[Razor VinT]

In late October Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 were made available to a small group of testers, which was eventually leaked to public. Now Microsoft has opened up the beta to a broader audience. Starting today, MSDN and TechNet subscribers will have access to the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 SP2 beta.

Please note that the new build is 16497. The build which was leaked in October was 16489.

Vista SP2 includes all of the updates that have been delivered since the release of Windows Vista SP1, and incorporates improvements discovered through automated feedback from the Customer Experience Improvement Program (where users voluntarily opt-in to sending Microsoft error reports from their systems). In addition to these updates, SP2 also includes support for new types of hardware and emerging standards that will grow in importance in the coming months.

For specific changes in Windows Vista SP2 - see this post on Windows Vista SP2 or check out the notable changes document.

Source: WindowsTeamBlog

If you don't have access to MSDN and TechNet, then download this .bat file. Running it will allow you to download SP2 beta through Microsoft Windows Update.
 VstaSP2.zip (569bytes)
Number of downloads: 1007

___________________________________________________________

Update 1:
Windows Vista Service Pack 2 Beta - Five Language Standalone (KB948465) Now Available!
Download (388.3 MB)

Update 2:
For those who can't download from Microsoft for any reason. Here are the mirrors:
Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) Beta
System Update Readiness Tool for Windows Vista

It's better to use the patch for downloading SP2 directly through "Windows Update" because of the small size and better compatibility.

This post has been edited by Razor VinT: 23 December 2008 - 06:10 PM

[InlineSkate]

Do we need to uninstall the other sp?

[Liskiller]

Yes, uninstall the old SP2, Reboot PC, run the batch file and then open Windows Update.

I think you will have to install "SP2 Servicing Stack Update" also. I'll appear in Windows Update.

[fediaFedia]

Do you need SP1 installed to install SP2?

[endrit10]

I don't think so.

[BluDrgn]

You have to have SP1 to install SP2 according to the specs page

[Witt3439]

16497 is the build that has been out since early last month or late October. (v.113)

The batch file is identical to the one used to download 16489, but it does work to download 16497 also as long as 16489 (v.105) is uninstalled first.

This post has been edited by Witt3439: 04 December 2008 - 12:03 AM

[Syzygy]

Hmmm, i'll give this a try. Thanks for the notification

[InlineSkate]

UPDATE: old sp2 does not need to be uninstalled when you do windows update it downloads an update that says sp2 uninstaller it uninstalls sp2 then when you run update again in sp1 it pulls up sp2

This post has been edited by InlineSkate: 04 December 2008 - 12:24 AM

[Aphex13]

I know alot of people have been asking if you need to have SP1 installed before getting SP2... Sp1 is a required to install SP2.

[Secured Tim]

Thanks for the batch file.

[Edge]

Thanks for the file can not wait for the final release to come out

[iJesse]

Okay, for the people that have downloaded sp2 beta, what is so special about it that cant wait till the official release??

Major performance increase?
Security fixes?

[kyosan]

Screenshot

This post has been edited by kyosan: 04 December 2008 - 06:28 AM

[Witt3439]

I don't mean to burst anyone's bubble, but look at the "Published" date in the last screenshot. So far, this IS the same version that has been available for over a month now using the batch file that was used in the beginning to grab 16489 from Windows Update.

That doesn't mean that the batch file won't work on the new version tomorrow, assuming the latest version that's about to hit Public Beta isn't going to be 16497. Compare the batch file (using Notepad) posted here with the one also posted in post #5 here. If I'm not mistaken, they are identical as far as the actual code goes.

Vista does seem to be quicker with v.113 installed, so I hope that IF Microsoft does release a newer version in the next few hours, that it will be at least as good as v.113 is already.

I'm just hoping that we aren't all waiting on something that we already had available to us. Here is the post made over at Neowin back on October 30th. (If I'm out of line posting this link, then I ask that the mods please let me know.)

This post has been edited by Witt3439: 04 December 2008 - 06:27 AM