Archive for the ‘Windows OS’ Category

Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) released three updates in its Patch Tuesday report, plugging a total of eight security holes, including a critical image flaw that allowed hackers to launch malicious attacks remotely.

Altogether, the March patch bundle addressed critical vulnerabilities in the Windows kernel and errors ranked “important” in the DNS and WINS servers and Secure Channel that could enable hackers to commit identity theft by redirecting users to spoofed Web sites.

However, the March patch bundle did not include a fix for an actively exploited Microsoft Office Excel vulnerability that allowed hackers to launch malware attacks via infected spreadsheet files.

Why is there always one thing Microsoft forgets to fix?

Microsoft’s Windows 7 development team yesterday confirmed that users will be able to remove Internet Explorer 8, as well as several other Microsoft applications, from Windows 7.

This appears to be a major step by the company in addressing the long standing anti-trust complaints of bundling their applications with Windows, and may account in part for the recent scaling back by the European Union in its monitoring of the software giant.

Too bad we can’t remove Windows from Windows 7. Okay, okay, chill out, I am not an Apple fanboy and you know it, but you have to admit Microsoft had that one coming.

Childish, if true.

While we knew that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had forbidden his offspring from using competitors’ products like iPods and, yes, even Google, we always thought his predecessor, Bill Gates, hovered above the fray, unconcerned with such earthly matters. Alas, it seems our otherworldly faith in Mr. Microsoft might have been misplaced.

I wonder if he keeps all of his house rules on a compact flash card too? You know, just in case his system crashes. heh.

Many PC users think Mac users are snobby. Maybe they’re just more mature.

It sure is a different story when the shoe is on the other foot, isn’t it?

Microsoft on Wednesday said it is steering Netherlands-based vehicle navigation systems firm TomTom to court for infringing on the software giant’s patented technology.

Microsoft filed complaints against TomTom in US district court and with the International Trade Commission, according to Horacio Gutierrez, deputy general counsel of intellectual property and licensing at Microsoft.

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Patents involved in the case relate to vehicle navigation technology and computer software that Microsoft has licensed to other firms, according to Gutierrez.

If Microsoft made furniture, we’d all have wobbly tables and couches with springs popping everyday.

After several bloggers (including yours truly) reported on a news item from Softpedia about Windows 7 build 7048 1) being an actual build and 2) being labeled a release candidate, Microsoft’s own Steven Sinofsky has set the record straight.

First, the current build is actually 7046 as stated in an email conversation between Sinofsky and Geeksmack. Second, as noted by one of our commenters, every build now is technically an RC since they are post-beta – since the Release Candidate is the next milestone.

Second, a date has apparently been chosen for the actual deployment of Windows 7 RC1. As long as development continues to progress the way it has, we’ll see its release on April 10, 2009.

I will be shocked if they release it by April 10th, then again, I will be even more shocked if they release it and it works by April 10th.

Microsoft has announced that they will be opening brick and mortar retail stores around the United States and confirmed the appointment of David Porter as vice president of Retail Stores.

Porter, a former VP at Wal-Mart, will need to determine “the timing, locations and specific details of the stores.”

The new move will help the software giant to compete with Apple, which has 251 retail stores that brought in $1.74 billion USD revenue for 2008.

I’m sorry, but given the choice of walking into an Apple store or a Microsoft store, I would definitely walk into the Apple store. You have no idea what viruses you could catch in a Microsoft store that could lead to you turning blue and dropping dead.

Has there been a Tuesday, recently, when there hasn’t been a Windows update? What makes this Tuesday so special?

Microsoft will be releasing four security updates on Tuesday, including two that are critical affecting Windows, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Exchange Server, the company said on Thursday.

The critical updates affect Windows Internet Explorer 7, Windows XP Professional Edition, Windows Vista, Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server, Exchange Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2007, according to the alert.

Two other updates rated important affect SQL Server 2000, SQL Server 2005 and Office. The vulnerabilities could allow for an attacker to remotely execute code on an unpatched system.

The road to Windows 7 for Vista-shy customers who want to jump straight from XP to the upcoming operating system won’t be an easy one.

Microsoft confirmed yesterday that Windows XP fans would be able to purchase a licence and media to “upgrade” to the new OS once it lands.

But this being Redmond there is a caveat: XP customers have to perform a clean install of Windows 7. This means wiping their computer hard drive’s data first, which doesn’t sound much like an upgrade to us.

Hmmm. A fresh install. Isn’t that what most Windows users need to do every six months anyway?

If you thought that Microsoft learned all its lessons with Vista, you’ll soon be disappointed. Despite the fact that the Windows 7 beta is getting mostly positive reviews, revelations that Microsoft plans to release six different flavors of Windows 7 left many in the tech world stupefied and wondering why.

Yeah why? Does the world really need six versions of Windows 7? Maybe they are doing it to make a statement.

Maybe, just maybe they represent something…

Windows 7 DOS (Starter)
Windows 7 3.1 (Home Basic)
Windows 7 ME (Home Premium)
Windows 7 NT (Professional)
Windows 7 XP (Enterprise)
WIndows 7 Server (Ultimate)

Dumb, I know, but so is trying to sell six versions of the same thing, at different levels of cripple.

I’m not sure if I would be too excited about this news.

On the Engineering Windows 7 blog this week, Microsoft again noted that it was planning to give the public a Release Candidate of Windows 7 before the final version is ready. In other words, there is not going to be a “Beta 2,” and the public would only see one public beta build: Windows 7 build 7000. However, a timeline for these versions is not disclosed: “This post is in no way an announcement of a ship date, change in plans, or change in our previously described process, but rather it provides additional detail and a forward looking view of the path to RTM and General Availability.”

Just because Windows 7 is the most stable beta they have released, that doesn’t mean it will be the most stable final product they ever release. Color me skeptical.

Something tells me I will have better luck planting Plum trees that I will upgrading to Windows 7.