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April 30
From: Chris McMillan,
Federal Marketing Manager [mailto:chrismmcmillan@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008
5:35 AM
To: Christopher McMillan
Subject: FW: Searching the Windows
Vista Knowledge base
Sent to you by
Chris McMillan, Federal Marketing Manager via Google Reader:
It
is not obvious but did you know that you can search the Windows Vista Knowledge Base
(aka KB) directly from within the Windows Help
and How-To site?
No?
well I don’t blame you as it is quite hard to discover!
 First you have to click the little
black triangle next to the search box, which then leads to a fly out where you
can then select ‘Windows
Vista Knowledge Base’ instead of the content on the
Windows Help and How-to site.
Now
that you have found out about this little hidden (not intentionally) feature
you may be wondering, so what? or what is the difference between the 2?
The
way I like to think of how what distinguishes the 2 different searches is as
follows:
- Search Windows Help and How-To for answers to
questions on how to get the best from Windows, demos, tutorials, guides,
common questions etc
- Search the KB for technical issues and error
messages, hardware related, downloads etc and give more detail about
symptoms, causes and how to fix
However
there is content such as common error messages where we try on the Windows Help
and How-To site put a less technical and more consumer friendly view on it vs
the KB article which tends to be more technically written and targeted at a
wider audience. Such as about error 80070003
Windows
Update error 8007003 Vs Error message when you try
to download updates from Windows Update on a computer that is running Windows
Vista: "Error 0x80070003 The system cannot find the path specified"
The
other thing to remember about the support Kb is that it is not just for Vista but for all our products.
Rob
Things you can do
from here:
April 29
From: Chris McMillan,
Federal Marketing Manager
Sent: Tuesday, April
29, 2008 9:54 PM
To: Christopher McMillan
Subject: Office Labs. Try.
Experience. Discuss. Look. Listen. Laugh. Learn.
Sent to you by
Chris McMillan, Federal Marketing Manager via Google Reader:
I've
been watching our internal office labs for a while now and wondering when it
would see the light of day.
Well,
that day was this week when the covers were taken off the site : http://www.officelabs.com/
There
are a few interesting projects up there
I've
been using InkSeine
on my tablet for a while now. It's a prototype ink application from MSR.
There
are a few other projects which I hope will surface onto office labs soon. Keep an eye on the blog, which is where
you can also find Chris
Pratley
Things you can do
from here:
From: Chris McMillan,
Federal Marketing Manager
Sent: Tuesday, April
29, 2008 9:54 PM
To: Christopher McMillan
Subject: What changed in Windows
Installer (MSI) in Windows Vista Service Pack 1?
Sent to you by
Chris McMillan, Federal Marketing Manager via Google Reader:
via MSDN Blogs
by Windows Installer Team on 4/29/08
Stefan Krueger met with us a few
weeks ago for the Microsoft MVP Global Summit. Among the many topics we
discussed was a suggestion from Stefan that we use the team’s blog to
communicate relevant bug fixes that we make in our releases. This posting is
the result of that suggestion. (Thanks, Stefan!)
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 was recently released and you
may have noticed that the version of MSI on the system has incremented to
4.0.6001.18000. Below you will find a list of the most important issues that we
addressed in Service Pack 1 and the SDK.
Updates that can
be found in Windows Vista Service Pack 1:
·
User Shortcuts in Redirected Start Menu Do Not Get Removed On
App Uninstall
If you attempt to uninstall an application that was
installed for a roaming user, you may receive error 1910 and the shortcuts from
the start menu will not get removed.
·
Win32_product does not work on vista when more than one
per-user application is installed
Queries to the Win32_Product WMI class will if the
machine has at least 2 per-user applications installed with a generic failure
error.
Updates that can
be found in the Windows SDK for Windows Server
2008:
·
PatchWiz 4.0 ignores the IgnoreMissingSrcFile property
This property in the TargetImages Table is often
used to reduce the time necessary to generate a patch, but the property was
ignored in patchwiz 4.0 that was included in the Windows Vista SDK.
·
Patchwiz 4.0 does not recreate the Patch table if dropped
Previous versions of patchwiz would automatically
recreate critical tables (eg: Patch, PatchPackage) if they were dropped in the
patch. Patchwiz 4.0 did not include this behavior, which caused failures in
some cases.
·
PatchWiz 4.0 does not support authoring of OptimizeCA MsiPatchMetadata property
The OptimizeCA property can be included in the
MsiPatchMetadata of a MSP to restrict custom action usage and improve
performance during patch application. Using this property with patchwiz 4.0
caused a build failure.
·
PatchWiz 4.0 is unable to build patch for products with large
number of files (>32767)
Previous versions of patchwiz supported building
patches with a large number of files, but patchwiz 4.0 did not.
·
Orca crashes when a transform is generated and a row is
deleted from the current table
Orca crashes if the user attempts to generate a new
transform and deletes a row from an existing table. (Using Orca, select
New Transform, then delete a row from a table).
