The betas are currently available only in English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish editions.
iso format that can be installed over a network or burned to a CD.
Users can specify either the 32- or 64-bit version of the combined beta - the download contains code for both Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 - to be downloaded via Windows Update, or they can retrieve a 1.2GB disk image in. Other choices from the list, such as “Tech Enthusiast” or “Consumer” block access to the download. Selecting “IT Manager,” “IT Worker,” or “Developer” from a list allows anyone to obtain the beta. The latter also includes a feature dubbed “Dynamic Memory,” which lets IT staff adjust guest virtual machines’ memory on the fly.Īlthough Microsoft urged end users to not download Windows 7 SP1’s beta, that doesn’t prevent consumers or technology enthusiasts from grabbing it off Microsoft’s servers. The most notable addition to Windows 7 SP1 is an updated Remote Desktop client designed to work with RemoteFX, the new remote-access platform included with Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1. The company first acknowledged it was working on the service pack last March.Īccording to previous comments by Microsoft, Windows 7 SP1 will not include any new features, but will simply be a combination of security updates already available through Windows Update, as well as non-security fixes that it’s gleaned from customer feedback. Microsoft promised last month that it would ship Windows 7 SP1 beta in July, but did not name a release date. “The SP1 Beta does not provide new end-user features, and installation is not supported by Microsoft.” “This early release of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta is not available for home users,” Microsoft said in a message on its site. The company announced the availability of the betas as it kicked off its Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) Monday in Washington D.C., where it also announced it is expanding the preview of its Intune hosted desktop-computer management service by an additional 10,000 IT users. The beta also includes a first-look at Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1. Microsoft today released the first public beta of Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1), but warned consumers and end users to steer clear of the preview.