Windows Vista and Server 2008 SP2 Download

Microsoft’s Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 has been officially released for free public download on Microsoft Download center. It is also being distributed via the updates. The SP2 was earlier released to the subscribers of MSDN and TechNet. Both Windows Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2 are provided in a single package to update the two operating systems. The SP2 also includes all the previously released updates since WIndows Vista SP1. In addition, it supports new types of hardware and other emerging standards.

The release of Windows Server 2008 SP2 and Windows Vista SP2 was scheduled on April 28, 2009, as a build version 6002.18005.090410-1830. Both standalone update installer of Windows Server 2008 and Vista SP2 with all the languages. The slipstreamed Windows Server 2008 with SP2 integrated DVD ISO or slipstreamed Windows Vista with SP2 DVD ISO integrated were released weeks ago and these were available for download from BT network.

The new release for Windows Vista and Server 2008 SP2 RTM are applicable to the computers having on of the following languages: English, German, French, Japanese, or Spanish. For both the SP2 there is a single unified installer. In actuality there are 2 installers each having 32-bit and 64-bit computer architecture for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. The SP2 update can be installed on all the editions  that includes Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows Vista Business, Windows Vista Enterprise, Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Home Premium, Windows Server 2008 Datacenter, Windows Server 2008 Enterprise, Windows Server 2008 Standard, Windows Server 2008 Web Server and Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems.

Details for download

Download Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista SP2 x 86 (5 Language Standalone Installer) (KB948465)

Direct Download Link: Windows6.0-KB948465-X86.exe

Download Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista SP2 x64(5 Language Standalone) (KB948465)

Direct Download Link: Windows6.0-KB948465-X64.exe

Download Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista SP2 (5 Language Standalone DVD ISO) (KB948465)

DVD ISO image that contains Service Pack 2 for Windows Server 2008 SP2 for x86, x64, IA-64 and Windows Vista for x86, x64. Again the image is only applicable to computers that have one or more of the following languages: English, German, French, Japanese, or Spanish.

Direct Download Link: 6002.18005.090410-1830_iso_update_sp_wave0-RTMSP2.0_DVD.iso

Waiting to Release Wave 2

According to the sources, Microsoft would soon release the wave 2 of Windows Vista and Server 2008 SP2. It will be contain the updates for all the localized languages available for the operating system. As a part of wave 3, the Service Pack 2 will be delivered to all Windows Vista client and Windows Server 2008 server systems too using the Automatic Updates, Windows Update or Microsoft Update after few months of SP2 release.

Windows Vista SP1 for Windows Vista is a prerequisite for installing the Service Pack 2. For Windows Server 2008 no prerequisite are needed as the SP1 was already installed in it. However, it is important to uninstall all the prerelease versions of  SP2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 like SP2 Beta, SP2 RC or SP2 RTM-Escrow, which are time-limited to expire the latest by June 1st, 2010.

In case you have used vlite to customize Windows Vista installation, this might interrupt the installation of Service Pack 2. It gives an error message One or more system components that the service pack requires are missing. The solution for this can be found at One or more system components that the service pack requires are missing KB968279.