Sign In
Register
Help
Microsoft's business strategies were described at the company's Financial Analyst Meeting on Thursday.
The talks by five Microsoft executives, including Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer, came on the heels of the company's positive fourth-quarter earnings. Last week, Microsoft announced revenue of $16 billion for the quarter. Peter Klein, Microsoft's chief financial officer, said at the time that all of Microsoft's business segments showed "double-digit growth," quarter over quarter.
The number-crunching crowd of financial analysts attending Microsoft's annual event may have preferred seeing spreadsheets and graphs. Instead, they got PowerPoint slides illustrating Microsoft's general vision in the enterprise and consumer markets. That vision encompassed Microsoft's Windows Azure cloud computing platform, Windows operating system success and consumer products.
Ballmer Lays Out Consumer Strategy
During Ballmer's talk, the Windows Phone 7 operating system was demonstrated running on an unidentified prototype device by Augusto Valdez, senior product manager for Windows Phone 7. Valdez showed off the mobile integration of the Microsoft Bing search engine, which provides search and mapping services based on the user's location. He said that the device was capable of running multiple Microsoft Exchange accounts on one phone.
Brad Brooks, CVP for Windows consumer marketing, showed how Windows 7-based PCs and Windows Phone 7 smartphones will be able to tap into a "personal cloud." Data can be shared across those devices using Windows Sync technology and the Windows Live SkyDrive cloud-based storage space. This data-sharing capability will be available "starting this fall," Brooks said.
"And by Q3 a vast majority of all PCs that ship to consumers will have this pre-installed so people will have this personal cloud experience as part of their Windows 7 experience right out of the box, and of course that will come with every Windows Phone 7 as well," Brooks said, according to a transcript.
Ballmer focused his talk on the consumer side of Microsoft's business since it is "very much on the minds of [Microsoft's] shareholders." The company's consumer products include Xbox gaming consoles, Bing search, Microsoft Office, the Windows operating system and Windows Phone.
Microsoft's mobile strategy has received much criticism over the years, particularly with regard to meeting the competition in the smartphone and tablet markets. However, Ballmer said that Microsoft has had Windows 7 on tablets and slate devices "for a number of years." He noted Apple's progress in putting out popular products and suggested that Microsoft would rise to the challenge.
"Just like we had to make things happen on netbooks, we've got to make things happen with Windows 7 on slates," Ballmer said. "And we are in the process of doing that as we speak. We're working with our hardware partners; we're tuning Windows 7 to new slate hardware designs that they're bringing them to market." He later referred to devices from Samsung, HTC and LG that are expected to "come to market this fall," but it wasn't clear whether he was talking about tablets or smartphones (or both).
Microsoft expects to get "a boost" in 2011 when Intel rolls out a low-power processor to market code-named "Oak Trail," Ballmer said. Oak Trail is an Intel Atom-based processor for tablets that's expected to use half the power of an Atom chip. It's designed to work with Windows 7, MeeGo and Google operating systems, according to Intel.
In a Q&A session with the financial analysts, Ballmer would not be pinned down on when Windows phones or tablets would hit the market. "We'll be in the market as soon as we can," he said. He did reveal a bit about Microsoft's thinking on executing its product plans, noting that "there is no way we will let hardware be an impediment." Ballmer revealed that Microsoft had actually designed the hardware for Windows phones for its partners.
Turner Extols Microsoft's Enterprise Strengths
Kevin Turner, Microsoft's chief operating officer, described the company's advantages in the enterprise space. He said that 70 percent of Microsoft's cloud platform wins in its fourth quarter represented new business, with Microsoft gaining customers from IBM (Lotus Notes) and Novell (e-mail). He cited "limitations" to Amazon's cloud service in that it requires the customer to maintain virtual machines. He touted Windows Azure, saying that the capabilities of Google's and Salesforce.com's cloud platforms fall short by comparison. Microsoft has an edge over VMware because "they don't run their own datacenters," Turner said.
The introduction of Windows 7 to the market gave Microsoft a 2.7-point advantage over Apple in terms of laptop attachments in the U.S. market, Turner claimed. Microsoft sells "just under eight copies per second [of Windows 7] since we launched this product in October 22," he said. Turner also claimed that Windows Server has been showing its highest gains over Linux in the last three years.
