It is possible to get rid of the evaluation copy message with the help of the Windows 7 Watermark Remover, but this requires system file patching, with a tool hosted on a file host. The expiration date of the beta may be another reason why users may want to uninstall it again.

Uninstall Windows 7 SP1

The Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Beta is listed among the other system updates in the Programs and Features section of the Control Panel.

Open the Control Panel by clicking on Start, Control Panel. Locate Uninstall a Program under Programs and click on the link.

uninstall sp1 beta

Locate and click on View installed updates in the left sidebar. Find Service Pack for Microsoft Windows (KB976932) in the listing, right-click it and select Uninstall.

uninstall windows 7 service pack 1

Confirm the uninstallation of the service pack 1 beta. Windows 7 will start the uninstallation process, this can take anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour depending on the speed of the computer system and the background processes.

A restart is required after the uninstallation to complete the process. This restart can be postponed, it is however advised to restart immediately to avoid problems during that period.

Microsoft made an announcement the other day on their Engineering Windows 7 blog which mentioned the extension of the feature uninstaller in Windows 7. The Windows Features control panel entry allows users to remove – or add – Microsoft programs and Windows components. Windows XP and Windows Vista made use of a similar but limited feature.

The release candidate of Windows 7 on the other hand provides access to additional programs and features that can be disabled or uninstalled by the user. Software that has been added are Internet Explorer 8, Windows Media Player, Windows Search, Microsoft .net Framework 3.5.1, the Windows Gadget platform and others. This is a major strategy change as Microsoft was previously seen as a company that never removed but always added to their operating systems.

But what does it mean to disable a feature in Windows 7?

If a feature is deselected, it is not available for use. This means the files (binaries and data) are not loaded by the operating system (for security-conscious customers) and not available to users on the computer. These same files are staged so that the features can easily be added back to the running OS without additional media. This staging is important feedback we have received from customers who definitely do not like to dig up the installation DVD.

It is interesting to note that the files will not be loaded by the operating system. Even more interesting would be benchmarks that compare operating system loading time with and without the features disabled. Security conscious users on the other hand will most likely disable many of the features even if disabling them does not provide any other advantages but to computer security.