Windows 7 is the final version of Windows that supports processors without SSE2 or NX (although an update released in 2018 dropped support for non-SSE2 processors). Its successor, Windows 8, requires a processor with SSE2 and NX in any supported architecture.
When released, Windows Vista was criticized for its long development time, performance issues, spotty compatibility with existing hardware and software at launch, changes affecting the compatibility of certain PC games, and unclear assurances by Microsoft that certain computers shipping with XP before launch would be "Vista Capable" (which led to a class-action lawsuit), among other critiques. As such, the adoption of Vista in comparison to XP remained somewhat low.[22][23][24] In July 2007, six months following the public release of Vista, it was reported that the next version of Windows would then be codenamed Windows 7, with plans for a final release within three years.[25][26] Bill Gates, in an interview with Newsweek, suggested that Windows 7 would be more "user-centric".[27] Gates later said that Windows 7 would also focus on performance improvements.[28] Steven Sinofsky later expanded on this point, explaining in the Engineering Windows 7 blog that the company was using a variety of new tracing tools to measure the performance of many areas of the operating system on an ongoing basis, to help locate inefficient code paths and to help prevent performance regressions.[29] Senior Vice President Bill Veghte stated that Windows Vista users migrating to Windows 7 would not find the kind of device compatibility issues they encountered migrating from Windows XP.[30] An estimated 1,000 developers worked on Windows 7. These were broadly divided into "core operating system" and "Windows client experience", in turn organized into 25 teams of around 40 developers on average.[31]
Windows 7 SP1 X86 RTM Final
The release candidate, build 7100, became available for MSDN and TechNet subscribers, and Connect Program participants on April 30, 2009. On May 5, 2009, it became available to the general public, although it had also been leaked onto the Internet via BitTorrent.[46] The release candidate was available in five languages and expired on June 1, 2010, with shutdowns every two hours starting March 1, 2010.[47] Microsoft stated that Windows 7 would be released to the general public on October 22, 2009, less than three years after the launch of its predecessor. Microsoft released Windows 7 to MSDN and Technet subscribers on August 6, 2009.[48] Microsoft announced that Windows 7, along with Windows Server 2008 R2, was released to manufacturing in the United States and Canada on July 22, 2009. Windows 7 RTM is build 7600.16385.090713-1255, which was compiled on July 13, 2009, and was declared the final RTM build after passing all Microsoft's tests internally.[49]
The taskbar has seen the biggest visual changes, where the old Quick Launch toolbar has been replaced with the ability to pin applications to the taskbar. Buttons for pinned applications are integrated with the task buttons. These buttons also enable Jump Lists to allow easy access to common tasks, and files frequently used with specific applications.[66] The revamped taskbar also allows the reordering of taskbar buttons. To the far right of the system clock is a small rectangular button that serves as the Show desktop icon. By default, hovering over this button makes all visible windows transparent for a quick look at the desktop.[67] In touch-enabled displays such as touch screens, tablet PCs, etc., this button is slightly (8 pixels) wider in order to accommodate being pressed by a finger.[68] Clicking this button minimizes all windows, and clicking it a second time restores them.
Window management in Windows 7 has several new features: Aero Snap maximizes a window when it is dragged to the top, left, or right of the screen.[69] Dragging windows to the left or right edges of the screen allows users to snap software windows to either side of the screen, such that the windows take up half the screen. When a user moves windows that were snapped or maximized using Snap, the system restores their previous state. Snap functions can also be triggered with keyboard shortcuts. Aero Shake hides all inactive windows when the active window's title bar is dragged back and forth rapidly.
