Windows 7 Gets Prepared for Service Pack 1 (SP1) RTM

With Service Pack 1 (SP1) RTM on the way to Windows 7, Microsoft is taken the necessary measures designed to ensure that the download and deployment of the upgrade will go as smooth as possible. This is why the operating system received an update set up to ensure that there are no issues in Windows 7 RTM that could prevent the integration of SP1 or additional updates from the Redmond company.

A new release of the System Update Readiness Tool went live this week, and is currently available to customers either through Windows Update or as a standalone download via the Microsoft Download Center.

“This tool is being offered because an inconsistency was found in the Windows servicing store which may prevent the successful installation of future updates, service packs, and software. This tool checks your computer for such inconsistencies and tries to resolve issues if found,” Microsoft stated.

The tool is designed to resolve any servicing inconsistencies not only in Windows 7, but also in Windows Server 2008 R2, as well as Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008. This particular version of the System Update Readiness Tool was not offered for Windows XP.

“The System Update Readiness Tool verifies the integrity of the following resources:

Files that are located under the following directories:

%SYSTEMROOT%\Servicing\Packages

%SYSTEMROOT%\WinSxS\Manifests

Registry data that is located under the following registry subkeys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Components

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Schema

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing

When the System Update Readiness Tool detects incorrect manifests, files, or registry data, it might replace the incorrect data with a corrected version,” Microsoft explained.

Microsoft has recently launched the Release Candidate (RC) of Windows 7 SP1 to early adopters for testing purposes.

Ahead of anything else, the RC is a sign that the release to manufacturing (RTM) development milestone is not that far off into the future.

In fact, the software giant also made sure to release a tool designed to block the automatic delivery and deployment of SP1 for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

However, the company still has to reveal the availability deadline for Windows 7 SP1 RTM. Microsoft only confirmed that the service pack will be served to customers by the end of March 2011.

Still, there’s no way of saying when will Windows 7 SP1 actually be released to manufacturing, and when will the first RTM bits be served to customers. Speculation still indicates that Windows 7 SP1 will hit RTM by the end of this year, but rumors of availability do indeed point to March 2011.

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) Release Candidate (RC) Build 7601.17105.100929-1730 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) Release Candidate (RC) Build 7601.17105.100929-1730 are available for download here. System Update Readiness Tool download links:

All supported IA-64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 R2