This article comes from the Digibarn Computer Museum. Description: The following is the installation and boot-up sequence for the first release version of perhaps the most important software currently in the world: Microsoft Windows. Includes screenshots as well.(
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Screenshots are a great way for users to get a glimpse of upcoming products. Every time Microsoft releases an update for Vista or for Office 2007, screenshots are always available somewhere on the 'Net, and with them comes an enormous amount of user feedback which is typically dispersed between two categories: love and hate. The problem is that screenshots don't really show how the product runs, just how it looks. Opinions are formed before the product is ever seen in action. Luckily, Microsoft has released some new Office 2007 footage so that users don't have to form opinions based on screenshots any longer.
The movie covers several different features touted in the next Office release including galleries, the ribbon interface, the Office menu, live preview, and contextual tabs. It also displays how the Office 2007 user interface can give real-time previews of documents before edits are applied. More than anything else, the video shows just how beneficial the ribbon interface can actually be to a user.
View the Office 2007 footage video
One of the key tools for troubleshooting issues with Windows computers is Event Viewer. Using this console, you can view events recorded in the Application, System, and Security logs and use this information to try and resolve problems with your computer.
Domain controllers have additional logs such as Directory Services, DNS Server, and File Replication Service that can be used to troubleshoot issues involving Active Directory replication and DNS name resolution. Unfortunately, Event Viewer in pre-Vista platforms suffers from several limitations that make it underperform as a troubleshooting tool.
These limitations include a lack of support for centralized logging, inability to query across multiple logs, limited event filtering capability, and a general lack of "software intelligence" in terms of helping you understand how different events correlate with possible problems and how they can be resolved.(
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There’s something about using the words Security and Internet Explorer in the same sentence that tends to make administrators want to laugh. Perhaps it’s the fact that prior to Windows XP Service Pack 2, security in Internet Explorer 6 was pretty much non existent.
Windows XP Service Pack 2 took care of some of Internet Explorer’s security issues, but security was still mediocre at best. In Internet Explorer 7 though, Microsoft seems to have addressed many of the security issues that have plagued Internet Explorer for the last decade.(
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Kevin Remde has summarized many of the Q&A's concerning the webcast on Exchange
Server 2003 - Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts.
“I hear how we can use Windows SharePoint and/Or SharedPortal server to replace Public Folder. However, I can't seem to find good resources to how we're supposed to do this or get more information. So my question is where can I get more information about using SharePoint for replacing Public folder? Thanks.”
You make a very good point here. The reason you don't see much documentation on this is because the majority of this is going to be exposed in SharePoint with Office System 12 (now named 2007 Office System) and not really in the current release of WSS / SPS.
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Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols from eweek Magazine writes:
How many times must IE be shown to be totally insecure before people turn to the more secure Firefox?
OK, how many times must Internet Explorer be ripped open like a hot 16-year-old in a summer slasher movie before people finally get it: IE is not safe. Period. End of Statement.
I don't care if you only run it around the Web on Sundays and to the nicest sites. If you run IE, you're just asking to me slammed by worms, bots, adware, and every other kind of malware on the planet. No, it doesn't matter that you're using XP SP2 and you've downloaded all the patches. The only version that appears to be immune is IE7 beta-2.(
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Microsoft Corp. has launched a public bug database for Internet Explorer 7, which is currently in beta.
Access to the Internet Explorer Feedback site requires a Passport account and signup is through
Microsoft Connect. The new site is similar to Bugzilla, a bug-reporting site set up for Firefox by Mozilla Corp.
"The intent of this work is to give everyone a better place to give IE7 feedback and to prepare the ground for future versions of IE," Microsoft said in its IE blog.
The IE public database, launched on Friday, is not for reporting security issues, Microsoft said. Those problems should be reported through the
Microsoft Security Response Center.
A recently uncovered vulnerability in Internet Explorer can expose computers to "drive-by downloads", Trojan horse programs that are installed through innocuous looking pop-up windows. The team at Microsoft's Security Response Center is working on a patch and plans on releasing it next month.
