If solid state drives (SSDs) continue to march into the mainstream market, 2008 might very well one day be looked at as the start of the SSD era. But for that to happen, the performance numbers have to improve and users have to be convinced that the technology can be reliable on a long-term basis. Performance, which is supposed to SSD's strong point, has come under fire amid real-world benchmark comparisons, and as far as SanDisk is concerned, Vista is to blame.Taking matters into its own hands, SanDisk has developed a new file system, ExtremeFFS, which the company claims has the potential to increase write performance by up to 100 times in SSDs over existing systems."To maximize random write performance, SanDisk developed the ExtremeFFS flash file management system," the company wrote in a press release. "This operates on a page-based algorithm, which means there is no fixed coupling between physical and logical location. When a sector of data is written, the SSD puts it where it is most convenient and efficient. The result is an improvement in random write performance – by up to 100 times – as well as in overall endurance."
ExtremeFFS allows NAND channels to work independently of each other, so while some might be reading data, others can be simultaneously writing. The technology also purports to "learn" user patterns and eventually localize data, which sounds a lot like advanced defragging routines. Admittedly, SanDisk senior VP and GM Rich Heye's concedes that it might not make a difference in benchmarks, but believes "it is the right thing to do for end-users."
In related news, SanDisk has also come up with a performance metric it is calling vRPM, or virtual RPM. The metric has been designed to let users know how fast a typical hard drive would need to spin to match the performance of an SSD, which would also allow for a performance comparison between SSDs.
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Microsoft has released key details of the next generation of software that it hopes will run the world's computers. The software giant, whose dominance is increasingly under threat, said Windows 7 will replace the disappointing Windows Vista in January 2010.
Microsoft said the new operating system will be designed to function like a tighter version of Vista, which launched in 2006 but was widely derided as a system hog that slowed down computers with features that most users never used.
Speaking to participants at a Microsoft developers' conference in Los Angeles, Steven Sinofsky, senior vice president of Windows, said Microsoft was learning its lessons from Vista, and making sure that Windows 7 would be fully compatible with all relevant devices and applications on launch.
Among the innovations unveiled by Microsoft was a touchscreen capability that will allow users to select folders and control programs without using a mouse.Windows 7 will also feature faster bootup times, an updated task bar that includes previews of open windows, a new desktop look, and a set of features optimised for laptops. It would also make it easier to coordinate and access files over networks, and to automatically configure settings for different networks.
The new software will ditch some prominent features included in Vista, including Calendar, Windows Mail, Movie Maker, Contacts and Photo Gallery, which will now be available for free download from the Microsoft website.
Microsoft operating systems still power some 90 percent of the world's personal computers, though Vista has only racked up an 18 percent share since its launch.
Microsoft has been hit by the growing success of Apple's Mac computers and by the long-term switch of many computing functions to mobile phones and the internet.
Google has been threatening Microsoft's Office Suite, with online word processors, spreadsheets and presentation programs.
Microsoft Tuesday said it would launch free online versions of Office that would be supported by advertising. Many analysts fear that offering an online version could cannibalize Microsoft's most profitable line of products.
But Rob Helm, a senior analyst at research firm Directions on Microsoft, said that both Windows 7 and Office Online should work out well for the company.
"Both are good improvements," he said. "Windows 7 will help Microsoft overcome the weakness of Vista, while Web-based Office is a direct response to Google. Many businesses will like it because they have lots of users who don't use many of the Office features."
Microsoft said the new operating system will be designed to function like a tighter version of Vista, which launched in 2006 but was widely derided as a system hog that slowed down computers with features that most users never used.
Speaking to participants at a Microsoft developers' conference in Los Angeles, Steven Sinofsky, senior vice president of Windows, said Microsoft was learning its lessons from Vista, and making sure that Windows 7 would be fully compatible with all relevant devices and applications on launch.
Among the innovations unveiled by Microsoft was a touchscreen capability that will allow users to select folders and control programs without using a mouse.Windows 7 will also feature faster bootup times, an updated task bar that includes previews of open windows, a new desktop look, and a set of features optimised for laptops. It would also make it easier to coordinate and access files over networks, and to automatically configure settings for different networks.
The new software will ditch some prominent features included in Vista, including Calendar, Windows Mail, Movie Maker, Contacts and Photo Gallery, which will now be available for free download from the Microsoft website.
Microsoft operating systems still power some 90 percent of the world's personal computers, though Vista has only racked up an 18 percent share since its launch.
Microsoft has been hit by the growing success of Apple's Mac computers and by the long-term switch of many computing functions to mobile phones and the internet.
Google has been threatening Microsoft's Office Suite, with online word processors, spreadsheets and presentation programs.
Microsoft Tuesday said it would launch free online versions of Office that would be supported by advertising. Many analysts fear that offering an online version could cannibalize Microsoft's most profitable line of products.
But Rob Helm, a senior analyst at research firm Directions on Microsoft, said that both Windows 7 and Office Online should work out well for the company.
"Both are good improvements," he said. "Windows 7 will help Microsoft overcome the weakness of Vista, while Web-based Office is a direct response to Google. Many businesses will like it because they have lots of users who don't use many of the Office features."
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While it isn't hitting GeForce owners with da bomb Nvidia is making a bang with the first GeForce 180 series (codename Big Bang II) official beta drivers. Named GeForce 180.42, the drivers are bundled with the PhysX v8.10.13 software, are dated October 17 and have support for the GeForce 8 (only 8800s), 9 and GTX 200 series cards as well as for the GeForce 9300 and 9400 IGPs. This driver is recommended for the "best experience" on Ubisoft's Far Cry 2 and it enables Nvidia SLI technology on SLI-certified Intel X58-based motherboards with theGeForce GTX 280, GeForce GTX 260, GeForce 9800 GX2, GeForce 9800 GTX+ and GeForce 9800 GTX.
