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Resource Page: Windows Vista Resources
12 Windows Vista Tweaks To Boost Your PC's Performance
Our tips on finding and weeding out system performance hogs, optimizing memory, and restraining Vista's features will make your system soar.
Ditching Vista: How To Downgrade To Windows XP
If sluggish performance and numerous bugs in your shiny new PC running Windows Vista have got you down, you can downgrade -- at no additional cost -- to Windows XP. It's not hard. Here's how.
How To Revive Your Old PC
A few simple and economical upgrades to the motherboard, processor, and memory can bring an old PC back to life, with less expense and hassle than replacing the machine.
Do-It-Yourself Talk Radio With Your PC And Phone
BlogTalkRadio, Talkshoe, and Skypecasts are among the Web sites that have become popular for would-be radio jocks.
Analytics Brief: Vista In The Enterprise
Vista is coming. But when, where, and how will it end up on your users' computers?
Analytics Brief: Disruptive By Any Name
We look at three technologies -- Windows Vista, ILM, and virtualization -- and find that the most disruptive one is turning out to be the no-brainer of the group.
10 Tips To Secure Your Laptop
Whether you're home or on the road, these security steps will help protect you and your computer from wireless scoundrels.
9 Speech Recognition Apps For Your PC
From Microsoft's Windows Speech Recognition and Tellme to Google's Goog-411, Jott, and GotVoice, we point you to a host of applications which recognize voice commands and convert them to text or otherwise respond in a useful way.
10 Ways to Spice Up Your Blog
If you want your blog to attract attention (and hits), try adding one of these free Web tools.
Made To Look Easy, New Web Apps Will Require Some Work
Microsoft's Silverlight is among the new technologies that users will come to expect.
Those Cross-Browser Blues: How To Develop Web Sites For Both Internet Explorer And Firefox
If you're trying to develop sites that will be compatible with IE, Firefox, and Opera, watch out -- there are still a lot of speed bumps out there. We examine six of them and let you in on some solutions.
Build An Entertainment Center For The Mac Or The PC
If you've already got a Mac or a PC, you can build a home entertainment center around your current computer. Here are two sample systems to help show what can be done.
Two Ways To Deal With SOA's Data Integration Challenge
Service-oriented architecture blurs distinctions between data and apps; integrating the results is what matters.
What To Do When Windows Vista Crashes: Little-Known Recovery Strategies
Because Microsoft's new operating system is bigger than its predecessors, it's more of a pain to reinstall. Here are some backup, repair, and monitoring methods so you won't have to, even if you encounter fatal startup errors.
Put Your USB Drive To Work: 5 Strategies For Going Mobile
Your flash drive can do more than just hold data -- it can give you the ability to take your PC anywhere. Here are five strategies for making the most of that tiny USB key.
Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows Vista: Chapter 15, Using Internet Explorer 7
This excerpt from Que's comprehensive reference book on Windows Vista walks you through the new features in Internet Explorer 7. It's also got tips on customizing your browser settings, multimedia downloading, and how to troubleshoot your installation.
Windows Vista How-To: Moving User Profiles To Vista Systems
Microsoft has made some drastic changes in Windows Vista's support for personalization. How will this affect your move to Vista? Learn how you can mitigate the impact with built-in and add-on tools.
Computer GUI Revolution Continues With Microsoft Surface's Touch Screen, Object Recognition
Microsoft's tabletop display computer may set us on the path to where we no longer need keyboards and mice to work with computers.
Review: Parallels -- The Mac Way To Do Windows
Parallels is an extraordinary accomplishment, allowing you to run Windows and Windows applications on the Mac. However, it's still got a couple of flaws.
Windows Vista Tip: Using WinRE To Repair Damaged Systems
With Vista, Microsoft has made significant improvements in the way you can recover from and repair serious problems.
Windows Vista Tip: Excluding Directories From Vista's Built-In Backup
Vista' built-in backup utility can be very useful, but it's got some serious limitations. Here's how to get around one of the most annoying.
5 Tips Give Your Vista PC The Personal Touch
It's time to add some more sophisticated options to your Vista palette.
Windows Vista Tip: Installing And Running Adobe Reader
What do you do when you can't read PDF files on Vista?
Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows Vista: Chapter 2, Installing and Upgrading Windows Vista
This excerpt from Que's comprehensive new reference on Windows Vista walks you through the installation process, whether you're upgrading from XP or doing a clean setup. It also explains how to check whether your hardware is Vista capable, product activation, and multiboot operation.
Top 5 Windows Vista Tips To Personalize Your PC
Our list of hot features to add to your Vista installation includes video wallpaper, making Flip 3-D work more like the Mac's, tuning Firefox's user interface, managing security, and where to get a hold of nifty Sidebar Gadgets.
