TechNet: Download Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) Beta

Last Updated on Monday, 12 July 2010 10:55 Written by admin Monday, 12 July 2010 10:55

Microsoft is saying that Windows 7 SP1 Beta and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta are for IT pros. But there’s no reason why end users can’t download the Beta, is there?

Please Note: This early release of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta is not available for home users. The SP1 Beta does not provide new end-user features, and installation is not supported by Microsoft.

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta helps keep your PCs and servers on the latest support level, provides ongoing improvements to the Windows Operating System (OS), by including previous updates delivered over Windows Update as well as continuing incremental updates to the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 platforms based on customer and partner feedback, and is easy for organizations to deploy a single set of updates.

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta will help you:

• Keep your PCs supported and up-to-date
• Get ongoing updates to the Windows 7 platform
• Easily deploy cumulative updates at a single time
• Meet your users’ demands for greater business mobility
• Provide a comprehensive set of virtualization innovations
• Provide an easier Service Pack deployment model for better IT efficiency

In order to download and install the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta you must currently have a Release to Manufacturing (RTM) version of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 already installed.

To learn more about piloting, deploying and managing Windows 7, visit the Springboard Series on TechNet.

To learn more about SP1 Beta and Windows Server 2008 R2, visit the SP1 Details Page.

Register for Download and Guided Evaluation

	Review Windows 7* and Windows Server 2008 R2 system requirements and the frequently asked questions (FAQ)
	Register for evaluation
	Download and install beta software
	Receive an email with resources to guide you
	Question on the beta? Please visit the Windows Support Forum or the Windows Server 2008 R2 Migration & Deployment Forum for additional guidance

*Windows 7 Minimum System Requirements:

• 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 1 GB of RAM (32-bit) / 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
• 16 GB available disk space (32-bit) / 20 GB (64-bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
• DVD-compatible drive
• Internet access (fees may apply)

Note: Some product features of Windows 7, such as the ability to watch and record live TV, BitLocker, or navigation through the use of “touch,” may require advanced or additional hardware. Windows XP Mode requires an additional 1 GB of RAM and 15 GB of available disk space.

Download using Windows Update for the 32-bit or 64-bit versions or download the ISO which contains both 32-bit and 64-bit versions for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. Check the FAQ for which version you should download.

Register for the Download

Each version is available in these languages: English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.

Public Beta: Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1)

Last Updated on Monday, 12 July 2010 10:52 Written by Mire_B Monday, 12 July 2010 10:52

I already told you that Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Beta leaked a while ago. But even if you jumped the gun then, it’s better to choose the SP1 Beta releases for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 from Microsoft. From the Windows Team blog:

Today, we announced at our annual Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) the availability of the public beta for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1). As Gavriella Schuster and I have mentioned in previous blogs, SP1 for Windows 7 does not contain any new features specific to Windows 7. However, the new features in SP1 for Windows Server 2008 R2 benefit Windows 7 by providing a richer Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) experience. For Windows 7, SP1 is simply a combination of updates already available through Windows Update and additional hotfixes based on feedback by our customers and partners. For more information on Windows 7 SP1 and new features for Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, I recommend reading this blog post from the Windows Server Division Weblog.

If you are an IT Professional interested in testing Windows 7 SP1, you can download the public beta via the Springboard Series on TechNet where you will find the download as well as other key deployment and support tools. For everyone else, Windows 7 SP1 will be available in the first half of 2011 through the usual channels.

Business customers tell us that they are already seeing the benefit of deploying Windows 7, and industry analysts agree that there is no need to wait for SP1. According to the IDC Survey “Deployment Opportunities for Windows 7” by Matt Healey, Al Gillen, and Cushing Anderson, Doc #223694, June 2010 - 64.7% of enterprises have already begun or will begin their migration to Windows 7 within the next 6 months and 89% of companies have definitive plans to begin their migration to Windows 7 within a 24-month period. And Forrester predicts that Windows 7 will become the new standard for most commercial PCs within 12 months (Forrester Research 2010):

“With Windows powering approximately 96% of corporate PCs, it’s a no-brainer for most firms to eventually transition to Windows 7.”

After only 7 months in market, Windows 7 had nearly 14% share of the global OS market, according to Net Applications for June 2010. Not only that, Windows 7 has become the fastest selling operating system in history. We recently announced that Windows 7 has sold 150 million licenses. Check out my blog posts here and here for more amazing Windows 7 momentum today.

In short – businesses should move full speed ahead with deploying Windows 7 today.

Along with today’s announcement of public beta availability of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, we also wanted to provide customers and partners with more predictability around the lifecycle of Windows.

Prior to shipping Windows 7, we communicated that end-user downgrade rights provided in the software license terms of Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate editions preinstalled on a new PC would allow a customer to downgrade to either Windows XP Professional or similar Windows Vista versions for 18 months, or until the availability of SP1, whichever came sooner. Generally, PC manufacturers are in the process of ramping down Windows XP downgrade facilitation options that some offer today. As background, an OEM’s ability to generally offer downgrade facilitation options (e.g., preinstalling Windows XP Professional on a new PC that includes end-user rights for Windows 7 Professional) ends on October 22, 2010.

While the majority of customers are actively transitioning to Windows 7, and PC manufacturers are focused on delivering PCs and devices with Windows 7 preinstalled, our business customers have told us that the removing end-user downgrade rights to Windows XP Professional could be confusing, given the rights change would be made for new PCs preinstalled with Windows 7 and managing a hybrid environment with PCs that have different end-user rights based on date of purchase would be challenging to track.