·
ICE30 does not display all ICE errors
ICE30 only detects a subset of the total number of
SFN/LFN collisions for components that contain files.
[Author: Tyler Robinson]
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no
warranties, and confers no rights. Use of included script samples are subject
to the terms specified at http://www.microsoft.com/info/cpyright.htm.
Things you can do
from here:
From: Chris McMillan,
Federal Marketing Manager [mailto:chrismmcmillan@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 9:47
PM
To: Christopher McMillan
Subject: Microsoft announces its
next-generation secure remote access solution, the F...
Sent to you by
Chris McMillan, Federal Marketing Manager via Google Reader:
LAS VEGAS, Nevada. - April 29, 2008 -- At
the Interop conference today, Microsoft announced its next-generation secure
remote access gateway product, Forefront Unified Access Gateway (UAG),
available in the first half of 2009. Forefront Unified Access Gateway is the
evolution of Microsoft's current solution, Intelligent Application Gateway (IAG
2007), and moves the successful product under the Forefront brand. UAG
will bring new features and functionality to make remote access easier than
ever for all users and IT professionals.
In addition to investing strongly in its next-generation solutions, Microsoft
is continuing to provide increased customer value with the products in the
market today by launching an updated SharePoint Optimizer, providing enhanced
functionality and manageability for secure remote access to SharePoint by all
mobile users.
Built
on Windows Server 2008, UAG is designed to offer one solution to fit all remote
access needs through centralized management and policy control across all
users, devices, and network resources. More details about the features in
Forefront UAG will be available with a public beta scheduled for later this
calendar year. Microsoft will provide an easy product and licensing
upgrade path from IAG 2007 or customers using ISA 2006 for remote access to
Forefront UAG, and IAG customers that have or buy Microsoft Software Assurance
can be confident of receiving strong value with Forefront UAG.
Forefront
UAG will add further features to a comprehensive end point security assessment
and cache cleanup, which is tailored to the specific application and access
environment. Tightly integrated with Microsoft Network Access Protection,
this ensures only secure devices and authenticated users can access network
resources and that no data is compromised during or after the sessions.
Forefront
UAG adds more ease of use with wizard driven configuration, easy to use
policies and highly intuitive user experience. This solution ensures a
fast and easy deployment allowing employees, partners and vendors simple and
secure access, via customized and dynamic user portals. Ongoing
management and control is simplified via updates to application and endpoint
policies.
The
IAG pioneered the concept of Application Intelligence, or the ability to
control what resources are presented to the user, and transparently enforcing
policies based on a deep understanding of how an application functions.
Forefront UAG builds on the current competitive differentiation around
application intelligence, with broad application support for Microsoft and
third party applications, granular access controls, and customizable
application protection through Application Optimizers.
Microsoft
latest Application Optimizers is an updated SharePoint Optimizer for the IAG
2007, providing enhanced functionality and performance for remote access to
SharePoint by all mobile users. The updated IAG 2007 SharePoint Optimizer
leverages SharePoint Alternate Access Mapping (AAM) to provide an easier, more
secure and productive user experience when accessing SharePoint remotely.
With
this new Optimizer, IAG provides more seamless access to the complete
functionality of SharePoint, including Explorer View, Datasheet View,
integrating InfoPath forms and access to multiple office documents from
multiple server locations, without the overhead and security risks associated
with tunneling and application rewriting.
Microsoft's
IAG 2007 already provides the easiest to use and manage remote access to
SharePoint today, as it is the only complete remote access solution to
integrate its user experience into SharePoint, allowing organizations to keep a
simple, one-portal, user experience for employees accessing applications
internally or externally. The IAG 2007 SharePoint Optimizer will be available
for download in May.
Things you can do
from here:
From: Chris McMillan,
Federal Marketing Manager [mailto:chrismmcmillan@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 9:21
PM
To: Christopher McMillan
Subject: FW: Unravelling the
Office Ribbon
Sent to you by
Chris McMillan, Federal Marketing Manager via Google Reader:
At
last! Microsoft has made public the super useful Search Commands tool for
Microsoft Office 2007! It has been an internal dogfood tool for a pretty
long time now and I find it invaluable. Basically, it adds an extra tab
to the Office ribbon called "Search" from which you can search for a
command rather than hunt around for it in the ribbon. This tool is great
for people who are lost with the change from Office 2003 to Office 2007 and
spend far too much time roaming around the ribbon tabs looking for the button
that will insert a footnote into their document!
Just
go to the new tab, type "footnote" in the search box and it will
display the relevant results on the toolbar, along with the information about
where the button has been moved to!