The Latest News
Microsoft To Ship Windows Server 2008 In February
The operating system is now in "escrow," a phase where the final test passes are being done on the operating system and any changes aren't taken lightly.
Microsoft Broadens Virtualization Strategy Beyond Data Center
Microsoft wants virtualization to change the way IT works from the data center to the desktop.
With Latest Server, Microsoft Rides The 64-Bit Range
The OS formerly known as Longhorn is ready to run. Should you jump on or get the hell out of its way? We've launched a new type of Rolling Review to find out how Windows Server 2008 stacks up.
Windows Home Server Bug Could Lead To Data Loss
The issue was acknowledged in October, when Microsoft warned "not to copy data files that contain alternate data streams to Windows Home Server shared folders."
Passenger Says He Hacked Windows In New York Taxi Display Screen
A software engineer says he accessed a New York City cab's video display system files after seeing an error message on the screen.
Samba Gets Microsoft Protocol Info
The agreement allows Samba implementations of the Windows workgroup protocols to go out under the General Public License.
Microsoft Releases A Nearly Final Windows Vista SP1
The Release Candidate will provide one of the final chances for users to offer feedback to Microsoft on which features in the operating system still need to be improved.
Windows Vista Users Hit With 'Purple Screen Of Death'
The lockup occurs when there's a conflict between certain system drivers and Windows Vista's Desktop Window Manager.
Microsoft Offers Service Pack Blocker
The toolkit halts automatic delivery of OS service packs through Windows Update.
Microsoft's Volta Brings .NET To The Web
The technology lets developers design apps in common Microsoft languages and repurpose them for the Web with a few clicks late in the development process.
Z4 Sues Microsoft Over Windows Vista, Office
Fresh off its $142 million court victory, z4 Technologies claims Microsoft still violates patents it holds for technology that blocks attempts to use a single password.
Microsoft Drops Details On Silverlight 2.0
The Web presentation technology takes better advantage of the .NET development environment and should make it easier for programmers to create rich media applications.
Microsoft Releases Final Version Of Exchange Server 2007 SP1
SP1 features improved support for Windows Server 2008, tighter integration with Office Communications Server 2007, and better mobile device security management.
California Looks At Google Or Microsoft As Its Hosted Software Supplier
A move to hosted e-mail and other services would affect a quarter of a million state workers and create a multimillion-dollar revenue windfall for either company.
Visual Studio 2008 Shows Up Early To The Party
The formal launch may be months way, but Microsoft's updated development environment is now available.
Lack Of Black Tech Professionals Hurts U.S., Bill Gates Says
Microsoft is working with the National Society of Black Engineers and hiring and promoting African-American programmers and engineers.
In Virtualization Race, Microsoft Unbundles In Bid To Catch Up
The newly dubbed Hyper-V Server can be licensed with or without Windows Server 2008 when they ship next year.
Microsoft Preps Windows Vista Update For Download
The most significant change is a feature that extends battery life for mobile devices as well as improves the stability of Windows PowerShell and wireless network services.
Microsoft's Ready To Be Your Enterprise Search Vendor
Microsoft plans to rebrand and improve its SharePoint Server for Search as Search Server 2008 and offer a free, smaller-scale version, too.
Microsoft Plans Light Patch Tuesday
One fix addresses a "critical" issue and one addresses a flaw rated "important," and neither is needed for Windows Vista.
Microsoft Introduces Windows License For Refurbished PCs
The company hopes to extend the life of older corporate desktops with two versions of Windows XP by revising its Authorized Refurbisher program.
Microsoft To Update Visual Studio, .NET This Month
Visual Studio 2008 includes a new graphical designer to target XAML, a design language used by Windows Presentation Foundation.
Microsoft Sees Windows Vista Growth Phase Underway
Microsoft is predicting a strong first holiday season for its OS after it said it is starting to see mass adoption from businesses nearly a year after it was released.
Microsoft Files Counterfeiting Claims Against 20 Software Dealers
The independent dealers are accused of selling bootleg CDs containing Microsoft software or shipping computers with illegitimate copies of Windows installed.
Microsoft Earnings Boosted By Windows Vista, Office, Halo
The combined revenue of Microsoft's client, business, and server and tools divisions grew by more than 20%, the company said.
Microsoft Extends Its Reach To Mobile Device Management
New Mobile Device Manager can remotely provision and control Windows Mobile smartphones.
Microsoft's Halo 3 Sparks 100% Jump In Xbox 360 Sales
But Microsoft's cost of revenue for its gaming division increased 99%, or $584 million, in part because of a jump in warranty-related expenses.