The vulnerability was outlined in a recent Microsoft security advisory and several malicious websites have already be set up to push the Trojan horse to web surfers. Dubbed the "Sdbot" Trojan horse, the program opens up an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channel and allows hackers to take complete control of the victim's computer.(
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Microsoft's recent announcements gave many a reality check when their previous 'solid' November 2006 release date for the next installment of the Windows operating system, Windows Vista, was pushed back once again due to the need for 'tweaking security' on consumer versions of the OS along with their Office 2007 suite for a co-launch in January 2007.
Not too long ago Microsoft also announced some changes to the Platform and Services Division; specifically the move of Microsoft Office's overseer, Steve Sinofsky, to Microsoft's Windows and Windows Live engineering group. Now, according to an anonymous Microsoft blog site which EETimes.com has reported on, many employees are unhappy with the recent happenings at Microsoft and the blog comments do not sugar coat the feelings of posters.(
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Up to 60% of the code in the new consumer version of Microsoft new Vista operating system is set to be rewritten as the Company "scrambles" to fix internal problems a Microsoft insider has confirmed to SHN.
In an effort to meet a dealine of the 2007 CES show in Las Vegas Microsoft has pulled programmers from the highly succesful Xbox team to help resolve many problems associated with entertainment and media centre functionality inside the OS. The team are also working closely with engineers from the Intel Viiv team. and it is now expected that the next version of Viiv could be delayed to line up with the launch of the consumer version of Vista at the 2007 CES Show in Las Vegas.
One of the key components of the consumer version of Vista is the Media Centre code. This will be an optional package in the same way that Microsoft currently sell a Professional and Home version of XP. With Vista there will not be a seperate Media Centre SKU.
Microsoft has also admitted that it has major problems in it's Windows division and has has immediatly initiated a total restructure of the division, a move that comes after a costly delay in rolling out its Vista program. (Continue at source)
Policy-based Quality of Service (QoS) in Microsoft® Windows Server™ "Longhorn" (now in beta testing) and Windows Vista™ (now in beta testing) allows you to configure QoS profiles that specify how to mark or throttle outbound traffic. Policy-based QoS settings are distributed using Group Policy.
The architecture of Policy-based QoS takes advantage of the Next-Generation TCP/IP stack, the Windows® Filtering Platform, and a new Network Device Interface Specification (NDIS) 6.0 lightweight filter driver.
Read the Cable Guy Article:"Policy-based QoS Architecture in Windows Server "Longhorn" and Windows Vista"
Microsoft Corp. plans to revamp its blogging service MSN Spaces under the new Windows Live brand in the summer.
The upcoming "more powerful version of MSN Spaces," called Windows Live Spaces, was announced on the Spaces homepage.
The company said it would unveil the new version in the summer, and also posted a help wanted ad. Microsoft is looking for developers in AJAX and DHTML, technologies used in developing interactive user interfaces for Web applications. (
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Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday offered "free, unlimited technical support" to rivals interested in making their software work with Microsoft servers, saying it wanted to comply with a landmark EU antitrust ruling.
"We are committed to doing everything in our power to address the (European) Commission's concerns," Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith said in a statement.
A spokesman for the EU's antitrust office said the Microsoft offer "seems to be a constructive proposal," but said the company needed to make more efforts to fully fall in line with the EU's 2004 ruling.(
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Shares of Microsoft Corp. fell Wednesday after the software maker delayed the consumer release of its new operating system until January 2007, after the holiday shopping season.
Shares of Microsoft dropped 59 cents, or 2.1 percent, to close at $27.15 on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
The Redmond, Wash.-based company made the announcement about its new system, dubbed Vista, after financial markets closed on Tuesday. Analysts said the delay would hurt computer makers and retailers most of all, since they were likely looking forward to a new operating system to boost holiday sales.
Microsoft is planning a management shake-up in its Windows division and will appoint Steve Sinofsky, currently head of the company's Office division, to oversee Windows development, according to a source close to the company.