Therefore, maintaining a more straightforward policy would help those customer segments that rely on downgrade rights as part of their migration planning – particularly in emerging markets and customers who may not take advantage of our volume license programs. 

To support our customers’ “unprecedented move” to migrate their PC environment to Windows 7, we have decided to extend downgrade rights to Windows XP Professional beyond the previously planned end date at Windows 7 SP1. This will help maintain consistency for downgrade rights throughout the Windows 7 lifecycle. As a result, the OEM versions of Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate will continue to include downgrade rights to the similar versions of Windows Vista or Windows XP Professional.  Going forward, businesses can continue to purchase new PCs and utilize end user downgrade rights to Windows XP or Windows Vista until they are ready to use Windows 7. Enabling such rights throughout the Windows 7 lifecycle will make it easier for customers as they plan deployments to Windows 7.

In the interest of providing more consistency and predictability with how we manage the Windows lifecycle, we are confirming our current policy of allowing retailers to sell the boxed version of the previous OS for up to 1 year after release of a new OS, and that OEMs can sell PCs with the previous OS pre-loaded for up to 2 years after, the launch date of the new OS. This means that since Windows 7 launched on October 22, 2009, retailers will be able to sell the boxed version of Windows Vista until October 22, 2010, and OEMs will be able to sell PCs with Windows Vista preinstalled until October 22, 2011. I also recommend checking out this blog post regarding Windows XP end-of-sales and end-of-support deadlines.

This lifecycle policy has been in effect since before the launch of Windows 7, and it has very little impact on most customers, as many retailers and OEMs have already discontinued sales of Windows Vista in favor of Windows 7. But it does ensure that our OEM and retail partners can discontinue sales of earlier versions of Windows within a predictable timeline. 

We are humbled by the amazing Windows 7 momentum and the positive feedback we continue to hear from customers and partners.

Notable Changes in Service Pack 1 (SP1) Beta for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Last Updated on Monday, 5 July 2010 12:56 Written by Mire_B Monday, 5 July 2010 12:56

The Notable Changes doc was leaked together with the pre-Beta copies of Windows 7 SP1. I’ve included it below:

Introduction

Microsoft® continuously collects feedback on Windows® 7 and Windows Server® 2008 R2 operating systems from its customers and partners. This feedback results in enhancements that help improve compatibility, reliability, performance, and user experience. These enhancements are typically made available in the form of regular updates delivered via Windows Update and, in some cases, the Microsoft Download Center.  All updates are then rolled-up, along with additional enhancements, into a single package called a Service Pack.  By integrating these updates into a thoroughly tested single service pack, Microsoft aims to provide a single high-quality update that will minimize both deployment and testing complexity for customers. 

Service Packs help ensure that your systems are up-to-date. Updates to the Windows operating system, including updates released with bulletins from the Microsoft Security Response Center, are only built for currently-supported service packs. Installing the latest service pack ensures customers have the maximum support lifecycle for their investment. 

Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 will include previously released updates and will deliver a number of powerful new features for Windows Server 2008 R2 for virtualization and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). New techniques in memory management with the addition of Dynamic Memory functionality, as well as the ability to deliver full-fidelity graphic experiences in remote and virtualized environments with Microsoft RemoteFX™, enable organizations to realize the greatest possible potential from their infrastructure. The resulting increase in efficiency and functionality allows for accelerated server consolidation, a more powerful virtualized desktop infrastructure, and an increased return on technology investments.

The impact of SP1 on the Windows 7 client operating system is considered to be minimal. Included changes are expected to address minor usability issues in specific scenarios, as outlined in this document. Microsoft recommends that organizations do not need to wait for SP1 to begin receiving the value of Windows 7 today as we don’t anticipate the SP1 for Windows 7 to be substantial.

This document describes some of the notable changes in the beta of Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. Note that many of the updates listed are already publically available and have been released via the Microsoft Download Center or Windows Update.  This is also not a complete list, and some features may not be in the final release of the service pack.

Setup prerequisites

The following conditions are prerequisites for the installation of SP1:

•        Your current operating system must be the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) version of Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 (build 7600).

•        Users updating through Windows Update/WSUS must install the Servicing Stack Update (SSU) that handles the installation and removal of software updates, language packs, and optional Windows features. This update is necessary to successfully install or uninstall the service pack; it also improves the performance and reliability of the service pack installation. This update is part of the standalone update package and will be offered as a separate package on Windows Update.

Service Pack 1 size

In order to make the improvements detailed in this document, various individual files and components have been updated. Also, the language-neutral design of Windows necessitates that the service pack be able to update any possible combination of the basic languages supported by Windows 7 with a single installer, so language files for the 36 basic languages will be included in the standalone installer at the final release.  The beta will only be available in 5 languages.

For System Administrators, there is a stand-alone installation package available. However, most home and small business users will receive SP1 through Windows Update. Windows Update utilizes an efficient transfer mechanism to download only the bytes that are needed, resulting in a download that will range in size from 23 megabytes (MB)to 51 MB depending on the system architecture.

Table 1 Delivery mechanisms for SP1

Changes specific to Windows Server 2008 R2

Dynamic Memory

Constraints on the allocation of physical memory represents one of the greatest challenges organizations face as they adopt new virtualization technology and consolidate their infrastructure. With Dynamic Memory, an enhancement to Hyper-V™ introduced in Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, organizations can now make the most efficient use of available physical memory, allowing them to realize the greatest possible potential from their virtualization resources. Dynamic Memory allows for memory on a host machine to be pooled and dynamically distributed to virtual machines as necessary. Memory is dynamically added or removed based on current workloads, and is done so without service interruption.