Microsoft has begun offering Windows 7 Service Pack 1 via Windows Update today, as promised earlier in the month.
The 32-bit version of SP1 is around 755MB and the 64-bit edition comes in at around 1GB.
Says Microsoft:
Starting today, Windows 7 Service Pack 1 will be available to everyone via the Microsoft Download Center and [will] start rolling out via Windows Update.
If you prefer to have a disc, you can get one sent to you for $6 from Microsoft, including shipping.
The public beta of the SP was released in July 2010, and Microsoft launched the release candidate in October. The SP1 brings no new features, but is instead a collection of security patches and nonsecurity fixes already available through Windows Update.
Result for: service pack
Microsoft has reminded users today that support for Windows 2000 and Windows XP SP2 will end on July 13th, 2010, giving users enough time to upgrade.
After July 13th, there will no longer be any security updates or assisted support and users will be completely on there own. Additionally, Windows 2003 Server will move from “Mainstream Support” to “Extended Support” and will become unsupported in 2015.
Windows 2000 is currently in SP4, and has had all of its other service packs retired in the past decade. Users are encouraged to upgrade, even just to XP SP3. XP Service Pack 2 users are encouraged to update to SP3 (which is free), Vista or 7.
Result for: service pack
Microsoft has confirmed that a new updates for users of the Windows 7 beta is coming next week while also adding that a Release Candidate (RC) for the upcoming Service Pack 2 of Windows Vista is being sent out to a few testers.
Windows 7 manager Brandon LeBlanc noted that on February 24th, five test updates would be released which “will allow us to test and verify our ability to deliver and mange the updating of Windows 7”.
LeBlanc did add however that the new updates would not fix any bugs but instead would simply “replace system files with the same version of the file currently on the system”.
The updates will need to be added manually through Windows Updates.
Vista SP2 RC, build 6002.16670.090130, was recently released to Microsoft Connect testers and should soon find its way to a larger range of beta testers.
When the SP2 eventually hits, it will encompass all previous updates and patches for the OS and will include 691 hotfixes, adds the source.