Go
get it here: http://www.officelabs.com/projects/searchcommands/Pages/default.aspx
Things you can do
from here:
Greetings, The following event has been posted to the GW Micro Upcoming Events page: Name: Guild for the Blind Technology Fair
When: Saturday, May 03, 2008
What: Exhibit
Who: Jeremy Curry
Comments: Ready for Spring shopping? Why not fit in some good shopping time on the Magnificent Mile while also coming to see the latest technology from GW Micro. Starting at 10 A.M. (CDT) on Saturday, May 3, we will be at the Guild for the Blind, located at 180 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1700, Chicago, IL. For reservations, please contact Polly Abbott at the Guild for the Blind at 312-236-8569. The gw-news list is an announce only list used for GW Micro news and product information.
Sent to you by Chris McMillan, Federal Marketing Manager via Google Reader: Complete PC Backup (Vista and Vista SP1) / Windows Server Backup (Longhorn Server) and BitLocker FAQ via TechNet Blogs by cfsbloggers on 4/29/08 Are the Backups secured? Yes. The Complete PC Backup (CPC) or Windows Server Backup (WSB) can be only invoked by a user belonging to either Administrators or Backup operators Group. § Disk: Backups are ACLed to be accessible only for only Administrators and Backup Operators Group. § Network: By default the Backups inherit the ACLs from its parent directory; However if an user chooses to ACL the Backups strongly, the Backups would be ACLed to be accessible only to the user whose credentials are provided at the time of Backup rather than inheriting from the parent; Also the Backups are acled for Administrators and Backup Operators of the machine which hosts the Network Share. § Optical: The Backup is done after the media is formatted to UDF format which doesn’t support ACLs. So The Backup to Optical Media is only as secure as the physical media. § Removable: The Backup is done after the media is formatted to NTFS format and the Backups are ACLed to be accessible only for Administrators and Backup Operators group.
Can I additionally secure the Backups by backing up to an encrypted folder (Creating Encrypted WindowsImageBackup directory in the root of the volume or in network share and backing up to the volume or the network share)?
No. Backup to a target which is encrypted at file system level is not allowed. If you attempt the same, you would be getting following the error message: “Backups cannot be stored on an encrypted volume. Please decrypt the volume and retry the operation”
Can CPC or WSB backup the Systems protected by BitLocker?
Yes. You can use CPC or WSB to backup your systems protected by BitLocker. Additionally you can secure the Backup Target Disks too by protecting the same with BitLocker. Ensure the volumes which are backed and the Backup Target, if BitLocked are unlocked for Backups to succeed.
Are the Backups of volumes which are protected by BitLocker encrypted?
No. The Backups of volumes which are protected by BitLocker aren’t encrypted. Backup reads the data blocks from VSS Shadow created on the volume which is a clear text. Hence Backups are not encrypted. To secure the Backup data in case of System or Backup Target being stolen or lost, the Backup target if it is a disk, can be secured using BitLocker protection. So if you are restoring your system from the Backup (Bare Metal Recovery), post recovery the volumes which were BitLocked when the backup was taken would not be BitLocked. Hence you would need to BitLock the volumes again. If the Source Volume(s) or Backup Target is BitLocked, do I need to do any additional steps during System Restore(Bare Metal Recovery) or in Online Recovery? For Any type of Recovery ensure that the Backup Target if BitLocked is unlocked. If the Recovery is a file-level recovery (File Recovery, App Recovery, System State Recovery) the Recovery Target too needs to be unlocked if it is BitLocked. However unlocking a locked BitLocked Recovery Target is not needed if the Recovery is a volume-level recovery (Volume Recovery, System Recovery(Bare Metal Recovery)) Appendix: Encrypted File System (EFS) and BitLocker links: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc138009.aspx http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/guidance/clientsecurity/dataencryption/default.mspx http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/guidance/clientsecurity/dataencryption/analysis/80c0d0af-2c2e-45d6-9b29-f850926296bb.mspx Acronyms: CPC – Complete PC Backup in Vista and Vista SP1 WSB – Windows Server Backup of Longhorn Server 2008 - GeethaKrishna S 
Things you can do from here: Sent to you by Chris McMillan, Federal Marketing Manager via Google Reader: Apr. 21 - Apr. 27 Hot-Fix KB articles Weekly Release - Windows Client via TechNet Blogs by Chris Mu on 4/28/08 Hi Everyone, Last week, 2 Windows Vista hot-fix KB articles were released. Below are the details: Windows Vista - 2 KB articles: · 950923 SNMP Event log Extension Agent did not initialize correctly after installed SP1 · 950904 On a Windows Vista-based computer, the system stops responding and the dump file is not generated when the system receives a nonmaskable interrupt Regards, Content Team 
Things you can do from here: Sent to you by Chris McMillan, Federal Marketing Manager via Google Reader: Windows XP Service Pack 3 Release to Web (RTW) Delayed via SuperSite Blog by pthurrott on 4/29/08 I just received the following heads-up from Microsoft: In the last few days, we have uncovered a compatibility issue between Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management System (RMS) and Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1). Microsoft Dynamics RMS is a retail chain management solution for small and midsize customers. In order to make sure customers have the best possible experience we have decided to delay releasing Windows XP SP3 to Windows Update and Microsoft Download Center. To help protect our customers, we plan to put filtering in place shortly to prevent Windows Update from offering both service packs to systems running Microsoft Dynamics RMS. Once filtering is in place, we expect to release Windows XP SP3 to Windows Update and Download Center. Until we have published a fix for this issue, we advise Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers to not install either service pack. Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers running Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista SP1 should contact Microsoft Customer Support Services for additional information. The fix is currently in testing and will be available as soon as that process is complete. For further information regarding Windows XP SP3, please visit the TechNet Forum. Note, however, that per my earlier news story today, Windows XP SP3 is still available for download via a direct link if you want it. 
