Everything You Must Know about Vista SP2 Release Candidate

Posted 03/05/2009 at 2:30pm | by Mark Edward Soper

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Microsoft released the release candidate for Windows Vista SP2 (Vista SP2 RC) to the public yesterday. You can now download it from the Microsoft TechNet website. However, before you install Vista SP2 RC, here are ten essential facts about the latest update to Windows Vista:

1. SP2 RC doesn't include a lot of visible razzle-dazzle, but....
2. .. it's designed to make your system work better with the latest hardware...
3. ...and to clean up after itself.
4. It includes over 600 hotfixes to help your system work more reliably, but there are a few glitches to watch out for.
5. You're not ready for Vista SP2 RC if you don't have Vista SP1 installed.
6. vLite-streamlined Vista SP1 won't work with SP2 RC
7. Vista SP2 RC is available in a bunch of installation flavors, but if you want to get it via Windows Update right now, you have some extra work to do.
8. You can help Microsoft make the SP2 installation process better, but nobody's forcing you to do so.
9. Yeah, your desktop will remind you you're running a pre-release program
10. Don't forget - RCs don't last forever 

Now, let's dig into the details.

Why Install SP2 RC? (Hint: It's Not About the Razzle-Dazzle)

Unlike Vista SP1, Vista SP2 isn't going to make a big difference in the look and feel of Vista. In its FAQ, Microsoft admits that SP2 was "primarily developed with Windows Server 2008 in mind..." (Windows Server 2008 shares a common code base with Windows Vista). So, why install SP2 RC on your Vista SP1 system? 

While you won't get sizzle, you will get steak, as SP2 RC give you a chance to preview benefits such as:

Improved hardware support for new technologies:

• VIA Technologies' Nano 64-bit processors (a popular choice for ultra-compact HTPCs)
• The most recent version of Bluetooth, Bluetooth v2.1, and Windows Connection Now (WCN) Wi-Fi configuration via the Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless (a previously OEM-only update)
• Blu-Ray Disc recording; you won't need to buy a separate Blu-Ray codec anymore

Improved performance and responsiveness for:

• Wi-Fi connections after resuming from sleep mode

• The RSS feeds sidebar

New (and "new") software components:

• Windows Search 4.0
• Compcln.exe

Windows Search 4.0 isn't exactly new to Windows Vista users (it's been available as a separate download for Vista and XP users for awhile), but it's now included in SP2 RC.

What's new in 4.0? Besides a lot of management and tuning features for big corporations, you can access index results on remote PCs running Windows Search 4.0 and see remote files show up in search results - very handy if you forgot where you stashed your favorite digital photos or music downloads. It also permits users with sufficient permissions to index and search encrypted files. 

Compcln.exe, a command-line utility that removes files that have been replaced by SP2 updates (Screenshot).

Two important notes:

• You must open the command prompt in elevated mode (run as administrator) before you can use Compcln.
• You should not use Compcln on your system if you want to uninstall SP2 RC when the final release comes out.

If you want to try Compcln.exe after you install SP2 RC and don't want to reinstall Vista from scratch, make sure you make a full backup of your system first (you can use Complete PC Backup in Ultimate and Business editions, or a third-party image backup with other editions).

How to Find Out What Compcln Removed 

If you want to use Compcln to remove older files, why not find out exactly what it removes? Here's a fun experiment to try using Compcln.exe (borrowed from Windows Vista SP2 RC and Windows Server 2008 SP2 RC Test Focus Guide; the underlined text should be entered into the command prompt window):

1. Capture the installed components state by running the following command:

Run dir “%windir%\” /b/s/a:-d>files_before.txt

2. Run compcln.exe in an elevated command prompt to remove the staged components superseded by SP install:

Run %windir%\system32\compcln.exe

3. Capture the installed components state by running the following command:

Run dir “%windir%\” /b/s/a:-d>files_after.txt

The difference between files_before.txt and files_after.txt is the list of items that were removed  by compcln.exe.

Hotfixes Galore

As with previous service packs, Vista SP2 includes lots of hotfixes: 651 (plus 39 security updates). While the security updates were previously available via Windows Update, only 34 of the hotfixes were previously available via Windows Update. Here's how they break out by category:

All - 1
Applications - 3
Base Technologies - 133
Computer Management - 34
Core Virtualization - 7
Data Services - 12
Desktop Shell - 55
Desktop Technologies - 67
Drivers - 55
Feedback/Supportability - 1
Graphics - 1
Localization - 1
Multimedia - 31
Networking - 55
OS Deployment - 8
Printing and Imaging Technology - 18
Security - 35
Server Technologies - 63
Storage - 54
Tools - 2
Windows Installer - 1
Windows Portable Devices - 1
Uncategorized - 12

Here are a few examples:

• Improving XPS printer speed (KB954051)
• Fixing DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL errors (KB955734) 
• Solving problems with video playback problems with video containing multiple resolutions or when resuming Windows Media Center Live TV from standby (KB951685)
• Solving PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error caused by some OpenType fonts (KB957187) 
• Solving computer lockup when capturing Windows Aero desktop with Print Screen (KB954436)

For a complete list of security and hotfixes included in Vista SP2 RC, visit Hotfixes and Security Updates in Windows Server 2008 SP2 RC and Windows Vista SP2 RC for a link to an Excel 2007 spreadsheet.

...and a Few Glitches to Watch Out For

SP2 RC has problems with a few applications, a quirk with live TV closed captioning when Windows Media Center is running in a Window, and a problem with digital signatures in XPS documents. For details, see the Release Notes.