Update 8:24AM: Turns out this is a download from October 2010.  I had a new story pop up in my TechNet feed about the SP1 RC1 release and thought we were getting an updated download.  With all the recent leaks, screenshots, etc. I thought this was that update.

I missed it and apologize for the confusion.  I am going to leave the story posted of course because it does provide links to an official download which I recommend you try rather than a rogue download somewhere off the Internet.

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There is now an official source to download and try out the Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Release Candidate.  In the past few weeks there have been a lot of stories about leaks for the new service pack but none of them were from official sources so it was buyer beware of course.

Well now you can try out the collection of fixes and updates for yourself and know that your downloading it from an official source instead of a leaked site.

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is an update for consumers and IT Pros that helps keep your PCs supported, provides ongoing improvement to the operating system, includes previous updates delivered over Windows Update as well as continuing incremental updates to the Windows 7 platform based on customer and partner feedback, and is easy for organizations to deploy a single set of updates.

The download process begins on the Download Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) Release Candidate (RC) page and there is an option to either register for the download so you can get updates and further info or you can go directly to the download with no delays or registration.

The minimum Windows 7 system requirements for Service Pack 1 are:

• 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 1 GB of RAM (32-bit) / 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
• 16 GB available disk space (32-bit) / 20 GB (64-bit)
• DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
• DVD-compatible drive
• Internet access (fees may apply)

Currently the release candidate is only available in the following languages: English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.

According to the Frequently Asked Questions page the Service Pack 1 Release Candidate will expire on 30 November 2011 and you will get a reminder on your system at the end of August 2011.

Update:  Here is a list of the files available from the Windows 7 Service Pack 1 Download Page:

WUSignUpTool_x86.exe – This tool enables your 32-bit Windows 7 machine to participate in the public beta via Windows Update. Run this tool and then check for updates in Windows Update. 

WUSignUpTool_x64.exe – This tool enables your 64-bit Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 machine to participate in the public beta via Windows Update. Run this tool and then check for updates in Windows Update. 

windows6.1-KB976932-X86.exe – This application installs the public beta to a 32-bit machine running Windows 7.

windows6.1-KB976932-X64.exe – This application installs the public beta to a 64-bit machine running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2.

7601.17105.100929-1730_Update_Sp_Wave1-B1SP1.0_DVD.iso – This DVD ISO disk image contains the standalone update packages for the public release candidate.

The 64 bit version of the Service Pack weighs in at 865MB and the 32 bit one is 55MB.  The ISO download with the entire package on it is 1.8 GB.

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Let us know how your install experience goes with the Service Pack.