Microsoft Windows

Bumper fixes for Augusts' Patch Tuesday

Paul Mah — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:46:12 -0400

Microsoft is pepping a bumper crop of 12 security fixes for Augusts' Patch Tuesday this coming week. Seven of these are deemed as "critical" fixes by the Redmond-based company. These vulnerabilities affect Windows itself, Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer, as well as Microsoft Office. More importantly, it appears that all currently supported versions of the Windows operating system--including Windows Vista--will require patching. If you are a system administrator, you can access additional details can be accessed from Microsoft's advance notification bulletin here.

In other news, Microsoft will launch a new initiative called the Microsoft Active Protection Program. This will make information relating to Microsoft's monthly security updates available to a select group of vendors before Patch Tuesdays. You can read more about it here.

To read up on Augusts' Patch Tuesday:
- check out this ComputerWorld article

HP: Sales of XP outstrips Vista

Paul Mah — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 08:42:53 -0400

One of the top PC makers, Hewlett-Packard, has revealed that the number of machines loaded with Windows XP that it is selling outstrips that of Windows Vista. On the surface, this appears to fly counter to persistent claims by Microsoft that Windows Vista has sold tens of millions of copies. The explanation is really much simpler. First, one must understand that PC makers can no longer ship a PC with an XP license. However, because business PC buyers are still "overwhelming" opting for Windows XP, companies like HP have resorted to shipping PCs with a Vista Business license, but with Windows XP pre-loaded. According to a HP spokesperson, "[t]hat is still the majority of business computers we are selling today." This will probably change eventually. In the meantime though, negotiations are already ongoing with Microsoft to push back a January 2009 deadline for doing this.

For more on this debacle:
- check out this APC article

Microsoft working on Windows replacement

Paul Mah — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 05:32:09 -0400

Indisputably the dominant computing platform of choice, the Windows Operating System looks set to remain that way for many more years to come. Microsoft is certainly not content to take things sitting down though. Already, its own research lab is cooking up a new operating system that is nothing less than a radical departure from the current paradigm. Called Midori, it does away with dependencies tying Windows to a single PC, with a design that centers on the Internet. Many believe that the idea behind Midori is to create a lightweight operating system that can easily be mated to serve as a portable host for compartmentalized applications. If that is true, it sounds like Microsoft's answer to the threat posed by the increasing use of virtualization on the desktop.

For more about Midori:
- check out this BBC News article

China and U.S. tie as Internet attack source

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 06:59:59 -0400

A new report finds that China and the U.S. were home to the greatest percentage of Internet attacks during the first quarter of 2008. Akamai, which operates a global server network, said the most common attacks were associated with Microsoft Windows. The company also found many of the attacks came from "worms, viruses, and bots that spread across the Internet several years ago," and speculates that this might indicate that some of the attack traffic could be coming from "a large pool of Microsoft Windows-based systems that are insufficiently maintained, and remain unpatched.''

To read more:
- check out this cnet.com article

Why Microsoft is quiet about Windows 7

Paul Mah — Tue, 27 May 2008 07:52:33 -0400

In a candid interview, Steven Sinofsky revealed that Windows 7 will be an evolutionary improvement over Windows Vista. In short, drivers and software that work with Windows Vista will continue to do so under Windows 7. As previously indicated by Microsoft, Windows 7 will be available in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors.

As to the reason why Microsoft has been seemingly "quiet" about Windows 7 compared to say Windows Vista, it is clear Microsoft felt it was burned by revealing too much about "Longhorn" too early in its development.

Bad press aside, Sinofsky noted that the shifting plans resulted in developers deciding to wait until Vista shipped before examining it seriously.

For the complete transcript:
- check out this CNET News.com article

Windows XP SP3 available now

Mehan Jayasuriya — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:00:40 -0400

It's been a long and winding road, but we've finally arrived: Today Microsoft released Windows XP SP3 via its website, the last hurrah for the ill-fated OS. The final service pack contains some 1,100 hotfixes and patches, and even introduces a few new features to the 7-year-old operating system. While it's available now via Microsoft's website and Windows Update, it won't make its way out via Automatic Update until "early summer." The download weighs in at 316MB and appears to be a fairly painless install, based on the early reports we're hearing.

For more on XP SP3:
- see this DailyTech article
- and click here to download the service pack

Windows XP SP3: RTM, release on April 29th

Mehan Jayasuriya — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:07:28 -0400

You heard it here last week but now it's official: Windows XP SP3 has been released to manufacturing and will be available via Microsoft's website on Tuesday, April 29, with Automatic Update to follow suit in "early summer." In a TechNet posting, Chris Keroack, Microsoft release manager for XP SP3 writes, "Windows XP SP3 bits are now working their way through our manufacturing channels to be available to OEM and Enterprise customers. We are also in the final stages of preparing for release to the web (i.e. you!) on April 29th, via Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center. Online documentation for Windows XP SP3, such as Microsoft Knowledge Base articles and the Microsoft TechNet Windows XP TechCenter, will be updated then."

For more on XP SP3's impending release:
- see this TechNet post

Windows XP SP3: April 29th?

Mehan Jayasuriya — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:53:33 -0400

Hate to say we told you so. While Windows XP SP3 doesn't yet have an official release date, the company did confirm that it's arriving sometime this month. According to tech news site Neowin, that translates to April 29th. Allegedly, official support is already live, OEM copies will be shipped out on the 21st, on the 29th the service pack will go out via Microsoft Update, Windows Update and Download Center and on June 10th, it will get pushed out to the masses via Automatic Update. Bear in mind that these are just rumors, but if you ask us, the dates do sound about square.

For more on the rumored launch date:
- see this article from Neowin

Windows Vista SP1 officially released

Mehan Jayasuriya — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:10:55 -0400

After months spent in development, Microsoft finally unleashed Windows Vista SP1 upon the world last Tuesday. As it has been out in the wild for a full week now, the time is probably ripe for a few reactions from around the web:

"From the beginning, Vista had some significant issues with excessive hard drive use. The drive light would routinely stay fully or mostly lit for many minutes at a time, even when most programs had been closed. The downloaded SP1 improved this quite a bit, resulting in crisper performance." -PC Magazine
"Do you need Windows Vista SP1? Yes and no. It's always good to install the latest (read: patched) code for any operating system. But downloading and installing the update will take some users a few hours without any visible or tangible improvements to their systems." -CNET
"We received a huge response to our poll question the other day, "How's Windows Vista SP1 working out?" Most of you didn't notice much of a difference after the install...while updating is usually the right thing to do, SP1 doesn't have enough noticeable changes to make you jump out of your seat." -Gizmodo

Has your organization deployed Vista SP1 yet? If so, how are things working out? Let us know in the comments.

For more on Vista SP1:
- see this PC Magazine article
- this CNET article
- and this Gizmodo article

Microsoft confirms Windows 7 in 2010

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:59:57 -0400

Given the tepid reception that Vista has received, it's not exactly surprising that businesses and consumers alike are clamoring for a successor. As we all know, however, Microsoft can't exactly create a new version of Windows overnight and as I've previously suggested, an early Windows 7 could mean a half-baked Windows 7. So I, for one, am glad that Microsoft has decided to put the rumors to rest by announcing that Windows 7 is currently scheduled for release in 2010--not 2009, as was rumored. Now don't get too excited--just because Microsoft says that Windows 7 is on track for release in '10 doesn't mean that you should mark your calendar. The company has stated that an official release date will be set only once the new OS "meets its quality bar for release."

For more on Windows 7:
- see this article from Softpedia