The move, which could come as early as Wednesday, comes in the wake of yet another delay in shipping Vista, the long anticipated update to the client version of Microsoft's Windows operating system.
Sinofsky will head Windows development, reporting to Kevin Johnson, who will continue to lead the the Platform Products and Services division. Johnson's division will include eight new and existing organizations related to Windows and Windows Live, the source said.(
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Giving an indication that yesterday's stunning delay of Windows Vista would not impact the plans of the server division, posters to Microsoft's internal developers' blogs revealed more details today about a software design review (SDR) event to be held at a hotel in Bellevue on 11 April.
While the itinerary for sessions to be held during the three-day conference is just now being finalized, one Microsoft developer shared his opinion that he wished more attention was being paid to the 64-bit realm, as it will only be spotlighted in two sessions. Apparently Intel isn't the only company reducing its focus on 64-bit processing.(
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Security researchers have given Microsoft more work to do as the company prepares an upcoming Internet Explorer security fix. On Wednesday, they disclosed a critical vulnerability in Microsoft's (Profile, Products, Articles) browser -- the third flaw to be disclosed in the past week.
This bug is rated critical because it could allow an attacker to seize control of a victim's machine, according to U.K.-based Computer Terrorism, which posted an advisory on the flaw.(
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Microsoft Corp. is readying an update to Internet Explorer (IE) following the recent discovery of two unpatched IE vulnerabilities, including one bug that could allow attackers to seize control of a victim's PC.
"We're working on an update to Internet Explorer and that update is currently in our testing process and could come out as early as April," said Stephen Toulouse, a security program manager with Microsoft's security response center. "However, there's no firm date."
The most significant of the two vulnerabilities was discovered earlier this month by Web developer Jeffrey van der Stad. He claims to have uncovered a way for attackers to trick IE into executing HTA (HTML application) files without the user's permission. HTA is a Microsoft-created format that is used to create HTML-based applications.(
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Those of you running Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) will notice a new product available on your synchronization options page tonight. Selecting this new product, called Microsoft Client Protection, provides update support for Microsoft’s upcoming corporate antivirus solution (Codename Jamaica). However, unless you’re involved with the Jamaica TAP or TechBeta this change will do you absolutely no good. In fact, it will only clutter your WSUS interface. So, instead of going through the trouble of enabling it just to get a peek – check out the screen shots instead.(
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In this article from MCP Magazine Chris Wolf explains how you can access the Virtual Server administration webpage from within a Remote Desktop Connection.
Remote Desktop and Terminal Services can do some strange things. Many of us at one time or another have found ourselves scratching our heads over a particular program or installation sequence that would not work when launched from within a Remote Desktop connection.
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Deutsche Telekom (DT) is hooking up with Microsoft as part of plans to roll out broadband TV (IPTV) in Germany later this year. The service is to be carried via a new VDSL (Very High Speed Digital Subscriber Line) network capable of bandwidth up 50 meg and has already been tested by boffins at the giant telco.
The IPTV service is due to go live in ten major German cities - including Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich - from the summer letting viewers access regular TV programmes, video on demand, interactive programming and personal video recording. Punters can also expect a range of special interest channels and pay-TV programmes.(
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Developers have an opportunity to derive revenue from developing mini-applications, called Gadgets, for Microsoft's Windows Vista OS, a company executive said at MIX 06 Tuesday.
During his keynote at the Las Vegas conference, Joe Belfiore, vice president of Microsoft's eHome division, said that developers can build Gadgets for hardware OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to pre-install on computers running the Vista OS once it ships later this year.
