# Windows Vista Service Pack 2 released



## ToeClaws (May 27, 2009)

For the few of you running this horrid excuse for an OS (there... got it off my chest early), Microsoft has released the second official service pack - and it's a BIG one:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd335036(WS.10).aspx

The link to download it is on the first page, but here's another one direct from Microsoft:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...d5-f907-4406-9012-a5c3199ea2b3&DisplayLang=en

Eventually this will be made available on their Windows/Microsoft Update page, but it is thus far stated only as "in the coming months" on their tech releases, so might as well upgrade early.


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## nrr (May 27, 2009)

ToeClaws said:


> For the few of you running this horrid excuse for an OS (there... got it off my chest early), Microsoft has released the second official service pack - and it's a BIG one:
> 
> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd335036(WS.10).aspx
> 
> ...



This was available, at least for the AMD64/EM-64T versions, yesterday through Windows Update, following true to the tradition of releasing patches on Tuesday.


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## chasseurdetoile (May 27, 2009)

Nice one, I saw it too on ars technica, too bad I'm already on seven RC (it's quite faster than vista really).


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## Adelio Altomar (May 27, 2009)

ToeClaws said:


> For the few of you running this horrid excuse for an OS (there... got it off my chest early), Microsoft has released the second official service pack - and it's a BIG one:
> 
> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd335036(WS.10).aspx
> 
> ...



Awesome! I'll go fuck up my computer later today when I get home if I feel like it. :3


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## ToeClaws (May 27, 2009)

Adelio Altomar said:


> Awesome! I'll go fuck up my computer later today when I get home if I feel like it. :3



You already did that by putting Vista on it in the first place.  *whawhawhaaaa* .... yeah I know, boo. 

That does bring up an interesting point though - if SP2 has any major issues, then that'll be another post to start.  I don't run Vista, nor does any of the NOC group at work, so I can't test.


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## nrr (May 27, 2009)

ToeClaws said:


> You already did that by putting Vista on it in the first place.  *whawhawhaaaa* .... yeah I know, boo.
> 
> That does bring up an interesting point though - if SP2 has any major issues, then that'll be another post to start.  I don't run Vista, nor does any of the NOC group at work, so I can't test.



I habitually run the Server editions of Microsoft's operating systems, but for the moment, I'm stuck running Vista on my little Tablet PC until I can muster up the dough to snag a license of Server 2008 for it.

So far, though, I've not seen that many issues, but I've also not yet managed to come up with an excuse to load windbg and poke around at some of the changes.  We'll see in time, I suppose.


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## ToeClaws (May 27, 2009)

nrr said:


> I habitually run the Server editions of Microsoft's operating systems, but for the moment, I'm stuck running Vista on my little Tablet PC until I can muster up the dough to snag a license of Server 2008 for it.
> 
> So far, though, I've not seen that many issues, but I've also not yet managed to come up with an excuse to load windbg and poke around at some of the changes.  We'll see in time, I suppose.



Smart - the server editions are much better (easily stripped down to desktop-ish services).  Well keep us in the loop.  I'm going to see if I can get some of the testers here in ITS to do it - there's a couple machines that have Vista on them there, I think.


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## Carenath (May 27, 2009)

ToeClaws said:


> For the few of you running this horrid excuse for an OS (there... got it off my chest early), Microsoft has released the second official service pack - and it's a BIG one


When is it *not* a big one 



ToeClaws said:


> That does bring up an interesting point though - if SP2 has any major issues, then that'll be another post to start.  I don't run Vista, nor does any of the NOC group at work, so I can't test.


Smart.. I got stuck with it on my laptop.. but it's never given me any problems, it actually, dare I say it, works as good as XP on the thing.



nrr said:


> I habitually run the Server editions of Microsoft's operating systems, but for the moment, I'm stuck running Vista on my little Tablet PC until I can muster up the dough to snag a license of Server 2008 for it.
> 
> So far, though, I've not seen that many issues, but I've also not yet managed to come up with an excuse to load windbg and poke around at some of the changes.  We'll see in time, I suppose.


Historically I've been rather lazy about changing my PC's operating system..

My first desktop ran Windows95.. and I replaced that with Windows98. Irritatingly enough, NT4 was a step backwards... but with 16MB of RAM I was kinda stuck.

My second desktop ran that "ME" thing that crashed every other day when you wanted to do anything useful with it. I swiched to Windows 2000 and ran into one of my bugbears with PC makers...
When I installed 2000... I lost the sound because there were no drivers and I couldnt use the recovery tool to reinstall the drivers.. or the application software because it didnt like 2000. I had no internet connection back then... so I had to go into school... with 26 floppy discs and use a spanned ZIP to transfer the driver installer home. Great fun when just ONE of those discs is corrupted and you have to wait till the next day.

I was able to get my paws on a copy of XP Professional RC1 which I installed and used, formatting the whole HDD, and it was good... but slow, very slow. But then I couldnt even upgrade the RAM because the machine refused to recognise the RAM stick I installed.

My current desktop ran XP until fairly recently... I used to have a particular dislike for Windows Server operating systems... and never bothered to try and get my hands on a copy... a friend pursuaded me to install 2003 on my desktop instead of XP, because he said it ran better. He was right.. the only reasons I dont install it on my laptop..
1. Lack of Drivers.. I'd have to find drivers for a lot of my hardware, and HP only provide Vista drivers >..>
2. 64bit.. I dont have a copy of 2003 64bit.. and that will be more of an issue when I replace my desktop with a 64bit system and want to use more than 4GB of RAM...
3. Lazyness... I couldnt be bothered in the end when Vista Win7 works perfectly fine for the moment..


