Windows Vista SP2 RC & Windows Server 2008 SP2 RC released

As was expected, Microsoft today has released the Service Pack 2 Release Candidate build for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 to general public. Just a few days ago, we posted exclusive screenshots from Windows Vista SP2 RC when it was released to Microsoft Connect testers, MSDN and TechNet subscribers.

Windows Server 2008 SP2 RC and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 RC apply to people, organizations, and technical enthusiasts who are comfortable evaluating prerelease software. This prerelease software is provided for testing only. Installation of Service Pack 2 RC will result in Microsoft collecting information about the installation process, even if the installation is not completed. We do not recommend installing this software on primary or mission-critical systems. We recommend that you have a backup of your data before you install any prerelease software.


SP2 is an update to Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista that addresses feedback from our customers and partners. By providing these fixes integrated into a single service pack, Microsoft provides a single high-quality update that minimizes deployment and testing complexity for customers.
In addition to all previously released updates, SP2 will contain changes focused on addressing reliability and performance issues, supporting new kinds of hardware, and adding support for several emerging standards. SP2 will also continue to make it easier for IT administrators to deploy and manage large installations of Windows Server 2008.

Service Pack 1 is a prerequisite for installing Service Pack 2. Please make sure that your system is running Service Pack 1 before you install Service Pack 2.

Download Windows Vista SP2 RC and Windows Server 2008 SP2 RC (Standalone)

Download Windows Vista SP2 RC and Windows Server 2008 SP2 RC (DVD ISO)