"OEMs can prepopulate machines with Gadgets," he said. Gadgets are Web-connected mini-applications that run independent of the browser and display real-time information, such as stock quotes or news headlines. They also can offer quick-view ways for users to stay connected to Web-based applications they use all the time, such as music players and e-mail. (
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Coming form Activewin:
Microsoft has officially announced to ActiveWin the release date of Windows Vista. Windows Vista will be made officially available to consumers in January 2007, while making Windows Vista available to businesses only in November 2006. In addition, there will be a feature complete Beta 2 CTP released in the next quarter. "...we need a few more weeks, quality is paramount...we are on the home stretch here...we need to know what kind of testing that needs to be done in order that this is the most secure and safe system" and "quality is till the top thing..and I am going to stay here until things are right...it will be done this year", said Jim Allchin, co-president, Platforms & Services Division, Microsoft regarding the delay. Also check out the
Microsoft Watch story.
Coming from the OldNewThing blog:
Windows File Protection works by replacing files after they have been overwritten. Why didn't Windows just apply ACLs to deny write permission to the files?
We tried that. It didn't work.
Programs expect to be able to overwrite the files. A program's setup would run and it decided that it needed to "update" some system file and attempt to overwrite it. If the system tried to stop the file from being overwritten, the setup program would halt and report that it was unable to install the file. Even if the operating system detected that somebody was trying to overwrite a system file and instead gave them a handle to NUL, those programs would nevertheless notice that they had been hookwinked because as a "verification" step, they would open the file they had just copied and compare it against the "master copy" on the installation CD.
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Google was hit with a lawsuit on Friday by a Web publisher that alleges it has suffered significant financial harm because its site got dropped from the search engine's index.
KinderStart.com, which operates a Web site for parents of children under 7 years old, filed its lawsuit as a class action in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division.
KinderStart.com, based in Norwalk, California, charges Google (Profile, Products, Articles), among other things, with violating its right to free speech under the U.S. Constitution; violating section 2 of the Sherman Act by using a monopoly position to harm competitors; engaging in unfair practices and competition under California law; and committing defamation and libel.(
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MICROSOFT'S spiritual and temporal ruler Sir William Gates III has admitted that the company messed up when it forgot to release new versions of Internet Explorer.
Speaking to the company's Mix06 conference, Gates said that Vole was moving very rapidly to get the next version of Internet Exploder to the market "because we see great opportunities there".(
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Microsoft silently opened up Windows Live Messenger to all Microsoft Passport holders, several enthusiast sites including LiveSide.net reported on Monday. Previously, access to the client was restricted to those who had been approved through an invitation process, frustrating those who had obtained the beta through channels other than Microsoft.
Several sites erroneously reported last week that the client had been opened up after the discovery of a Web page on the MSN UK Web site, however it still required an invite into the program. Along with the capability for all Passport users to sign in, version 8.0.0566 of Live Messenger Beta was made in several new languages.
Coming from Aaron Tiensivu:
One of the R2 feature specific management tools that is in the admin tool pack that a lot of people don't realize can be used on non-R2 servers is the Print Management Console. I've blogged about it before, but I try to put it on any XP box or server I'm maintaining due to the ability to get a nice quick snapshot of what drivers are loaded on servers at a location. The 'published printers' section will be empty on non-R2 systems.
With the official release of MMC 3.0 for everyone, it makes sense to install this now more than ever.
Admin tools webpage
This week at Microsoft Corp.’s MIX06 conference, Web designers, developers and decision-makers are exploring ways to harness the latest Web technologies to deliver better customer experiences. Hosted by Microsoft, MIX06 features participants from leading Web, media and design companies including Amazon.com Inc., Avenue A/Razorfish, BBC, eBay Inc., Fluid Inc., MySpace and RezN8 Productions Inc. Monday’s opening day keynote, “The Next Web Now,” featured Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates discussing the myriad ways companies can use software to forge distinctively new types of customer connections, highlighting new technologies along the way that will change the face of business on the Web.
“As the Internet becomes an increasingly powerful way for companies to interact with customers, software and services provide almost unlimited opportunities to extend these interactions,” Gates said. “We’re here this week to talk about how software is transforming the way companies connect with their customers as they embrace a new generation of Web technologies.” (
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When you’re looking for information you have stored on your computer, you have a couple of choices. You can search for it, using, for example, Windows® Desktop Search. Or you can browse for it in your file structure. Those tactics commonly are considered two separate, discrete options.
