Windows 7 Service Pack 1 close to release

[reghakr]

An update to Windows 7 released yesterday has given a strong clue that a final release of the first service pack for the operating system isn't too far away.

According to a Microsoft support page, the imaginatively-named KB976902 (Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 installation software feature update) makes changes to the operating system's servicing stack, needed to install and remove software updates, language packs, optional Windows features, and service packs.

''This update is necessary to successfully install and to remove any service packs to all versions of Windows 7 and on Windows Server 2008 R2,'' the page reads.

As Neowin forum user +TCLN Ryster pointed out, the very same update was required for installation of beta and release candidate versions of Service Pack 1, which would suggest that a finished version of the service pack is nearing a public release. Microsoft has promised that SP1 would be made available in the first half of this year. A public beta was released in July last year, followed by a release candidate in October.

Some Neowin forum users have reported that the update only appears after installing all other available updates and checking again after a restart.

Along with various bug fixes, Service Pack 1 will bring dynamic memory support to Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 R2, allowing administrators to pool all memory available on a physical host and dynamically distribute it to virtual machines running on that host as needed. RemoteFX will add enhanced desktop virtualization aimed at giving remote users the same experience as those sitting at a workstation.

Given Microsoft's fondness for releasing service packs on either a Monday or a Tuesday - Windows Vista Service Pack 2 and Windows XP Service Pack 3 were both released on Tuesdays, XP Service Pack 1 on a Monday - the soonest Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is likely to be available is January 18.

Businesses can continue to use a blocker tool released in November last year until they are ready to deploy Service Pack 1

Source: http://www.neowin.net/news/windows-7-service-pack-1-close-to-release

 

[Andrea Borman]

Windows 7 service pack is already here. It came out this Feburary and I first read about it on the How To Geek website.

At first I did not understand why they brought out a service pack with Windows 7,when most of us already have paid upgrades from Windows 7 Starter or Home Premium to higher editions.

I know that in Windows XP they have service packs1,2 and 3. From what I read about Windows 7 service pack 1, it is just meant to install additional files and software that you already have.

But I have read that after you have installed it,that it will make a lot of files and take up more space on the hard drive.

So as I have a Netbook I think I do not need to install it and that it is really more for larger GB laptops or full sized computers.

The service pack can be downloaded from the Microsoft website or installed through Windows update. And it can be uninstallled again if you change your mind and do not want it. By going to installed updates and uninstalling the update the same way you can uninstall IE9.

But if you are a home computer user or have a Netbook you do not need the service pack as it is not an essential item.

Also Windows update has an annoying habit of trying to install software you do not want on your computer. To avoid this I set my Windows update settings to never install updates.

But this does not stop you getting updates. This just means that instead of Windows just installing updates when you are not around or when your computer is turned off automatically. Without asking you,instead, when you have the update setting on never install updates.

Then you have to go to Windows update and check for updates yourself and install them manually selecting the ones you want.

Which is fine by me as I can see and decide what I do want on my computer and what I do not.

And as I have uninstalled Internet Explorer from my computers,I do not want Windows update to put it back again. As I will only have to get rid of it again.

So,to avoid getting the service pack through Windows update if you do not want it installed. In updates look for Windows 7 service pack 1 and click HIDE UPDATE and you will not get it.

And if you change your mind later and do want the service pack installed through updates. Then go back to updates and click restore hidden updates and then click SHOW UPDATE on the update you want to be installed. Andrea Borman.

 

[patcooke]

So as I have a Netbook I think I do not need to install it and that it is really more for larger GB laptops or full sized computers.

But if you are a home computer user or have a Netbook you do not need the service pack as it is not an essential item.

First and foremost I would recommend always installing Service Packs unless there is some special reason for not doing so. They will ensure that your system benefits from the latest updates and features (altho this SP tends to be more of the former than the latter) and you may well discover at some stage in the future that other updates and patches may require SP1 to have been installed as a pre-requisite. I have it installed on my desktop, laptop and my notebook; the installation process does require considerable hard drive space but most of this is recovered at the end. As far as the actual process of updating is concerned I have downloaded the update manually as an ISO file and burned a DVD - in the event I have to reinstall or apply it to another pc I don't want to have to manage another 2GB download! On the updates issue you have it right - always best to have your personal approval before anything is allowed to install itself on your system.

