beta create of SP2 available for download by any TechNet and Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) subscribers.
Over around the jkOnTheRun blog,
Office Pro Plus 2010 Key, Kevin Tofel posted probably the most complete checklist I;ve noticed of what;s in Vista SP2. (Tofel;s complete list has disappeared, but not prior to I grabbed it. It;s now at the bottom of this post.)
In addition towards the known Vista SP2 characteristics — such as the ability to record data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista and the addition of Windows Connect Now for simpler wifi configuration — Tofel says SP2 also will include:
Built-in Hyper-V hypervisor
Event logging support in SPC
Fixes for DRM issues from WMP upgrades
Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless
Functionality to reduce resources required for sidebar gadgets
Improved power settings for Windows Server 2008
Note (added on December 3): Even though Microsoft originally listed Hyper-V as 1 with the attributes it would make accessible as part of Vista SP2, that information is incorrect. A company spokeswoman sent me the following update:
“Sorry for any confusion,
Office 2007 License, but Hyper-V is in Windows Server 2008 SP2, not Windows Vista. Apparently it was listed incorrectly and they;re correcting it now.”
Microsoft produced a first beta build of SP2 releases for both Vista and Windows Server 2008 obtainable to select testers in late October. Company officials have said to expect the final Vista and Windows Server 2008 SP2 builds inside the first half of 2009.
Last week, the Tech ARP site reported that Microsoft is targeting April 2009 as its final Vista SP2 release date. Given the Redmondians; desire to get Vista SP2 out the door just before
Windows 7 is released to manufacturing, April makes a lot of sense. The latest RTM targets I;ve heard for
Windows 7 are from the June/July 2009 realm.
On a related note, speaking of company pack updates, the Windows Home Server team is readying its Power Pack two update for mid-2009. The second full-fledged release of Windows Home Server, which will possibly come in Basic and Premium editions, is now looking like a 2010 deliverable, according to APC Magazine.
Back to Vista and Windows Server 2008 SP2: Any testers on the market anxiously awaiting any particular features?
Update: Tofel;s listing of Vista SP2 features is gone. Luckily, I saved his original complete checklist. Here it is:
Emerging Hardware Support
oSP2 contains Blue tooth two.1 feature pack supporting one of the most latest specification for Blue tooth technology
oAbility to record data on Blu-Ray media,
oAdds Windows Connect Now (WCN) Wi-Fi Configuration to Windows Vista SP2,
oexFAT file system now supports UTC timestamps, which enables correct file synchronization across time zones.
oSP2 provides support for new form factors, such as ICCD/CCID. new form factor support –example USB form factor as opposed to PCMCIA).
oSupport for your new VIA 64-bit CPU
Security
oSP2 includes all previously released security updates, and builds on the proven security benefits of Windows Vista
oSecure Development Lifecycle process updates, where we identify the root cause of each security bulletin and improve our internal tools to eliminate code patterns that could lead to future vulnerabilities
oReliability
oSP2 addresses previously released reliability updates, as well as addressing crashes, caused by Microsoft code, discovered since the launch of SP1
Performance
oResume performance when Wi-Fi connection is no longer obtainable after resume from sleep
oInclusion of Windows Search 4 for improved indexing performance,
Windows 7 Ultimate, improved relevancy in search, broader indexing scenario inclusion, as well as new Group Policy integration for Windows Search,
Microsoft Office 2010 Key,
oImprovements towards the RSS feeds sidebar gadget to improve update performance and responsiveness
Application Compatibility
oIt is our goal that applications that run about the Windows Vista Working System today and are written using public APIs will continue to work as designed on Windows Vista SP2.
oPreviously released Application Compatibility updates are included in Windows Vista SP2.
oSpysweeper and ZoneAlarm now functioning with POP3 email accounts
Administration and Support Improvements
oCustomers installing .net framework 3.5 services pack 1 will notice shorter download and installation times with Vista company pack 2 or Windows 2008 service pack 2 already installed,
oService Pack Clean up tool (Compcln.exe): This tool helps restore the hard disk space by permanently deleting the previous versions with the files (RTM & SP1) that are being serviced by Services Pack two.
oSingle installer for both Vista & Server 2008
oAbility to detect an incompatible driver and block services pack installation or warn users of any loss of functionality
oBetter error handling and providing more descriptive error messages where possible
oBetter manageability through logging in system event log
oComponentization for Serviceability with the installer
Some Specific Fixes/Additions Include:
oInclusion of Hyper-V
oEvent logging support in SPC
oDNS Server now listens more than ISATAP address
oFixes DRM issues from WMP upgrades
oWindows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless
oReduction of resources required for sidebar gadgets
oImproved power settings for WS08
Update No. 2: Microsoft is circulating a checklist of some of the hotfixes that is rolling up into Vista/Windows Server 2008 SP2. But Microsoft;s record does not include all of the features with the company packs. Perhaps that is why Tofel;s record was “disappeared.”
Here;s Microsoft;s note on its own checklist of SP2 functions:
”This document contains a record of these updates with links to their descriptive pages around the Microsoft Web site There are other updates in Windows Server 2008 Company Pack 2 and Windows Vista Support Pack 2 that have not been released,
Windows 7 Home Basic, and they are not presented in this list.”
Windows 7 Home Basic Vista SP2 What's inside
Linear Mode
