Articles about Windows

Although Microsoft is fond of saying that Windows Vista is the most secure operating system ever, a member of the operating system's security team disclosed this week that the OS will be the first beta product to be serviced by security updates. At least two of the patches from this month's Patch Tuesday are also intended for Vista.

Fix MS06-042, the cumulative patch for Internet Explorer, and the fix for MS06-051, concerning a vulnerability in the Windows kernel, have been updated to include a version of the patch for Vista Beta 2 systems. Both flaws are rated "critical."

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Brushing off feedback from testers and pundits to push back the first release candidate of Windows Vista and issue a third beta instead, Microsoft confirmed Thursday that RC1 was on the way. Product Manager Nick White says Microsoft will re-open the Vista beta program for the release.

In addition, customers who participated in the Customer Preview Program for Beta 2 will automatically receive RC1, and those who missed the opportunity will have another. "I know you're excited. So am I -- and I'm using a newer build (5505)!" said White. "More news when it's available." Windows Vista RC1 is expected in the coming weeks.

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Microsoft announced Tuesday that it would ship Windows Speech Recognition in eight languages as part of Windows Vista, the first time its flagship operating system would include the technology. Vista users will be able to issue commands and dictate text in applications.

The Redmond company also plans to integrate Speech Server 2007 into Office Communications Server 2007, canceling the individual product. However, Microsoft says it will continue to support current Speech Server 2004 customers until 2014.

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The annual Black Hat conference in Las Vegas plays host to the world's top hackers and security professionals, who come together to discuss the industry and delve into code. Microsoft is playing a major role at this year's event, inviting attendees to find holes in Windows Vista.

A Vista beta build was handed out to about 3,000 experts on Thursday in hopes they will uncover flaws before the operating system is completed later this year. Microsoft's director of security outreach, Andrew Cushman, also gave a talk about the security enhancements added in Vista, telling the crowd, "We're here to show our work."

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With Windows Vista nearing its first release candidate in preparation for a final launch early next year, Microsoft is providing more details about possible upgrade paths. Of note: Windows 2000 cannot be upgraded to Vista.

While Windows 2000 Professional customers may purchase a cheaper "upgrade" copy of Microsoft next-generation operating system, Windows Vista must be "clean installed," which means users will need to back up their files and data manually and then copy everything into place. Applications will also need to be re-installed.

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At its annual financial analysts meeting, Microsoft would not commit to shipping Vista in the January 2007 timeframe it had announced in March. The uncertainty caused the Redmond company's already lagging stock price to drop another two percent Thursday, although it had recouped some of those losses Friday.

Platforms & Services co-president Kevin Johnston, while saying there was nothing to prevent Vista from shipping in January, responded to questions of possible future delays by saying Microsoft was taking it "milestone by milestone." Seemingly echoing earlier comments by Bill Gates, Johnston told attendees "we will ship Windows Vista when it's ready."

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Microsoft on Monday released Windows Vista Beta Build 5472 to technical beta testers, TAP customers and MSDN subscribers. The interim update is intended to give testers a more recent build, and encourage application and device driver developers to accelerate deployment on Vista.

Quality and performance enhancements are the primary changes in 5472, along with further tweaks to User Account Control. The new build is the second to follow Beta 2, and will not be released to Customer Preview Program participants. Microsoft expects to deliver the next public release of Windows Vista, Release Candidate 1, later this quarter.

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Speaking at a forum in South Africa regarding a plan for Microsoft to make major technology investments in the country, Bill Gates said there was an "80 percent chance" Windows Vista would by ready for its planned January launch. He also had no qualms about delaying the OS further if necessary.

During his presentation in Cape Town, Gates explained that Microsoft was spending between $8 billion and $9 billion to build both Windows Vista and Office 2007, both of which are slated to debut early next year. More than 1,000 partners will spend 20 times that amount building products for Vista, he added.

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While Microsoft has always shown off Windows Vista with its new Aero user interface and "Glass" theme, not all customers will have the required hardware to power the advanced graphics. In turn, Microsoft has spruced up its Standard theme, which had been the subject of many complaints.

Vista beta testers have long voiced their distaste for the Standard theme, even giving it the nickname "scrap metal" due to its lackluster gray appearance. "We heard you loud and clear," wrote Vista community leader Nick White. "In fact, we too wanted something better, and we’ve overhauled this theme with an all new version."

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To accompany the release of Windows Vista, Microsoft is preparing what it calls the "Ultimate Keyboard," which blends a modern design with advanced features such as proximity sensing and a 30-foot range. Microsoft has also moved the Windows key to below the spacebar and added a Media Center button.

Like Apple's laptops, the Ultimate Keyboard detects the amount of light in the room and turns on backlighting when needed. It can additionally detect when the user leaves the room. Both the keyboard and its partner mouse utilize Bluetooth for connecting to a PC. Microsoft has given no timeframe for release or pricing for the new hardware.

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Microsoft UK .NET platform product manager Ian Moulster wrote in a post to his personal Web log that the company will cut access to Windows Vista Beta 2 on Friday, as the company has reached the number of testers it was looking to give access to through its Customer Preview Program.

Moulster gave some tips to those who want to beat the cutoff and ensure they have access to a copy of the Vista beta and Release Candidate builds. Users should start their downloads today, as Microsoft plans to maintain download servers until July 14, which means the download could be stopped and restarted later.

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Microsoft late Friday delivered the first build of Windows Vista to follow the release of Beta 2 at WinHEC in May. Build 5456 is available to technical beta testers, and includes better user interface performance along with User Account Control tweaks to lessen the number of authentication notices.

UAC is designed to keep applications running in a reduced privilege mode, so malicious programs cannot do extensive damage to the operating system. However, many Vista beta users have found the feature frustrating, as seemingly basic operations require multiple confirmations. Microsoft will not make interim Vista beta builds available to Customer Preview Program customers, who must wait until RC1 for a new release.

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Microsoft this week provided greater detail on hardware requirements for its Windows Vista Basic and Premium logo programs. The Redmond company said that in order to be certified as "Vista Ready," a device must meet all of the requirements.

"To qualify for a basic system logo, the devices of a basic system that includes embedded or add-in devices must comply with the basic requirements (if a logo program exists for the device categories)," Microsoft explained.

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The legality of hosting a BitTorrent tracker may be a gray area, but not for Microsoft when it comes to Windows Vista. The company on Wednesday handed down a cease-and-desist order to VistaTorrent.com, which was setup to help users download Vista Beta 2 without waiting on Microsoft's overloaded servers.

Those eager to try out the first public release of Microsoft's next generation operating system have struggled with slow download speeds and timeouts. The company has even recommended that users place an order for a $6 DVD copy rather than wait for the downloads, which have been intentionally capped.

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Microsoft senior vice president Bob Muglia opened up TechEd 2006 in Boston Sunday evening by proclaiming that Windows Vista was the most secure operating system in the industry. But a bold statement can only go so far, and much of this week's conference has been spent reinforcing that point.

From the network perimeter to deep inside the Windows client, the significance of security has permeated into every facet of technology. Norman Mailer said that 20th century man's default status was anxiety. We have barely dipped our toes into the 21st, and our default status has already been elevated to outright fear.

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