Microsoft Windows Forum

Hands up if you remember Opera Software, you know the Norway-based developer of alternative web browser clients. In the days before Firefox, Opera was the client most likely to shake up Microsoft and for a while seemed to be doing pretty well in that regard. Then Firefox came along and …

[URL="http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/poll/index.cfm?action=showresults&pid=3228421"]A new poll into Operating System popularity by a British computer magazine[/URL] has revealed that an incredible 37 percent of respondents are still using Windows XP. That's more than Windows 7 which managed to woo 30 percent of the folk taking part, and Vista could only garner a pretty poor …

Which 12 year old operating system which is still running on 11 million servers is about to die? Yep, that's the one: Microsoft Windows Server 2003 reaches 'end of life' status on July 14th. One of the longest running discussions on DaniWeb asks the question [Why does Windows XP refuse …

It's that time of year again, and the latest [Secunia Vulnerability Review](http://secunia.com/vr2015/) has been published. This analysed anonymous data gathered from scans right across 2014 of millions of computers which have Secunia Personal Software Inspector (PSI) installed and revealed some interesting statistics. On average, the computers used by the people …

Windows is, according to just about any security expert you ask, the operating system most vulnerable to attack. Unless the security expert happens to be from Microsoft, that is. So it was quite refreshing to see Microsoft admitting to a spike in attacks on Windows this week. [attach]15849[/attach]According to [URL="http://blogs.technet.com/b/mmpc/archive/2010/07/13/update-on-the-windows-help-and-support-center-vulnerability-cve-2010-1885.aspx"]a …

I used to refer to [URL="http://www.microsoft.com"]Windows[/URL] as "The Infinitely Rebooting OS" and it has improved some over earlier versions but today was a different story and reminded me of those thrilling days of yesteryear. My question is why, Windows, why? Why must I reboot when I install a desktop application? …

I'm a fairly prominent member of the Linux Community as a writer, contributor, and longtime evangelist for the cause and there are a few things I'd like the Community-at-Large to consider on my behalf. These are five things that I wish Linux had. Consider this as my wish list for …

Yesterday, September 10, 2009, the announcement came that [URL="http://www.microsoft.com"]Microsoft[/URL] launched and is funding a new open source organization named [URL="http://www.codeplex.org"]CodePlex Foundation[/URL]. The [URL="http://www.codeplex.org/board-of-directors.aspx"]major players[/URL] in the new organization are from Microsoft, [URL="http://www.novell.com"]Novell[/URL] and [URL="http://www.dotnetnuke.com"]DotNetNuke[/URL]. Does this mean that a brave new Microsoft is beating its proprietary, closed-source swords into open …

According to research commissioned by security vendor [Bit9 + Carbon Black](https://www.bit9.com/solutions/carbon-black/), nearly half (49%) of the organisations questioned admitted they simply didn't know if their businesses had been compromised or not. This uncertainty regarding cyber-attack detection ability comes in stark contrast to the 32% who confirmed they had been attacked …

So it seems that an Internet Explorer zero day vulnerability allowed the back door to be opened that resulted in the [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/news/story252590.html"]hack attack on Google[/URL] and many others that has received such publicity this week. According to [URL="http://siblog.mcafee.com/cto/operation-%E2%80%9Caurora%E2%80%9D-hit-google-others/"]McAfee[/URL] it has identified an Internet Explorer vulnerability as being one of the …

So, Microsoft and iSIGHT uncovered another 0-day vulnerability; this time impacting all supported versions of Microsoft Windows and Windows Server 2008 and 2012. iSIGHT [has detailed](http://www.isightpartners.com/2014/10/cve-2014-4114/) in the wild exploits of the vulnerability, and points the finger of suspicion at state-sponsored Russian interests. The Dallas-based cybersecurity outfit explained that the …

Microsoft will stop releasing security updates, hotfixes and other updates for Windows XP SP2 on July 13th 2010. No biggie, you might think, after all Windows XP SP3 was released way back in April 2008 and since then we've had both Vista (perhaps best forgotten) and the much more palatable …