Windows 7 includes improved globalization support through a new Extended Linguistic Services API[83] to provide multilingual support (particularly in Ultimate and Enterprise editions). Microsoft also implemented better support for solid-state drives,[84] including the new TRIM command, and Windows 7 is able to identify a solid-state drive uniquely. Native support for USB 3.0 is not included because of delays in the finalization of the standard.[85] At WinHEC 2008 Microsoft announced that color depths of 30-bit and 48-bit would be supported in Windows 7 along with the wide color gamut scRGB (which for HDMI 1.3 can be converted and output as xvYCC). The video modes supported in Windows 7 are 16-bit sRGB, 24-bit sRGB, 30-bit sRGB, 30-bit with extended color gamut sRGB, and 48-bit scRGB.[86][87]
Variants of Windows 7 for embedded systems and thin clients have different support policies: Windows Embedded Standard 7 support ended in October 2020. Windows Thin PC and Windows Embedded POSReady 7 had support until October 2021. Windows Embedded Standard 7 and Windows Embedded POSReady 7 also get Extended Security Updates for up to three years after their end of extended support date.[8] The Extended Security Updates program on Windows Embedded POSReady 7 will expire on October 14, 2024. This will mark the final end of the Windows NT 6.1 product line after 15 years, 2 months, and 17 days.[8]
Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1) was announced on March 18, 2010. A beta was released on July 12, 2010.[137][138][139] The final version was released to the public on February 22, 2011.[140] At the time of release, it was not made mandatory. It was available via Windows Update, direct download, or by ordering the Windows 7 SP1 DVD.[141] The service pack is on a much smaller scale than those released for previous versions of Windows, particularly Windows Vista.[142]
Even before it could be released to the OEM manufacturing partners of Microsoft who always get the code before the official release to start integration process, the final RTM version of Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 (Service Pack 1) have been leaked in the wild and are now available all over the internet. The rumors were hinting at SP1 release on January 18th, however it appears both the Service Packs can be grabbed right now.
The name "Windows 7" comes from the major version number of Windows Vista (6.0) being incremented by one, with the 7.0 kernel version being used internally for several weeks before shortly being bumped down to 6.1 around the time of build 6469's compilation. The kernel version acted as the project's codename, and was eventually used as the final name as well.[1] Contrary to popular belief, the previous codenames of Blackcomb and/or Vienna refer to an earlier effort intended to succeed Windows Vista, which was canceled in early 2007 due to time and feature constraints, and was instead replaced with the Windows 7 project.[1]
A new multitasking feature for application windows known as Aero Snap has been added. With Aero Snap, the user can easily snap two windows side-by-side on the desktop. An application window can be snapped by moving it to either the left or right edges of the screen. As the user snaps an window, a transparent border will appear, indicating where the window will be on the screen when the user releases it with the mouse.
Yes, EinmalIM is right. The Windows 8 Preview build contains the complete fix of this issue. Please download the Preview build freely at: -us/windows/apps/br229516. (However,please note that there is no customer support if you got any problem with the Windows 8 Preview build - so please only install the build on your test machines, but not your business-important machines).
[Important Note: Since this thread become very long and it is ineffective to do more communication on this thread, I have opened a new forum thread at: -NZ/windowsgeneraldevelopmentissues/thread/280de88a-77dd-455e-9797-b28928206e38. Please reply or discuss on the new forum thread instead of this one. This can save everyone time and effort to browse through your new findings and discussion. We will not monitor this forum thread anymore, but monitor the new forum thread].
Neither workaround works for me. I am using late binding and the patch that is suggested for downlevel os is 64bit. I can no longer run my compiled programs on 32bit XP like I used to. I have two 64bit windows 7 the one without SP1 compiles for any platform without problem, none of the workaraound suggested so far work for my 64bit Win7 SP1.
Our solution ... continue modification & testing on our Windows 7 machine (most of which now have SP1 applied ... oh BTW; The one we tried to remove SP1 from needed to be completely restaged!). Anyway we have retained an old WinXP SP2 laptop we will be doing final recomile on prior to production rollout!
I've never had an MDAC problems up until this release of office but this is squarely connected to sp1 win7, but then again i usually don't buy upgrades i get full versions because of the same reason i wont upgrade a windows OS, upgrades are pretty much assured never to work right and clean installs are your best bet at a happy life. I also have learned never to adpot any technology that is introduced into a new office version ever since it will most likely be discontinued in the next version. (Anyone remember 2000's Data Access Pages? What a joke...) I'm wondering if this new 2010 integration with sharepoint will still be around in 2012/2013 office, but i digress into ranting. This is the same reason i am not installing 64 bit either. If Microsoft reccommends 32 bit office even though 64 bit is available thats plenty good enough for me to stay on 32 bit even though i can't think of too many people not running 64 bit machines these days if you want more than 3gb of ram, including myself. 2ff7e9595c
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