 

[Andrea Borman]

I do not know why they started the service pack on Windows 7. I read some articles that the problems they were causing was that if you changed your drivers or updated them or your software. That the service pack could cause your copy of Windows to be misread and not a genuine copy,when it is.

The edition of Windows 7 I have got on two of my Netbooks is an upgrade from Windows 7 Starter to Home Premium on one and Professorial on the other. Which I bought and paid for online with the Windows anytime upgrade service.

And if I have to restore to factory settings like I had to do a few weeks ago. Then Windows 7 Starter is put back on my computer but I was able to upgrade again without paying again using my upgrade key. And then I was able to activate Windows again without any problems.

But I have read that some people who have installed the service pack have been asked to activate or validate Windows again, and cannot. Even though their copy is genuine and has been activated before they installed the service pack.

As I install software such as web browsers and I am looking for new software to improve my computer,media plays,webcam tools. And that a lot of stuff I download turns out to be not what I like or not user friendly. So I have to uninstall it. But if I had the service pack it may confuse my system and cause the problems mentioned.

There are also people who like to try out different operating systems Linux and other. And so they install and uninstall things and this could confuse Windows if the service pack is installed. Where it would no if it wasn't.

As we have a genuine edition of Windows 7,why should we install a service pack,when we already have everything we need? And if we do install it,we could end up with problems.

As if we cannot activate or re activate our Windows from what I read about Windows Vista.If you don't or can't activate Windows it goes into restricted mode after a certain time. But I don't know if the same thing happens if you don't or can't activate Windows 7.

Information on this would be useful. But it is just not worth installing the service pack and we got on all right before without it. So there is nothing to suggest that we need it now.

I say if our Windows is working okay then don't rock the boat, and install major changes that we do not know about, and don't really understand. Better to leave things as they are and carry on using Windows 7, without the service pack. Andrea Borman.

 

[Andrea Borman]

The service pack is supposed to give you additional software. But most of the office stuff that is on your computer,such as Microsoft office and Microsoft.Net framework. Is software that most home computer users will never use.

For example my computer has Microsoft.Net 3.5 and I was offered an update for Microsoft,Net 4. But that Microsoft.Net is turned off in windows features. So after much reading, I figured that I did not need the upgrade. So I did not install the update. And if I had have done-Microsoft.Net 4 would have been installed alongside Microsoft.Net 3. So what is the point?

Most Windows users who want extra software, get they own choice of software from the Internet anyway. And most of that is different from what they give you in the updates. That is Mozilla products and open source software. Andrea Borman.

 

[fjgold]

Pat is right on all counts.
And you are not, Andrea.
It is doubtful that you could even install the SP anyway since you don't have an intact system.
The service pack installer from Windows update checks for system integrity (making sure all system files are there) before installing.

At any rate it is listed as an "important" update and not a crucial one and can be hidden so it won't be available
in the future.

It also comes with a utility invoked by the command line (dos prompt if you will) that can remove all those extra uninstall files after, and only after,
you are sure that your system is running well and is stable after the SP is applied,
The files are "SP uninstall" files that would let a user roll back to a pre SP state if there were issues.
These files do indeed take up HDD space and the removal utility can remove them automatically and recover the space.
The SP backup fies are also removable via the Disk Cleanup utility.

It has nothing to do with you purchasing an upgrade from starter to Ultimate like you mention in your second paragraph.
It is a service pack that is meant to be applied across the board on all versions of Win 7.
It is mostly a roll up of all Windows updates to date (when it was signed off by MS in November 2010).
Without it it is likely that some future updates might fail.

It won't reinstall IE but because IE is missing it might not install some necessary updates in the future.

Having the SP won't or at the least shouldn't confuse your system or interfere with install or removal
of future third party program installs.

It also shouldn't mess with the activation of your system.
If for some reason it does a phone call to MS on their toll free line should fix that issue.

If you were to have to "restore to factory" like you did recently then at the very least you would want to update your restored system with all Windows updates (including the SP) before upgrading your system to the Ultimate or Professional version.

This would be probably preferable to trying to install the SP on your presently "crippled" systems (missing core windows components like IE).
Of course do what you want Andrea, after all you do know best.

 

[Andrea Borman]

There are lots of things you can do on a Windows operating system. And yes,Internet Explorer is off of my computer,and I am not sorry about that. But this time around after the factory restore. I only deleted the IE file in programs on C/drive not the registry keys like last time, as I saw no advantage in this. I have done the same with Windows Media Player,I have just deleted the file in programs,but I have not deleted any registry keys. In fact I have not even looked in the registry this time around.

