Microsoft Corp. Tuesday announced it had wrapped up work on Windows Vista Service Pack 2, but said it could be months before users get their hands on the upgrade to the problem-plagued operating system.

Microsoft Corp. Tuesday quietly launched the release candidate of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) to the general public, making good on a promise from last week.

Microsoft announced it has wrapped up a near-final version of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2), and has posted it to a pair of subscriber-only services for download.

Microsoft has wrapped up work on a release candidate for Windows Vista Service Pack 2, according to reports on the Web, corroborating a schedule disclosed last month that slated final delivery of SP2 by mid-May.

Microsoft has delayed Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) by at least a month, and will now ship it to manufacturing sometime in May or June, according to a Web site that has accurately predicted Windows release dates in the past.

As expected, Microsoft launched the first public beta of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) late Thursday, making it available for download from both its Web site and through its update mechanism.

The first beta version of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) is now in the hands of testers, after Microsoft released the update to subscribers of its Technet and Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) services.

Although Microsoft hasn't released a single, authoritative list of the contents of Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2), which will publicly launch as a beta tomorrow, the company has scattered information across its network of sites and bloggers.