Windows Vista SP2 is available for download and installation for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Initially, the release supports five languages: English, German, Spanish, French and Japanese. Soon to follow, will be support for another 31 languages. Note: Vista SP1 must be on your computer before you can install the Vista SP2 upgrade.
The majority of people will install Vista SP2 without any issues. For some people, however, upgrading to Vista SP2 may cause problems. Readers have told me of issues with sound, some graphic programs and that it has not resolved connecting with wireless services after sleep mode. Microsoft wrote an article that speaks to known problems and loss of functionality with Vista SP2.
The best reasons to upgrade to SP2 include:
- If you currently have problems with Vista SP1
- Additional support for Bluetooth wireless technology and improved performance for Wi-Fi
- Native support for Blu-ray and Blu-ray disk creation
- Windows Search 4.0 (improved indexing and searching capabilities)
There are other benefits, but those are the main ones.
This release does not include Internet Explorer 8. If you want IE8 you will have to download and install it separately.
Also, Microsoft advises anyone using the installation tool vLite for Vista to use a workaround, when installing Vista SP2. Apparently, vLite accidentally deletes files needed for SP2 installation.
The bottom line is that most people will not have problems upgrading to Vista SP2; some people may. If you are one of those that notices problems after the upgrade to SP2, you can use Microsoft's free support or you can uninstall SP2 and revert back to Vista SP1.
For more information, read the article "Upgrade Your Computer to Windows Vista SP2".