But because I have got a Netbook I do not think I have enough space for the service pack anyway. And Windows users can install an FTP server on their computer and so could I. But if I did I would not know how to use it anyway and I do not think I have got room for that on a Netbook.

I have used the command prompt for little things and on Windows it seems to work. It is not the same as using the terminal on Linux,which does not work. But then a lot of things don't work on Linux.

But on Windows I seem to have a lot better luck. But then it's not about luck,it's just that Windows is an easier to use operating system. Andrea Borman.

 

[fjgold]

There are lots of things you can do on a Windows operating system. And yes,Internet Explorer is off of my computer,and I am not sorry about that. But this time around after the factory restore. I only deleted the IE file in programs on C/drive not the registry keys like last time, as I saw no advantage in this. I have done the same with Windows Media Player,I have just deleted the file in programs,but I have not deleted any registry keys. In fact I have not even looked in the registry this time around.

but because I have got a Netbook I do not think I have enough space for the service pack anyway. And Windows users can install an FTP server on their computer and so could I. But if I did I would not know how to use it anyway and I do not think I have got room for that on a Netbook.

I have used the command prompt for little things and on Windows it seems to work. It is not the same as using the terminal on Linux,which does not work. But then a lot of things don't work on Linux.

But on Windows I seem to have a lot better luck. But then it's not about luck,it's just that Windows is an easier to use operating system. Andrea Borman.

You do what you want Andrea, you're the expert after all.
BTW: the SP only adds about a GB or so of files to your computer and most of those are uninstall files that can be removed
once the SP is proven to have not caused issues.
And what does an FTP server have to do with the discussion at hand?

 

[Andrea Borman]

I have been looking for free software to go with my built in webcam,so I can take photo's and videos without going onto the web. And some of this software on C.Net said you had to have a FTP server and an FTP account and password to upload use the software. And I do not even know what an FTP server is. Andrea Borman.

 

[patcooke]

I find it difficult to imagine why an FTP server should be a pre-requisite for webcam software - if you'd like to give us a link to the reference we could have a look and see what it's all about. It may be that they are suggesting you download the software by ftp but even then - you would need the client ftp software, not the server.

 

[Andrea Borman]

Thank you for your reply. C.Net has many different types of software that you can download. Some of it is new and some of it is years old, when they still had Windows 98 and Windows 2000, and this older software was made for XP. But most of it will work on Windows 7. Here is one webcam software that uses FTP-http://www.lundie.ca/fwink/

But each webcamb software is different. Some use Java and others don't.

But basic web cam software does not want you to have either Java or FTP,just a webcam.

But there are not many webcam softwares that are free however as most are only free for a trial period and then you have to pay.

But a lot of the free software I tried was not user friendly, and did not even work, and as I mentioned it was old.

I do however have Splitcam but you can only take photos not videos. Although you can with the new version 5-/d[URL="http://download.cnet.com/SplitCam/3000-2348_4-10500269.html"]http://download.cnet.com/SplitCam/3000-2348_4-10500269.html [/URL]

But I am using Splitcam 3,which includes the drivers to make it run on Windows 7-see here-http://download.cnet.com/Split-Video-from-CAM-or-Video-FILE/3000-2348_4-10488365.html

But Splitcam 3 is very basic and you cannot record videos,but you can in the latest version,Splitcam 5.

But in Splitcam 5 although it recorded the videos,there was no sound in them. So it did not pick up my built in microphone,even though other video capture software's did. So it was not my computer but an issue with Splitcam 5. So I could record videos with Splitcam 5 but not with sound. Even though it is supposed to do this.

So I now use Splitcam 3 for photos and to adjust my webcam, and MyCam-see here-http://download.cnet.com/MyCam/3000-13633_4-75186067.html for videos.

But MyCam can only be installed as a zip file but you can open the file and send the icon to desktop to put an icon and shortcut launch. Without having to open the file and look for it,every time you want to use it.That way it works just like your other software on your desktop.

But from what I have read,a lot of other Windows 7 users have had issues with Splitcam. It could be because it requires,Direct X 9 and Windows 7 has Direct X 11. But that is something the company of Splitcam needs to sort out. But I think that Splitcam is just a basic webcam tool anyway.

And no,I don't know what Direct X 9 or 11 is or what it does.

When I was talking about FTP,I was just giving an example of software you could install but in most cases do not need. Like FTP and the service pack. Andrea Borman.

