14 DAY TRIAL // Concomitantly with the release of the public Beta of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1), Microsoft also made available for download the official documentation accompanying the upgrade. Documentation for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 Beta (KB976932) is now live on the Microsoft Download Center. At the time of this article both the Beta bits for Windows 7 SP1 and the actual documentation were starting to become available for download.
“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 and partner feedback, and is easy for organizations to deploy a single set of updates,” Microsoft stated.
However Knowledge Base article 976932, the Microsoft Support resources for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2, was still not accessible. Customers can now grab a variety of resources, including Hotfixes and Security Updates included in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 Beta; Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta Notable Changes; and Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta Test Guidance.
Additional information can be accessed through the Windows 7 SP1 Test Center on TechNet. Microsoft is emphasizing that Windows 7 SP1 Beta and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta are testing releases designed for early adopters. “This early release of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta is not available for home users. The SP1 Beta does not provide new end-user features, and installation is not supported by Microsoft,” the company stated.
Windows 7 SP1 Beta and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta are available for download here.