Microsoft Says Windows May Soon Be On XO Laptop
The low-cost laptop computer for poor children currently runs on rival Linux software.
EU Win Over Microsoft Gives Ball To Linux -- Can It Run With It?
European businesses that have thus far shied away from Linux might not be more inclined to go open source as a result of the restrictions imposed on by the Commission.
Microsoft Wants Smaller Software Footprints Starting With Windows 7
Microsoft will use a bare-bones version of the Windows kernel, called MinWin, as the starting point for the development of future products, including Windows 7 and Windows Server.
Ballmer Demos 'Popfly,' Microsoft's Web Mashup Tool At Web 2.0
At the Web 2.0 Summit, Microsoft demonstrated an application called "Popfly" that lets neophytes create Web-based mashups without writing code.
Microsoft Windows Live Gets Event Planning Tool
The service lets users add graphical templates and maps to slickly formatted event invitations they can e-mail to friends and associates.
Microsoft's Phone Ambitions Face A Winding Road
The biggest challenges for Microsoft may be legacy vendors Cisco, Avaya, and Siemens, which are known for resilience and uptime.
Microsoft Takes On IP Telephony With Unified Communications Launch
Microsoft's "multi-year, multi-dimensional" drive to link voice, video, and data is expected to compete with similar products from Cisco Systems and Avaya.
Adobe Confirms Critical Bug Affecting Windows XP
Adobe issued a workaround for the vulnerability and reported that a fix should be released before the end of the month.
Microsoft Releases Windows XP SP3 For Testing
Enhancements include a network access protection module that borrows from technology used in Windows Vista and improved support for cryptographic algorithms.
Microsoft Patch Tuesday: Expect 7 Bulletins, 4 Critical
Microsoft is planning to patch vulnerabilities in Windows Vista, Internet Explorer and Office in next week's Patch Tuesday release.
Microsoft Joins Online Productivity Battle With Office Live Workspaces
The software lets people store, share, and collaborate on Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents online and share their desktop with one another.
Microsoft To Extend Windows XP Sales As Vista Concerns Mount
The software company said it will make the full version of Windows XP available to PC manufacturers and retailers through June 30, 2008.
Microsoft Hopes Add Ons Will Boost Windows Vista
The Extras pack includes a number of tools and utilities designed to make the operating system more secure and user friendly.
Microsoft Vs. Europe: EU Pundits Want Windows-less PCs
The Globalisation Institute has the ear of many of Europe's top policymakers, so its call for Windows-less PCs on store shelves could gain some traction.
New Version Of Microsoft Office Due In 2009
The next version of the Microsoft Office productivity suite appears to be on track to be released in the fall of 2009, with test releases coming as soon as early next year.
Microsoft To Ship Release Candidate of Windows Server 2008 Next Week
Michael Neil, general manager of virtualization for Microsoft, disclosed the plans while demonstrating the software's virtualization capabilities at the Intel Developer Forum.
Microsoft Antitrust Penalties Upheld By European Court
At least one analyst expects Microsoft to appeal the decision, which it must decide to do within two months.
Microsoft Updates Windows Without User Permission, Apologizes
Over the last few weeks, without user approval, Windows Update has updated nine small executable files in both Windows XP and Windows Vista.
Chinese Student Claims Windows Genuine Advantage Invades Privacy
In the suit, Lu Feng claims that Windows Genuine Advantage collects information about his computer use and personal data without his authorization.
Microsoft Readies Patches For Windows, Visual Studio
Five bulletins are expected to fix bugs in Windows Vista, MSN Messenger and Visual Studio.
Poll: Many Vista Users Are Also Moving To Office 2007
Survey sponsor CDW says it appears that small businesses are making the transition sooner than large corporations.
Microsoft Releases Silverlight; Linux Version Coming
Silverlight 1.0 will focus mostly on audio and video, but future versions will let developers program for the Web in .NET.
Windows Vista Update Due, But Don't Expect A Panacea
Service Pack 1, due in the first quarter of 2008, will come with across-the-board improvements, but few new features.
Microsoft Update Forces HP MediaSmart Home Server Delay
While no one is saying the update is fixing flaws, HP said it decided to wait until the better version of the software was available.
Microsoft Will Release Windows Vista SP1 Early 2008
Performance, compatibility, and reliability have been among the biggest complaints of Windows Vista users, and the service pack will focus on those three major trouble areas.
Microsoft Piracy Check Snafu Mislabels Authentic Windows Copies
Without a fix, users would have had to turn off anything that would ping Microsoft's WGA servers for validation, including updates and patches, until the issue got resolved.
Microsoft Adds UbiSoft To 'Games for Windows' Campaign
Ubisoft's products will carry the Games for Windows seal, an indication to consumers that a game will run properly on Windows Vista and other Microsoft operating systems.