Things you can do from here: Sent to you by Chris McMillan, Federal Marketing Manager via Google Reader: Ubuntu 8.04 around the Web via SuperSite Blog by pthurrott on 4/29/08 In keeping with my ongoing look at Ubuntu Linux 8.04, here are some interesting articles I've seen about this new release: eWeak: Ubuntu 8.04 Is Ready to Take On Windows I used my second test machine, an Athlon 64-based desktop running Windows Vista, to try out Ubuntu 8.04's newest installation option, in which Ubuntu installs itself in a couple of large files on a preexisting Windows installation. The last few Ubuntu releases have shipped in a LiveCD format that enables users to boot into a temporary Ubuntu desktop suitable for trying out the system before either devoting an entire system to Ubuntu or resizing existing Windows partitions to make way for Ubuntu in a dual-boot configuration. The Ubuntu desktop I'd installed within Windows seemed no different from the one I'd installed on its own hardware, and I was pleased to find that the files from my Windows instance were accessible from Ubuntu. According to documentation on the Ubuntu Web site, there's a performance hit associated with this sort of install, but I didn't detect an appreciable slowdown. I have seen a big performance hit with this type of install. And it was quite noticeable. Still, it's a great option for testing. Mark Shuttleworth: The Heron takes flight Hearty congratulations to the entire Ubuntu community on the successful launch of 8.04 LTS. This was our best release cycle ever, from the planning at UDS-Boston last year, at which we had many different teams and companies, to the beta process which attracted so much in the way of testing and patches. I think we can be justifiably proud of the quality of 8.04 LTS. From the code to the documentation, from translations to advocacy, this has been a team effort with the shared goal of delivering the very best free software experience to the very widest possible audience. May Hardy be both enduring and endearing. I’m very conscious of the fact that Ubuntu is the pointy edge of a very large wedge - we are the conduit, but we exist only because of the extraordinary dedication and effort of thousands of other communities and projects. We all owe a great deal to the team who make Debian’s “unstable” repository possible, and of course to the upstream projects from GNOME and KDE through to the Linux kernel. We hope you will be proud of the condition in which we have carried your excellent work through to the users of Ubuntu. It's nice to see Shuttleworth extending this thank you to Debian. Few mainstream computer users are probably even aware of the link between Ubuntu and Debian. Jason Perlow: Ubuntu: I’m extremely impatient The demand for downloads and updates to the newly released Linux distribution was so tremendous, that the repositories are totally overwhelmed — you can’t connect to the US or central Canonical archives if your life depended on it today. According to a close industry source, Ubuntu saturated 20 Gigabits of bandwidth from both its main repositories and download locations over the last 24 hours. It’s like the Seinfeld episode where they go to the Chinese restaurant and the bunch are stymied by every attempt to get a table. Obviously, this has since cleared up significantly. You should have no issues downloading Ubuntu 8.04 now. Kubuntu Hardy: Mildly disappointing Kubuntu Hardy has a lot of nice welcome features. First, there's a KDE 4 version, which packs the latest and greatest (but very unstable) desktop environment, as well as the default version with the rock solid KDE 3.5. Compiz Fusion support has (finally) come to KDE with the new Desktop Effects app. Wubi has been bundled as well, making it dead simple for Windows users to install and uninstall Kubuntu. As far as looks, Kubuntu is basically the same. Konqueror is the most awesome file manager in the world (Finder and Windows Explorer have nothin' on it), but it is a horrible web browser. KHTML (the engine that powers it) is most possibly the worst renderer ever. It's not quite as fast as WebKit (the Safari engine) and won't render everything like Gecko (the Firefox engine) will. Overall, I'm not as excited as I originally was about Kubuntu Hardy. The Compiz Fusion enabler was especially nice, since I never quite got Compiz to work on previous distros. Wubi is certainly nice, but only for switchers (not old-time Linux users like me). And with problems that should definitely not be there, Kubuntu Hardy is rather mediocre. I tend to focus on the meat and potatoes "Ubuntu" product, but there of course other variants including Kubuntu (utilizing the KDE environment rather than GNOME), Edubuntu (a kid-friendly version with "school-related applications"), Xubuntu (utilizing the lightweight Xfce environment), and Gobuntu (containing only modifiable and redistributable open source code). 
