Vista SP2 and Server 2008 SP2 public betas arrive

[Slimy]

In late October, Microsoft gave its beta testers the first beta build of Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. On Tuesday, the company pushed out a later build to MSDN and TechNet subscribers. The five languages currently supported are English, German, French, Spanish, and Japanese, in both 32- and 64-bit flavors. Today, the company has made this SP2 build available to the public on the Microsoft Download Center: for Vista and Server 2008 32-bit (388MB), for Vista and Server 2008 64-bit (614MB), and for Server 2008 ia64 (416MB).

The public beta release is available as part of a Customer Preview Program (CPP), which is aimed at technology enthusiasts, developers, and IT Pros who would like to test SP2 in their environments and with their applications prior to final release. Microsoft is recommending for the average customer to "wait until the final release prior to installing this service pack." Those interested in taking the plunge should be reminded that installing a pre-RTM build means that they will have to uninstall it before installing SP2 RTM; pre-RTM builds are not upgradeable. In fact, current testers with SP2 installed are getting this message through Windows Update (thanks Jared):

You are on a pre-release build of Windows Service Pack 2. Install this to start the uninstall process for that pre-release service. Once you start this, do not turn off or reboot your computer until asked. You will be offered a newer Service Pack 2 build after the uninstall completes. The new Service Pack 2 build may take some time before it is offered to you.

Full Story: http://arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft....ic-betas-arrive

[sharp65]

Anyone else having problems with the download center? It's not serving up the files when I click download for the standalone update. I've tried in a few different browsers, maybe it's not live yet.

[Slimy]

Unfortunately, the MDC is always terrible right on release of new downloads, especially large ones. It will however fix itself in the next little while, just keep checking back :)

[sharp65]

Yea I figured. Kind of funny how each browser handles it. Chrome is getting stuck in an infinite loop.

[Slimy]

Meh, well Chrome is still in early beta. I'm waiting for a 1.0 release first. Of course, it's Google, so who knows if Chrome will ever come out of beta.

[majortom1981]

I downloaded sp2 from technet and it seems snappier to me. Other then that nothing new.

[CoolCatBad]

I just used the Windows Update method for a 297mb Service Pack install.

Grab this http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...;displaylang=en and remove the ".remove" from the file, double-click it and when next using Windows Update you get the 4mb Update Stack patch.

After that is installed use Windows Update again and you get the Service Pack Beta.

Very fast and no rebooting needed during the above steps. No watermark on the desktop and Windows Activation remains permanent.

[Churma]

I just used the Windows Update method for a 297mb Service Pack install.

Grab this http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...;displaylang=en and remove the ".remove" from the file, double-click it and when next using Windows Update you get the 4mb Update Stack patch.

After initial installation and first boot you get no painted desktop.. (Watermark) On the second reboot the desktop gets painted.

[Witt3439]

For some reason I had a feeling that Microsoft would make 16497 (v.113) their public release. It's the same version that was released at the end of October. There's even a topic on it here at Neowin somewhere.

The batch file that was used to get the first pre-beta (v.105) also worked to get this one when it came out, as long as you uninstalled the previous version first.

And yes, there is a noticable improvement in speed over SP1, even though this is still a beta.

(The good thing about Microsoft using 16497 is that the watermark removal patch and patched uxtheme files will work from the first SP2 pre-beta release.)

[CoolCatBad]

Yes indeed, rebooted and saw the watermark. You still need this http://rapidshare.com/files/156710947/user32.dll.mui.html

[+Tantawi Subscriber²]

Yes indeed, rebooted and saw the watermark. You still need this http://rapidshare.com/files/156710947/user32.dll.mui.html

It doesn't work on my Ultimate x64 SP2 install, it's not the first time I remove the evaluation message (done it on SP1 betas) I replaced in safe mode in both the en-US of system32 and SysWOW64 and ran the mcbuilder.exe (rebuild MUI cache), rebooted twice and still the message is there, I even used ResHack to ensure the files in the system dirs are correctly patched. Am I missing somethig? any x64 user having the same problem?

[bjoswald]

I downloaded the standalone package and installed without any problems. I've been using it ever since without a hitch.

[darkmanx21]

Meh, well Chrome is still in early beta. I'm waiting for a 1.0 release first. Of course, it's Google, so who knows if Chrome will ever come out of beta.

Same here, had to un-install it casuse it started crashing. Is there a single product, besides Search, that is out of Beta? Chrome was awesomely fast though.

Going to install this on my laptop. I tried it on my desktop and everything felt faster.

[LOC Veteran]

Great, I only have 1 GB free on my C drive so naturally I can't install the SP2 beta even though my D drive has 20 GB free. Awesome. Anyone know a way around this by any chance?

[kazuyette]

I had the leaked build installed on my rig and yesterday while I was checking WU, I first saw an uninstall tool for SP2 and I was like : "WTF ??" and, after a reboot, I saw the SP2 on WU and then I lol'ed :)

[(Spork)]

downloaded vista sp2 update right from windows update

[phot0nic]

I tried installing this, but after it got to 100% (after rebooting), it failed and the changes were reverted. Once it rebooted again and brought me to my desktop, I got the following error: 0xc004f013. The only thing I could find out about this error is that SP1 failed for some users giving the same error, and the solution was to uninstall some buggy update.

Can anyone help me with this?

[Scorbing]

So those of you brave enough to install SP2 on Vista, have you noticed any improvements in performance, speed, etc? Give us your results.

[bjoswald]

So those of you brave enough to install SP2 on Vista, have you noticed any improvements in performance, speed, etc? Give us your results.

I haven't noticed a difference at all, honestly. It's still a little early though.

[majortom1981]

vista feels snappier but thats about it.

[+Tantawi Subscriber²]

It doesn't work on my Ultimate x64 SP2 install, it's not the first time I remove the evaluation message (done it on SP1 betas) I replaced in safe mode in both the en-US of system32 and SysWOW64 and ran the mcbuilder.exe (rebuild MUI cache), rebooted twice and still the message is there, I even used ResHack to ensure the files in the system dirs are correctly patched. Am I missing somethig? any x64 user having the same problem?

Well, few reboots during the day and it's removed now!

[Churma]

So those of you brave enough to install SP2 on Vista, have you noticed any improvements in performance, speed, etc? Give us your results.

No noticeable difference here.

[Eric Veteran]

Avira AntiVir seems to have trouble with Security Center. SC keeps saying Avira isn't running when it is.

[scratch42069]

I forgot all about the CPP. Got it installing now but I'm wondering if we'll have to uninstall the Beta SP2 before final release or will we be able to install the final over top of the Beta?

[+Tantawi Subscriber²]

I forgot all about the CPP. Got it installing now but I'm wondering if we'll have to uninstall the Beta SP2 before final release or will we be able to install the final over top of the Beta?

You will need to uninstall any beta service pack before installing the final (or any new future beta's)