Microsoft hopes to grab database market share when Oracle launches its Fusion product, which is rumored to happen this fall, Turner said. He touted the "self-service" business intelligence capabilities of SQL Server 2008 R2. In 2011, Microsoft expects to launch the Parallel Data Warehouse version of that product, which will enable "100-terabyte" data warehouses.
On the enterprise collaboration front, Microsoft is challenging Cisco Systems with the Microsoft Office Communications Server product. Turner said that Microsoft's Live Meeting service is offered for "a third of the price of [Cisco's] WebEx" videoconferencing solution.
In addition to Turner and Ballmer's talks, the event featured presentations by Bill Koefoed, general manager of investor relations, Craig Mundie, chief research strategy officer, and Peter Klein, chief financial officer.
Recorded video and print transcripts are available at the Microsoft investor relations Web page here.
via > http://mcpmag.com/ar...indows-noob.com
Ballmer Outlines Mobile Strategy at Microsoft Event
Microsoft reports strong Q4 revenue thanks again to Windows 7 sales
anyweb 
- 07-23-10 04:38 - 0 comments
Microsoft announced on Thursday, a record fourth-quarter revenue of $16.04 billion for the quarter ended June 30.
The financial figures are a 22% increase from the same period of the prior year. Microsoft says this revenue growth was driven by a strong performance from Windows 7, which has sold more than 175 million licenses to date. “This quarter’s record revenue reflects the breadth of our offerings and our continued product momentum,” said Peter Klein, chief financial officer. “The revenue growth, combined with our ongoing cost discipline, helped us achieve another quarter of margin expansion.”
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were expecting the software giant to report a profit of $0.46 per share on revenue of $15.26 billion, Microsoft beat these expectations with $16.04 billion and profit of $0.51 per share. Kevin Turner, chief operating officer, said the revenue was down to strong sales in the enterprise with Windows 7 and Office 2010. "“Our transition to cloud services is well underway with offerings like Windows Azure and our Business Productivity Online Services, and we look forward to continuing our product momentum this fall with the upcoming launches of Windows Phone 7 and Xbox Kinect," said Turner.
Windows 7 was released nine months ago today, on October 22, 2009. The OS originally released to manufacturing one year ago. Microsoft announced that Windows 7 is the fastest selling operating system in history, selling over 175 million licenses to date. The company is projected to sell 300 million by the end of 2010.
Microsoft's success with Windows 7 began before the product was even widely available. Released in October 2009, the operating system has received praise from consumers, businesses and the media. In November 2009, Windows 7 managed to surpass Apple's Snow Leopard market share in just two weeks. In early February it was revealed that Windows 7 had reached 10% market share in just three months.
Windows 7 has also driven an uptake of 64-bit computing. According to ChangeBASE research, conducted with senior IT decision makers, more than 65% of businesses hoped to migrated to Windows 7 within 12 months of its release. Over 50% of those migrating will be choosing the 64-bit route. Microsoft confirmed earlier this month, that nearly half of all Windows 7 PCs run 64-bit versions.
Screenshots of a Windows 7 post RTM build showed up on the web in February, fueling speculation that Microsoft is compiling early Windows 8 builds. The successor to Windows 7 will likely be available in 2011 as an ex-Microsoft worker penned July 2011 as the RTM date for Windows 8. Microsoft is expected to build a 'Windows Store' app store into Windows 8 and Kinect-like functionality.
Microsoft is currently readying its first Service Pack for Windows 7. A public beta version was made available recently with a final release expected in the first quarter of next year.
via > http://www.neowin.ne...windows-7-sales
The financial figures are a 22% increase from the same period of the prior year. Microsoft says this revenue growth was driven by a strong performance from Windows 7, which has sold more than 175 million licenses to date. “This quarter’s record revenue reflects the breadth of our offerings and our continued product momentum,” said Peter Klein, chief financial officer. “The revenue growth, combined with our ongoing cost discipline, helped us achieve another quarter of margin expansion.”