Things you can do from here: A company called 24/7 Mobile Solutions announced a product called SIMable today. SIMable is a very thin chip that you attach to a standard SIM card. When the two chips are inserted into a locked mobile phone, SIMable makes ...
(follow link to read) New SIM Card Add-On Unlocks Phones
Eric M. Zeman
Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:21:10 GMT
Dear Blind Lists:
House Hearing
on May 1st on Accessible Phones and Televisions
|
WHAT:
House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and
the Internet on "Draft Legislation Enhancing Access to Broadband
Technology and Services for Persons with Disabilities"
WHEN:
May 1, 2008, 9:30 AM
WHERE:
Room 2123 Rayburn House Office Building
Advocates are encouraged to attend this
hearing and help pack the room. Celebrity witnesses will be testifying
regarding their concerns about the absence of hearing aid compatibility of
"Internet" phones, a lack of video description on television, so little
captioning of Internet videos, the absence of funds for phone equipment
for deaf-blind persons, and about other inaccessible communication
technologies.
The proposed legislation,
the subject of the panel, reflects the agenda of the Coalition of Organizations
for Accessible Technology (COAT), a coalition formed in March 2007 of
over 185 affiliate members. AAPD is a founding
and steering committee member of COAT.
Sign language interpreters will be present and the hearing
will be captioned both in the hearing room and on the Internet
broadcast.
WEBCAST: To watch this
hearing on the Internet go to the Committee website and click on
"Connect to the Video Webcast" the day and morning of the hearing.
The final list of celebrity panelists who support the proposed
legislation or "Witness List" will also be released on this
website soon.
TAKE
ACTION: If you cannot attend, please be sure to call your House
member who may be on the Committee and ask them to attend this important
Hearing to learn more of our concern about people with disabilities left
behind as communication technologies migrate to the Internet. View a list of
Representatives, their telecom staffers and phone numbers, or call via
House switchboard at 202-224-3171 (voice) or 202-224-3091 (TTY).
Please let Jenifer Simpson at the
American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) know if you are
planning to attend the House Hearing on Thursday May 1st, in Washington
DC. |
Sent to you by Chris McMillan, Federal Marketing Manager via Google Reader: Windows XP Service Pack 3 RTM / RTW via TechNet Blogs by CC Hameed on 4/29/08  Last week, we announced the release of Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) to manufacturing (RTM). Windows XP SP3 includes previously released updates for the OS and also a small number of new updates. The current timeline for XP SP3 availability is as follows: Release to the Web (RTW) on April 29, 2008. Once released to the web, the final service pack will be available for download via Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center. Automatic Update Distribution for users at home is scheduled for the early part of this summer
Obviously the release of a Service Pack is a significant milestone. There are some enhancements to Windows XP SP3 such as Network Access Protection (NAP) that will make it easier for enterprises to co-manage Windows XP and Windows Vista systems during their phased rollouts of Windows Vista. A couple of things to note when installing XP SP3 – if you installed on of the XP SP3 Release Candidate (RC) builds on your XP system, you will need to uninstall the RC build before installing the final version of the service pack. Below is a table that outlines previously released functionality available to Windows XP in stand-alone updates. These features are included in XP SP3 by default. OS Function
Component
Description Management
MMC 3.0
MMC 3.0 is a framework that unifies and simplifies day-to-day system management tasks in Windows by providing common navigation, menus, toolbars, and workflow across diverse tools. Microsoft Knowledge Base article 907265 describes this functionality in detail. MDAC
MSXML6
MSXML6 provides better reliability, security, and conformance with the XML 1.0 and XML Schema 1.0 W3C Recommendations. It also provides compatibility with System.Xml 2.0. MSI
Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1 v2
Windows Installer 3.1 is a minor update to Windows Installer 3.0, which Microsoft released in September 2004. Windows Installer 3.1 contains new and enhanced functionality. Additionally, Windows Installer 3.1 addresses some issues that Microsoft found in Windows Installer 3.0. Microsoft Knowledge Base article 893803 describes this functionality. Networking
Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) 2.5
BITS 2.5 is required by Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007 and Windows Live™ OneCare™. BITS 2.5 helps improve security. If you use BITS to transfer data, the new features also improve flexibility. Microsoft Knowledge Base article 923845 describes BITS 2.5. Networking
IPSec Simple Policy Update for Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP
This update helps simplify the creation and maintenance of IPsec filters, reducing the number of filters that are required for a server and domain isolation deployment. The Simple Policy Update removes the requirement for explicit network infrastructure permit filters and introduces enhanced fallback to clear behavior. Microsoft Knowledge Base article 914841 describes this previously released update in more detail. Networking
Digital Identity Management Service (DIMS)
DIMS makes it possible for users who log on to any domain-joined computer to silently access all of their certificates and private keys for applications and services. Networking
Peer Name Resolution Protocol (PNRP) 2.1
This update enables Windows XP SP3–based programs that use PNRP to communicate with Windows Vista programs that use PNRP. Microsoft Knowledge Base article 920342 describes this previously released update. Networking
Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2)
This update to Windows XP provides support for WPA2, the latest standards-based wireless security solution derived from the IEEE 802.11i standard. Microsoft Knowledge Base article 893357 describes this update. Finally – there are two important things to note: - Windows XP SP3 does not include Internet Explorer 7.
