I don’t expect many people to understand this post.

My laptop needed reformatting so I decided I might as well download Vista SP2 since it was being released to MSDN and MS technet users in preparation for the RTM release in the next few months.

Most IT depts in many corporations hate service pack releases and windows update for a good reason. There are always bugs, updates, and compatibility issues in the new service packs that screw up old software or just screw up the computer all-together. Most corporations will resist the update as long as possible and if they do decide to update. They usually do it when they’re rolling out new computers or do a full reformat and fresh install of the new OS with the service pack slip-streamed into the installation.

I usually apply these principals and Vista SP2 is evidence why.
From a consumer standpoint, you probably won’t notice too many problems other than with a select few games or minor software that has some sorta compatibility issue.

The problem with my installation is that my house is deployed on a Windows 2008 domain environment.
This means that all of our logins, files, policies, etc are centralized allowing easier management.

Since Vista SP2 has not been fully released, Microsoft has neglected to update the Group Policy Client Extensions for Vista SP2. I have just spent a good 5 hours playing with my Group policy objects (GPOs), trying to figure out why my laptop wouldn’t automatically map the drives configured via group policy. There are a few other policies which I’m sure haven’t been applied as well but I’m too lazy and fed-up to figure out which one they are.

Thankfully this is just a home environment and I am basically using this as a learning tool for how corporate networks, both small and enterprise run their computers.

There is a reason why IT doesn’t want to update right away! I’ll bet you there are a few MSCE certified individuals out there right now trying to figure out why their drive maps aren’t working as well, and they’re wasting their time just like me. (We must also remember that most companies still run XP, so maybe I’m just kidding myself)

Is Vista SP2 worth it? I don’t know yet, I’ll let you know in a few weeks.

Here’s some reading that provides evidence that Vista SP2 doesn’t have group policy client extensions yet at the time of this post.
MPECS Inc. Blog : Vista Service Pack 2 Not Applying Group Policy Preferences
Microsoft Discussion Groups – Group Policy Preferences not applying on Vista with Service Pack 2