To get the super fresh GeForce 180.42 betas just visit the house of 2ManyDownloads:
- GeForce 180.42 beta (Windows XP 32bit)
- GeForce 180.42 beta (Windows XP 64bit)
- GeForce 180.42 beta (Windows Vista 32bit)
- GeForce 180.42 beta (Windows Vista 64bit)
To get the super fresh GeForce 180.42 betas just visit the house of 2ManyDownloads:
- GeForce 180.42 beta (Windows XP 32bit)
- GeForce 180.42 beta (Windows XP 64bit)
- GeForce 180.42 beta (Windows Vista 32bit)
- GeForce 180.42 beta (Windows Vista 64bit)
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The evolution of the Windows client, involving both Windows Vista (now with Service Pack 1) and Windows 7, appears to be closer than Microsoft is ready to acknowledge officially. Of course, Windows XP, even with Service Pack 3, is the past, with the exception of customers abandoning Windows Vista by exercising their downgrade rights. Windows Vista, even with SP1, is a present that makes the future seem to not get here fast enough. And Vista SP2 along with Windows 7 and Windows Cloud (Strata) are the future. But at the same time, both Vista SP2 and Windows 7 are nothing more than the evolution of Vista, to a lesser, and respectively a larger degree.Come the end of October 2008, and the start of November, Microsoft will deliver a rather consistent taste of where it is heading with Windows, not only Windows 7, but also Windows 7 Server and Windows Strata (the label continues to be unconfirmed by the company). Events such as the Professional Developer Conference 2008, Windows Hardware Conference 2008 and TechEd EMEA will be focused on Windows 7 and Windows Cloud, although less on Windows Vista.
While at TechEd Brasil, at the start of this week, Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer indicated that the company planned to unveil a range of new products by July 2009. Microsoft's CEO mentioned that, by the end of June 2009, the software giant would offer "client operating system releases." Microsoft is, of course, already cooking Windows Vista SP2 and Windows 7.Ballmer stated that "Microsoft technologies: Windows, Windows Server, .NET, Visual Studio, Silverlight, SharePoint, Office (...) over the course of the 12 month period that ends June of next year, [are] just a subset of all of the exciting new innovations Microsoft will bring to market: client operating system releases, information management tools, security, gaming products and systems. The range of new technologies in some senses is growing and growing quickly." (emphasis added)
Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2)
Microsoft released Windows Vista RTM at the end of January 2007, not counting the business launch of the operating system in November 2006. Vista SP1 was released to manufacturing on February 4, 2008 concomitantly with Windows Server 2008, but was only made available for download starting March 18. Now the Redmond company has already moved onward to Service Pack 2.
In fact Vista SP2 invites to the Beta program have already started to be sent out, according to Neowin. It is not Windows Vista SP2 that Microsoft is cooking, but also Windows Server 2008 SP2, Beta invites for which have also been sent out. Microsoft has yet to confirm anything officially, but the first Beta bits for Windows Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2 are reportedly going to testers in just four weeks.
Still, while Service Pack 1 was the catalyst that took Vista RTM out of coma, making the operating system worthy of a long forgotten and discarded Wow label, SP2 is bound to be nothing more than a standard service pack release. At best, SP2 will take Vista forward just as much as SP1.
The equation is rather simple for Microsoft. The company will end up with a repeat of the Windows XP SP2 – Windows Vista scenario in which both operating systems are available at the same time on the market, although this situation would involve Vista SP2 and Windows 7 RTM. The last thing that Microsoft needs is to evolve Vista with SP2 sufficiently enough that it will be capable to rival Windows 7. In this context, the answer is rather simple. The Redmond giant needs to keep Vista at a relative stand-still even with SP2, and focus all innovation on Windows 7.
Windows 7, or Windows 6.1, or Windows Vista R2, or Windows Vista but "a lot better"
The seventh major version of Windows, but only according to Microsoft's math, comes with no differentiation between the codename and the brand. However, Windows 7 will, for the sake of perpetuating the existing level of Vista software compatibility, be in fact Windows 6.1. At the same time, according to Ballmer, Windows 7 will be Vista, but “a lot better.” This makes Windows 7 an excellent candidate for the Windows Vista R2 label, just as Windows 7 Server is in fact Windows Server 2008 R2. Still, the early feedback on the Windows 7 moniker indicates that the management of the Windows 7 project made the right choice.
"There you have it, Windows 7 now has a name. It’s called – Windows 7,” revealed Steve Clayton, Microsoft's UK Partner Group CTO. “To be honest I was quite surprised but also pretty pleased. The naming decision as Mike Nash says is about simplicity. It’ll certainly save us from all having to unlearn the name we’ve all had for it to date. I expect this naming decision will be debated to death on all the usual sites, but me, I’m just happy we settled on a name. Now let’s get to the PDC and get the bits!"
"Win7 to officially be called . . . Win7" said Robert Hensing, Microsoft security software engineer. "I actually for once - LOVE that we are keeping the name of the OS simple and leaving it at Win7. I will admit – I was somewhat disappointed when XP's name was announced internally (internally it was known as Whistler) and I was downright horrified when we decided to call Longhorn "Vista" (my friends call it "Veesta"). Longhorn sounds cool . . . manly . . . Vista is pretty much the exact opposite in my mind . . . it sounds serene and 'pretty'."
