Posts tagged Microsoft
Microsoft releases SP2 RTM for Vista and Windows Server 2008
Apr 29th
Microsoft yesterday announced the RTM (Release to Manufacturing) for Service Pack 2 (SP2) of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. SP2 is an evidence of Microsoft’s intentions to strive for continous improvement and serving its consumer in the best possible way. This update contains all the update they rolled out since SP1, supports new types of hardware and emerging hardware standards.
The improvements and the features that this Service Pack provides include
- Windows Search 4.0 to provide faster and improved relevant search results.
- Bluetooth 2.1 Feature Pack supporting the most recent specification for Bluetooth.
- Provides support in Vista to natively record data on to Blue-Ray media
- Incorporation of Windows Connect Now (WCN) to simplify WiFi configuration process.
- Enables the exFAT file system to support UTC timestamps, which allows correct file synchronization across time zones.
It gets even better. The Service Pack comes with a single installer for both Vista and Windows Server 2008. This comes as good news for IT professionals since they can easily perform management, deployment and support tasks. To get a more detailed idea of what changes have been made to SP2, please read SP2 detailed chaneges.
One more thing, Windows Vista SP1 Service Pack Blocker tool has been removed and customers who had it will get Service pack via Windows Update. It is expected that SP2 for Vista and Server 2008 will available in he 2nd quarter of 2009.
Microsoft Dreamspark arrives in Pakistan
Apr 27th
A few months back I wrote about DreamSpark and what it offers. In short it provides you with the opportunity to download development and other tools free of cost. If you want a more detailed information regarding what DreamSpark is and what it has to offer, just read my post on DreamSpark.
Now in this post I want to inform all of the Pakistani students that if you are looking to get development tools free of cost, first of all you will need a code. Now in order to get those codes just go here. I would specially like to thank Mr Naveed Bajwa of Microsoft Pakistan who provided me with the desired information.
Here is just a list of few tools among many which Microsoft DreamSpark has to offer:
- Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Developer Edition
- Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition
- Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition
- Microsoft Expression Studio 2 Trial Edition (includes Web, Blend, Media, and Design)
- Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition
- SQL Server 2008 Express Edition
Dont hesitate, a great opportunity is awaiting for you to take advantage of it, get your code instantly and download your tools without having to pay even a single penny.
Various language packs released for IE8
Apr 26th
If you are one of those users who use latest version of Internet Explorer, IE8 and English is not your national or favorite language. Then you probably must be waiting impatiently to get IE8 in your language. Well the good news is that you dont have to wait any longer. Microsoft has released language packages of IE8 for various languages
The package of the languages listed below are available in both the 32 bit version and 64 bit version. In order to install the language pack of your desire, you have to be sure that the corresponding OS language pack has been installed. Just go to Microsoft Download Center to get the desired language pack. The languages are:
- ENU – English
- ARA – Arabic
- BSC – Bosnian (Cyrillic)
- BSB – Bosnian (Latin)
- BRG – Bulgarian
- CAT – Catalan
- CHS – Chinese (Simplified)
- CHT – Chinese (Traditional)
- ZHH – Chinese (Hong Kong)
- HRV – Croatian
- CSY – Czech
- DAN – Danish
- NLD – Dutch
- ETI – Estonian
- FIN – Finnish
- FRA – French
- DEU – German
- ELL – Greek
- HEB – Hebrew
- HIN – Hindi
- HUN – Hungarian
- ITA – Italian
- JPN – Japanese
- KOR – Korean
- LVI – Latvian
- LTH – Lithuanian
- MKI – Macedonian
- NOR – Norwegian (Bokmal)
- PLK – Polish
- PTB – Portuguese (Brazil)
- PTG – Portuguese (Portugal)
- ROM – Romanian
- RUS – Russian
- SRB – Serbian (Cyrillic)
- SRL – Serbian (Latin)
- SKY – Slovakian
- SLV – Slovenian
- ESN – Spanish
- SVE – Swedish
- THA – Thai
- TRK – Turkish
- UKR – Ukrainian
- VIT – Vietnamese
Windows 7 RC 7100 is out before time
Apr 24th
The Windows 7 RC build (7100) has been leaked. Unlike previous builds where the leak started with a single poorly-seeded torrent, this time there are no fewer than four torrents – two each for x86 and x64 versions. The two strongest already have more than two hundred seeders.
The above screenshots is of Windows 7 build 7100. It has started to appear around the Web.
While the partner page Microsoft put up a few days back announcing the availability of the Windows 7 RC turned out to be another minor slip-up, the results in Mininova’s index are a bit more real.
Over at Windows 7 News, they’ve posted a gallery of new screenshots from the RC. Visually not much has changed, so don’t expect to see anything Earth-shattering.
The build string for the RC is "7100.0.winmain_win7rc.090421-1700," which indicates that it was compiled just a few days ago: April 21, 2009, at 5:00pm.
Once again, the enthusiastic Windows 7 testing community has decided to ignore Microsoft’s warnings about downloading unofficial ISOs from non-Microsoft sources. If you’d prefer to play it safe you don’t have much longer to wait – the real deal is supposed to be here on May 5th.
Microsoft is about to unveil test version of new Exchange Server
Apr 15th
Microsoft said that the test version of its Exchange Server will be available on this Wednesday. This test version is marking the latest development in the technology used by more then 65% of businesses worldwide for their e-mail systems.
The beta test version of Exchange Server 2010 is claimed to be the first of a wave of upgrades to Microsoft programs as Microsoft has speedup for the upcoming release of its highly successful and profitable Office suite of applications.
