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Compulsory upgrades to Windows 7 SP1 will start rolling out tomorrow
If you're a Windows 7 user and you've been dragging your heels when it comes to that Service Pack 1 upgrade, then prepare to get an extra dose of encouragement from Microsoft. Starting tomorrow, the company will begin deploying SP1 via Windows Update to all neglected PCs, and just so you're aware, the update won't require your consent. The push will happen a phased rollout over the next few weeks, and as for the consequence of not upgrading, Microsoft will no longer support Windows 7 RTM as of April 9th. Naturally, PCs that are managed by system admins can be shielded from the deployment, but for everyone else, it seems that you'd best prepare for the inevitable.
Windows 7 SP1 (and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1) now available for public download
Microsoft told us to clear our pipes for a hefty download on the 22nd of February, and sure enough, the software giant is delivering. Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 is now available for public consumption, with the company also confirming that 7601.17514.101119-1850 is the final RTM. We'd bother telling you more, but we know you've already dug into the source link in order to get your download a-hoppin'. Just make sure you uninstall any pre-releases of SP1 before doing the deed with this one, and if you're updating just a single PC, you're probably better off waiting for everything to flow through Windows Update. Your call, though. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 available for everyone on February 22nd
Get ready for it because the final release to manufacturing (RTM) of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) have just been handed off to Microsoft's OEM partners. What that means for you is that starting February 22nd you can download Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 from the Microsoft Download Center or via Windows Update. MSDN and TechNet subscribers will see the official updates a bit earlier on February 16th... about the same time they'll be released unofficially into the bitTorrent and usenet wilds.
Windows 7 Service Pack 1 public beta due next month
Before you start getting excited for something along the lines of Vista's famed SP1, you should know that the Windows 7 Service Pack 1 that Microsoft plans to release shortly is merely a combination of existing updates, outside of the new Remote Desktop to support new Windows Server 2008 SP1 features. Still, that's not exactly a bad thing: Windows 7 doesn't require same sort of service pack "rescue" Vista did, and Microsoft's hope is that a feature-stable, combined update could promote some enterprise holdouts to finally take the plunge. The public beta of SP1 will be released at the end of July, with the final version to presumably be released soon after.
Microsoft dishes out Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2 details
Both still seem to be a quite a ways from a release, but Microsoft has now announced a few details for its forthcoming Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 updates. The latter of the two actually seems to be the more significant, as it adds a so-called RemoteFX feature that Microsoft describes as the "special sauce" in its Remote Desktop Services. The short of it is that RemoteFX uses virtualized graphics resources and is able to function independently of any graphics stack, which Microsoft says will allow "any screen content" (including Silverlight and Flash) to be delivered to everything from full-fledged PCs to low-cost, thin client devices. Windows 7 SP1, on the other hand, is described as having "only minor updates," the biggest of which is -- you guessed it -- an updated Remote Desktop client that takes advantage of RemoteFX. Dive into the links below for the complete details.
