Windows 7 Ultimate Vista SP2 What's inside
 

Microsoft is continuing to broaden the pool of Windows Vista Support Pack 2 (SP2) testers past the pretty tiny,Windows 7 Enterprise Key, pick group who;ve been working with test builds for your past couple of months.
On December two, Microsoft created the latest beta construct of SP2 available for download by any TechNet and Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) subscribers.
Over about the jkOnTheRun blog, Kevin Tofel posted the most complete checklist I;ve noticed of what;s in Vista SP2. (Tofel;s complete listing has disappeared, but not before I grabbed it. It;s now at the bottom of this publish.)
In addition towards the recognized Vista SP2 functions — such as the ability to record data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista and the addition of Windows Connect Now for simpler wifi configuration — Tofel says SP2 also will include:
Built-in Hyper-V hypervisor
Event logging support in SPC
Fixes for DRM issues from WMP upgrades
Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless
Functionality to reduce resources required for sidebar gadgets
Improved power settings for Windows Server 2008
Note (added on December 3): Even though Microsoft originally listed Hyper-V as 1 of the attributes it would make on the market as part of Vista SP2, that information is incorrect. A company spokeswoman sent me the following update:
“Sorry for any confusion, but Hyper-V is in Windows Server 2008 SP2, not Windows Vista. Apparently it was listed incorrectly and they;re correcting it now.”
Microsoft produced a first beta build of SP2 releases for both Vista and Windows Server 2008 available to select testers in late October. Company officials have said to expect the final Vista and Windows Server 2008 SP2 builds inside first half of 2009.
Last week, the Tech ARP site reported that Microsoft is targeting April 2009 as its final Vista SP2 release date. Given the Redmondians; desire to get Vista SP2 out the door just before Windows 7 is released to manufacturing, April makes a lot of sense. The most recent RTM targets I;ve heard for Windows 7 are while in the June/July 2009 realm.
On a related note, speaking of service pack updates, the Windows Home Server team is readying its Power Pack 2 update for mid-2009. The second full-fledged release of Windows Home Server, which will possibly come in Basic and Premium editions, is now looking like a 2010 deliverable, according to APC Magazine.
Back to Vista and Windows Server 2008 SP2: Any testers on the market anxiously awaiting any particular characteristics?
Update: Tofel;s record of Vista SP2 functions is gone. Luckily, I saved his original full record. Here it is:
Emerging Hardware Support
oSP2 contains Blue tooth two.1 feature pack supporting one of the most latest specification for Blue tooth technology
oAbility to record data on Blu-Ray media,
oAdds Windows Connect Now (WCN) Wi-Fi Configuration to Windows Vista SP2,
oexFAT file system now supports UTC timestamps,Office 2010 Home And Business Key, which enables correct file synchronization across time zones.
oSP2 provides support for new form factors, such as ICCD/CCID. new form factor support –example USB form factor as opposed to PCMCIA).
oSupport for your new VIA 64-bit CPU
Security
oSP2 includes all previously released security updates,Windows 7 Ultimate, and builds around the proven security benefits of Windows Vista
oSecure Development Lifecycle process updates, where we identify the root cause of each security bulletin and improve our internal tools to eliminate code patterns that could lead to future vulnerabilities
oReliability
oSP2 addresses previously released reliability updates, as well as addressing crashes, caused by Microsoft code, discovered since the launch of SP1
Performance
oResume performance when Wi-Fi connection is no longer out there after resume from sleep
oInclusion of Windows Search 4 for improved indexing performance, improved relevancy in search,Office Ultimate 2007 Key, broader indexing scenario inclusion,Microsoft Office 2010 Professional, as well as new Group Policy integration for Windows Search,
oImprovements to the RSS feeds sidebar gadget to improve update performance and responsiveness
Application Compatibility
oIt is our goal that applications that run on the Windows Vista Running System today and are written using public APIs will continue to work as designed on Windows Vista SP2.
oPreviously released Application Compatibility updates are included in Windows Vista SP2.
oSpysweeper and ZoneAlarm now operating with POP3 email accounts
Administration and Support Improvements
oCustomers installing .net framework 3.5 support pack 1 will notice shorter download and installation times with Vista service pack 2 or Windows 2008 service pack two already installed,
oService Pack Clean up tool (Compcln.exe): This tool helps restore the hard disk space by permanently deleting the previous versions of the files (RTM & SP1) that are being serviced by Support Pack two.
oSingle installer for both Vista & Server 2008
oAbility to detect an incompatible driver and block service pack installation or warn users of any loss of functionality
oBetter error handling and providing more descriptive error messages where possible
oBetter manageability through logging in system event log
oComponentization for Serviceability of the installer
Some Specific Fixes/Additions Include:
oInclusion of Hyper-V
oEvent logging support in SPC
oDNS Server now listens over ISATAP address
oFixes DRM issues from WMP upgrades
oWindows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless
oReduction of resources required for sidebar gadgets
oImproved power settings for WS08
Update No. two: Microsoft is circulating a record of some of the hotfixes that is rolling up into Vista/Windows Server 2008 SP2. But Microsoft;s list does not include all of the attributes of the services packs. Perhaps that is why Tofel;s list was “disappeared.”
Here;s Microsoft;s note on its own record of SP2 attributes:
”This document contains a listing of these updates with links to their descriptive pages on the Microsoft Web site There are other updates in Windows Server 2008 Company Pack 2 and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 that have not been released, and they are not presented in this listing.”