It is observed that Microsoft is gradually moving toward Internet distribution for some of its products to counter the threats its facing Google Inc and other new market competitors. Microsoft claimed that the latest Exchange Server can work entirely as an online service, which will hopefully attract customers looking to save money on hardware and support for their email systems.
For the users of the new Exchange Server it will be offering a few innovations including an exciting feature of “the ability to mute streams of email or opt out of conversations of limited interest to the recipient”.
The new Exchange Server will also offer a range of tips and tools to avoid embarrassment or wasting time, by warning users before they send mail to a large distribution groups or to out-of-office recipients or to people outside their organization, which will surely protect users against information leaks and reduce unnecessary email messages.
The new Exchange Server also has a function to transcribe voice messages sent to the computer.
The full version of Exchange server 2010 is scheduled for the second half of 2009 while Microsoft Office 2010 is expected to be out in the first half of 2010.
Mainstream support for XP and Office 2003 ends today
Apr 14th
Microsoft has made an important announcement related to Windows XP and Office 2003. They have decided to end mainstream support for 2003 edition of Office and much successful operating system XP.
This announcement in no way means that you consider and evaluate options to upgrade your operating system and Office suite. The software giants are poised to provide extended support packages for both the products till 8th April 2014. What this option does is that it gives users and corporations ample time to consider the options they have in terms of upgrading to a new operating system or Office suite.
Microsoft will continue to provide security updates free of cost till 4th August 2014. From this day onwards, XP and Office 2003 users will be charged for assistance request on the a per incident, per hour or alternative basis. The changes apply to all version of Office and XP (except Embedded version).
Microsoft besides this announcement also made it clear that SP1 for Window Server 2003 is dead and people should upgrade to SP2.
Microsoft coming up with major updates
Apr 12th
Microsoft will issue eight security updates on Tuesday, which will be the biggest package after October 2008, to patch problems in Windows, Internet Explorer (IE), DirectX, Excel, Word, and the company’s security software.
Five of the updates will be "critical," Microsoft’s highest ranking in its four-step threat system, Thursday’s notice said, while two will be pegged "important," the next rating down, and one marked "moderate."
Andrew Storms, Director of security operations at nCircle Network Security Inc said:
"It’s going to be a difficult month to set priorities for patching. There are updates for Windows, one that’s critical across the board, a browser update that affects everyone and an Office update. That’s a lot of different groups to juggle."
Five of the eight updates will be about the flaws in Windows, with other updates will be tracking the flaws in IE, Excel and the Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) server software. Three of the five Widows updates have been tagged critical, as have the IE and Excel updates.
Microsoft also telling the users that they can protect themselves by blocking Excel files from opening, a process that requires editing the Windows registry, or by running Excel 2003 documents through the Microsoft Office Isolated Conversion Environment (MOICE), a tool the company launched in 2007.
The IE update will patch all currently-support versions of the browser, including IE 5.01, IE6 and IE7, and was marked critical for all editions when running on the Windows client.
One of the five Windows updates is similar, in that it has been labeled critical for all versions, including Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Server 2003 and Server 2008.
Storm said:
"It’s a big call-out whenever something’s critical for Vista and Server 2008,"
He further said that:
“The one they call ‘Windows 1′ affects both the operating system and Office. That’s an oddball case, and I’ve been trying to think of what it could be. Maybe it’s something like XML or OLE, something that’s not only embedded in the OS but also used in the application.”
SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 is available now
Apr 11th
Microsoft has announced the SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 (SP1) and it is available now. You can use these packages to upgrade any SQL Server 2008 edition.
Service packs has a main focus on essential updates only, primarily a Roll-up of Cumulative Update 1 to 3, Quick Fix Engineering (QFE) updates, as well as fixes to issues reported through the SQL Server community.
The main changes that are brought to the released service pack are:
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Slipstream – You are now able to integrate the base installation with service packs (or Hotfixes) and install in a single step.
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Service Pack Uninstall – You are now able to uninstall only the Service Pack (without removing the whole instance).
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Report Builder 2.0 Click Once capability.
Details of the new changes are as follows:
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Slipstreaming is an installation method that integrates the base installation files for a program with its service packs and enables them to be installed in a single step. You can slipstream a SQL Server 2008 update and the original installation media so that original media and the update are installed at the same time. The update setup documentation available from the Download Center has the most recent description of the slipstream process. The update setup documentation is also available at MSDN.
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You can uninstall SQL Server 2008 cumulative updates or service packs from Programs and Features in Control Panel. For more information, see "Overview of SQL Server Servicing Installation" in the update help file.
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SQL Server 2008 Service Pack 1 provides a ClickOnce version of Report Builder 2.0. Report Builder is available for use in Reporting Services (SSRS) installed in native or SharePoint integrated mode. If SSRS is installed in SharePoint integrated mode, you need to install the add-in, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Report Builder 2.0 ClickOnce for SharePoint, to make Report Builder 2.0 ClickOnce available from a SharePoint site.
Download Service Pack – 1 HERE.
Screenshot of Windows 7 Build 7077 leaked
Apr 9th
As you can see, screenshots of Windows 7 build 7077 have started to appear around the Web. There are also reports that the 32-bit version has been leaked and is readily available on various websites. Nevertheless, a good source has told me there are no noticeable differences between build 7068 and any of the 707x builds. This is much more important than the information leak of build 7070, though it’s not immediately apparently. In the “About Windows” dialog box, there isn’t an actual build string as we’ve seen in previous interim builds. It simply says “Version 6.1 (Build 7077).” The only other build we’ve seen this for is in the beta build released to the public (which also was leaked before Microsoft gave the download to testers): “Version 6.1 (Build 7000).”