India Deals Blow To Microsoft Office 2007 Standard
Country officials say they will not recommend that the OOXML file format be adopted when the issue comes to a vote next month.
Forrester: Good News For Microsoft Office, Mixed News For Windows Vista
Despite aggressive plans for Vista rollouts before the operating system was released, one analyst found many companies are pushing those plans back.
Microsoft Gives Windows Live Hotmail A Storage Boost
Other enhancements include boosting the e-mail service's speed and making it easier to view images and links in messages.
Microsoft's Mega Batch Of Patches, The Second Largest In 2007
Researchers are calling this a massive bundle of patches, fixing bugs that will affect anyone using Windows.
Microsoft Readies Patches For Windows Vista, IE Bugs
In next week's Patch Tuesday release, Microsoft will release six bulletins that contain fixes for critical bugs and another three that patch flaws with a top rating of important.
Windows Vista, XP Service Packs Eagerly Awaited
Microsoft is getting kudos from the Internet Storm Center for getting as many eye balls as possible on the service pack previews.
Blogs and Commentary
Windows Server 2008: Less Is More
Windows Home Server: A Good Idea But A Tough Sell
Microsoft Executive Exits Could Provide Opportunities
Will Windows Vista Succeed In 2008? Don't Count On It
The First Chink In Microsoft's Linux Patent Armor
AT&T Disables Windows Live On Treo 750 Smartphones
Should One Laptop Per Child System Run Linux Or Windows?
What Do You Call The Hobbling Of WGA? A Good Start
More On Vista's New Social Copy Protection
Top 5 Things Microsoft Must Fix In Windows Vista In 2008
Microsoft Rumored To Release A Windows Mobile Update
California Plan To Outsource E-Mail Service Raises Privacy Questions
Microsoft Talks Models Without Mentioning The U-Word
The Zune Universe Expands, Where's The Bling?
Apple's Leopard Hacked So You Can Install It On Your PC, But Why Would You Want To?
Can Microsoft Catch Its Cool?
Vista Problem? Fill Out This Form
Do You Use Vista Or Does It Use You, Continued
Do You Use Vista Or Does It Use You, Continued
Linux Doesn't Need To Look Like Windows
Microsoft Joins The Documents-For-Free Movement
It seems that online word processing has suddenly become sexy. Within hours of each other, both Microsoft and Adobe have joined Google, Zoho, and other companies in promoting new online document creating/sharing services. What gives?
Microsoft's Online Push An Act Of Necessity, Not Desperation
Microsoft's launch Sunday of new online software is being widely seen as a desperate, defensive measure against Google, IBM, OpenOffice and other Web 2.0 challengers to its Office franchise. But the numbers show Office is stronger than ever--what's really going on?
Vista Has Failed To Push Aside Its Older Brother
It looks like Microsoft may be backing down, ever so slightly, from its stance that Vista is the best thing to happen to consumers and businesses since the invention of the can opener. The company announced yesterday that it's extending availability of XP for another five months to June 30, 2008. In other words, if you want XP, you can still get it.
IBM Sees Enterprise 2.0 As The Perfect Chance For Revenge Against Microsoft
They say revenge is a dish best served cold. And in the case of Enteprise 2.0, it looks like IBM hopes to serve Microsoft a chilled plate of ice.
Does Vista Really Support 2.2 Million Device Types?
Is it possible that there are 2.2 million different types of computer components out there? Microsoft says so. Here's how.
Redmond Is Blog City
Are CIOs on top of all the blogs and wikis in their organizations? Microsoft's CIO says he is.
European Court Upholds $1 Billion Penalty Against Microsoft
Europe's Court of First Instance on Monday said the European Commission's antitrust claims against Microsoft are valid and that the software maker "abused its dominant position" while marketing Windows products.
Microsoft Silverlight: New Competition For Flash
The company may not want to market Silverlight as a Flash killer, but it does hope that developers will pick up the new technology to create rich Internet applications.
Five Things Microsoft Should Fix In Windows Vista Service Pack 1
Having long taken the position that there are many things which need to be fixed in Vista, I'm happy to see Microsoft is at work on a beta of Service Pack 1 for Vista. On the other hand, an examination of Redmond's documentation reveals that there may some significant shortfalls when SP1 ships in early 2008.
Why Does Microsoft Get Smacked For Doing The Right Thing?
Microsoft endorses a third-party software product that helps customers "create a secure, auditable, and compliant enterprise environment" -- that's a good thing, right? Not so fast! A colleague of mine says that, conversely, it's simply another wacky chapter in what he calls the ongoing "Through The Looking Glass" saga of Windows Vista.
