14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is gearing up to release Windows 7 Service Pack 1 RTM to all users next week. As previously announced, the gold bits of the first upgrade for Windows 7 will become live on February 22nd, 2011. As usual, end users are the last in line to receive a RTM release from the Redmond company.
On February 11 Microsoft not only announced the release to manufacturing of Windows 7 SP1, but also offered the upgrade to OEM partners.
Earlier this week, Windows 7 SP1 RTM and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 RTM have been offered to MSDN and TechNet subscribers, as well as to business customers with Volume License agreements.
Come February 22nd, everybody else will also be able to grab Windows 7 SP1.
According to the Redmond company, this can be done either through the Download Center or through Windows Update.
“For those of you simply looking to update a single PC or your home PCs, we recommend using Windows Update instead of downloading the standalone installer (or Network Installation Package) from the Microsoft Download Center.
“Windows Update will provide the best installation experience for you,” revealed Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc earlier this week.
I have to agree with Brandon on this one. End users will find that it’s much smoother to just turn on Automatic Updates, have SP1 delivered to them, downloaded automatically and then install the upgrade.
Fact is that the packages offered through WU are tailored to the specific copy of Windows 7 they target, which means that customers will not need to waste bandwidth just to download SP1 RTM in a range of extra languages that they don’t need in the first place.
Users should also keep in mind that SP1 RTM is nothing more than a minor upgrade to Windows 7 and should not search for new features, since there aren’t any.