- Windows XP SP3 is for x86 (32-bit) versions of XP only. Windows XP Professional x64 editions are serviced by Windows Server 2003 SP2. For more details see the information on Windows Server 2003 SP2
That’s it for today. Additional Resources: - CC Hameed Share this post :
 
Things you can do from here: April 28
Dear Blog Site:
Sincerely,
Christopher McMillan, CIO
CEEK Technology
Blog: http://ceektechnology.spaces.live.com
Web Site: http://www.ceektechnology.com
WM: chrismcmillan@ceektech.com or christophermcmillan@hotmail.com
E-mail: chrismcmillan@ceektech.com or christophermcmillan@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:06:27 -0700
Subject: FW: Microsoft Office Labs is live…
From: chrismmcmillan@gmail.com
To: christophermcmillan@hotmail.com
Sent to you by Chris McMillan, Federal Marketing Manager via Google Reader:
Today I found the nice surprise of seeing Microsoft Office Labs live on the web.
As explained on their blog, the Office Labs team has been working on some very interesting ideas in Microsoft and it is very good to see them going live and make some of these available for everyone.
One excellent project I would recommend to anyone who installed Office 2007 and is learning how to use the new Fluent interface (AKA the Ribbon) is Search Commands.
Search Commands helps you find commands, options, wizards, and galleries in Microsoft Office 2007 Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Just type what you’re looking for in your own words and click the command you need. Search Commands also includes Guided Help, which acts as a tour guide for specific tasks.
One thing to notice is that all the projects posted on the site are not official Microsoft products but “concept tests”, which means that they are not betas, not Community Technical Previews and “don't even pretend to be complete product ideas”. The whole point about this is to stimulate feedback and discussion about innovative ideas which is think is a very commendable goal. 
Things you can do from here:
Express yourself wherever you are. Mobilize!
Dear Blog Site:
Sincerely,
Christopher McMillan, CIO
CEEK Technology
Blog: http://ceektechnology.spaces.live.com
Web Site: http://www.ceektechnology.com
WM: chrismcmillan@ceektech.com or christophermcmillan@hotmail.com
E-mail: chrismcmillan@ceektech.com or christophermcmillan@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:01:05 -0700
Subject: New Networking-related KB articles for the week of April 12-18
From: chrismmcmillan@gmail.com
To: christophermcmillan@hotmail.com
Sent to you by Chris McMillan, Federal Marketing Manager via Google Reader:
Here are the latest Networking-related KB articles:
948505 The gethostbyname function unexpectedly returns the IP addresses in numeric order on a Windows Vista-based computer or on a Windows Server 2008-based computer
951422 The WTSQuerySessionInformation function on a Windows Server 2008-based terminal server returns ambiguous IPv6 address data
948572 A handle leak occurs in a Server Message Block (SMB) session between two Windows Vista-based computers or between two Windows Server 2008-based computers
951037 Information about the TCP Chimney Offload feature in Windows Server 2008
942567 Description of the Windows Vista Feature Pack for Wireless
948180 Error message when you try to automatically connect to a wireless access point that uses shared-mode network authentication in Windows Vista: "Windows cannot connect to <access_point>"
- Mike Platts 
Things you can do from here:
Express yourself wherever you are. Mobilize!
Dear Blog Site:
Sincerely,
Christopher McMillan, CIO
CEEK Technology
Blog: http://ceektechnology.spaces.live.com
Web Site: http://www.ceektechnology.com
WM: chrismcmillan@ceektech.com or christophermcmillan@hotmail.com
E-mail: chrismcmillan@ceektech.com or christophermcmillan@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:02:02 -0700
Subject: Where can I download a free eval version of Windows Home Server?
From: chrismmcmillan@gmail.com
To: christophermcmillan@hotmail.com
Sent to you by Chris McMillan, Federal Marketing Manager via Google Reader:
Just browse to the Windows Home Server site and select "Try it for 120 days" on the right hand side of the screen.
If like me you haven't splashed out on buying a Windows Home Server and would like to take one for a spin then downloading the trial is a good way to go. I've seen quite a few of the purpose built devices and have been pretty impressed with them. The idea of a low power server (the one I want uses <38W) that can be configured to wake up my other computers @ night to back them up is pretty appealing. I think the best feature of Home Server is it's ability to accept additional USB connected hard disks and seamlessly extending the logical storage area without me having to worry what data goes where.
I also like the idea of being able to securely "sign in" from wherever I am to access both data held on the server AND control any home automation devices I've integrated with it.