"Steve Ballmer was at Gartner's Symposium/ITxpo conference today, talking about a number of issues. The big question was about Vista deployments and what should companies do. He answered by saying that the adoption rate for Vista, is two times that of where XP was after the same period," stated Neil Hutson, Microsoft evangelist. "Then in Jedi style, Neil MacDonald from Gartner said that 61% of respondents are thinking of skipping Vista. To that, Ballmer said that Microsoft would be ready for that outcome, but if he was the audience, he would not wait. I think that this is a good call. Vista SP1 is really stable and the big question is whether companies are going to wait for the first SP of Windows 7 before they deploy? That will leave them with a lot of very outdated machines and OS software that will take them a lot longer to replace."
Windows Cloud – To Strata or not to Strata?
At PDC2008 Microsoft plans to unveil the first Beta of Windows Cloud, which could be labeled Windows Strata, although the company has yet to confirm this aspect. Windows Strata goes beyond the Windows client and server operating systems, and is a new platform tailored to the Redmond giant's Software plus Services business model.
"We have our Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles in a couple of weeks, we're going to roll out new technologies and a new platform for this software plus services world. The new platform has a lot of work to do. First, it requires a new platform in the cloud. In the Microsoft kind of way of thinking every new major trend requires a new version of our operating system. So, we did Windows, then we did Windows Server, then we did Windows CE and Mobile. And you'll see us bring Windows technologies in a new form to the cloud," Ballmer explained.
Microsoft is essentially looking to keep up with the changes associated with the development paradigm. But what the company is doing is transition the Windows style of development to the cloud and make it available in the browser. Silverlight, .NET, Windows Presentation Foundation and Visual Studio will all contribute to enabling developers to built web-based solutions running on Microsoft's new Internet platform. In this regard, the software giant is working to ensure that services will "be available as a system construct in Windows Server, in Windows desktop and in Windows in the cloud," Ballmer stated, adding that "with this evolution to a new world of distributed computing, we Microsoft will introduce a new cloud platform, some new cloud services around Web 2.0, some advances to our development tools and development runtimes, as well as tools and technologies that really support new business models."
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The laptop market really expanded after Microsoft launched Windows XP in 2001. So when Vista was released earlier this year, it wasn't that surprising that Microsoft offered so many new ways to simplify or enhance the operating-system experience on computers that aren't tethered to a desk all day. Here's a look at few of them.
WINDOWS MOBILITY CENTER
One of the handiest additions to Vista is the Windows Mobility Center, which lets you view and modify plenty of laptop-specific settings, all in one convenient place. Bring it up by hitting Windows key + X, or navigating to Start > Control Panel > Mobile PC > Windows Mobility Center. There, you can adjust your display's brightness, adjust speaker volume, change battery settings, turn your wireless network adapter on or off, configure an external display, set up synchronization partnerships with mobile devices or a desktop computer at home or at the office (see Work Offline below), or control your PC's settings for presentation use in a business environment (see Presentations below).
TIME ZONES
If you're a frequent traveler who often strains to remember which time zone you're visiting, setting up Vista to display different clocks could be just what you need. Just click on the clock in the Start bar, then click “Change date and time settings…,” and then the Additional Clocks tab. Check the box next to “Show this clock” for each additional you clock you want to add, then specify the time zone and display name for each clock. After you apply your changes by clicking OK, clicking on the clock in the Start bar will show you the clocks for every time zone you've selected.
LID AND POWER OPTIONS
Shutting the lid of your laptop is a natural way to end a computing session, but Vista won't know to do that unless you stipulate it first. Navigate to Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance >Power Options, then click Choose What Closing the Lid Does (it's on the left section of the screen). Here, you can instruct your computer to hibernate, shut off, or do nothing—or prevent it from waking up without the proper password. You can even specify different settings based on whether your computer is plugged in or running on battery power. Plus, you get to decide what the power button (located in the Start bar) does when you click it.
CHECK YOUR BATTERY
The little battery icon in your system tray gives you an at-a-glance idea of how you're faring power-wise, but you can set it to provide more-detailed information. If you hover the mouse cursor over the icon, you'll see a small pop-up box that tells you what percentage of juice you have remaining. If you left-click the icon once, you'll get a larger version of the pop-up that lets you choose which power plan you want your laptop to follow, so you'll get what works best for you, whether you want to save energy (Power saver), maximize performance (High performance), or get something in between (Balanced).
WORK OFFLINE
It's helpful to be able to take files with you, so you can work on them when you don't have access to the office network. Vista (excluding the Home Basic and Home Premium versions) greatly improves your ability to keep track of everything. When you're browsing your network and you find a file or folder you want to make available on your laptop, just right-click it, select “Always Available Offline,” and Windows will download the appropriate files in the background. You can also choose to grab them all at once by going to the Sync Center (via Windows key + X or Start >All Programs >Accessories > Sync Center), selecting Offline Files partnership, and then clicking on Sync. If you return to the Sync Center after you've disconnected from your network, simply double-click Offline Files partnership again to get the full list of offline files and folders.
PRESENTATIONS
The ability to hook up your laptop to an external projector, so everyone can view what you have on your computer, is a boon to presenters everywhere. Unfortunately, it also means that everyone can see what else you have on your computer! Fear not, because the Windows Mobility Center’s presentation settings make it easy for you to determine what everyone else gets to see: Just click on the projector icon—you can adjust settings that will ensure your computer stays on and screensaver-free, has an appropriate volume level, and displays an uncontroversial background image. Once you’ve established your settings, you can turn them on or off with a single click of the Mobility Center button.
