Vista SP2 Beta Available Thursday

Microsoft is making the beta of its Windows Vista Service Pack 2 available to everyone from Thursday.

If you want to try out Service Pack 2 (SP2) for Vista, you’re in luck. From Thursday it will be available to everyone, Microsoft has announced.

A select group has had the code since October, and MSDN and TechNet members can already get it, Vnunet reports, but the company now feels it’s stable enough for more people to try. However, to obtain it you’ll need to join Microsoft’s Customer Preview Program (CPP).

Be warned, though, that the beta isn’t for everyone. In a blog posting, Mike Nash, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for Windows Product Management, noted:

“The CPP is intended for technology enthusiasts, developers, and IT Pros who would like to test Service Pack 2 in their environments and with their applications prior to final release. For most customers, our best advice would be to wait until the final release prior to installing this service pack.”

With increased Bluetooth support, an updated search tool, support for Blu-ray and more, SP2 will probably get full release in the first half of 2009.