Windows 7 SP1 Downloads Dry up at MS’s Digital River

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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Something is afoot with Digital River and the availability of Windows 7 SP1. This week, SP 1 downloads suddenly stopped without explanation or prior notice. Some users are of course upset by the sudden halt in downloads, arguably thinking this may be another push by Microsoft for adaptation of Windows 8.

It isn't clear if there's a technical problem or if Microsoft's contract with Digital River has lapsed.
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Originally I thought Digital River was to download Windows purchased through Microsoft. When people started using them just to get ISO's I didn't expect it to last as long as it did.
 
This was always a grey area anyway. They never offered the ISOs publicly they just didn't protect the downloads.
 
bigdogchris said:
Originally I thought Digital River was to download Windows purchased through Microsoft. When people started using them just to get ISO's I didn't expect it to last as long as it did.
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Thats what i always though, you want SP1, download it from windows update or as an offline pack i guess...
 
My theory is that Microsoft may be releasing an updated Windows 7 ISO, maybe SP2.
 
bigdogchris said:
Originally I thought Digital River was to download Windows purchased through Microsoft. When people started using them just to get ISO's I didn't expect it to last as long as it did.
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You still need the key to use it(outside of cracking it), it's certainly nice to not have to download umpteen updates and bandwidth is cheap. I always figured that MS did it in part to reduce the PR backlash related to the large number of updates Windows has and also to reduce the number of slipstreamed ISOs floating around that often had there own little special surprise included.
 
Ebernanut said:
You still need the key to use it(outside of cracking it), it's certainly nice to not have to download umpteen updates and bandwidth is cheap. I always figured that MS did it in part to reduce the PR backlash related to the large number of updates Windows has and also to reduce the number of slipstreamed ISOs floating around that often had there own little special surprise included.
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It is easy enough to make your own slip-streamed ISO. Alternatively, if you have a Windows Server, you can use WDS to setup a network install complete with the requisite drivers (and even do image restoration from the network with separate images for different computers).
 
I realize that it's easy to create your own slipstream ISO but it's even easier to download the latest ISO from DR, of course then you can't customize it with drivers and such but I don't install Windows often enough to worry about that. I wouldn't personally use a random ISO I found on the internet but there's enough floating around that some people must and I've read that malware is as common in those as it is in cracked versions.
 
I just checked my Windows 7 Pro Edition (Right Click on Computer, then click on Properties) and found that my computer already has Windows 7 SP1 Installed.

Since I don't even remember D/Ling SP1, it must have been an automatic Window 7 Up-Date, that has been out for some time now?
 
Paul Ed said:
I just checked my Windows 7 Pro Edition (Right Click on Computer, then click on Properties) and found that my computer already has Windows 7 SP1 Installed.

Since I don't even remember D/Ling SP1, it must have been an automatic Window 7 Up-Date, that has been out for some time now?
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You probably got your win7 after it SP1 was released in march 2010 and thereby came with it.
 
I have a few ISO copies just in case even though I have pressed discs.

GSP1MCPRFRER for 32 pro
GSP1MCPRXFRER for 32 pro

I doubt we will ever see a GSP2 on a 5 year old OS.

If MS really is planning on releasing 9 at the end of the year the smart money would have been to allow XP to stay alive until 9 is out and offer a download so that files could be copied over, that might get people to finally upgrade.
 
Glad I already got the ISO's back then when I needed it. I wouldn't be surprised that Microsoft pulled these links down just to force consumers to adapt to Windows 8.

Stupid move, but not very surprising.
 
ep0x73 said:
If MS really is planning on releasing 9 at the end of the year the smart money would have been to allow XP to stay alive until 9 is out and offer a download so that files could be copied over, that might get people to finally upgrade.
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No the greedy way is to force everyone on Windows 8 then force them on Windows 9.
 
jojo69 said:
gonna push me onto linux yet MS, just keep it up
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This would do that? A third party partner taking down Windows 7 ISO's that were made for paying customers through MSFT or Digital River? :rolleyes:
 
MindBuster said:
You probably got your win7 after it SP1 was released in march 2010 and thereby came with it.
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My Windows folder was created on 7/13/2009, but I did up-grade from Home Edition, to Professional some thime later, using the MSN D/L process via the Internet?
So, I may, or may not, have gotten SP1 at either time?
 