WINDOWS MOBILITY CENTER
One of the handiest additions to Vista is the Windows Mobility Center, which lets you view and modify plenty of laptop-specific settings, all in one convenient place. Bring it up by hitting Windows key + X, or navigating to Start > Control Panel > Mobile PC > Windows Mobility Center. There, you can adjust your display's brightness, adjust speaker volume, change battery settings, turn your wireless network adapter on or off, configure an external display, set up synchronization partnerships with mobile devices or a desktop computer at home or at the office (see Work Offline below), or control your PC's settings for presentation use in a business environment (see Presentations below).
TIME ZONES
If you're a frequent traveler who often strains to remember which time zone you're visiting, setting up Vista to display different clocks could be just what you need. Just click on the clock in the Start bar, then click “Change date and time settings…,” and then the Additional Clocks tab. Check the box next to “Show this clock” for each additional you clock you want to add, then specify the time zone and display name for each clock. After you apply your changes by clicking OK, clicking on the clock in the Start bar will show you the clocks for every time zone you've selected.
LID AND POWER OPTIONS
Shutting the lid of your laptop is a natural way to end a computing session, but Vista won't know to do that unless you stipulate it first. Navigate to Start > Control Panel > System and Maintenance >Power Options, then click Choose What Closing the Lid Does (it's on the left section of the screen). Here, you can instruct your computer to hibernate, shut off, or do nothing—or prevent it from waking up without the proper password. You can even specify different settings based on whether your computer is plugged in or running on battery power. Plus, you get to decide what the power button (located in the Start bar) does when you click it.
CHECK YOUR BATTERY
The little battery icon in your system tray gives you an at-a-glance idea of how you're faring power-wise, but you can set it to provide more-detailed information. If you hover the mouse cursor over the icon, you'll see a small pop-up box that tells you what percentage of juice you have remaining. If you left-click the icon once, you'll get a larger version of the pop-up that lets you choose which power plan you want your laptop to follow, so you'll get what works best for you, whether you want to save energy (Power saver), maximize performance (High performance), or get something in between (Balanced).
WORK OFFLINE
It's helpful to be able to take files with you, so you can work on them when you don't have access to the office network. Vista (excluding the Home Basic and Home Premium versions) greatly improves your ability to keep track of everything. When you're browsing your network and you find a file or folder you want to make available on your laptop, just right-click it, select “Always Available Offline,” and Windows will download the appropriate files in the background. You can also choose to grab them all at once by going to the Sync Center (via Windows key + X or Start >All Programs >Accessories > Sync Center), selecting Offline Files partnership, and then clicking on Sync. If you return to the Sync Center after you've disconnected from your network, simply double-click Offline Files partnership again to get the full list of offline files and folders.
PRESENTATIONS
The ability to hook up your laptop to an external projector, so everyone can view what you have on your computer, is a boon to presenters everywhere. Unfortunately, it also means that everyone can see what else you have on your computer! Fear not, because the Windows Mobility Center’s presentation settings make it easy for you to determine what everyone else gets to see: Just click on the projector icon—you can adjust settings that will ensure your computer stays on and screensaver-free, has an appropriate volume level, and displays an uncontroversial background image. Once you’ve established your settings, you can turn them on or off with a single click of the Mobility Center button.
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Now that mainstream users are starting to flock towards 64-bit desktops with 4GB of RAM, some enthusiasts will be looking for new ways to stay ahead of the curve. Luckily, memory makers
are right there with them. OCZ has introduced a batch of four new DDR2 memory kits that feature meaty 8GB and 16GB densities.
OCZ bases the kits on 4GB memory modules, so even the 16GB pack only features four DIMMs. Specs-wise, the firm isn't aiming for anything outlandish: all modules run at 800MHz, have CAS5 latencies, and only need a standard 1.8V of juice to function. Exact timings range from 5-4-4-18 on the "P45 Special" Platinum 8GB Edition to 5-6-6-18 for the "P45 Special" Vista Upgrade 16GB Quad Kit. OCZ is also launching 8GB Gold and 8GB Vista Upgrade kits.If you're wondering about the "P45 Special" in the product names, OCZ says it uses that label because the DIMMs are "optimized specifically for Intel's latest chipset." P45 or not, you'll probably want to double-check motherboard compatibility before splurging for these kits. Also, we should mention that memory support tops out at 16GB for Windows Vista Home Premium x64 and 8GB for Windows Vista Home Basic x64.
are right there with them. OCZ has introduced a batch of four new DDR2 memory kits that feature meaty 8GB and 16GB densities.OCZ bases the kits on 4GB memory modules, so even the 16GB pack only features four DIMMs. Specs-wise, the firm isn't aiming for anything outlandish: all modules run at 800MHz, have CAS5 latencies, and only need a standard 1.8V of juice to function. Exact timings range from 5-4-4-18 on the "P45 Special" Platinum 8GB Edition to 5-6-6-18 for the "P45 Special" Vista Upgrade 16GB Quad Kit. OCZ is also launching 8GB Gold and 8GB Vista Upgrade kits.If you're wondering about the "P45 Special" in the product names, OCZ says it uses that label because the DIMMs are "optimized specifically for Intel's latest chipset." P45 or not, you'll probably want to double-check motherboard compatibility before splurging for these kits. Also, we should mention that memory support tops out at 16GB for Windows Vista Home Premium x64 and 8GB for Windows Vista Home Basic x64.
