Windows 7 Service Pack 1 can take a considerable amount of time - up to an hour on many computers - to install. During installation, even a fairly fast computer will operate slowly, and some systems may be difficult to use at all. Service Pack 1 is a critical update for Windows 7 - it is a prerequisite for future updates and security fixes from Microsoft. Not distributing it is not an option.

Manually installing Service Pack 1 via Windows Updates before we push it out on campus allows you to install the upgrade at your convenience. If you do not wish to go through these steps, you can wait for us to push the update out to your computer.

If the Service Pack install fails when you try to install it, or when we push it out, please contact the UT Service Center at x4357.

Do not power down your computer while the service pack is installing!

Installing Service Pack 1 for Windows 7

1. Log into Windows, click on the Start button and then select Control Panel.
   
2. Once the Control Panel is visible, click on System and Security.
   
3. Click on the green heading, Windows Update.
   
4. Once Windows Update is on the screen, click on 'Check online for updates from Microsoft Update'.
   
5. Your computer may spend several minutes checking for available updates.
   
6. Once it has completed, click on '# important updates are available'
   
7. At the top of the list, uncheck the box next to 'Name' in order to deselect all updates. We recommend you install the Service Pack prior to any other updates, if possible. Some updates may be included in the Service Pack, and others may need to be reinstalled after the Service Pack.
   
8. Scroll through the list until you find 'Windows 7 Service Pack 1 for x64-based Systems (KB976932)' and click the check box next to it. It may not be the last item listed on your computer, but it will be under the 'Windows 7' section (as opposed to the 'Office' or other sections).
   If the Service Pack doesn't appear in the list, click here for a possible workaround.
   
9. Click the OK button on that screen.
   
10. Windows Update will now return to the initial Windows Update screen. It should say that there is one important update selected. Click on the button marked Install updates.
    
11. Do not turn your computer off during installation for any reason. Reboot only when prompted to do so.
    
12. There may be additional updates available for your computer now that you have installed the Service Pack. You can go back into Windows Update to check, and this time you may leave all 'Important' updates selected.
    If the update fails to install, please contact the UT Service Center at x4357.

If you do not see Service Pack 1 in the list of updates

There are a few possible causes. One is that your computer already has Service Pack 1. To check:

1. Go into Control Panel and click on System and Security.
   
2. Click on System.
   
3. If you have Service Pack 1 installed already, it will be listed on this screen, as shown in the following example. If that's the case, you're done. If not, continue to the next step.
   
4. The other possibility is that your computer is lacking an update that is a prerequisite to Service Pack 1. We have seen this on some computers with an Intel integrated display adapter. The computer may require a display driver update, followed by a reboot, before the Service Pack will appear on the list.
   
5. To check to see if an Intel display driver update is available, follow steps 1-7 in the first section on installing the Service Pack. But instead of looking for the Service Pack in the list (step 8), look for an update with a title similar to 'Intel Corporation - Display - Mobile Intel(R) Series Express Chipset'. Desktop computers may not have the word 'Mobile' in the update title.
   
6. Click the check box next to the Intel Display update, and click on OK.
   
7. Click on the button labelled Install updates.
   
8. When prompted, reboot your computer and redo steps 1-12 in the first section. If the Service Pack still does not appear in the list of available updates, please call the UT Service Center at x4357.
   

Screenshots of Windows 7 (SP1 included)

Windows 7 (SP1 included) Editor's Review

It's a long established practice that Microsoft have continued – releasing critical updates, security add-ons and new features to their operating systems through a series of additional 'packs'. The latest operating system is no exception, with this Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Download being released in February 2011.
Twelve months since the launch, Service Pack 1 (SP1) has met with mixed reception. The pack includes the standard security coding patches and improvements, which affect very little of the user end experience – in contrast to, say, the Windows XP Service Pack 2, which introduced a series of new facilities and functions that dramatically changed how you interacted with your computer.
While most users found that there were no issues installing this latest SP1, some running 'mature' copies of the system found initial difficulties with compatibility of third-party software. This is nothing new and tends to affect all service pack roll-outs. As a result, many experienced users decided to sit tight and hold off, allowing other PC consumers to be the guinea pigs.
The biggest criticism to be leveled at SP1 is that it does little to improve the experience of using your PC. Yes, there may be a host of back-end coding adaptations that further bolster the security of your machine, but these aren't particularly exciting for day-to-day users.
One significant and popular change is the improvement of sound over HDMI in this Windows 7 Download. Many users had reported low volume or indistinct dialogue when watching films this way – the SP1 evened out levels and made it a more attractive multimedia system.
Pro's: improved security; enhancements to sound over HDMI connection; printing using XPS Viewer facility; restoring previous folders in Windows Explorer on restart.
Con's: limited improvements and additions to user experience; some software compatibility problems.
Conclusion: In comparison to some Microsoft Windows Service Pack introductions, Windows 7 Service Pack 1 has been introduced with a minimum of impact. A year after launch, most third party software developers have found and fixed compatibility difficulties, meaning users can make a smooth transition to this update. However, the pack itself does not introduce anything very 'exciting' in terms of user experience. While it is necessary and recommended to install SP1, don't expect anything to dramatically improve the way you use your PC. Microsoft Windows 7 is free to download, but you have to activate it within 30 days. So, you have almost a month to test Windows 7 full version.

Windows 7 (SP1 included) Publisher's Description

Among Windows 7's new features are advances in touch and handwriting recognition, support for virtual hard disks, improved performance on multi-core processors, improved boot performance, DirectAccess, and kernel improvements. Windows 7 adds support for systems using multiple graphic cards from different vendors, a new version of Windows Media Center,...

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