Starting today, March 19, 2013, Microsoft will start rolling out automatically Windows 7 SP1 to its users via Windows Update.
The new change comes right on time, considering that Microsoft is terminating the mainstream support for Windows 7 with no Service Pack very soon. And to ensure customers will continue having support, the software giant has decided to push Service Pack 1 as an automatic update — something that required user authorization in the past.
Microsoft noted the new shift in a new article at the Blogging Windows site, where the software giant also detailed that the new update will roll out slowly during the coming weeks, starting with customers still on the “Release To Manufacturing” (RTM) version of the operating system. However, this will not be the case for PCs running on a managed environment, like managed by Systems Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), WSUS, or others. These PCs will not be affected by the change.
Remember that Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (originally released back in February, 2011) isn’t meant to bring new features to the OS, it’s simply a cumulative package with security and enhancement updates that ensures the operability and continue support for Windows 7 at least until 2015. For those people hoping or waiting, Microsoft already said that there will not be a Windows 7 Service Pack 2 (SP2).
Things to consider prior-installation
Although it’s safe to install the update, there are a few things you may want to pay attention to:
- Windows 7 SP1 isn’t a normal update, it comes in a big package and takes a longer time to install than typical updates.
- Make sure that you have enough hard drive space and that the laptop is plugged in at the time of the installation.
- If there isn’t enough free space, try the Windows Disk Cleanup to delete unnecessary files.
- Always perform a full backup before making changes to your system.
- If your run into trouble, tell us in the comments and ask question in the forums.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].