Windows Archive

Microsoft's current plan for OpenGL on Windows Vista is to layer OpenGL over Direct3D in order to use OpenGL with a composited desktop to obtain the Aeroglass experience. This means that OpenGL performance will be significantly reduced - perhaps as much as 50%. It would be technically straightforward to provide an OpenGL ICD within the full Aeroglass experience without compromising the stability or the security of the operating system. Layering OpenGL over Direct3D is a policy more than a technical decision.

Microsoft is planning to reissue the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 Update rollup that it first launched in late June. While the company did not specify a reason for the planned reissue, a number of Windows 2000 users who have installed the download have complained of a variety of problems, ranging from incompatibility with third-party security applications to network-printing issues.

Authentication auditing is an essential part of protecting Windows computers from intrusion. The big problem in Windows auditing is trying to understand what's going on, without drowning in a flood of irrelevant or useless information. If you let it do so, Windows 2000 will bury you in event notifications. Figuring out what's going on from those notifications can be a real chore. In this Informit.com article, Rick Cook provides specific suggestions to start making your auditing process more informative.

Head of all things Windows at Microsoft, Jim Allchin provides a heads up on the operating system formerly known as Longhorn: "Most of the stuff that we would expect that tech enthusiasts and consumers will be interested in will happen at Beta 2. Beta 1 is not what I would call deeply interesting unless you are a real bithead".

Microsoft said it has sold 100 000 copies of its Windows XP Starter Edition, the first indication of the popularity of the low-cost operating system.

Windows XP Service Pack 3 is in the works and is supposed to be released before Windows Vista. The following site has an ongoing updated list of fixes and downloads going into SP3.

Since we haven't posted anything about the new Windows Vista beta release lately... Stardock's Brad Wardell writes "I've put together a first look at the first beta of Windows Vista. In the coming days I hope to delve deep into the guts of Microsoft's new OS but I've tried to put together a decent overview of what Windows Vista is all about."

This week, Microsoft began requiring customers to validate their copies of Windows in order to use their Windows Update service. Crackers responded by circumventing the check and within days.

While Vista Beta 1 is stealing most of the headlines this week, Microsoft also is delivering simultaneously on wednesday to a group of private testers the first beta of its Longhorn Server product.

Microsoft has released some official screenshots of the just released beta 1 of Windows Vista, their upcoming Windows version. Microsoft has passed a major milestone with the release of its first full test version of Windows Vista, the next generation of its flagship operating system.

Microsoft is tightening the noose for those people running illegal or pirated copies of its Windows XP/2000 software on their systems. Starting Tuesday, it will be mandatory for users of this Windows software to certify that their software is a genuine and legal copy before they will be able to receive any updates except security patches.

Dave Solomon of Sysinternals was experimenting about how many services are necessary for at least basic funtionality of Windows. What he discovered, however is that Windows can be perfectly used for almost all basic use, such as web browsing or running aplications, without any services running. In his article he explains how to achieve this. Apparently even Microsoft's own vice president of the Core Operating Systems Division was surprised about this.

In recent months, Microsoft has purchased numerous security companies. Is this a sign that Microsoft has decided to try and secure its Operating Systems from out side threats? Or just trying to increase its revenue through an ever growing portfolio of products?

Microsoft confirmed that it will deliver the beta 1 version of Longhorn Server on August 3, along with the beta 1 release Internet Explorer 7. They'll be available along with the beta 1 version of Windows Vista, the next-generation Windows formerly known as Longhorn, which Microsoft announced friday morning.