SP2 for Vista and Server 2008

Windows Vista and Server 2008 SP2, released in Apr. 2009, can update both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, because the two OSs have the same code base. The availability of one service pack for both the client and server OS may make it easier and more efficient for customers and partners to test it to ensure it does not affect application compatibility, and that it fixes problems they may be experiencing. However, SP2 does not include the fixes that were supplied with Vista SP1; organizations must first update their Vista computers or deployment images to SP1 before applying SP2.

Overall Service Pack Goals

Service packs supply bug fixes, security updates, and changes to fix application compatibility problems reported by customers. SP2 includes 39 security updates previously released as part of Microsoft’s ongoing monthly security update program (or Patch Tuesday), plus more than 600 other fixes in areas such as base technologies, networking, and storage. A key advantage of a service pack is that all of these fixes have been tested together (integration tested) to ensure that they work together. (For a chart of the number of changes by category, see “Vista and Server 2008 SP2 Fixes“.)