More often than not I'll be writing about the security problems facing Windows XP users, such as when I recently reported how a large number of enterprises are still running XP SP2 machines which will shortly [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/news/story287954.html"]stop being supported by Microsoft[/URL] in terms of security updates, hotfixes and the like. …

Microsoft is just about over the three day hump that has been their timid Windows 8 release, and amid the [cries of anger](http://www.daniweb.com/hardware-and-software/microsoft-windows/windows-vista-and-windows-7-8/news/438107/windows-8-launch-three-year-user-backlash-predicted) over die-hard user, it's apparent Microsoft's move toward Windows 8 was one for the long term, not the short time.  While some jump to call …

So here I am working on a Sunday morning, as usual, and I when I fire up my laptop (which serves as my desktop) a message appears informing that an update is being applied and it won't take long. Imagine my surprise when it turns out that this update appeared …

Aside from being one of the [most hated CEOs](http://www.businessinsider.com/hated-tech-ceos-2011-12?op=1) in the world of technology, Steve Ballmer is hard at work trying to design a new world for Microsoft and the future of consumer electronics and, simultaneously, saving himself from a history of redicule. Ballmer's ambitious claim of [400 million](http://venturebeat.com/2012/09/05/ballmer-400m-windows-phone-8-windows-8-devices/) Windows …

 It's been a month since Windows 8, and if you've been using the new OS you're likely going through a period of confusion over the new Modern UI interface, as well as wondering if there's anything you're missing out on. The Windows 8 experiene is significantly different from …

Microsoft knows it has to do something in order to claw back some kind of market position, not now but five years into the future. The culture of computing is changing amongst the young and hip consumer, and it's moving away from the Microsoft Windows-centric vision of the past. While …

The EE Times [URL="http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=CK0UKKNE0NKJCQSNDLSCKHA?articleID=213402554"]reported[/URL] earlier this week that the Dell E4200 and E4300 laptops are running both Linux and Windows on the same machine. Why both you ask? The Linux OS provides a quick boot for checking email and other "light" computing duties while the Windows side allows "heavier duty" …

Reports are coming in thick and fast about 'state-sponsored' zero-day exploits hitting business websites in the UK. The latest, disclosed yesterday by [SophosLabs](http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/06/20/aeronautical-state-sponsored-exploit/), involves an as yet unnamed European aeronautical parts supplier and follows on from another the day before involving a European medical company site. In both cases the …

Microsoft Security Advisory notices do not, as a rule, make the media sit up and take much notice. Not least as they have become relatively commonplace over the years, but every now and then one comes along which may grab some press attention. Take [MSA 2718704](http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/advisory/2718704) for example.  …

Microsoft failed to make tablets work with Windows for PEN Computing twenty years ago, so why are some people saying that it is set to dethrone the iPad later this year? Can Windows 8 really prove to be a commercial threat to iOS? [ATTACH=RIGHT]24152[/ATTACH]I still have my Compaq Concerto from …

It's not often that Microsoft recommends that Windows users should disable a much hyped part of the OS, but that's exactly what has happened regarding the Windows Sidebar and Windows Gadgets found in Windows Vista and Windows 7. [Microsoft Security Advisory 2719662](http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/advisory/2719662) clearly states "Disabling the Windows Sidebar and Gadgets …

How will Microsoft differentiate Windows 8 in an already crowded Windows OS user space? How about, for one, with the use of a photographic gesture security system for logging in? The idea of using a photo to identify and authenticate the user is not without some pretty obvious problems (ambient …

[URL="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2332430,00.asp?kc=PCRSS03079TX1K0000584"]John Dvorak at PC Magazine,[/URL] a grand old curmudgeon who never pulls any punches created a wish list for Windows 7. It got me thinking about my own wish list, so here goes: [B]1. Don't Make Me Wait Forever at Boot Time[/B] Nothing aggravates me more than waiting for Windows …

I've been following the tussle between Google and Microsoft this week with a mixture of amusement and amazement. If you haven't been following along at home, Microsoft took a dip into the cloud with the release Office 2010 Online this past week. Meanwhile, Google, feeling a wee bit threatened by …

