Windows Vista Service Pack Downloads

Martin Brinkmann
Mar 18, 2008
Updated • Mar 3, 2014
Software, Windows, Windows Vista
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Microsoft has released the standalone versions of the Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Service Pack 2 for 32-bit and 64-bit systems.

Standalone in this regard means that the update is downloaded to a local system from where it can be executed or distributed. Standalone packs are available as executable files or ISO images that can be burned to CD or DVD for distribution.

The advantage over downloading the service pack updates via Microsoft's Windows Update service is that they only need to be downloaded once.

If you maintain a network with x computer systems, you would have to download the updates x times if Windows Update is used for that.

If you are only updating one computer, it is suggested to use Windows Update instead, as the downloads will be much smaller in this case. The core reason for this is that Windows Update only downloads the language version of the update installed on the computer, while the standalone distributions download all language versions.

If you are downloading the standalone files, you can run the update as soon as the file has been downloaded to your system.

The ISO images on the other hand need to be mounted, extracted, or burned to CD or DVD first before they can be used for that.

All Windows Vista Service Pack Download links

Helpful links

Learn how to install Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) - A detailed guide that explains who you can install the service pack on your Vista system. It provides you with information on how to find out if a service pack is already installed, and how to automatically or manually install the service pack on your system. In addition to that, it highlights how to uninstall the SP1 again.

Windows Vista SP2 Deployment guide - Lists various deployment options to install Vista SP2 on computer systems.

Hotfixes included in Windows Vista SP1 - If you want to know what is included in the service pack 1 for Vista, check out this Microsoft TechNet page. It lists all the updates that are included in the service pack.

Hotfixes included in Windows Vista SP2 - Lists the same information for the second Vista Service Pack (SP2)

Clean up files after the installation of Windows Vista Service Packs - You can remove files that have been updated and are no longer needed to free up disk space on the system.

Windows Vista Service Pack guide for Professionals - A document for professionals that provides in-depth information about the service pack.

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Comments

  1. Taulurin said on March 22, 2008 at 2:04 am
    Reply

    To Dante:

    All seems to be working perfectly now with the Vista Computer. It was as I suspected and the IE shorcut just got glitched somehow… Bad switch or something. Deleted old IE shorcut and made new one and all is working fine.

    Running good Anti-virus and spybot/adbot software and have only ever had 1 infection which was caught as soon as my anti-virus did it’s next update. Believe it or not, I run AVG FREE and it’s caught, blocked, or removed viruses that several of my friend’s PAID anti-virus programs couldn’t/wouldn’t take care of.

    XP SP2 computer still acts up from time to time but it’s getting close to the end of it’s days anyway. Usually works fine after a reboot or 2.

    I’ll probably just leave well enough alone as long as it holds.

  2. Dante said on March 21, 2008 at 4:28 pm
    Reply

    MelindaGates hack still works with Vista SP1 Enterprise edition. Just make sure you have the latest VM image from China.

  3. Dante said on March 20, 2008 at 2:11 am
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    To Taulurin:

    Do you have a webpage advisor/antivirus software running? Looks like the patches to Internet Explorer which hooks directly into the OS is being spottily applied.

    Also do a google for forums with the following keywords: HighjackThis

    And download HighjackThis from http://www.download.com/Trend-Micro-HijackThis/3000-8022_4-10227353.html than find the forum you’re comfortable with and post your HighjackThis report for help.

    You might also have a bad case of infections.

  4. Taulurin said on March 20, 2008 at 12:14 am
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    To Dante:

    It was strange… Tried the windows/microsoft update site like 3 times, finally the Defender update that Scott mentioned installed then about 5 minutes later, SP1 for Vista appeared on the update list. Seems to have installed without any problems, but now my internet explorer is acting a little weird. The regular launch icon pulls up an explorer window that immediately stops responding but my other web short-cut icons connect without any problems.
    I’ll probably just make a new IE icon and delete the old one. I’m sure that’ll work.

    As for the problems I’ve been having on my other computer running XP SP2, well, 90% of the time the updates will not install and most of the time they won’t even download. Finally had to contact Microsoft tech support and after almost 2 weeks of going back and forth with them and trying every sollution they could think of, I was finally able to get all but Silverlight to install correctly.

    I’m passing the XP computer off to my kids but I want it to be working right before I do that. Hopefully it’ll do what it’s supposed to do now. Maybe SP3 will fix it for good or totally crash the dang thing. LOL!

  5. Scott said on March 19, 2008 at 1:47 pm
    Reply

    Installed successfully last night on an Asus G1S w. Vista Home Premium. SP1 wasn’t available until I updated Windows Defender, but once I did that, SP1 became available. Updating a Vista Ultimate PC now…

    One thing I noticed, after the upgrade, is that moving/copying files seems faster (haven’t tried it with TeraCopy yet). That was one my 2 big problems with Vista; the other being sporadic network connectivity drops. Time will tell if the latter has been fixed, but so far so good.

  6. Dante said on March 19, 2008 at 5:29 am
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    Also, what problems are you seeing in XP SP2? Mine’s been pretty stable for 2 years.

  7. Dante said on March 19, 2008 at 5:28 am
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    To Taulurin, in your Windows Update, click on Check for New Updates. And it’ll refresh. If it doesn’t, than that means you have one of those drivers that won’t work with SP1. If you want the full download, go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=b0c7136d-5ebb-413b-89c9-cb3d06d12674&DisplayLang=en or http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=874a414b-32b2-41cc-bd8b-d71eda5ec07c&DisplayLang=en but definitely check the list of problem device drivers at http://news.softpedia.com/news/Here-Are-the-Drivers-that-Don-039-t-Play-Well-with-Vista-SP1-RTM-81152.shtml

  8. computerguru365 said on March 19, 2008 at 2:41 am
    Reply

    Installed successfully on DELL OEM Vista Ultimate English version with NO other language packs installed, but all other updates installed

  9. Taulurin said on March 19, 2008 at 2:38 am
    Reply

    Hmmmm… Just ran update and it didn’t even find SP1 for Vista on the MS Update website.

    Am I missing something somewhere?

    Is this some extra special, secretive update/service pack that only a priveledged few will have access to?

    Heck, I’m still seeing a lot of problems with my old XP SP2 computer and I have my doubts as to whether or not the fabled SP3 will fix them.

    Maybe we’re all just being set up for Windows 7 or whatever they finally decide to name it.

  10. Dante said on March 19, 2008 at 2:19 am
    Reply

    Just tried it on the Home Premium Edition, and the install also failed. But the Vista Ultimate is a mea-culpa. I checked and found that during one of the Windows Update sessions, I had updated ALL the language packs :) Yes, I have that high a speed in connection that I didn’t noticed the download (shrug) – I’d just selected all available updates, as usual. We’ll see how the hacked version works – it’ll be on the Business Edition.

  11. Dante said on March 19, 2008 at 1:12 am
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    Just tried to install SP1 for my Vista Ultimate edition. It denied it, saying that I have a language pack that is not supported. That’s funny, I didn’t know U.S. English is not supported. I’m going to try it on my MelindaGates hacked version (I have the legit key, just like to play with hacks) later and see what happens.

  12. computerguru365 said on March 18, 2008 at 10:38 pm
    Reply

    Maybe we should all wait for Vista SP2. XP wasn’t “perfect” till sp2, why would i think that Vista is “perfect” with only SP1. I guess “to each his own” (…Still waiting for XP SP3)

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