Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Windows Vista Service Pack 2 is Live!

After several months of testing, Windows Vista SP2 is finally available for Live download both via Windows Update and Microsoft Download Center.

It requires Service Pack 1 installed. The download size is around 350 MB (32-bit) and 600 MB (64-bit) at Microsoft Download Center, so prepare for a long download time if you don't have a really fast internet. The size is 43 MB (32-bit) and 60 MB (64-bit) on Windows Update. It says the hundred MB but when I downloaded it, it only downloaded around 40 MB.*
* These values were received from MSDN. I estimated that it only downloaded so much because of the time it took to download in relation to my bandwidth speed.


Download Links from Download Center:
32-bit
64-bit
DVD ISO
Be sure you have Windows Vista Service Pack 1 installed first.
I recommend getting it from Windows Update as the size is smaller because Windows Update only downloads what your computer needs and therefore is more efficient. However, if you are installing for a computer without internet connection or for multiple computers, the Download Center is the way to go.

Changes in Windows Vista Service Pack 2:
  • Windows Search 4.0.
  • Support for Bluetooth 2.1.
  • Data recording on Blu-ray media.
  • Simpler WiFi configuration with the Windows connect now ( WCN ).
  • Better resuming for active WiFi connections.
  • exFAT file system now supports UTC timestamps, so files can synchronize over different time zones.
  • Supports CCID / ICCD smart cards.
  • Supports 64 bit VIA CPUs.
  • Better audio and video performance for HD streaming.
  • Better Windows Media Center ( WMC ) for content protection on TV.
  • Power Management is 10% more efficient on some configurations.
Similar to Service Pack 1, don't expect too many features, if any even apply to you. Most of these can be downloaded as separate updates. For example, Windows Search 4.0 was already pushed as a update through Windows Update months ago.

Note that this update does NOT include Internet Explorer 8.

That's all folks for today! Please comment on tech as we need comments to improve on the tech guide. Don't hesitate to ask any questions. Thanks!
By - WinTechpedia™ 2009 Contributors