Back At Louderback: Why I'm Sticking With Windows Vista
Outgoing PC Magazine editor Jim Louderback has caused quite a stir with his column slamming Vista. Me, I'm sticking with Microsoft's glitzy, though resource-hogging, operating system.
Microsoft Endorses A Fix For Something It Insists Isn't A Problem
Vista's User Account Controls prompts are something almost everybody loves to hate. Microsoft has steadfastly maintained that they're a feature that improves the product. But this week, "Microsoft has taken the very unusual step of endorsing another company's product that fixes a problem in its own operating system." The "Through the Looking Glass" saga of Vista continues.
Microsoft Needs Integrated Online Storage
This week, Microsoft announced some updates to Windows Live Hotmail, including 5 Gbytes of free storage. Meanwhile, Windows Live SkyDrive has a relatively measly 500 Mbytes of storage. Why isn't Microsoft's online storage integrated?
Microsoft Needs Integrated Online Storage
This week, Microsoft announced some updates to Windows Live Hotmail, including 5 Gbytes of free storage. Meanwhile, Windows Live SkyDrive has a relatively measly 500 Mbytes of storage. Why isn't Microsoft's online storage integrated?
Microsoft Catching Up To Apache? Maybe, Maybe Not
Earlier this week, I wrote about a survey that finds Apache falling and Microsoft rising in the Web server race. Not so fast. Another recent survey lends itself to a much muddier picture.
Windows Live Folders Becomes Live SkyDrive
Call it the code name shuffle. Microsoft's long-rumored online storage offering has been in beta for a little while, but it's changed names so many times it's hard to keep up. Originally code-named Live Drive, it became Live Folders and today got its final name, Windows Live SkyDrive.
Harry Potter, Microsoft Windows XP SP3, Beck's Album Guero
What do these three all have in common? They've all leaked to the Internet before they were even released to the public. It seems that's getting to be standard fare.
Microsoft Launches Windows Vista, Exchange 2007, and 2007 Office
Check out our Nov. 27, 2006 special issue about Microsoft's biggest product launch ever.
100 Things You Must Know About Microsoft's Most Important Product Launch Ever
Vital Stats About Vista
No Surprises With Vista--Thankfully
Vista's Security Challenge
Office 2007: Bells And Whistles
A Look At Exchange 2007
Steve Ballmer's Own Top 10 List
Competitors' Take On Vista
Vista Timeline
Our Guide To The Guides
Elsewhere On The Internet
InformationWeek
The Windows Tech Center is full of the latest news, reviews, how-tos, blog posts and features. Don't be fooled by the name--it doesn't just cover Windows, it's everything Microsoft-related.
Microsoft
Windows Vista and Office Online centers.
Microsoft Developer Blogs
The Windows Vista Team Blog, Windows Vista Security, Microsoft Exchange Team Blog, with the whimsical name, "You Had Me At EHLO!"
TechNet
Provides technical information for IT managers, MSDN, and Channel 9 provides technical information for developers.
Hardware
The major PC vendors have set aside pages to lay out their programs for Vista; if you're using their hardware, you'll find these pages useful. Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo.
Wikipedia
The Windows Vista entry includes a wealth of background, history, and information about end-user features, core technologies, and security, as well as images and screenshots. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom for a list of external links.
Ed Bott's Windows Expertise
Bott is a 20-year veteran tech journalist and author of and author of more than 25 books on Windows and Office. His blog covers Windows, spam, office, and generally snarky comments about tech culture.
Paul Thurrott's SuperSite For Windows
Includes news, reviews, and a podcast. Check out the FAQs to get up to speed fast on Vista, and 2007 Microsoft Office.
Windows Secrets
The rundown on Windows, security, Internet Explorer and general tech tips from Brian Livingston and Fred Langa, both contributors to InformationWeek.com. Subscribe to their newsletter.
Paul's Down-Home Page: Exchange, Messaging, Collaboration, Security, And More
Tech journalist Paul Robichaux has his priorities straight -- it's right up there in the tagline to his blog. "Cajun. Mormon. Marine. Exchange MVP." He goes on to describe himself as "'very likely the only Cajun Mormon in the Toledo area, excepting my three young sons."
Hands-On
Our tips on finding and weeding out system performance hogs, optimizing memory, and restraining Vista's features will make your system soar.
If sluggish performance and numerous bugs in your shiny new PC running Windows Vista have got you down, you can downgrade -- at no additional cost -- to Windows XP. It's not hard. Here's how.
A few simple and economical upgrades to the motherboard, processor, and memory can bring an old PC back to life, with less expense and hassle than replacing the machine.
BlogTalkRadio, Talkshoe, and Skypecasts are among the Web sites that have become popular for would-be radio jocks.