If you're a technical enthusiast who want to buy/build home automation hardware OR if you have multiple PCs @ home then Windows Home Server is worth a look.
The Home Server blog is another good place to find out more. 
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Dear Blog Site:
Sincerely,
Christopher McMillan, CIO
CEEK Technology
Blog: http://ceektechnology.spaces.live.com
Web Site: http://www.ceektechnology.com
WM: chrismcmillan@ceektech.com or christophermcmillan@hotmail.com
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Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:54:21 -0700
Subject: FW: Ubuntu 8.04 feature tour
From: chrismmcmillan@gmail.com
To: christophermcmillan@hotmail.com
Even the blog mentions access issues. Way to go Paul.
Sent to you by Chris McMillan, Federal Marketing Manager via Google Reader:
I've been working with Ubuntu 8.04 in my spare time over the past weekend, and I'm definitely going to be reviewing it sometime soon. (I don't know how or why I let so much time slip by, but the last time I reviewed an Ubuntu distribution was almost three years ago [!!!] with version 5.04.)
As always, Ubuntu is interesting stuff. But I think moving forward it may make sense to look at this thing not so much as a "Windows replacement" but rather as the basis for a second PC and/or a PC that is aimed primarily at cloud computing activities: Email via Gmail, calendaring via Google Calendar, document creation and management via Google Docs, and so on. The world is moving on, and in some ways, Linux is more relevant than ever as a result.
Anyway, in relation to last week's release of Ubuntu 8.04, Ubuntu has set up a nice tour of the new features in the Ubuntu 8.04 Desktop Edition, which is the version with which I'm most interested. There's some good info here:
The latest Ubuntu release brings the best of open source together on a platform that is here to stay with 3 years of free updates. With hundreds of improvements and the addition of the latest version of Firefox amongst other outstanding applications, more and more users are assessing why Ubuntu wins more and more converts with every release. This tour will help you discover this for your self.
Productivity tools: Ubuntu supports all of your favorite web-based mail programs like Yahoo(TM) or Gmail (TM). But for the office, Evolution provides all the calendering, contacts and full function office email you need. Pidgin IM also puts you in instant touch with colleagues and integrates with your personal IM services simply and easily.
Browsing: Including Mozilla Firefox (Beta 5) - tested and stabilized for a platform. Faster, safer and themed for Ubuntu.
Photos: Upload from your camera or phone to F-Spot and manage, tag, share and sort your photos and upload easily to you favorite social networking sites.
Music and video: Plug in your PSP, iPod, MP3 player; share playlists with your friends; buy in the creative commons online music stores, stream more live radio and plug in more devices with UPnP.
Office applications: Word processing, spreadsheets and presentations can all be delivered through Open Office. And, they completely integrate with the proprietary office applications out there. The big difference is that they are free.
Accessibility: At the core of the Ubuntu philosophy is the belief that computing is for everyone and access should be free and complete whatever your economic or physical circumstances. Ubuntu is one of the most accessible desktop operating systems around.
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Dear Blog Site
Sincerely,
Christopher McMillan, CIO
CEEK Technology
Blog: http://ceektechnology.spaces.live.com
Web Site: http://www.ceektechnology.com
WM: chrismcmillan@ceektech.com or christophermcmillan@hotmail.com
E-mail: chrismcmillan@ceektech.com or christophermcmillan@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:55:06 -0700
Subject: Microsoft internal memo details Windows 7-Windows Live ties
From: chrismmcmillan@gmail.com
To: christophermcmillan@hotmail.com
Sent to you by Chris McMillan, Federal Marketing Manager via Google Reader:
Mary Jo Foley offers up part one of the complete text of an internal Microsoft memo about Windows Live/Windows 7 integration. Unfortunately, it's horribly old--from August of last year--and may thus be completely dated from a relevance standpoint. Still, internal memos are always interesting. Here are some pertinent bits regarding Windows 7 specifically:
TO: Windows Live Experience Team; Live Platform Services Team
FROM: Chris Jones, David Treadwell, Brian Arbogast
RE: Planning Windows Live Wave 3
BIG BETS
While we will target a seamless experience on Windows Vista, we will make a bet on the Windows 7 platform and experience, and create the best experience when connected with Windows 7. We will work with the Windows 7 team and be a first and best developer of solutions on the Windows 7 platform.
Our experiences will be designed so when they are connected to Windows 7 they seamlessly extend the Windows experience, and we will work to follow the Windows 7 style guidelines for applications. We will work with the Internet Explorer 8 team to make sure we deliver an experience that seamlessly extends the browser with our toolbar and other offerings.
Seamless Windows Experience
For customers who are upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7, we will explore ways to make it easy for them to get Windows Live – particularly for photos, calendar, and movies where our applications complete the experience.
