Windows Archive

New Windows Update to Cover More Products

Submitted by emo 2003-09-08 Windows 18 Comments

The fifth revision of Windows Update is set to enter beta testing, as Microsoft continues efforts to improve its facility for keeping customers' systems up to date. Windows Update V5 is slated to be a significant upgrade, eventually extending the service's reach beyond Windows to all Microsoft products. The company will initially support updates to Office 2003, as well as SQL and Exchange.

Plugging The Holes In Windows

Eugenia Loli 2003-09-07 Windows 38 Comments

Microsoft isn't known for the security of its software. But that's something the company is trying to change. Read the article at Forbes.

Microsoft To Unveil New NAS OS With OEM Partners

Eugenia Loli 2003-09-05 Windows 9 Comments

Microsoft is expected to announce with vendor partners the pending rollout of a number of NAS appliances based on its Windows Storage Server 2003 operating system. Microsoft initially unveiled details of this OS and released it to NAS OEMs last June. The OS allows the creation of point-in-time copies of a single volume or multiple volumes using Volume Shadow Copy Services.

First Look: Windows XP 64-Bit Edition for AMD64

Eugenia Loli 2003-09-05 Windows 23 Comments

"While it's common knowledge that Microsoft has been working on Windows XP and Server 2003 for the AMD64 architecture for some-time, little is known about the workings and limitations of this new operating system. We recently got the chance to try out the first publicly released variant of the operating system (Build 3790), and combined with reading through loads of tech docs and talking with folks over at AMD, we've comprised a summary of how we think the OS is shaping up, where it's headed, and we'll try to answer some of the common questions about the OS in general." Read the preview article at the GamePC web site.

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Platform Play Hits Big Time

Eugenia Loli 2003-09-04 Windows 60 Comments

"With each new release of Microsoft’s server operating system, pundits are moved to declare that this one is the first Windows truly suited to the enterprise. And it is especially tempting to hang that tag on Windows Server 2003. Of course the cost, bizarre licensing terms, forced migration, and confusing packaging will turn many companies away. But if a decision could be made on purely technical grounds, Windows Server 2003 would be an unquestionably worthwhile investment." Read the overview at ARNnet.

Free Download of Windows XP Embedded Evaluation Edition

Eugenia Loli 2003-09-03 Windows 10 Comments

Microsoft has just released a downloadable version of the "evaluation edition" of Windows XP Embedded with Service Pack 1. Previously, the evaluation edition was available in CD/DVD format only, and had to be ordered from Microsoft for a nominal charge. The first downloadable evaluation version of Windows CE was made available earlier this year.

Longhorn Will Be Delayed

David Adams 2003-09-01 Windows 44 Comments

It's semi-official: the next major update to Windows, which has already had its release slip from 2004 to 2005, will likely be even later. Microsoft executives are now reluctant to even discuss a release date. "We do not yet know the time frame for Longhorn, but it will involve a lot of innovative and exciting work," said Bill Gates at a recent financial analyst meeting.

Jupiter Research: No Longhorn Until 2006

David Adams 2003-08-26 Windows 68 Comments

Jupiter Research analyst Joe Wilcox believes that Microsoft's upcoming major OS release will not be generally available until 2006, a year later than what Microsoft is currently predicting. He believes that the changes planned are too far-sweeping to be rolled out quickly, when you take into account that developers need time to prepare their software.

Developers Get First Good Look at “Longhorn”

Submitted by danjr 2003-08-25 Windows 80 Comments

After months of speculation, Microsoft plans to give developers their first hard look at the next version of Windows in October.The Redmond, Wash., company expects to release a "developers preview" of the new operating system, code-named Longhorn, at its professional developers conference in Los Angeles. Although it won't be a full beta, or test, version, Microsoft executives have promised it will be more than just "slideware," software that companies haven't been using and don't know when it will be coming.