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With the all the brouhaha surrounding solid state drives (SSDs), there remains a question of exactly how big of a performance advantage flash memory really holds over today's hard drives. On paper, most SSDs scream ahead in both read and write speeds, but real-world benchmarking paints a different picture. So why the discrepancy? At SandDisk, they're blaming Vista. The company's CEO, Eli Harari, says SSD "performance in the Vista environment falls short of what the market really needs. Vista is not optimized for flash memory solid-state disks."It's not hard to find fault with Vista, but blaming the OS for underperforming SSDs qualifies as a new one that even Apple hasn't yet exploited in its many mocking commercials. To be fair, Harari made the statement as part of a pitch to improve SSDs' next generation controllers, which he says "need to compensate for Vista's shortfalls." Because of this need, the company claims it is behind schedule bringing competitive SSDs to market.Is SanDisk justified in pointing the finger at Vista?
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Intel has decided that it will not upgrade its company's systems to Microsoft Windows Vista, and will instead continue using Windows XP -- reports doing rounds of the Internet seem to suggest.The reports say that Intel carried out analyses in different departments to find out the usefulness of shifting to Vista. Their final decision seems to suggest that the company didn't find Vista useful enough, at least not for now. However, an Intel spokesperson reportedly said that the company is testing and deploying Windows Vista in certain departments.
Vista has been slow in penetrating the corporate world, and soon it would be time for Windows 7 to be released (expected to release in 2010). Intel's decision only corroborates that apprehension.
It is believed that a prominent factor for large and small enterprises not to adopt Vista is that the system requires a lot of memory as well as expensive hardware upgrades. Microsoft and Intel have a history together, which apparently, includes the latter dismissing an immediate adoption of the latest Microsoft system in the past as well. We're referring to when WindowsXP was launched, and Intel decided to hold on to Windows 2000 refusing to utilize it in the organization for all of its employees. Interestingly, Intel and Microsoft together control almost 80 percent of the global personal computing market.
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With Yahoo! messenger for Vista (beta) preview version launched in December last year, at least some collaboration seems to be in place between Microsoft and Yahoo! Now the latter has announced release of a voice-enabled beta version of Yahoo! Messenger for Vista.Included with Vista-specific Messenger are voice and SMS, a voice visualization feature, and other improvements that Yahoo! says will help improve their messenger's overall speed and stability.With the Yahoo messenger software, users can now make free PC-to-PC calls to other Yahoo! Messenger friends, or make paid calls to landlines and mobile phones. New voice features also include fun voice visualizations that animate users and their friends voices while they are on a call.
Free text-messaging to mobile phones (SMS) will also be possible through this version for Vista. That means, when you send a message to someone's phone, you will receive the reply on your messenger window. While it is free for a user to send SMS messages from messenger, there are charges applicable for receiving an SMS on mobile phone, depending on the mobile data plan. Other features include the option to receive a pop-up alert when you have new Yahoo! Mail.
Yahoo! says these are just the initial features for its messenger for Vista. Gradually, this version will include popular features of the classic version of Yahoo! messenger.
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Windows Vista users may recall a glitch in the software update that led them to an endless reboot cycle whenever they tried installing Vista Service Pack 1; this is about two months ago. Microsoft now says the problem stands fixed.
In February this year, Microsoft stopped offering its Servicing Stack Update (SSU) KB937287, which is one of the prerequisites for installing Vista SP1. The reason being many users complained about entering a hard-to-break reboot cycle during the installation process.Yesterday in a blog post on its Windows Update Product Team blog, Microsoft said that the problem with the SSU stemmed from 'a few unknown and rare events' during the installation process. Meaning Vista users who've already successfully installed the SSU have no reason to worry. While for those who haven't already installed the SSU, Microsoft is releasing a fix that will install before the SSU, helping ensure smooth installation of the SSU. The fix will install seamlessly through the Windows Update, Microsoft said. And for those using a stand-alone download of Vista SP1, Microsoft said the issues encountered will not affect the installation process at all.Meanwhile in a separate blog post, Chris Flores, a director on the Windows Client Team said that Microsoft remains 'on track' to begin distribution of the English, French, Spanish, German, and Japanese versions of Vista SP1 through its Automatic Update system middle of this month -- the same time it plans to roll out the initial release of Vista SP1 in the remaining languages.
In February this year, Microsoft stopped offering its Servicing Stack Update (SSU) KB937287, which is one of the prerequisites for installing Vista SP1. The reason being many users complained about entering a hard-to-break reboot cycle during the installation process.Yesterday in a blog post on its Windows Update Product Team blog, Microsoft said that the problem with the SSU stemmed from 'a few unknown and rare events' during the installation process. Meaning Vista users who've already successfully installed the SSU have no reason to worry. While for those who haven't already installed the SSU, Microsoft is releasing a fix that will install before the SSU, helping ensure smooth installation of the SSU. The fix will install seamlessly through the Windows Update, Microsoft said. And for those using a stand-alone download of Vista SP1, Microsoft said the issues encountered will not affect the installation process at all.Meanwhile in a separate blog post, Chris Flores, a director on the Windows Client Team said that Microsoft remains 'on track' to begin distribution of the English, French, Spanish, German, and Japanese versions of Vista SP1 through its Automatic Update system middle of this month -- the same time it plans to roll out the initial release of Vista SP1 in the remaining languages.
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In Redmond Utero, Microsoft is making headway with the development of Windows 7. But aside from small leaked bits and pieces of information about the next version of Windows, there are almost no official comments on Windows vNext.
Designed as the successor of Windows Vista, the Redmond company revealed that Windows 7 had been in development since 2007, and in planning even before Vista had hit the shelves, as early as 2006. Additionally, Microsoft also pointed out that the development
process of Windows 7 is scooped three years after the consumer general availability of Windows Vista. This means that the next iteration of the Windows operating system is planned for 2010, after January 30.
