Microsoft Releases Windows 7 SP1 - Windows 7 SP1 to all

Microsoft announced Tuesday that Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is now available for download via the Microsoft Download Center.

Most people will get Windows 7 SP1 via Windows Update, Microsoft said. For those updating a single PC or a home PC, the company recommends that you wait for that update.

"Remember - for Windows 7, SP1 will help keep your PCs well supported by delivering ongoing updates, many of which have been made previously available through Windows Update," Microsoft said in a blog post. "It does, however, include client-side support for RemoteFX and Dynamic Memory which are two new virtualization features enabled in Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1."




Microsoft released the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 to its OEM partners on February 9, and they were made available to current customers of the Windows Volume Licensing program, as well as subscribers to Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) and TechNet, on February 16.

Dynamic Memory allows Windows Server Hyper-V administrators to increase virtual machine density without sacrificing performance, scalability, or security. RemoteFX allows for the virtualization of the Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) on the server side to deliver next-generation rich media and 3D user experiences for VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructures).

Windows Phone users began receiving updates on Monday designed to prepare their devices for a big update which will add features touted by Microsoft at the recently concluded Mobile World Congress (MWC).

The update – which is a prelude to updates adding copy and paste functions, improved Marketplace search and performance upgrades – “is a relatively small one”, says Microsoft’s Michael Stroh.

In a blog post at the Windows Phone Blog, Stroh wrote: “Now, before you get too excited, let me explain: This isn’t the update you’ve probably been reading about or perhaps waiting for, the one with copy and paste (but that’s coming soon).”




He further explained that this first update “for Windows Phone is designed to improve the software update process itself. So while it might not sound exciting, it’s still important because it’s paving the way for all future goodie-filled updates to your phone, such as copy and paste or improved Marketplace search.”

He also said, that even though the update is a small one, “Still, it’s our first—the first of many…”

At the MWC held in Barcelona, Spain last week, Microsoft CEO said that the Windows Phone update will be released “in early March.”