PHLAT is a project from Microsoft Research’s Redmond lab that attempts to streamline the process of sifting through the exponentially growing avalanche of information with which PC users must cope.(
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In a bid to capture the huge audience for handheld entertainment gadgets, Microsoft is designing a product that combines video games, music and video in one handheld device, according to sources familiar with the project.
The Microsoft product would compete with Sony, Nintendo and Apple Computer's products, including the iPod. And Microsoft has some of its most seasoned talent from the division that created its popular Xbox 360 working on it. Game executive J Allard leads the project, and its director is Greg Gibson, who was the system designer on the Xbox 360 video game console. Bryan Lee, the finance chief on the Xbox business, is leading the business side of the project.(
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At its Mix '06 designer confab next week, Microsoft will distribute a 'layout-complete' IE 7.0 test build, yet another step along the way toward the final IE 7.0 release, and talk IE futures, too.
At Mix '06, Microsoft's Web 2.0 conference in Las Vegas next week, tools for designers won't be the only hot button. Microsoft also will be showcasing Internet Explorer 7.0, distributing new browser bits and sharing ideas on the next version(s) of IE in the works.
Microsoft will dole out at the show what officials are describing as a "layout-complete" version of IE 7.0.
"The important thing about this release is that no further layout changes will be made for IE 7.0," said Microsoft developer Cyra Richardson during a recent online chat on IE.(
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Microsoft released a website which enables you to sign up to either: Beta 2 of Windows Vista, Beta 2 of 2007 Microsoft Office System, and/or Beta 2 of Microsoft Exchange "12".
According to the website: "You will be the first to be notified when the Windows Vista, Office "12," and Exchange "12" public beta releases become available."
Go to the Technet Pre-Beta Release Registration website
The world's richest man is about to open up his big, fat wallet for New Yorkers. Millions of New Yorkers who bought personal computers could score $12 coupons or more, no questions asked, as part of a massive antitrust settlement from Microsoft, headed by Bill Gates. "Almost all of your readers could be eligible," said David Stellings, a lawyer who helped negotiate the $350 million deal. "They are throwing away cash by not participating."
Here's how it works. Virtually anybody who bought a personal computer using most Microsoft software - basically any computer other than an Apple - between 1994 and 2004 is eligible to get a $12 coupon for each computer. No receipt or proof of purchase is necessary for individuals claiming purchases of five computers or less. Anyone who bought popular Microsoft software products like Word, Excel or Office during the same time frame is eligible for $5 vouchers.
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Download the Community Technology Preview (CTP) of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1. The Community Technology Preview (CTP) version of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1 is now available. You can use these packages to upgrade any of the following SQL Server 2005 editions: Enterprise, Enterprise Evaluation, Developer, Standard and Workgroup.
Note: To upgrade SQL Server 2005 Express Edition, obtain the SP1 CTP version of Express Edition. These packages have been made available for general testing purposes only. Do not deploy the CTP software in production. Peer-to-peer support is available in the SQL Server 2005 forums.
SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1 (CTP)
Jim McBee writes: "I finally got the right combination of DLL's that are required to manage Exchange mailboxes using Active Directory Users and Computers without having to install the Exchange System Manager. This is a hassle for Windows XP desktops or servers that don't have Exchange on them because ESM requires IIS components (IIS Admin, SMTP, and W3SVC)."
From an Exchange 2003 server, copy the following DLLs from the \program files\exchsrvr\bin folder in to a common folder (preferably in the path) such as \windows\system32 on the machine on which you want to manage Exchange attributes:
address.dll
escprint.dll
exchmem.dll
glblname.dll
maildsmx.dll
pttrace.dll
Once these are copied on to that machine, run REGSVR32.EXE \windows\system32\maildsmx.dll to register that DLL. When you re-open Active Directory Users and Computers, the Exchange extensions will show up!
