Windows 7's SP1 will include just 'minor' updates

Windows 7 Boxes

The first service pack for Windows 7 will include "only minor updates," Microsoft said.

Earlier this month, rumours surfaced that the Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) would arrive by the end of this year after being moved up as much as a year ahead of schedule to fix performance issues.

While Microsoft refused to say when SP1 would arrive, it did stress it wouldn't be a major update.

"For Windows 7, SP1 includes only minor updates, among which are previous updates that are already delivered through Windows Update," explained Windows communications manager Brandon LeBlanc in a blog post.

The first server pack for Windows Server 2008 R2 will introduce RemoteFX and Dynamic Memory for desktop virtualisation, while the Windows 7 SP1 will include an update to a remote desktop client that uses RemoteFX.

Microsoft has yet to announce when the beta for the first service pack for Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 will arrive, or any timing information at all.

Many businesses choose to wait for the first service pack before rolling out a new operating system, which has some wondering if Microsoft will push SP1 out as soon as possible.

LeBlanc stressed that Windows 7 is ready for corporate use. "So don't wait - go ahead and deploy you know you want to," he said, ending the sentence with a winking smiley face.

Read on to find out why Microsoft might want to move ahead the schedule for SP1.

Nicole Kobie

Freelance journalist Nicole Kobie first started writing for ITPro in 2007, with bylines in New Scientist, Wired, PC Pro and many more.

Nicole the author of a book about the history of technology, The Long History of the Future.