Microsoft

Today I came across this article in which there is apparently speculation that a three letter agency is asking Microsoft to provide it with a backdoor. Anyone with a brain realizes this is hogwash. Yes, I would say it is highly likely that Windows 7 has a backdoor built in. Same goes for older versions [...]

Performance, interoperability, and standards. Surely, there can be some common ground to be had here? Apparently, as stated by the powers behind the browser offered for Windows users by default, it’s just too much to expect. It’s “complicated” to be cutting edge and keep things in sync with Web standards.
Yes, this is going to go [...]

I read this article with great interest as I realize fully that many Windows gamers may be having mixed results with their Windows gaming experience since upgrading to Windows 7. And after all, with the promised compatibility in play, there should be no problem, right? Well, maybe.
As the article points out, it almost feels like [...]

Seems like only yesterday I was using Windows, spending the better part of a day working to resize my Outlook .PST files before it became too unwieldy. Today, however, it looks like there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel with regard to Outlook data. While it took Outlook 2003 to bring [...]

Windows 7 is abuzz in the news right now — understandably so, as it was just released. But while there is no question that it is perhaps one of the best Windows releases, I am curious as to what your experience has been with it thus far? How is the stability, drivers and general overall [...]

For those of you out there who are anxiously waiting for Windows 7, your wait is nearly over. And I know a few people out there who have claimed to already have their Windows 7 copies on pre-order — understandably so. Unlike the dog-slow speed of Vista, Windows 7 will run great on any PC [...]

While Apple users will be quick to point out the flaws that come with using Windows 7, such as the headaches in migrating from XP, they are nuts if they think Joe Average is going to rush out to spend a grand plus on new hardware just to avoid the hassle. Not going to happen [...]

In this RunAs Radio podcast, Richard and I talk to Dana Epp about DirectAccess.
DirectAccess is Microsoft’s new technology using Windows 7 (Enterprise or Ultimate) and Server 2008 R2 together to create remote connectivity that acts in all respects like you’re still inside the corporate network. DirectAccess has the potential to put client-initiated VPN connection out [...]

In this RunAs Radio podcast, Richard and I talk to Isaac Roybal about Microsoft’s efforts in creating private cloud technologies.
Private cloud focuses on using cloud technologies — within the organization’s firewall. Isaac talks about how Microsoft has been using its own cloud technology internally for PSS and digs into the Dynamic Data Center Toolkit. Also [...]

Once you install Windows Virtual PC, you can install Windows XP Mode (if you are using Windows XP as the guest operating system) or you can create a new virtual machine. In part II, we looked at installing Windows XP Mode. Now, we’ll look at how to create a new virtual machine.
To create a new [...]

If you plan to use Windows XP as the guest operating system, you should download and install Windows XP Mode. The package is available as a free download from the Windows Virtual PC product page.
To install Windows XP Mode:

Click Start, type virtual and click Virtual Windows XP.
Click Download to obtain the setup file.
Once the download [...]

Windows Virtual PC is available as a free download. You can download the update package from the product Web page. Once you have downloaded the package, you can proceed with the installation steps.
To install Windows Virtual PC:

Locate and double-click the file, Windows6.1-KB958559-plaftform.msu, where platform is either x86 or x64.
Click Yes to proceed with the installation.
Click [...]

Windows Virtual PC is Microsoft latest virtualization software that is designed specifically for Windows 7 so Windows XP Mode applications can be seen and accessed from Windows 7.
If you are not familiar with Windows XP Mode, it is a new benefit of Windows 7 Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate, which provides additional application compatibility. It [...]

Virtualization software lets you run multiple operating systems on a single computer at the same time. Instead of using a dedicated computer for every operating system, you can run them all from your Windows desktop. This provides a cost efficient way of testing and supporting application compatibility.
Windows Virtual PC is Microsoft’s latest virtualization software and [...]

This compact book offers the quickest path for Windows users to get started with Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system. You get the essential information you need to upgrade or install the system and configure it to fit your activities, along with a tour of Windows 7’s features and built-in applications.Microsoft has learned from the mistakes [...]

Similar to the functionality in Access, Excel lets you control entries by forcing users to select a value from a preconfigured list. By creating a drop-down arrow list, users must select from one of the possible preconfigured values. If someone tries to enter in something else, Excel rejects the entry.
You use the Data Validation feature [...]

In Part I, I showed you how to set a password to modify a Word 2007 document. If you need to prevent users from viewing a document, you can also set a password to open a document.
You should only use this option when you want a few, specific individuals to read the document.
When you set [...]

You can easily prevent other users from making changes to your Word 2007 documents. You may be wondering why you would want to prevent changes. Consider a situation where you spent hours upon hours creating a document only to have another user make unwanted changes to it. It then takes you additional hours to undo [...]

In the past, I have had a difficult time using the terms Microsoft and security in the same sentence without bursting into laughter. Yet after seeing Microsoft’s latest anti-malware tool known as MSE, I think that we might finally see the Redmond giant releasing a tool that actually works as advertised.
In the past, Microsoft was [...]

Regular maintenance is important to ensuring that your computer continues to run smoothly. Unfortunately, many people forget to or simply choose not to run maintenance tasks — even though you can schedule most to run automatically.
Part of your regular computer maintenance routine should include deleting files you no longer need. By running the Disk Cleanup [...]