I've taken the liberty of installing the 2007 Microsoft Office System Beta 1 Technical Refresh on the February CTP on Windows Vista (Build 5308). I took a few screenshots too.
Screenshot: Microsoft Office Word 2007
Screenshot: Microsoft Office Excel 2007
Screenshot: Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007
My experience so far with the Office 2007 Refresh on Vista hasn't been too bad so far. All the applications seem to work and function with no crashes so far. The "ribbon" applicatioons seem to come up fast and perform nicely with the new UI. I am impressed with how the new UI looks in black and on Vista. I am, however, unimpressed with how Outlook looks in Vista. The black, or obsidian, skin makes Outlook look absolutely terrible. And you can't choose one application in Office 2007 to use one color while the others use another. Also: the "ribbon" applicatiions aren't using Glass yet in the February CTP.
Screenshot: Word 2007 with no Glass and in Blue
I will talk more extensively of my experiences with Office 2007 and Vista as I continue to test it out. These are just a few observations and first impressions. I still need to dive into the functionality. As requested, here is also a screenshot of how "unimpressive" Outlook 2007 looks in Windows Vista. Now, mind you, this is just how it looks. Outlook 2007 performs great in Vista and some of the updates and enhancements made to Outlook (like RSS) are alone worth using it even if it does look, well - a bit off.
Screenshot: Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
The confusion probably started after a red colored "Windows Live Messenger" text link appeared on MSN UK's homepage by the end of last week. It links to a
product page still showing screenshots of older Beta-versions and claiming that "the new Windows Live Messenger Beta is [...] as always [...] free to download".
Indeed, it is free to download but you still have to sign up for the trial first (don't worry if your country's not listed) and wait a couple of days before you get invited. Admittedly, if a beta version is being used already by about one million users the definition of "public" is contestable. But let's just conclude that there's still
NO instantly available direct download link for just anybody.
BRUSSELS (Reuters)—Microsoft Corp. has set out a "poisoned honeypot" by offering to open source code in its antitrust case, a rival said in a confidential filing to the European Commission, which it opened on Tuesday. The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) and software group Samba followed the lead of Microsoft by opening up confidential filings to the European Commission.
The FSFE/Samba filing responded to a Commission questionnaire seeking industry comment on Microsoft's proposal to open up its confidential "source code" for those who license it server software. Microsoft has said its proposal would solve problems of much of the industry, but said it was never aimed at solving disputes with "open source" groups such as FSFE/Samba. "The source code reference license is a poisoned honeypot, from which free software operators shall stay away as much as possible," FSFE/Samba said in its filing.
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Keystroke loggers take the form of hardware or software that record the keyboard activity of the target system. There's an interesting
article discussing both hardware and software keystroke loggers on the InternetSecurityOnline blog.
Reading the article led me to conduct a little ad hoc research to grasp the prevalence on keystroke loggers. I browsed to a popular software download site (
download.com) and searched for "keystroke logger" - thanks to the site for the following titles and download statistics..
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The purpose of creating this guide is to make it short, simple, and to the point! This is the only guide you will find on the Internet that has gone into so much depth. The sections above do not have to be taken in any particular order, but for the full Workstation experience it's recommended you do it step-by-step! I won't go into too much detail here, besides who loves reading too much? Not many people I bet, so I will go straight to the point in these sections, allowing a quick and easy configuration of your Server to convert it to act like a Workstation!
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When selecting hardware for your Exchange servers, there are many things that you must consider. Two of the most critical resources are processor and memory. This blog provides rough guidelines for processor/memory configurations that provide good performance for Exchange 2003 while also providing a strong platform for Exchange Server 12. Recommendations will also be made on how server hardware deployed for Exchange 2003 roles can be re-utilized for Exchange Server 12 on a per server role basis (e.g. Mailbox, Client Access Server (CAS) etc). With this in mind, I have tried to make safe/highly confident predictions concerning what processor/memory configurations work well for E12 server roles to help administrators maintain current Exchange 2003 environments with an eye toward the future.
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