Microsoft has revealed a new, more comprehensive street view system, dubbed Street Slide, set to compete with Google's Street View and Bing Maps' Streetside.[ATTACH]16203[/ATTACH]According to [URL="http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/people/kopf/street_slide/index.html"]Microsoft[/URL], the Google and Bing systems only allow users to view city streets via an immersive 360-degree panorama or "bubble." And users can travel down …

Another day, another IE flaw! Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the Internet Explorer water (mainly as Microsoft told you it was after [URL="http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS10-002.mspx"]releasing[/URL] yet another [URL="http://www.itwire.com/content/view/24364/1231/"]patch[/URL] to fix yet another vulnerability) comes the news that actually, would you believe it, but Internet Explorer still …

Apple and Microsoft have not had a lot of good press lately, but in spite of the issues both companies have faced, their quarterly reports released this week showed two companies that are still extremely profitable. [B]Microsoft Comes Through [/B] In spite of [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/news/story295211.html"]giving up on the Kin[/URL] and a …

[URL="http://www.mozilla.com"]FireFox[/URL] 3.5 is due out by the end of June and includes some pretty interesting new features--and not a moment too soon. Some of these new features include the ability to play videos in the browser without the need to download and install a third-party plugin. It also includes [URL="https://wiki.mozilla.org/JavaScript:TraceMonkey"]TraceMonkey[/URL], …

I saw a report that read, "Video game sales plunge in April." Software sales dropped by 22 percent and hardware sales dropped by 37 percent. What's the story, folks? Do you have all the gaming miscellanea that you can afford? Are you satisfied with your current array of video games? …

Steve Ballmer dropped a bomb shell in a speech the other day at the University of Washington, letting it be known that the desktop software company was basically betting it all on the cloud. In a report on the speech [URL="http://paidcontent.org/article/419-ballmer-microsoft-betting-our-company-on-the-cloud/"]on PaidContent.org[/URL], Ballmer reportedly said the company was committing as …

So now we know that Microsoft is pushing out the release version of the latest in the operating system line-up, Windows 7, starting this week on the 30th April [URL="http://www.daniweb.com/blogs/entry4283.html"]according to official sources[/URL]. However, we also know from various news reports that many existing Windows users are not exactly head …

[ATTACH=left]16673[/ATTACH]We got the news in our Firefox browsers this week that a beta release of the next version of Microsoft's stodgy Internet Explorer is due out September 15th. In Redmond's classic trying-too-hard style, the launch will come at an invitation-only event in San Francisco, according to [URL="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2367787,00.asp"]PC Magazine[/URL]. The invitation …

I read a blog post this morning on the Mini-Microsoft blog called [URL="http://minimsft.blogspot.com/2009/07/microsoft-has-turned-corner.html"]Microsoft Has Turned the Corner[/URL] and it got me wondering if they really have, or if it was merely wishful thinking on the part of the author. Then I saw that Microsoft had released [URL="http://www.microsoft.com/office/2010/"]Office 2010 videos[/URL] and …

[ATTACH=RIGHT]16331[/ATTACH]A [URL="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703467304575383530439838568.html?"]Wall Street Journal report today[/URL] suggests that for Microsoft, customer concerns about privacy came a distant second behind ad revenue when designing browser software Internet Explorer. When Microsoft initially planned the Internet Explorer 8.0 browser, they intended to offer users functionality that would allow them to avoid being tracked …

If you’re one of the outstanding users yet to make the pilgrimage to Gmail from your dilapidated Hotmail account, you may have been one of the lucky ones (like myself this morning) rewarded recently with a handful of e-sunshine for your continued loyalty. The once affluent e-mail service received a …

[ATTACH=RIGHT]16218[/ATTACH]According to [URL="http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-07-21/will-microsoft-ceo-steve-ballmer-be-fired-for-low-stock-price/"]Peter Laurie on The Daily Beast[/URL], Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer may soon be out. Senior Microsoft executives have been discussing how to oust their leader. Dissatisfaction with Microsoft's stock performance has fueled the possible rebellion. Microsoft stock prices have fluctuated over the past few years, but the company …

