Microsoft has merely released the final version of Service Pack 1 for Windows 7, but should you drop everything and go through the process of installing it? Where tin you become it? We've got the answers for y'all.

If you've never installed a service pack earlier, information technology's but a big collection of fixes and changes for your operating system, bundled into a large fat download to make it more than user-friendly if you reinstall—if you've kept Windows updated, it should have most of the fixes already installed through Windows Update.

Answers to Questions Yous Should Be Request

Whether you were going to ask these questions or non, nosotros're giving you the answers that yous really need to know.

  • Where Do You Download It?
    While you can download the service pack manually from the Microsoft Download site, you lot should probably just get through Windows Update and select the optional SP1 update from there, since it'll only download exactly what you lot need. More on this beneath.
  • It'due south in Windows Update? Will I Become information technology Automatically?
    Nope. Information technology's an optional update (at this point) in Windows Update, and then you'll simply get it if you choose to install information technology.
  • Does This Make You More Secure?
    If you haven't installed anything off Windows Update in a while, first, shame on you lot! It's important to keep yourself updated! As well, this release is essentially a big fat roundup of all the security fixes and bugfixes since Windows 7 was released, combined with a few actress bits of functionality. If you lot have Windows Update set to automatic, the service pack will non make y'all more secure.
  • How Long Does Information technology Take to Install?
    The installation time isn't terribly long, nearly xxx minutes, but depending on your internet connection, it'll take quite a while to download. Your all-time bet is to offset the install and so walk away for a while.
  • Should I Drop Everything and Install it Today?
    Not unless y'all're bored or yous haven't run updates in a long time. There'due south very little in terms of new features, and you'd be better off waiting until the download rush is over. In that location's also the possibility of problems, and so you might want to wait.

If you do desire to download it directly, you tin do and so from the Microsoft Download site.

New Features in Service Pack ane

There's not a ton of great new stuff in SP1, at least from the perspective of the end user. Here's the quick listing of stuff that might maybe matter to you:

  • Improved HDMI audio device performance: in that location'south a small update that helps reliability of HDMI audio devices after rebooting. This is listed every bit a feature in the release notes, just really feels like a problems fix.
  • Corrected beliefs when press mixed-orientation XPS documents: If y'all're trying to print XPS documents that take mural and portrait pages in the same document, now they will print correctly. All five of yous can at present rejoice.
  • Change to behavior of "Restore previous folders at logon" functionality: If you used the "Restore previous folders at logon" feature in Folder Options, the folders would restore into a cascaded set of windows. Now they will restore to where they were.
  • Support for Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX): supports a newer processor extension that improves performance for floating point intensive applications.
  • Improved Support for Avant-garde Format (512e) Storage Devices: hard drive manufacturers are transitioning to a new 4KB concrete sector size, and now Windows vii supports this improve.

There's a lot of other bugfixes and security fixes, just these are the well-nigh notable ones according to Microsoft's documentation.

Installing Windows vii Service Pack one

Head to Windows Update through your Start Bill of fare search box, then click on the "Of import updates are bachelor" link. If yous don't see this link, click the "Check for updates" on the left side, and it should prove up.

Yous should run across Windows vii Service Pack 1 in the list, and you'll need to check it (information technology's unchecked by default).

Click the OK button, then click to install it, and and so just wait. It'll accept a while to download, and once it finishes downloading, information technology'll strength y'all to reboot.

Afterward some more time passes, you'll be rebooted, stuff will happen, and then yous'll see the dialog saying that information technology's installed.

There's a lot of white space in that dialog. Seems like they could have put a flick there, or made it smaller.