At the end of December 2007, Microsoft made available Milestone 1 of Windows 7 to close partners and then went on to put the operating system in its early development stage at the disposal of antitrust regulators for review alongside Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista SP1. But while the next version of Windows is in play, only a selected few managed to get their hands on the actual bits, leaving end users with nothing but crumbs from the Windows 7 feast. And speaking of crumbs, Paul Thurrott, via SuperSite for Windows, has a new screenshot gallery of Windows 7. What you will be able to see is Windows 7 Milestone 1 Version 6.1 (Build 6519.1.x86fre.winmain.071220-1525) Ultimate. At this point in time, Windows 7 M 1 is not a standalone package. It is in fact designed to be installed on top of Windows Vista SP1 RTM, and this is the explication for the Ultimate edition label. And yes, little to nothing has changed compared to Vista, but this is an inherent scenario as Windows 7 is in the early stages of development. It is in fact tradition over at Microsoft to build the next version of a Windows operating system on top of the old one.
It happened with Windows XP and Longhorn and you can now experience it with Windows Vista and Windows 7. The differences are subtle and provide nuances rather than anything else. Microsoft has not even got to introducing the MinWin, stripped down core of the Windows platform into Windows 7 M1. At the same time, Windows 7 Milestone 2 is getting closer and closer, as it is planned for the April/May 2008 timeframe.
Designed as the successor of Windows Vista, the Redmond company revealed that Windows 7 had been in development since 2007, and in planning even before Vista had hit the shelves, as early as 2006. Additionally, Microsoft also pointed out that the developmentprocess of Windows 7 is scooped three years after the consumer general availability of Windows Vista. This means that the next iteration of the Windows operating system is planned for 2010, after January 30.
At the end of December 2007, Microsoft made available Milestone 1 of Windows 7 to close partners and then went on to put the operating system in its early development stage at the disposal of antitrust regulators for review alongside Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista SP1. But while the next version of Windows is in play, only a selected few managed to get their hands on the actual bits, leaving end users with nothing but crumbs from the Windows 7 feast. And speaking of crumbs, Paul Thurrott, via SuperSite for Windows, has a new screenshot gallery of Windows 7. What you will be able to see is Windows 7 Milestone 1 Version 6.1 (Build 6519.1.x86fre.winmain.071220-1525) Ultimate. At this point in time, Windows 7 M 1 is not a standalone package. It is in fact designed to be installed on top of Windows Vista SP1 RTM, and this is the explication for the Ultimate edition label. And yes, little to nothing has changed compared to Vista, but this is an inherent scenario as Windows 7 is in the early stages of development. It is in fact tradition over at Microsoft to build the next version of a Windows operating system on top of the old one.
It happened with Windows XP and Longhorn and you can now experience it with Windows Vista and Windows 7. The differences are subtle and provide nuances rather than anything else. Microsoft has not even got to introducing the MinWin, stripped down core of the Windows platform into Windows 7 M1. At the same time, Windows 7 Milestone 2 is getting closer and closer, as it is planned for the April/May 2008 timeframe.
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As you are probably aware by now, Microsoft released Windows Vista Service Pack 1 to manufacturing on February 4, 2008. But even though the service pack RTM'd over a month ago, Vista users still don't have access to the gold bits of Vista SP1. Microsoft cited driver integration issues as the reason for postponing Vista SP1 RTM's availability another month and a half. Starting in mid-March, the servicepack will be dropped via Microsoft Updates, Windows Updates and the Microsoft Download Center, with the localized versions planned for RTM in April, when the company will also start serving Vista SP1 through Automatic Updates.
But at the same time, Vista SP1 is indeed available for download. However, only the 15,000 testers involved in the Vista SP1 test driving process, along with Microsoft's Volume License Customers and MSDN and TechNet Plus subscribers got access to Vista SP1 almost immediately after Vista SP1 shipped.An as far as the TechNet Plus and MSDN subscribers go, they can grab not only the Vista SP1 RTM standalone installer, but also the Vista SP1 RTM Slipstream (Integrated) ISO DVD for all the editions of Windows Vista, both 32-bit and 64-bit. Slipstream essentially means an ISO image of Vista plus SP1 already bundled together.
This week, Kathy Dixon from TechNet Plus subscriptions confirmed that "the full Vista install with SP1 integrated (also referred to as the Slipstream build) is now available for download." And the same is valid for MSDN, as a member of the MSDN Subscriptions program stated: "The first wave includes English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish versions of Windows Vista with Service Pack 1 are now available. These are available by clicking a Subscriber Downloads and Product Keys link from the Subscriptions Home page or the Subscriptions Management page - which takes you to the Subscriber downloads system."
The must-have information about the Vista SP1 RTM Slipstream (Integrated) ISO DVD files involves the hashes that are associated with the integrity of the downloads. The SHA1 hash codes for Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (Ultimate, Business, Home Premium and Home Basic editions) is bcd715a02739809e477c726ae4b5caa914156429.
The download is en_windows_vista_with_service_pack_1_x86_dvd_x14-29594.iso weighing in at 2,943MB. But there is also Windows Vista SP1 Enterprise available for download: f3032516ebcfafd03af886f8d5bc46e4b17ade23 and
en_windows_vista_enterprise_with_service_pack_1_x86_dvd_x14-55963.iso, just 2,140MB.
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Microsoft Research is hard at work on a new project designed to virtually redefine the concept of portability. In a variety of ways, the Windows operating system can already go virtually anywhere with its users, but this does not mean that the evolution has stopped at the laptop or Ultra Mobile PC level. According to Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft is now hard at work on putting Windows on USB-based flash drives via StartKey. A clue to what the Redmondcompany is cooking with StartKey is the current U3 technology which essentially permits users of USB drives to not only store files, but also to install and run applications from the USB stick. Another clue is the Keychain project from Microsoft Research.