Vista is coming. But when, where, and how will it end up on your users' computers?
We look at three technologies -- Windows Vista, ILM, and virtualization -- and find that the most disruptive one is turning out to be the no-brainer of the group.
Whether you're home or on the road, these security steps will help protect you and your computer from wireless scoundrels.
From Microsoft's Windows Speech Recognition and Tellme to Google's Goog-411, Jott, and GotVoice, we point you to a host of applications which recognize voice commands and convert them to text or otherwise respond in a useful way.
If you want your blog to attract attention (and hits), try adding one of these free Web tools.
Microsoft's Silverlight is among the new technologies that users will come to expect.
If you're trying to develop sites that will be compatible with IE, Firefox, and Opera, watch out -- there are still a lot of speed bumps out there. We examine six of them and let you in on some solutions.
If you've already got a Mac or a PC, you can build a home entertainment center around your current computer. Here are two sample systems to help show what can be done.
Service-oriented architecture blurs distinctions between data and apps; integrating the results is what matters.
Because Microsoft's new operating system is bigger than its predecessors, it's more of a pain to reinstall. Here are some backup, repair, and monitoring methods so you won't have to, even if you encounter fatal startup errors.
Your flash drive can do more than just hold data -- it can give you the ability to take your PC anywhere. Here are five strategies for making the most of that tiny USB key.
This excerpt from Que's comprehensive reference book on Windows Vista walks you through the new features in Internet Explorer 7. It's also got tips on customizing your browser settings, multimedia downloading, and how to troubleshoot your installation.
Microsoft has made some drastic changes in Windows Vista's support for personalization. How will this affect your move to Vista? Learn how you can mitigate the impact with built-in and add-on tools.
Microsoft's tabletop display computer may set us on the path to where we no longer need keyboards and mice to work with computers.
Parallels is an extraordinary accomplishment, allowing you to run Windows and Windows applications on the Mac. However, it's still got a couple of flaws.
With Vista, Microsoft has made significant improvements in the way you can recover from and repair serious problems.
Vista' built-in backup utility can be very useful, but it's got some serious limitations. Here's how to get around one of the most annoying.
It's time to add some more sophisticated options to your Vista palette.
What do you do when you can't read PDF files on Vista?
This excerpt from Que's comprehensive new reference on Windows Vista walks you through the installation process, whether you're upgrading from XP or doing a clean setup. It also explains how to check whether your hardware is Vista capable, product activation, and multiboot operation.
Our list of hot features to add to your Vista installation includes video wallpaper, making Flip 3-D work more like the Mac's, tuning Firefox's user interface, managing security, and where to get a hold of nifty Sidebar Gadgets.
The Latest News
The operating system is now in "escrow," a phase where the final test passes are being done on the operating system and any changes aren't taken lightly.
Microsoft wants virtualization to change the way IT works from the data center to the desktop.
The OS formerly known as Longhorn is ready to run. Should you jump on or get the hell out of its way? We've launched a new type of Rolling Review to find out how Windows Server 2008 stacks up.
The issue was acknowledged in October, when Microsoft warned "not to copy data files that contain alternate data streams to Windows Home Server shared folders."
A software engineer says he accessed a New York City cab's video display system files after seeing an error message on the screen.
The agreement allows Samba implementations of the Windows workgroup protocols to go out under the General Public License.
The Release Candidate will provide one of the final chances for users to offer feedback to Microsoft on which features in the operating system still need to be improved.
The lockup occurs when there's a conflict between certain system drivers and Windows Vista's Desktop Window Manager.
The toolkit halts automatic delivery of OS service packs through Windows Update.
The technology lets developers design apps in common Microsoft languages and repurpose them for the Web with a few clicks late in the development process.
Fresh off its $142 million court victory, z4 Technologies claims Microsoft still violates patents it holds for technology that blocks attempts to use a single password.
The Web presentation technology takes better advantage of the .NET development environment and should make it easier for programmers to create rich media applications.
SP1 features improved support for Windows Server 2008, tighter integration with Office Communications Server 2007, and better mobile device security management.
A move to hosted e-mail and other services would affect a quarter of a million state workers and create a multimillion-dollar revenue windfall for either company.
The formal launch may be months way, but Microsoft's updated development environment is now available.
Microsoft is working with the National Society of Black Engineers and hiring and promoting African-American programmers and engineers.
The newly dubbed Hyper-V Server can be licensed with or without Windows Server 2008 when they ship next year.
The most significant change is a feature that extends battery life for mobile devices as well as improves the stability of Windows PowerShell and wireless network services.
Microsoft plans to rebrand and improve its SharePoint Server for Search as Search Server 2008 and offer a free, smaller-scale version, too.