Paul Ed said:
My Windows folder was created on 7/13/2009, but I did up-grade from Home Edition, to Professional some thime later, using the MSN D/L process via the Internet?
So, I may, or may not, have gotten SP1 at either time?
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probably. that or you got it from windows update as you don't have to download new service packs yourself. instead your computer just installs them with all other updates.


I don't see why people are upset. if you REALLY need to reinstall windows 7 at this point you probably already have an ISO / install media already. SP1 being included isn't going to save you much time as you still have all the updates since its release to install. So if you have to use a non sp1 disc you aren't going to save yourself that much time.
 
bigdogchris said:
My theory is that Microsoft may be releasing an updated Windows 7 ISO, maybe SP2.
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I would guess you are probably on the right track. With build coming in a week it wouldn't be too surprising to see XP SP4 announced to roll up all of the last of the fixes, Vista SP3, and SP2 for Windows 7. There are a ton of updates after SP1 so it would be as good of a time as any to make it easier to install from scratch.
 
Exavior said:
I don't see why people are upset. if you REALLY need to reinstall windows 7 at this point you probably already have an ISO / install media already. SP1 being included isn't going to save you much time as you still have all the updates since its release to install. So if you have to use a non sp1 disc you aren't going to save yourself that much time.
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It's probably not nearly as bad with Win 7 but the last time I installed XP using a disc without service packs included it took several hours to install all of the updates. After that experience I've always made sure to have the latest service pack included on the media when I install Windows, it's not a huge deal but being able to download the latest ISO from a trusted source does save time.
 
Ebernanut said:
It's probably not nearly as bad with Win 7 but the last time I installed XP using a disc without service packs included it took several hours to install all of the updates. After that experience I've always made sure to have the latest service pack included on the media when I install Windows, it's not a huge deal but being able to download the latest ISO from a trusted source does save time.
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you are only looking at 1 SP here instead of something like XP where you had to first upgrade to sp 1, then 2, then to 3. Plus before you could get those you had to install a few other upgrades. I do agree that it could be a use pain.

If nothing else just make a backup of your computer and don't worry about having to do a full install.

My comment was more of people are bitching that this file isn't out there any more. Which means that either they haven't had a need for this file yet and so probably won't. or they already have the file and are just bitching to bitch now.

For those that didn't get the file and don't want to go through making their own which you can still do, then just deal with downloading the 1 service pack as it won't change much in the way of an install time to install just 1 service pack as you still have years of other upgrades to suffer through if you aren't going to try to make your own up to date ISO.

I do agree that it is nice to have the newest service pack on a disc.
 
csshih said:
why not start now?
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Exactly what I was thinking. How often do you install Windows? I install it a couple times a week maybe, get a new slip-stream copy every 4-6 months. What do I care if updates take a little while longer?
 
I imagine the md5 hash is still posted for some of the original ISO's, so downloading from alternate sources should still be safe as long as the hash matches.
 
Always good to keep a spare ISO somewhere on a storage device or NAS and now I'm glad I do :D
 
I can't find the original message saying you can use Windows 7 "for free" (by installing without a product key) so I'll include my message here. I downloaded an ISO file of Windows 7 Ultimate and burned a disc. (This is before the ISO files were temporarily offline so I don't know if they made changes to the ISO files during that time. So, installing without a product key may or may not work anymore.) Anyway, I installed Windows 7 Ultimate and after 30 days, I finally got the black background and taskbar.

After 30 days though, instead of getting messages saying I need to activate Windows maybe one or two times a day, I get the messages several times a day. I noticed the message can appear while you're watching a video (on top of the video with the taskbar showing). And today, I just noticed you CAN GET the message WHILE playing a video game.
 
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