"Tomorrow’s mobile computing environment might see a proliferation of public-use (kiosk) machines where users can simply and easily call up their desktop environments. This vision offers an alternative to portable computing that doesn’t require users to carry bulky, fragile, and theft-prone laptops. We posit that kiosk machines are capable of hosting users' desktops as virtual machines and propose a virtual disk design. The virtual disk design allows for an efficient access to per-user state held 'in the network.' We use flash-based disks to capture virtual machine memory state and to act as a cache for the virtual disk. We also allow static portions of the virtual disk, e.g., binaries for Windows and Office, to be served from the kiosk disk," reads the overview of Keychain.
Essentially, StartKey seems to be one and the same with Keychain. In Microsoft's perspective, StartKey will enable the end users to take their home desktops away with them on USB Drives, and access their personalized and customized copy of the operating system anywhere from public kiosks to a friend's computer. Judging by the Keychain project, virtualization technology will play a big part of the USB portable Windows equation. According to Microsoft, the new technology will allow to access your copy of Windows in Virtual PC, resume from standby, perform whatever work you want to do and then save everything to the flash drive.
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Yet another assignment! For another couple of weeks! High Career profiles come at a cost of being away from your loved ones. Whether it be a span of days or weeks or months you will only miss them. The falling snow or the blooming bud makes you miss them more.Of course your laptop’s webcam lets you share live talks with your loved ones. But if you want to show them the view outside your stay, say the beautiful lake or the falling snow, you just can’t do it effectively. Why? Because the laptop’s webcam is usually embedded on the top of the screen and you have to tilt or carry the laptop to show what you want to. Won’t it be desirable to have a separate cam that is flexible and easy to carry? Brando has it. The USB flexible web cam is very much convenient for the frequent travellers. It comes with a flexible neck that can be bent into any direction, without moving the laptop an inch. Isn’t that an awesome idea?It will fit well in your laptop case and is easy to carry. So now you want to check out the features? Here it goes:
* 100% plug and play
* Doesn’t require any drivers to be installed
* Compatible with Windows XP or Vista
* The lens can be rotated for adjusting the focus
* Compatible with ICQ, MSN, Skype and other chat and VOIP applications.
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By enabling the NoDrivesInSendToMenu policy, you can hide drive-letters from the Send To menu in Windows Vista without actually hiding the drives in Windows Explorer environment.A point to note that NoDrivesInSendToMenu is not applicable for Windows XP systems.
* Click Start, type regedit.exe and press ENTER
* Navigate to the following location:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \
Policies \ Explorer
If the above branch does not exist by default, you'll need to create it.
* Create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named NoDrivesInSendToMenu
* Double-click NoDrivesInSendToMenu and set its value data to 1
* Exit Registry Editor. For more information please subscribe in the email.Happy computing.
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you have installed Vista and now you want Xp in the second boot, and when you do so , your Vista isnt detected anymore, so now you either format your Drives and install again, or you repair Vista and thats ok,
But you can run both in Dual boot without formatting,
As vista is installed, you install Windows Xp in X:> (X is the drive of your Choice) (may be D: , E: etc)
now your comp. restarts in XP without showing Vista, dont worry just restart your COmp. and boot from VIsta CD/DVD whatever you have, repair your installation and now your VISTA boots up, without Showing Xp, but nothing to worry,
Just Place your Vista DVD/CD int he drive in VISTA and now go to start menu, all programs , accessories , right click on command prompt
and click on run as administratornow type these commands
Use Bootsect.exe to restore the Windows Vista MBR and the boot code that transfers control to the Windows Boot Manager program. To do this, type the following command at a command prompt:
Drive:\boot\ Bootsect.exe –NT60 All
In this command, Drive is the drive where the Windows Vista installation media is located.
Use Bcdedit.exe to manually create an entry in the BCD Boot.ini file for the earlier version of the Windows operating system. To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt.
Note In these commands, Drive is the drive where Windows Vista is installed.
Drive:\Windows\system32\Bcdedit –create {ntldr} –d “Description for earlier Windows version”
Note In this command, Description for earlier Windows version can be any text that you want. For example, Description for earlier Windows version can be "Windows XP” or “Windows Server 2003." Drive:\Windows\system32\Bcdedit –set {ntldr} device partition=x:
Note In this command, x: is the drive letter for the active partition.
Drive:\Windows\system32\Bcdedit –set {ntldr} path \ntldrDrive:\Windows\system32\Bcdedit –displayorder {ntldr} –addlast
Restart the computer.
and you are done...
But you can run both in Dual boot without formatting,
As vista is installed, you install Windows Xp in X:> (X is the drive of your Choice) (may be D: , E: etc)
now your comp. restarts in XP without showing Vista, dont worry just restart your COmp. and boot from VIsta CD/DVD whatever you have, repair your installation and now your VISTA boots up, without Showing Xp, but nothing to worry,
Just Place your Vista DVD/CD int he drive in VISTA and now go to start menu, all programs , accessories , right click on command prompt
and click on run as administratornow type these commands
Use Bootsect.exe to restore the Windows Vista MBR and the boot code that transfers control to the Windows Boot Manager program. To do this, type the following command at a command prompt:
Drive:\boot\ Bootsect.exe –NT60 All
In this command, Drive is the drive where the Windows Vista installation media is located.
Use Bcdedit.exe to manually create an entry in the BCD Boot.ini file for the earlier version of the Windows operating system. To do this, type the following commands at a command prompt.
