Microsoft is inviting early adopters to download, deploy and test the first upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) is in Beta stage at this point in time, and as such not meant for installation into production environments. “The public beta is best suited for IT pros, tech enthusiasts and developers who need to test the service pack in their organization or with the software they are developing,” revealed Stephen L Rose, Sr. Community Manager - Windows IT Pro Client.

Windows 7 SP1 Beta was released to the public earlier this month, and is an excellent preview of the first upgrade for the OS. In this regard, customers are bound to notice no new features have been added, and this because the software giant only intended to deliver a minor upgrade and nothing more.

“The Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta helps keep your PCs and servers on the latest support level, provides ongoing improvements to the Windows Operating System (OS), by including previous updates delivered over Windows Update as well as continuing incremental updates to the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 platforms based on customer feedback, and is easy for organizations to deploy a single set of updates,” Rose added.

There is only a single pre-requirement for SP1, namely that customers run the RTM Builds of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. At the same time, the language of SP1 must match that of the underlying platform. Windows 7 SP1 Beta is only available in English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.

“The Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta will help you:

•Keep your PCs supported and up-to-date
•Get ongoing updates to the Windows 7 platform
•Easily deploy cumulative updates at a single time
•Meet your users' demands for greater business mobility
•Provide a comprehensive set of virtualization innovations
•Provide an easier Service Pack deployment model for better IT efficiency,” Rose added.

SP1 continues to be available for download and testers will be able to run the releases until mid-2011 when the Beta bits are set to expire. Microsoft confirmed that it plans to release Windows 7 SP1 RTM in the first half of next year, most likely in Q1 2011.

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) Beta and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) Beta are available for download here.

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