Does Windows 7 Need a Service Pack?
Windows 7 is, hands down, one of Microsoft’s best launched OSes, by which I mean, it’s the first Windows version that I have ever felt comfortable recommending to people on its release date. Both Windows XP and Windows Vista had numerous documented security and/or performance issues when initially released, and while subsequent patches eventually made both of these versions perfectly usable, it took a few months (if not years) for them to get there.
These XP and Vista milestones were normally delivered via service packs, giant Microsoft patch roll-ups that bring more substantial OS tweaks than normal run-of-the-mill patches. It is generally accepted that XP’s Service Pack 2 helped fix many of that system’s security issues, while most of Vista’s performance problems were cleared up by Service Pack 1.
My question: Since Windows 7 has no fundamental performance or security problems (at least, not on the level of its predecessors), does this OS really need service packs? Should service packs go the way of the floppy drive or the CRT monitor and be banished to the annals of computer history? In this editorial, I’ll try to explain exactly why Windows 7 needs service packs, even though it is Microsoft’s best launch OS ever.
Mental Roadblocks
This is, perhaps, one of the most important factors to consider – one of Microsoft’s firmest footholds is in offices and enterprises all over the world, and many of them have a “wait for the first service pack” mentality when it comes to evaluating and deploying new Windows versions. This mentality goes all the way back to the Windows NT days (NT 4.0 received no fewer than six service packs), and has been reinforced by every single business-level Windows release since.
So you can hardly blame some businesses for waiting, even if the press says good things about Windows 7. I’d say that this more than anything else influenced Microsoft’s decision to begin work on Windows 7 SP1 before Windows 7 RTM was even finished – it’s important for them to get that “Service Pack 1″ badge slapped on their new OS to ease fears among conservative IT shops.
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[...] Does Windows 7 Need a Service Pack? | Windows 7 News [...]
No. :)
They are going to need some support for USB 3.0 eventually at the very least. I'm not sure they really need a service pack yet though. I, for one, had very bad luck with Vista SP1 and 2, although I barely gave them a chance before going back to XP.
Yeah the homegroup stuff does need worked on. Like my two computers I have (desktop, and laptop) both run wireless N at 130Mbps, but both have Gigabit Lan cards in them. I have a homegroup set up between the two, and for some reason they like to use the wireless N (the slow one) to transfer files from one to another. Sure it would work if the files were under 10MB, but most of the time I'm transferring 20GB+ over to my desktop. And for this reason I have an ethernet cable plugged into both, and for this to work, I have to disable the Wireless on both just to get the file transfers set up.
And when using ICS on my laptop for my 360 to run XBL, why is it that sometimes the Local Area Connection defaults to the “Public” profile and you can't change it which makes it impossible to connect to XBL?
Seriously Microsoft, if you want to brag about Homegroup being so good, work out the bugs first. Its too big of a hassle on the standard user to try and fix this stuff, let alone a computer geek who has to google to figure this stuff out.
[...] Does Windows 7 Need a Service Pack? | Windows 7 News [...]
That is not actually a bug sir, its just a default setting that I guess you haven't Googled how to change. Open your network connections (Network and Sharing centre, then click Change Adapter Settings at left), press alt and click the Advanced menu > Advanced Settings. In the top box, move whatever connection you want to have priority on, to the top.
I guess as a suggestion this menu/option could be easier to find, but just because its difficult to find does not make it a bug in the code.
As for the xbox live comment, when you first set up a network at home, you get the choice to make all future networks show up as public. If you tick that box there is NO WAY to change it. If Windows cannot recognise the network that it is connecting to, (as in, can't recognise its a home network), then for security reasons it will default to the public ruleset for said network. A single point-to-point Ethernet network (using crossover or spliced Ethernet cables) is very difficult to recognise, as the network would usually be set up and maintained by the router or switch the devices are connected to. With a direct connection there is no such control. Even in such a case, there is no reason why you cannot use ICS with a public network type, you simply have to change the public network settings in Network and Sharing Centre.
I apologise for this half-rant, but I at least hope you take the information here and use it to fix the “bugs” you are experiencing.
That is not actually a bug sir, its just a default setting that I guess you haven't Googled how to change. Open your network connections (Network and Sharing centre, then click Change Adapter Settings at left), press alt and click the Advanced menu > Advanced Settings. In the top box, move whatever connection you want to have priority on, to the top.
I guess as a suggestion this menu/option could be easier to find, but just because its difficult to find does not make it a bug in the code.
As for the xbox live comment, when you first set up a network at home, you get the choice to make all future networks show up as public. If you tick that box there is NO WAY to change it. If Windows cannot recognise the network that it is connecting to, (as in, can't recognise its a home network), then for security reasons it will default to the public ruleset for said network. A single point-to-point Ethernet network (using crossover or spliced Ethernet cables) is very difficult to recognise, as the network would usually be set up and maintained by the router or switch the devices are connected to. With a direct connection there is no such control. Even in such a case, there is no reason why you cannot use ICS with a public network type, you simply have to change the public network settings in Network and Sharing Centre.
I apologise for this half-rant, but I at least hope you take the information here and use it to fix the “bugs” you are experiencing.