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## Dragoneer (May 29, 2009)

Been running Vista Ultimate 64-bit SP2 for a few days no. No problems. Lots of performance gains all around (I've got 2X SSDs, and it actually reduced my boot time by about 2 seconds with 'em).

I'm happy.


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## ToeClaws (May 29, 2009)

Dragoneer said:


> Been running Vista Ultimate 64-bit SP2 for a few days no. No problems. Lots of performance gains all around (I've got 2X SSDs, and it actually reduced my boot time by about 2 seconds with 'em).
> 
> I'm happy.



Excellent - thanks for letting us know.  I wonder if they incorporated some of the tweaks that were built into Windows 7?  On the note of SSDs in Windows 7, you'll like the results of this:

http://hothardware.com/Articles/Windows-7-Disk-Performance-Analyzed/


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## Carenath (May 29, 2009)

I gave up on Win7... because of yet another thing about PC makers that drives me up the wall.

HP.. Why on EARTH did you insist on forcing everyone to use your "QuickPlay" software.. if they want to playback DVDs or BluRay discs.. would it have killed you to have included Cyberlink's PowerDVD?
For the unaware.. Windows7 actually has issues with HP's software.. including QuickPlay, QuickLaunch (required if you want that QP button on the keyboard to work).. and because they didnt give me a copy of PowerDVD.. like Dell does (if you request copies of the discs)... I found myself, rather stuck.

Im stuck with Vista.. because I cannot even boot XP's setup programme, it bluescreens, most likely because I need third-party drivers for the SATA controller.. which I'll need to track down as HP only provide some of the drivers and application software for download.. the rest is pre-installed and you're expected to use the recovery discs if you need to reinstall.. and to add insult to injury, they dont provide XP drivers for the hardware onboard.. some of these I can get already from the hardware-maker's download site.. some I cant (RealTek's download servers are iffy at best.. and I cant find a download site for "IDT High Definition Audio" )...

I'll download SP2 for Vista later tonight and see how well it fairs, as I recall the beta that I installed before didnt seem to make much of a notable difference.. Vista's always been rather nippy on my laptop.. which is rather overpowered anyway.


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## net-cat (May 29, 2009)

VLC plays DVDs just fine, last I checked.


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## Carenath (May 29, 2009)

net-cat said:


> VLC plays DVDs just fine, last I checked.


It stalled when trying to playback HD video..


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## Deleted member 19863 (Jun 15, 2009)

Another good reason to switch to Windows 7 :V


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## Rigor Sardonicus (Jun 15, 2009)

Carenath said:


> I gave up on Win7... because of yet another thing about PC makers that drives me up the wall.
> 
> HP.. Why on EARTH did you insist on forcing everyone to use your "QuickPlay" software.. if they want to playback DVDs or BluRay discs.. would it have killed you to have included Cyberlink's PowerDVD?


Actually, my HDX16 came with PowerDVD...
But I uninstalled it because I hate pre-installed software.



shatteredinsides said:


> Another good reason to switch to Windows 7 :V


What a valuable post!


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## whoadamn (Jun 15, 2009)

I downloaded and installed service pack 1, service pack 2 and service pack 1 again, apparently... o.o


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## Rigor Sardonicus (Jun 15, 2009)

whoadamn said:


> I downloaded and installed service pack 1, service pack 2 and service pack 1 again, apparently... o.o


Service Pack 2 is cumulative, isn't it?


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## whoadamn (Jun 15, 2009)

Satan Q. Jones said:


> Service Pack 2 is cumulative, isn't it?


One would assume so... but that's not what Windows Update was telling me.


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## Rigor Sardonicus (Jun 15, 2009)

whoadamn said:


> One would assume so... but that's not what Windows Update was telling me.



Hm, odd.
But everything's working now, though?


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## ArielMT (Jun 15, 2009)

Check your Windows Update history, and see if Vista SP1 is failing to install.  (I can't remember its KB article number.)


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## â„¢-Daley Leungsangnam475-â„¢ (Jun 16, 2009)

I tried to installed Service Pack 2 ... but it kept looping at the Stage 3 of 3 screen ... kept restarting for the best part of 16 hours

>.< So my dad somehow managed to do a system restore and but I'm never gonna update to SP2


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## ToeClaws (Jun 16, 2009)

â„¢-Daley Leungsangnam475-â„¢ said:


> I tried to installed Service Pack 2 ... but it kept looping at the Stage 3 of 3 screen ... kept restarting for the best part of 16 hours
> 
> >.< So my dad somehow managed to do a system restore and but I'm never gonna update to SP2



Eventually, you won't have a choice - Microsoft will only support Service Pack 1 systems for so long before they insist you have at least Service Pack 2.  My advice would be to use their tech forum, or even just Google, to search for others that had that problem and see if there is a solution for it.


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## net-cat (Jun 16, 2009)

Satan Q. Jones said:


> Service Pack 2 is cumulative, isn't it?


No. It's not.


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## Rigor Sardonicus (Jun 16, 2009)

net-cat said:


> No. It's not.


Well, that would explain it, then.


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## â„¢-Daley Leungsangnam475-â„¢ (Jun 16, 2009)

ToeClaws said:


> Eventually, you won't have a choice - Microsoft will only support Service Pack 1 systems for so long before they insist you have at least Service Pack 2.  My advice would be to use their tech forum, or even just Google, to search for others that had that problem and see if there is a solution for it.



I'm gonna keep with SP1, until they force me to update, but I might get Win7


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