Windows XP SP3 moves closer to completion
Beta testers have received access to a release candidate of Windows XP Service Pack 3, but general consumers still have a long wait until they'll see SP3 available for download. Microsoft has scheduled the last major update to its six-year-old OS for the first half of 2008 - likely after Windows Vista SP1.
Around 15,000 testers now have access to XP SP3, and Microsoft says it plans one last public beta release before releasing the final bits next year. The same individuals are testing Vista SP1 RC Preview, although Microsoft has also promised a public SP1 build. Although XP SP3 is more of a roll-up of existing hotfixes and should be completed before Vista's first upgrade, Microsoft will likely delay its release and use SP1 to encourage holdout XP users to upgrade to Vista.
New Features Discovered in Windows XP SP3: Is It Better Than Vista?
The principal reason given for the tremendous under-the-hood changes to Windows unveiled early this year in Vista was the need to overhaul the security model. Indeed, Vista has proven to be a generally more secure operating system, though some vulnerabilities that apply to ordinary software impact Vista users just as much as any other.
But now, software analysts testing the latest build 3205 of the beta for Windows XP Service Pack 3 are discovering a wealth of genuinely new features - not just patches and security updates (although there are literally over a thousand of those), but services that could substantially improve system security without overhauling the kernel like in Vista.
Exploit Discovered Impacting QuickTime, Firefox on Windows XP
A London security analyst working with the open source group GNUCitizen has discovered a potentially serious exploit that could affect users of the Firefox browser and Apple's QuickTime movie and music player - especially iTunes customers - on Windows XP-based machines. BetaNews tested and verified the severity of the exploit.
As early as one year ago, as Petko D. Petkov wrote yesterday, he discovered that JavaScript code appearing in the <EMBED> tag of an HTML file could launch a new Web browser instance, feeding it any kind of default code that isn't checked before being executed.
Dell Brings Back Windows XP as Option
In response to huge customer demand, Dell has brought back Windows XP Home and Professional as operating system options on a handful of consumer PCs. The computer maker, like most others, had largely switched its product lines entirely to Windows Vista.
The decision came after feedback on Dell's IdeaStorm Web site, where customers are asked what things they'd like to see the company do. Previous requests have included offering Linux as an option, and including OpenOffice rather than just Microsoft Office.
Get Windows XP Free Virtually, With a Catch
Microsoft is providing a free virtualized copy of Windows XP SP2 to assist developers in migrating IE6 applications to IE7. However, it will only work until April 1, 2007.
The time-limited Virtual PC image would come with a pre-activated copy of Windows XP SP2, Internet Explorer 6, and the Internet Explorer 7 Readiness Toolkit. Microsoft says that the solution is the only supported method for running both versions of the browser side-by-side.
Windows XP SP3 Pushed to 2008
Microsoft has further delayed the release of Service Pack 3 for Windows XP, moving expected availability from the second half of 2007 to the first half of 2008. The change came silently in an update to the company's service pack roadmap.
Although that date is still listed as "preliminary" a similar delay for Windows Server 2003 SP2 seems to be finalized. Initially planned for the end of this year and currently in beta testing, SP2 will now arrive in the first quarter of 2007.
Windows XP SP1 Support Ends Today
Microsoft is officially ending support for Windows XP Service Pack 1 and SP1a Tuesday, with users being recommended to install SP2 as soon as possible. The move means that no more security updates will be released for the now-obsolete version of Windows.
Windows XP SP2 was released on September 17, 2004, and Microsoft notes that it provided two years of support to SP1 customers since that time. The company traditionally offers only 12 months of support for previous service packs, but because SP2 was a major upgrade to Windows XP, Microsoft opted to give customers additional time for deployment.
DoS Flaw Found in Windows XP, Server
Security firm Secunia warned Thursday of a new flaw within Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 that could cause a denial of service issue. The vulnerability can be exploited to cause a buffer overflow, which in turn would cause Windows to crash. Labeled as a "less critical" vulnerability, the flaw could be used to execute arbitrary code, but Secunia was unable to prove that in tests.
Microsoft said that it was investigating the issue, however was not aware of any attack vectors that attempt to exploit the problem. "The vulnerability has been confirmed on a fully patched system with Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and Microsoft Windows 2003 Server," Secunia wrote in its advisory. It is unclear if Microsoft plans to address the flaw on its next Patch Tuesday, scheduled for June 13.
Low-Cost Windows XP Comes to Africa
Microsoft is bringing its Windows XP Starter Edition operating system to Africa, the company announced Thursday. The lower-priced version of XP drops home networking and limits the number of programs that can be opened simultaneously.
The impetus behind the move is to provide African PC users with cheaper computers, as the high technology costs often force them to run old systems brought in from other continents. But XP Starter Edition will still be only for the rich in Africa, where the majority live off less than one dollar a day.
Hackers Install Windows XP on Intel Mac
While Windows XP won't natively boot on Apple's new Intel based Macs due to lack of EFI support and Microsoft has no plans to change that in Vista, one hacker has found a way around the limitation and snagged a $13,854 prize in the process. But the approach requires heavy editing of an XP install disc.
Colin Nederkoorn launched a contest to encourage the technically savvy to get Windows XP installed on an Intel iMac, Mac mini or MacBook Pro. Donations were collected from a number of companies and individuals, with the sum going to the first person that discovered a reproducible method for booting Windows on a Mac.
Windows XP SP3 Not Until Late 2007
According to an update on Microsoft's support lifecycle Web site, the next service pack for Windows XP isn't due out until the second half of 2007 -- one full year after Windows Vista launches.
XP SP3 will likely serve as a cumulative update for what will soon become Microsoft's legacy operating system.
Windows XP Gets Security Certification
Touting the success of it's new Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) process, Microsoft late Wednesday said Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP SP2 Professional and Embedded have secured the highest Common Criteria security certification from the United States government's National Information Assurance Partnership.
Four versions of Windows Server 2003 were certified, including Standard Edition, Enterprise Edition, Datacenter Edition and Windows Server 2003 Certificate Server. Both Windows 2000 Professional and Server editions previously achieved the same security rating, dubbed Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) 4.
McDonalds to Embed Windows XP
McDonalds and Microsoft on Wednesday announced a deal to utilize Windows XP Embedded across the fast food giant's stores. Microsoft's componentized version of Windows will take orders and enable Mickey D's to accept new forms of payment such as gift cards, and train employees faster.
Windows XP Embedded has already been deployed across "several thousand" stores in Europe and Asia. Now, McDonalds will roll out the platform worldwide. Microsoft lauded the partnership for bringing an "open technology platform" to the restaurant chain and ensuring "the next generation of customer service innovations."
Windows XP Adoption Rates Slow
Although many are eagerly awaiting Microsoft next version of Windows, known as Longhorn, a recent study by AssetMetrix shows that many companies have not even upgraded to Windows XP, a full four years after its release.
The study reports that Windows 2000 is installed on 48 percent of all corporate PCs as of the first quarter of this year, only falling four percent since the last quarter of 2003. In comparison, usage of Windows XP rose from 6.6 to 38 percent during the same period.
June 15 Release Set for Windows XP 'N'
Microsoft announced on Wednesday the release timetable for its version of Windows XP without Windows Media Player, simply branded with the additional moniker: N. The slimmed down OS will be available to European computer makers on June 15, with a retail launch slated for July 1.
It's not clear, however, if computer manufacturers will even be interested in the N editions, which carry the same price tag as versions with Windows Media Player.
Recent Headlines
Most Commented Stories
© 1998-2024 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.