Note In these commands, Drive is the drive where Windows Vista is installed.
Drive:\Windows\system32\Bcdedit –create {ntldr} –d “Description for earlier Windows version”
Note In this command, Description for earlier Windows version can be any text that you want. For example, Description for earlier Windows version can be "Windows XP” or “Windows Server 2003." Drive:\Windows\system32\Bcdedit –set {ntldr} device partition=x:
Note In this command, x: is the drive letter for the active partition.
Drive:\Windows\system32\Bcdedit –set {ntldr} path \ntldrDrive:\Windows\system32\Bcdedit –displayorder {ntldr} –addlast
Restart the computer.
and you are done...
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Not too long after Microsoft had released a developer build of the Windows 7 Milestone 1 release to a select few, review and opinion pieces started to leak onto Windows enthusiast sites by OEM employees or their beneficiaries. So it's hardly surprising that now -just a few days later, the full naked DVD image has started to show up on a few torrent sites.Anonymous pirates vying to snatch credit for the first Windows 7 torrent have only served to frustrate, with many of the downloaders later verifying the various submissions as fake zero byte ISO images, and while we haven't been able to verify for ourselves if indeed a valid Win7 image has been leaked to the pirating community, it sure is stirring up a lot of interest in the past 24 hours!
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1. Start -> Run -> msconfig
2. Goto “Boot” tab and click on “Advanced options…” button.
3. Now enable the option “Number of processors:” and select the correct no. of processors from drop-down list.
4. Now click on “OK” button and then “Apply” it.
5. It’ll require a restart and after reboot you’ll notice improvement in system performance.
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Security researchers have released attack code that will crash Windows XP and Vista PCs that are susceptible to a recently patched bug in the operating system.
The code was released yesterday to security professionals who use Immunity's Canvas computer security testing software. It causes the Windows system to crash but does not let the attacker run malicious software on the victim's system. It is not available to the general public.
"It reliably crashes Windows machines," said Dave Aitel, Immunity's chief technology officer. "In fact, it blue-screened our print server by accident - this is a broadcast attack, after all."
That's the biggest concern for security experts who worry that a more dangerous attack may soon follow as researchers dig further into the vulnerability. The bug is particularly troublesome for two reasons. First, it affects a widely used Windows component that is turned on by default. Worse, no user interaction is required to trigger the flaw, meaning that it could be exploited in a self-copying worm attack.
Microsoft patched the flaw in its MS08-001 update, released last week, but it takes time for enterprise users to test and install Microsoft's patches. Microsoft patched the flaw in its MS08-001 update, released last week, but it takes time for enterprise users to test and install Microsoft's patches.
The flaw lies in the way Windows processes networking traffic that uses Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) and the Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD) protocol, which are used to send data to many systems at the same time. The protocols are used by a range of applications including messaging, web conferencing and software distribution products.
For a worm attack to work, the attacker would have to send specially crafted packets to a victim's machine, which could then allow the attacker to run unauthorised code on the PC. The worm could then spread from computer to computer within a LAN, but would generally be stopped from travelling to another network by a firewall.
A reliable exploit could be combined with malicious botnet software, giving attackers a way to widen the size of their networks of infected computers. The flaw is rated critical for Windows XP and Vista systems, according to Microsoft.
After patching the flaw, Microsoft published some technical research indicating that it would be hard for an attacker to exploit this vulnerability.
But Aitel believes that Microsoft may have overestimated how difficult it would be to create reliable attack code. Because it could spread so quickly through a network, a reliable exploit "is going to be worth the effort," Aitel said. "You can be assured lots of smart people are working on it."
Part of the problem is that IT staff may not be aware of how widely these multicasting protocols are used within their companies, said Russ Cooper, a senior network consultant with Verizon Business. "I am extremely worried that this becomes a problem simply because people are unaware of what they're already allowing," he said.
If one machine were infected within a network subnet, its attempt to attack other machines might not even be noticeable, he added. "It may look like a large file transfer."
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=11875
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If you're like most PC users, you probably got Windows Vista with a new PC or laptop. And if you're like 99% of the population, you get your new machines from one of the major manufacturers. Dell, Acer, HP, Toshiba, Lenovo, they all have one thing in common: they don't give you a real Windows Vista installation disc with your purchase. Instead, they bundle what they call a "recovery disc" (that's if you're lucky - otherwise you'll have a recovery partition instead) with your machine and leave it at that.It doesn't matter that you just paid a thousand dollars for a machine that comes with a valid Windows Vista license - your computer manufacturer just don't want to spend the money (or perhaps take on the responsibility) of giving you a Windows Vista installation DVD to accompany your expensive purchase.You can download it from here :Windows Vista The problem is, with Windows Vista, the installation media serves more than one purpose. It's not just a way to get Windows installed, it's also the only way of recovering a borked installation. The Windows Vista DVD has a "recovery center" that provides you with the option of recovering your system via automated recovery (searches for problems and attempts to fix them automatically), rolling-back to a system restore point, recovering a full PC backup, or accessing a command-line recovery console for advanced recovery purposes.
Microsoft seems to have realized this problem, and have thankfully made a recovery disc for this purpose. It contains the contents of the Windows Vista DVD's "recovery center," as we've come to refer to it. It cannot be used to install or reinstall Windows Vista, and just serves as a Windows PE interface to recovering your PC. Technically, one could re-create this installation media with freely-downloadable media from Microsoft (namely the Microsoft WAIK kit, a multi-gigabyte download); but it's damn-decent of Microsoft to make this available to Windows' users who might not be capable of creating such a thing on their own.
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