The general availability of the second service pack for Windows Vista is just around the corner. Microsoft is reportedly gearing up to make the gold bits for Vista SP2 available for download for all users of the operating system on May 26, 2009. The Redmond-based company has so far failed to confirm or deny such a scenario. In fact, it has been completely mute on the specific date when it plans to start rolling out the RTM development milestone of Vista SP2.

As was the case with Vista SP1, Vista SP2's RTM and GA, deadlines did not coincide. However, while with SP1, Microsoft provided explanations related to incompatibility problems for the delay of the service pack, it did not do the same with SP2. The final bits for SP2 were signed off at the end of April 2009.

Actually, it was on April 29 that Vista SP2 was released to manufacturing, with the software giant indicating that public availability was set in the second quarter of 2009. The May 26 delivery date for Vista SP2 comes from TechARP, and is unconfirmed by Microsoft.

Still, the Redmond-based company did manage to provide a heads up as to the vicinity of the Vista SP2 GA earlier this month. On May 21, a representative of the Microsoft Update team indicated that the Vista SP2 RTM bits, and along with them those of Windows Server 2008 SP2 RTM, would be offered in the “coming weeks.” Again nothing specific, but the notification does prove that the software giant is gearing up to deliver the second service pack for Windows Vista.

In a sense, Microsoft has already made the first step on the path to general availability, as the DVD ISO images of Windows Vista SP2 were made available on MSDN and TechNet to the company's communities of developers and IT professionals. But it won't be long now before the service pack hits the Download Center along with Windows Update and Windows Server Update Services.