The Windows 7 platform provides new enhancements that allow us to deliver even richer experiences for customers. We will invest in differentiated features that “light up” on Windows 7, and in this theme we will identify these “signature elements” – gestures, ribbon, or other – that make our suite best on Windows 7. We will explore innovations in graphics and presentation, including window management and high-DPI support, that make our applications feel distinct and “pop” on the new platform. What experience will we provide when we “light up” Windows with Windows Live? What is better with Windows 7? What experiences or scenarios are Win7 only? How do we take advantage of or lay the foundation to take advantage of some of the hardware innovations already available or planned for Windows 7?
It should be easy to use Windows Live Messenger and our communication services with the Outlook client. It should be easy to publish from Office applications to Live Folders. This theme will involve close collaboration with the Windows 7 and Office 14 teams. Examples of features we could build to support this theme include:
* Support Windows 7 platform enhancements so Windows Live feels like a natural extension of the Windows system, including gestures, ribbon, and other elements
* What’s our next level of investment in family safety? What is the experience of parental controls and account management (with Windows 7)?
On a related note, Foley is now promoting her new book, Microsoft 2.0, which is unfortunately exactly the opposite of what I was hoping to see: Rather than a detailed history of the last decade at Microsoft (which would be fascinating), this book presents Foley's opinions about where Microsoft will go in the next decade. Given how quickly things change--I'd harken back to Bill Gates' misguided "The Road Ahead" as a wonderful example--I'm not sure what the shelf life is for a title like this. Still, I'm intrigued. No one understands the inner workings of Microsoft like Mary Jo Foley. 
Things you can do from here:
Spell a grand slam in this game where word skill meets World Series. Get in the game.
Dear Blog SIte:
Sincerely,
Christopher McMillan, CIO
CEEK Technology
Blog: http://ceektechnology.spaces.live.com
Web Site: http://www.ceektechnology.com
WM: chrismcmillan@ceektech.com or christophermcmillan@hotmail.com
E-mail: chrismcmillan@ceektech.com or christophermcmillan@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:55:44 -0700
Subject: Vista's 11 Pillars of Failure ... and its 140 Million Pillars of Success
From: chrismmcmillan@gmail.com
To: christophermcmillan@hotmail.com
Sent to you by Chris McMillan, Federal Marketing Manager via Google Reader:
I guess it's all in how you look at it. Mac fanatics and other Vista critics will try to point out that Microsoft's Vista "sales" are inflated because many of them don't represent real-world installations (yet). I'd point out that Microsoft has always recorded sales in exactly the same way, so this attempt at making Vista look bad is misplaced. Regardless, our views of Windows Vista continue to be guided by both perception and reality. So is Vista a failure or a success?
Failure
Vista's 11 Pillars of Failure by John. C. Dvorak
1) Market confusion. There [are] simply too many versions of the OS for sale. Who needs all the variations? It's stupid—plain and simple.
2) Code size. I've got two words for you: TOO BIG. Enough said.
3) Missing components. Yes, WinFS.
4) Laptop battery-life drain.
5) HHD fiasco.
6) Bogus Vista-capable stickers.
7) Missing drivers.
8) Conflicting advice. Some people said that you should get anew computer only with Vista preloaded and not upgrade. Others said upgrades were fine.
9) XP mania. You'd think that the world was in love with Windows XP.
10) Mediocre rollout. The company seemed almost sheepish or embarrassed by Vista. This sent the wrong signals to users and may have made them hypercritical.
11) Performance. You're not supposed to deliver a new operating system that's been in development for more than four years yet performs worse than the previous OS.
OK, so I actually disagree with a lot of this, but whatever. He makes the case and certainly much of what he says is true, though some of it is hardly problematic for most people. (HHD "fiasco"?)
Success
Earnings Conference Call with Microsoft CFO Chris Liddell Related PPT shot:
Microsoft has sold 140,000,000 (140 million) Windows Vista licenses as of the end of the first quarter of 2008. Thus, Microsoft sold about 40 million copies of Vista in the quarter, a rate of about 13-14 million copies of the OS per month. If this monthly rate doesn't improve--and it will, of course, as XP leaves the market mid-year--Microsoft will have no trouble reaching its publicly-stated goal of 200 million licenses sold in the first 24 months on the market (which occurs at the end of November 2008).
So.
I suspect I'm not going to see eye-to-eye with many on this. But from where I sit, Vista is doing fine. However, I would like to investigate one fact which would do much to settle the issue: I've noted that Vista's 100 million sales in its first year on the market means that Vista essentially outsold XP during identical periods of time on the market when compared against the installed base at the time. I'd like to make a similar comparison now (for what I guess is the first 16 months on the market). This will require a bit of research and may, in fact, be impossible. But I'm looking. My guess is that Vista continues to outpace XP and that the gap will only grow later in the 2008. But that's just a guess. 
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Dear Blog Site:
Well someone is going to still offer XP. Lets see who is
next.
From: Google News
Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 10:53 AM
Subject: Dell: We'll install XP for you, even after the deadline -
CNET News.com
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