 

[Highwayman]

The service pack is supposed to give you additional software.

really? since when? let's break down the wording of "SERVICE PACK", "Service" - something to do with amending/updating/correcting faults etc, and "Pack" - a collection of things, so there you have it a literal example that service packs can just be 100% fixes and nothing new in terms of additional functionality LMAO. Indeed in SP1 for windows 7 it's largely just the incremental fixes released for windows updates since RTM over a year ago all in one package, the main reason in my view they need to release them at all is simple, after a while they reach a level of fixes that is simply easier to release to oems as a pack to install new pcs with all the updates already included, and also general people who wipe their systems and would rather have a all in one deal rather than hundred of small fixes seperately, it's simply more effiecient than expecting all new owners to take a pc home and need a gigabyte of downloads to bring the security and fixes upto the current level.

 

[Andrea Borman]

Well,I don't understand why they have started the service pack for Windows 7 or what it is supposed to do. Or why we even need it when we have got everything we want in Windows 7. And you can get more features just by upgrading to the higher editions.

So I won't be installing the service pack. Andrea Borman.

 

[Highwayman]

did you even read what I said??? what's it supposed to do is simple...fixes the things that have security flaws, or that don't work as intended due to bugs in code, which get reported to microsoft to fix and then they patch it with updates...which eventually bundle a years worth or more to a service pack.

 

[patcooke]

First of all - the ftp issue - quote from cnet: "Fwink is a free and open source webcam application for Windows. It takes still images from your camera at timed intervals and puts them on your web site with FTP." This is a very specific application to do an individual job of uploading a picture to the internet. FTP is a standard protocol for uploading files to the internet so would apply in this very specific instance (even so, it would just require installation of the client ftp software - it would not require the setting up of an ftp server). Generally speaking I don't think you would be required to install ftp for the majority of webcam apps.

On the service pack question - service packs contain updates, patched and other bits and pieces resulting in no apparent change to your system. They are however very important to the future smooth running of your system and its installation is strongly recommended. At some stage in the future it is highly likely that you will need to install some update or application which has SP1 has a pre-requisite so it is best if you do install it now.

 

[fjgold]

Another reason for the SP is the reluctance of enterprise organizations to roll out a new OS until a SP is released.
MS probably wants that share of the market.

 

[Andrea Borman]

Well,I tried that Fwink and it did not even work. It did not detect my webcam and so I uninstalled it. I don't seem to be very lucky with webcam software. But maybe that is because most of those products are not free you have to pay for them,even though some are free to download and try. Maybe I am restricting myself to what I can use by not wiling to choose a webcam software product you have to buy. Andrea Borman.

 

[patcooke]

For the webcam software I think that, like any other application, you need to identify exactly what functions and features you require from it then shop about for the beast deal which meets your needs. You are, of course, quite correct when you say that looking for freeware only is quite restricting - not only that, you need to be very careful about the possibility that it may carry malware of some kind. You can easily find yourself struggling to get rid of some seriously nasty and difficult malware which installs itself alongside your freeware. Very few people in this will give you something for nothing!

 

[fjgold]

Often the camera maker has free software available that can do what you want.
Example: my builtin camera is made by Logitech and the software for my external Logitech Quick Cam 9000 pro works with my internal
Acer Orbicam camera (builtin camera).
Chances are you have a Logitech camera too.

If you do the following link could be of help.

QuickCam® Pro 9000

This software allows capture of both still and video.

It is made for Logitechs line of higher quality USB cams like the Quick Cam 9000 pro but it should work with Logitech's line of builtin cams.

 

[Andrea Borman]

Well,Frank I have a built in webcam on my Netbooks called HP webcam and I also have a plug in external webcam Logitech C160 that I bought myself. And I can plug it into my USB plug socket in my laptop. The built in webcams are all right but they do not give as good a picture as the plug in external ones.

And when I plug the webcam in, Windows scans for and adds the new driver right away. And after that is done I get a pop up from Logitech asking me if I want to download their free webcam software. Which I did on one of my laptops,and on that you can record and save videos and adjust your camera with it. But it only works with Logitech webcams not the built in webcam or another webcam,unless it is a Logitech one.

And you can only download the free Logitech webcam software if the webcam is plugged in and after you have updated the driver,that scans and confirms your webcam. You cannot download it direct from the website. Unless there is a web link I do not know about. Andrea Borman.