One fix addresses a "critical" issue and one addresses a flaw rated "important," and neither is needed for Windows Vista.
The company hopes to extend the life of older corporate desktops with two versions of Windows XP by revising its Authorized Refurbisher program.
Visual Studio 2008 includes a new graphical designer to target XAML, a design language used by Windows Presentation Foundation.
Microsoft is predicting a strong first holiday season for its OS after it said it is starting to see mass adoption from businesses nearly a year after it was released.
The independent dealers are accused of selling bootleg CDs containing Microsoft software or shipping computers with illegitimate copies of Windows installed.
The combined revenue of Microsoft's client, business, and server and tools divisions grew by more than 20%, the company said.
New Mobile Device Manager can remotely provision and control Windows Mobile smartphones.
But Microsoft's cost of revenue for its gaming division increased 99%, or $584 million, in part because of a jump in warranty-related expenses.
The low-cost laptop computer for poor children currently runs on rival Linux software.
European businesses that have thus far shied away from Linux might not be more inclined to go open source as a result of the restrictions imposed on by the Commission.
Microsoft will use a bare-bones version of the Windows kernel, called MinWin, as the starting point for the development of future products, including Windows 7 and Windows Server.
At the Web 2.0 Summit, Microsoft demonstrated an application called "Popfly" that lets neophytes create Web-based mashups without writing code.
The service lets users add graphical templates and maps to slickly formatted event invitations they can e-mail to friends and associates.
The biggest challenges for Microsoft may be legacy vendors Cisco, Avaya, and Siemens, which are known for resilience and uptime.
Microsoft's "multi-year, multi-dimensional" drive to link voice, video, and data is expected to compete with similar products from Cisco Systems and Avaya.
Adobe issued a workaround for the vulnerability and reported that a fix should be released before the end of the month.
Enhancements include a network access protection module that borrows from technology used in Windows Vista and improved support for cryptographic algorithms.
Microsoft is planning to patch vulnerabilities in Windows Vista, Internet Explorer and Office in next week's Patch Tuesday release.
The software lets people store, share, and collaborate on Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents online and share their desktop with one another.
The software company said it will make the full version of Windows XP available to PC manufacturers and retailers through June 30, 2008.
The Extras pack includes a number of tools and utilities designed to make the operating system more secure and user friendly.
The Globalisation Institute has the ear of many of Europe's top policymakers, so its call for Windows-less PCs on store shelves could gain some traction.
The next version of the Microsoft Office productivity suite appears to be on track to be released in the fall of 2009, with test releases coming as soon as early next year.
Michael Neil, general manager of virtualization for Microsoft, disclosed the plans while demonstrating the software's virtualization capabilities at the Intel Developer Forum.
At least one analyst expects Microsoft to appeal the decision, which it must decide to do within two months.
Over the last few weeks, without user approval, Windows Update has updated nine small executable files in both Windows XP and Windows Vista.
In the suit, Lu Feng claims that Windows Genuine Advantage collects information about his computer use and personal data without his authorization.
Five bulletins are expected to fix bugs in Windows Vista, MSN Messenger and Visual Studio.
Survey sponsor CDW says it appears that small businesses are making the transition sooner than large corporations.
Silverlight 1.0 will focus mostly on audio and video, but future versions will let developers program for the Web in .NET.
Service Pack 1, due in the first quarter of 2008, will come with across-the-board improvements, but few new features.
While no one is saying the update is fixing flaws, HP said it decided to wait until the better version of the software was available.
Performance, compatibility, and reliability have been among the biggest complaints of Windows Vista users, and the service pack will focus on those three major trouble areas.
Without a fix, users would have had to turn off anything that would ping Microsoft's WGA servers for validation, including updates and patches, until the issue got resolved.
Ubisoft's products will carry the Games for Windows seal, an indication to consumers that a game will run properly on Windows Vista and other Microsoft operating systems.
Country officials say they will not recommend that the OOXML file format be adopted when the issue comes to a vote next month.
Despite aggressive plans for Vista rollouts before the operating system was released, one analyst found many companies are pushing those plans back.
Other enhancements include boosting the e-mail service's speed and making it easier to view images and links in messages.
Researchers are calling this a massive bundle of patches, fixing bugs that will affect anyone using Windows.
In next week's Patch Tuesday release, Microsoft will release six bulletins that contain fixes for critical bugs and another three that patch flaws with a top rating of important.
Microsoft is getting kudos from the Internet Storm Center for getting as many eye balls as possible on the service pack previews.
Blogs and Commentary
It seems that online word processing has suddenly become sexy. Within hours of each other, both Microsoft and Adobe have joined Google, Zoho, and other companies in promoting new online document creating/sharing services. What gives?
