Microsoft

Microsoft is currently trying to resolve why some users’ attempts to upgrade to Windows 7 from Windows Vista results in an endless reboot loop with the computer not updated to the new version and unable to restore Vista. Some of the borked computers may have had corrupted downloads of the Windows 7 upgrade software [...]

Vista is the Windows version to bypass - like Windows Mistake Edition (ME) was. The combination of Microsoft having to pull employees off of Vista to help write XP Service Pack 2 and discovering that the XP code base was unusable (Vista was written from scratch) meant that MS released a typical first effort in [...]

I was reading the latest edition of Vista News when this caught my eye:
Is there a way to fix Vista Explorer’s address box?
QUESTION:
Okay, I know it’s a “feature” but I hate it - the new format for the path/address in Vista Explorer. I want my old familiar format (c:\Data\Publications\New) instead of the new one with [...]

To get this e-book you will have to sign up for some Microsoft offers - whether it’s as a Microsoft Certified Partner, as a System Builder, or in some other program - I don’t know. But if you walk the correct path :-) you won’t have to pay anything as I’m not currently [...]

Microsoft has released a new version of Internet Explorer 7 that “addresses customer feedback by removing the Windows Genuine Advantage check”. FINALLY! It makes the internet safer for all of us if the hacked versions of Windows can install IE7 too. Download it here.

Ever needed to know how to replace the motherboard on a computer that is running Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, or Windows 2000?
If Windows boots:
Boot Windows. Put the Windows CD in the drive and start Setup with the Upgrade option. Follow instructions until the computer reboots.
When it reboots, pull the plug. Replace the motherboard. Restart [...]

I like contests - even when I don’t have the skills to enter them. Residents of Canada and the U.S. are eligible.
The challenge:
Create cool software and/or hardware add-ins for Windows Home Server to simplify the digital lifestyles of families everywhere—or just to geek out.
We are looking for creative use of a server as a [...]

Here’s an article from MSDN Magazine on building Windows Vista sidebar gadgets - you may find it useful for the contest. They include code samples.
Contents
What Is a Sidebar Gadget?
XML Definition File
The Main HTML File
JavaScript
Docked and Floating
Flyouts
Options Dialog
Reading and Writing Settings
Localization
What Happened to Alert and Confirm?
Debugging
Packaging Your Gadget
The MSDN Magazine Ticker

Only in Canada you say? Pity!
Be one of three winners in the ultimate competition to find the latest, greatest Canadian Windows Vista gadget. Can your gadget withstand the competition?
Prove your mettle and steely resolve by building the next coolest gadget. Show your fellow developers what you’ve got. Score serious bragging rights—not to mention wicked prizes [...]

Sorry about the delay on this - with the disastrous return trip from my wedding behind me, I’ve been working on finding a job and a place to live, not blogging and email.
With Windows Server 2008, Microsoft promises better control, manageability, flexibility, and security. Some of the new or changed features are: [...]

Disabling unnecessary services is an important part of securing a computer. Download this Excel spreadsheet here - a free membership is required. If you don’t have Excel, a free viewer is available here.

This is the last part of Mark Russinovich’s three part series on the Windows Vista kernel. This article focuses on features and improvements in the areas of reliability, recovery, and security.[tags]Mark Russinovich[/tags]
One feature I’m not covering in this series is User Account Control (UAC), which comprises several different technologies, including file system and registry virtualization [...]

This tool covers updates and bulletins that aren’t covered by the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) tool.
The SMS Extended Security Update Inventory tool is a scan tool built for the sole purpose of helping customers determine SMS client computers that may need security updates that are not detectable using the existing SMS Security Update Inventory [...]

The latest release of the MBSA utility adds support for Windows Vista for the first time. The tool analyzes the security configuration of the computers you run it against (it can run against many computers on your network at the same time) and suggests actions to reduce security vulnerabilities. The checks available [...]

Unlike the earlier Virtual Server, Windows Virtual PC 2007 will not run on Windows 2000. (Sniff - an OS with almost all of the advantages of XP, none of the drawbacks, and ran well on boxes half as fast and with half as much RAM - I’ll miss you Windows 2000…)
As with the previous [...]

Thanks to the Windows Secrets newsletter for this one.
We’ve all seen the PC vs Mac ads by Apple, there are plenty of them. But now it’s time for the PC to counterattack, with the help of director Laurie McGuinness, who created four small hilarious clips, with the same character personalities (the PC being older, “boring,” [...]

This applies to Windows Vista Ultimate and Window Vista Business only - no other versions of Vista. If Vista Ultimate or Vista Business came with your computer - OR you bought the full retail version of those (NOT an upgrade version), OR your organization has a Volume License Agreement using one of those versions [...]

Thanks to Tim Hodkinson for the link that led to this post. There’s more problems to the Vista EULA than meet the eye - and Microsoft has a very good chance of not being able to enforce it in both Washington state and the state of Maryland. Mark Rasch is a former head [...]

You don’t need to be visionary or adventurous to try scripting, you just need to be the type of person who wants to save some time. (It’s still only the fanatics who think it’s fun though.) Scripts can not only make your work go faster, they can make your job easier. And once you learn [...]

If you are considering adopting Windows Vista in your business, you may want to have your lawyer examine the license to see if it conflicts with any of your existing contracts. Dan Shearer explains why:
Contracts common in certain industries cut across the Vista licence.
The Vista licence embodies technical surprises that may contradict your clients’ [...]