If you've ever had an e-mail's tone misinterpreted, rest easy. New software [URL="http://tonecheck.com/"]ToneCheck[/URL] allows you check your e-mail messages before you send them and flags sentences and phrases that might lead its reader astray.[ATTACH]16183[/ATTACH]ToneCheck is the brain child of Matt Eldridge. After losing a deal due to appearing too pushy …

[ATTACH=right]16136[/ATTACH][URL="http://www.microsoft.com/msft/earnings/fy10/earn_rel_q4_10.mspx"]Last week's earnings report from Microsoft[/URL] shows that the company cut its research and development budget for the first time in five years. Microsoft has been cutting costs lately, including efforts such as cutting [URL="http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3172423"]1400 jobs in January[/URL]. In its last fiscal year, Microsoft spent $8.7 billion on R&D - …

[ATTACH=RIGHT]16065[/ATTACH]Aza Raskin, head of user experience at Mozilla’s Lab unit, revealed their new project, Tab Candy, today. He believes that it will shift the way we use, and think about browser tabs in future versions of Firefox. The goal of Tab Candy is to manage all of your tabs within …

[ATTACH=RIGHT]16048[/ATTACH]What do you do when you're creating new features so quickly that your software can't keep up? Speed up production, of course. Google has announced that they plan to introduce a new version of their web browser [URL="http://www.google.com/chrome/"]Chrome[/URL] every six weeks in order to get new developments as quickly as …

There was a a lot of news coming out Microsoft and Apple last week: * On Monday, Apple released its stellar [URL="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2009/07/21results.html"]earnings report[/URL]. * On Monday, Microsoft opened up the [URL="http://www.mssharepointconference.com/"]SharePoint 2009 Conference[/URL] in Las Vegas * On Tuesday, Apple released its latest [URL="http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/article.html?Apple_launches_new_MacBook,_iMac,_Mac_Mini_and_Magic_Mouse&in_article_id=755089&in_page_id=150"]product lin[/URL]e * On Wednesday, Microsoft announced …

The popularity of Windows 7 features like Touch and Multi-Touch technology means more software developers are developing applications for Windows 7, according to a recent survey conducted by Embarcadero Technologies. [ATTACH=right]15815[/ATTACH]More than half of the 606 software developers surveyed – 54% – stated they are currently developing applications for Windows …

[ATTACH=RIGHT]15718[/ATTACH]After a brief delay, Firefox 4 Beta 1 was officially [URL="http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-beta.html"]released[/URL] to the public for all operating systems this afternoon. Mozilla has deviated from their all too predictable design and created a browser that owes more than a few nods to Google’s Chrome, the fastest growing browser on the market. …

According to the Associated Press article, "[URL="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100706/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_technology_consolidation;_ylt=Aue.2rGwfTjg.EXFBurPtDIjtBAF;_ylu=X3oDMTMwZ2I5cjU2BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwNzA2L3VzX3RlY190ZWNobm9sb2d5X2NvbnNvbGlkYXRpb24EY3BvcwMxBHBvcwMxBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA3RlY2hjdXN0b21lcg--"]Tech customers question industry's takeover spree[/URL]," large technical companies have absorbed smaller tech companies to the detriment of their customers although these tech "sponges" say they're doing it "for their customers." How can there be such a disparity between the reality of customer pain …

Microsoft got some good news this week when new data showed they had gained market share on rivals Firefox and Chrome last month. It might very well be a temporary data glitch, especially when news came out today that [URL="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/070110-ibm-employees-use-firefox.html?source=NWWNLE_nlt_daily_pm_2010-07-01"]IBM was recommending that its 40,000 employees use Firefox[/URL] instead of …

There's a lot of buzz on the Internet today about some "leaked" [URL="http://www.microsoft.com"]Microsoft[/URL] slides concerning Windows 8. But, like the [URL="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9178753/_Don_t_get_excited_about_Windows_8_says_analyst"]Computerworld article[/URL] on the subject says, you shouldn't get excited about anything in those leaked slides. You're likely to end up disappointed. If any of you can remember back to …

Gamers are used to unearthing cheats that will give them ultimate power over everything, but now it seems that Windows 7 users can also activate a God Mode of their own. Here's a really simple little Windows 7 tweak which activates an already pretty well documented developer shell feature that …