Microsoft's launch Sunday of new online software is being widely seen as a desperate, defensive measure against Google, IBM, OpenOffice and other Web 2.0 challengers to its Office franchise. But the numbers show Office is stronger than ever--what's really going on?
It looks like Microsoft may be backing down, ever so slightly, from its stance that Vista is the best thing to happen to consumers and businesses since the invention of the can opener. The company announced yesterday that it's extending availability of XP for another five months to June 30, 2008. In other words, if you want XP, you can still get it.
They say revenge is a dish best served cold. And in the case of Enteprise 2.0, it looks like IBM hopes to serve Microsoft a chilled plate of ice.
Is it possible that there are 2.2 million different types of computer components out there? Microsoft says so. Here's how.
Are CIOs on top of all the blogs and wikis in their organizations? Microsoft's CIO says he is.
Europe's Court of First Instance on Monday said the European Commission's antitrust claims against Microsoft are valid and that the software maker "abused its dominant position" while marketing Windows products.
The company may not want to market Silverlight as a Flash killer, but it does hope that developers will pick up the new technology to create rich Internet applications.
Having long taken the position that there are many things which need to be fixed in Vista, I'm happy to see Microsoft is at work on a beta of Service Pack 1 for Vista. On the other hand, an examination of Redmond's documentation reveals that there may some significant shortfalls when SP1 ships in early 2008.
Microsoft endorses a third-party software product that helps customers "create a secure, auditable, and compliant enterprise environment" -- that's a good thing, right? Not so fast! A colleague of mine says that, conversely, it's simply another wacky chapter in what he calls the ongoing "Through The Looking Glass" saga of Windows Vista.
Outgoing PC Magazine editor Jim Louderback has caused quite a stir with his column slamming Vista. Me, I'm sticking with Microsoft's glitzy, though resource-hogging, operating system.
Vista's User Account Controls prompts are something almost everybody loves to hate. Microsoft has steadfastly maintained that they're a feature that improves the product. But this week, "Microsoft has taken the very unusual step of endorsing another company's product that fixes a problem in its own operating system." The "Through the Looking Glass" saga of Vista continues.
This week, Microsoft announced some updates to Windows Live Hotmail, including 5 Gbytes of free storage. Meanwhile, Windows Live SkyDrive has a relatively measly 500 Mbytes of storage. Why isn't Microsoft's online storage integrated?
This week, Microsoft announced some updates to Windows Live Hotmail, including 5 Gbytes of free storage. Meanwhile, Windows Live SkyDrive has a relatively measly 500 Mbytes of storage. Why isn't Microsoft's online storage integrated?
Earlier this week, I wrote about a survey that finds Apache falling and Microsoft rising in the Web server race. Not so fast. Another recent survey lends itself to a much muddier picture.
Call it the code name shuffle. Microsoft's long-rumored online storage offering has been in beta for a little while, but it's changed names so many times it's hard to keep up. Originally code-named Live Drive, it became Live Folders and today got its final name, Windows Live SkyDrive.
What do these three all have in common? They've all leaked to the Internet before they were even released to the public. It seems that's getting to be standard fare.
Microsoft Launches Windows Vista, Exchange 2007, and 2007 Office
Check out our Nov. 27, 2006 special issue about Microsoft's biggest product launch ever.
Elsewhere On The Internet
The Windows Tech Center is full of the latest news, reviews, how-tos, blog posts and features. Don't be fooled by the name--it doesn't just cover Windows, it's everything Microsoft-related.
Windows Vista and Office Online centers
The Windows Vista Team Blog, Windows Vista Security, Microsoft Exchange Team Blog, with the whimsical name, "You Had Me At EHLO!"
Provides technical information for IT managers, MSDN, and Channel 9 provides technical information for developers.
The major PC vendors have set aside pages to lay out their programs for Vista; if you're using their hardware, you'll find these pages useful. Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo.
The Windows Vista entry includes a wealth of background, history, and information about end-user features, core technologies, and security, as well as images and screenshots. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom for a list of external links.
Bott is a 20-year veteran tech journalist and author of and author of more than 25 books on Windows and Office. His blog covers Windows, spam, office, and generally snarky comments about tech culture.
Includes news, reviews, and a podcast. Check out the FAQs to get up to speed fast on Vista, and 2007 Microsoft Office.
The rundown on Windows, security, Internet Explorer and general tech tips from Brian Livingston and Fred Langa, both contributors to InformationWeek.com. Subscribe to their newsletter.
Tech journalist Paul Robichaux has his priorities straight -- it's right up there in the tagline to his blog. "Cajun. Mormon. Marine. Exchange MVP." He goes on to describe himself as "'very likely the only Cajun Mormon in the Toledo area, excepting my three young sons."
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