Download Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2

After more than nine months of testing, Microsoft has finally declared Service Pack 2 of Windows Server 2003 final and made available for the public. In addition to a cumulative update of all updates, patches and bug fixes released for Windows Server 2003 such as support for WPA2 and performance improvements for SQL Server and Windows Virtualization, Service Pack 2 also includes several new features including ‘Firewall Per Port’ Authentication and Windows Deployment Services. The new service pack can currently only be downloaded and installed for the English Windows editions below a laundry list of improvements:

Windows Server 2003 32bit (372MB)
Windows Server 2003 x64 (351MB)
Windows Server 2003 IA-64 (463MB)

What’s in Service Pack 2?

Service Pack 2 provides convenient, comprehensive access to the latest updates, enhancements, and new features for Windows Server 2003. Each of these components allows customers to better leverage the enhanced security, reliability, and performance of Windows Server 2003.

updates

Update management is one of the great challenges of computer security. Despite the challenges of update management, updates will continue to play a vital role in securing enterprise IT until security technology can anticipate every attack strategy and compensate for every vulnerability. Frequent updating is key to keeping up with security problems as they are discovered. By cumulatively bundling these updates together in Service Pack 2, Microsoft provides customers with the latest protection for Windows Server 2003.

In addition to the all previously released Security Bulletin Updates, Service Pack 2 installs all individual hotfixes released since Windows Server 2003 RTM and several key customer requested features and enhancements.

New Features:

• Scalable Networking Pack (SNP)
• XMLLite

Enhancements to Existing Features

• Windows Deployment Services (WDS)
• Enabling ‘Firewall Per Port’ Authentication
• Microsoft Management Console 3.0 (MMC 3.0)
• Wireless Protected Access 2 (WPA2)
• iCACLS tool
• Expanded Windows Server 2003 Datacenter SKUs
• Release of MUI Packs to ensure greater compatibility between base and MUI language
• Performance Improvements for SQL Servers
• Enhanced discoverability options in MSConfig
• Improved IPsec filter management
• Performance Improvements under Windows Virtualization
• Increased default storage for Message Queuing
• Improvements to DCDIAG Domain Name Service testing
• New Events for Cluster Service Accounts

Each of these key updates, enhancements, and new features provided with Windows Server 2003 SP2 will be covered in greater detail in the following sections.

In addition, Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 supports 9 new localized languages ​​for the Windows Server 2003 x64 SKUs.