Windows 7 users won’t be able to install Internet Explorer 9 until they have downloaded Service Pack 1 for the operating system, according to the company.
Microsoft had already said IE9 would not run on Windows XP machines and that Vista would require SP2, but the news that the company’s newest OS would need an upgrade might come as a surprise.
“Internet Explorer 9 will require Windows 7 Service Pack 1 (SP1),” Microsoft said in an FAQ on its TechNet website. “Organisations must plan, pilot, and deploy Internet Explorer 9 as part of or after a Windows 7 SP1 deployment.”
Microsoft is remaining tight-lipped on final release dates for IE9 and SP1, but both are expected in the first half of next year.
The announcement suggests the two updates may appear simultaneously, but Microsoft – not surprisingly given the push to move enterprises from XP - said companies should not wait for SP1 and IE9 before upgrading systems.
“Organisations should not disrupt on-going deployment projects, but continue deploying Windows 7 and Internet Explorer 8,” the company said.
“Investments made in this effort will carry forward when they deploy Windows 7 SP1 and Internet Explorer 9 at a later date. With Internet Explorer 8 in place, they will be in a good position to rollout Windows 7 SP1 and Internet Explorer 9 with minimal effort.”
Microsoft has previously said the SP1 update would not include new features, only security patches and fixes.
Anyone wanting to run the beta of IE9 on Windows 7 machines need to install four updates: KB2028551, KB2028560, KB2120976 and KB2259539.
This article originally appeared at pcpro.co.uk