Longhorn Evangelist Debunks Professed ‘Aero’ Shots

Eugenia Loli 2003-08-21 Windows 42 Comments

Robert Scoble, technology evangelist for Longhorn at Microsoft, has called into question several purported screenshots of the next-generation Longhorn interface code-named "Aero." "These look like early demonstration screens, and not how Longhorn will eventually look," Scoble wrote in his Web log. "The real "Aero" is one of Longhorn's biggest secrets -- I've seen it, but can't load it on my own machine and am locked out of the server where it's kept," says Microsoft's Scoble. "I am not even sure they'll show it off at the PDC." Indeed, the screenshots are using icons from all over the place (including a BeOS icon), which proves that these are just early concepts/mockups and not the real/finished thing.

Longhorn Aero User Interface Revealed

Eugenia Loli 2003-08-20 Windows 153 Comments

WinSuperSite has obtained information and screenshots of the upcoming "Aero" UI for Windows Longhorn.

Windows XP SP2 Delayed Until Late 2004

David Adams 2003-08-16 Windows 75 Comments

Microsoft's Product Lifecycle Web site has the second XP service pack scheduled for 2004, a year later than previously expected. Analysts speculate that the long delay may be to integrate more functionality into the OS, such as the "PC Satisfaction package," an enhanced firewall and virus detection package.

XP Lite & 2000 Lite in Beta

Submitted by Greg 2003-08-14 Windows 22 Comments

LitePC, the creators of a commercial utility that makes standard windows components optional, allowing for the creation of a stripped down (and even embedded) version of Windows98, is working on a version for Windows 2000 and XP. See more information on the Beta test.

Windows 98 is now smaller than 5 MB!

Submitted by Xhargh 2003-08-13 Windows 28 Comments

Reader "xhargh" took great interested in the earlier reported story on OSNews that Windows95 can be shrunk down to under 5 MB. By using instructions from BOFH and others at irc://irc.xbetas.com/Micro95, he was able to shrink down Windows 98 until it's under 4.5MB in size. Look here for sceenshot and filelist.

MSBlast Worm Spreading Quickly

Adam Scheinberg 2003-08-12 Windows 92 Comments

Many readers wrote in to warn about the MSBlast worm making its way around the internet. W32.Blaster.Worm utilizes TFTP to spread itself and intends to slam the WindowsUpdate website beginning August 16. Microsoft warned of this vulnerability back in July. This informative article explains more. Update your systems now before it's too late!

When Windows Goes Wrong

David Adams 2003-08-11 Windows 42 Comments

A recent ZDNet article is written by the erstwhile author of a "troubleshooting Windows" book who is sometimes so stymied by mysterious Windows stability problems that he isn't sure he can write a useful book. The article covers a recent "hangs for no reason" issue that required trial and error and a plethora of included and third party utilities to diagnose and fix.

Windows XP 64-bit: List of New/Missing Features

Submitted by jessejlt 2003-08-10 Windows 57 Comments

Here is some information about Windows XP 64bit. It has some features not found on any 32bit Windows version, but it is missing some other features not ported/tested yet.

.NET Framework 1.1: Device Update 3.0; More Windows Downloads

Eugenia Loli 2003-08-08 Windows 4 Comments

The Microsoft .NET Framework version 1.1 includes ASP.NET Mobile Controls that enable developers to easily create mobile Web applications. Developers can write and maintain a single application that targets multiple devices. The Windows 2000 Authorization Manager Runtime is a Windows 2000 Server version of the Windows Server 2003 Authorization Manager role-based access control API. This download contains a setup that will correctly install the DirectX 9.0b documentation for use with the .NET Framework 1.1 and Visual Studio .NET 2003.

Windows XP Survival Guide

David Adams 2003-08-08 Windows 37 Comments

PC Magazine has posted a Windows XP guide designed to walk non-experts through some of the alternate settings and add-ons that make XP work better. It has compiled various tips from its past issues into one guide for easy reference. Even Windows power-users may find something of interest.

Windows 95 in Less Than 5 MB!

Submitted by BOFH 2003-08-07 Windows 68 Comments

Windows 95...in less than 5 MB? It's been done. Based on the work of Richard E. James and redruM69 (who recently boiled down Windows 95 to less than 10 MB, and 5.3MB, respectively), msbetas.net was able to juice it down to just 4.47 MB.