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters were expecting the software giant to report a profit of $0.46 per share on revenue of $15.26 billion, Microsoft beat these expectations with $16.04 billion and profit of $0.51 per share. Kevin Turner, chief operating officer, said the revenue was down to strong sales in the enterprise with Windows 7 and Office 2010. "“Our transition to cloud services is well underway with offerings like Windows Azure and our Business Productivity Online Services, and we look forward to continuing our product momentum this fall with the upcoming launches of Windows Phone 7 and Xbox Kinect," said Turner.
Windows 7 was released nine months ago today, on October 22, 2009. The OS originally released to manufacturing one year ago. Microsoft announced that Windows 7 is the fastest selling operating system in history, selling over 175 million licenses to date. The company is projected to sell 300 million by the end of 2010.
Microsoft's success with Windows 7 began before the product was even widely available. Released in October 2009, the operating system has received praise from consumers, businesses and the media. In November 2009, Windows 7 managed to surpass Apple's Snow Leopard market share in just two weeks. In early February it was revealed that Windows 7 had reached 10% market share in just three months.
Windows 7 has also driven an uptake of 64-bit computing. According to ChangeBASE research, conducted with senior IT decision makers, more than 65% of businesses hoped to migrated to Windows 7 within 12 months of its release. Over 50% of those migrating will be choosing the 64-bit route. Microsoft confirmed earlier this month, that nearly half of all Windows 7 PCs run 64-bit versions.
Screenshots of a Windows 7 post RTM build showed up on the web in February, fueling speculation that Microsoft is compiling early Windows 8 builds. The successor to Windows 7 will likely be available in 2011 as an ex-Microsoft worker penned July 2011 as the RTM date for Windows 8. Microsoft is expected to build a 'Windows Store' app store into Windows 8 and Kinect-like functionality.
Microsoft is currently readying its first Service Pack for Windows 7. A public beta version was made available recently with a final release expected in the first quarter of next year.
via > http://www.neowin.ne...windows-7-sales
Microsoft releases Fix-IT for Windows Shortcut zero day attacks
anyweb
- 07-22-10 12:02 - 0 comments
Microsoft releases Fix-IT for Windows Shortcut zero day attacks
http://www.zdnet.com...ay-attacks/6916
Quote
Microsoft has released a “fix-it” tool as a stop-gap to block ongoing zero-day attacks against a new code execution flaw in Windows Shell. The attacks, which incorporate signed drivers from RealTek and JMicron, are spreading locally via malicious USB drives or remotely via network shares and WebDAV. Microsoft has posted a pre-patch advisory that spells out the problem:
Best practices and technical defenses should be used to avoid new attacks related to malicious spoofed Windows shortcuts. Currently these zero-day attacks are not circulating extensively, and have only surfaced in limited targeted attacks. However, this is likely to change as note in articles at bottom, as malicious developers are exploring new conduits for seeding this in-the-wild.
The danger of these attacks are that spoofed short-cuts can easily trick anyone into selecting them. Also, automated settings in autorun could lead to completely automatic attacks, when the exploit is circulated using removable devices or unsecure network shares.
Microsoft Security Advisory (2286198)
Vulnerability in Windows Shell Could Allow Remote Code Execution
http://www.microsoft...ry/2286198.mspx
Quote
The vulnerability exists because Windows incorrectly parses shortcuts in such a way that malicious code may be executed when the icon of a specially crafted shortcut is displayed. This vulnerability can be exploited locally through a malicious USB drive, or remotely via network shares and WebDAV. An exploit can also be included in specific document types that support embedded shortcuts.
DOWNLOAD FIX IT PATCH FROM HERE:
Microsoft Security Advisory: Vulnerability in Windows Shell could allow remote code execution
http://support.micro....com/kb/2286198
Quote
Applying the Fix it will require a restart of the machine. The installation of the Fix it will prompt the user before restarting the system. Enterprise deployments allows for unattended install with the following Display options: Collapse this tableExpand this table
TIP: Always download both the Fixit and Undo Fixit patches, carefully labeling them in separate folders. After a true patch emerges, both temporary Fixit tools will be removed from the kb in favor of the new security bulletin. While the full security release will usually take care of undoing the FixIt, it's good to have the Undo Fixit available just in case it's needed (as corporate inventory systems may not handle temporary fixes accurately).
SPECIAL WARNING: The Internet Storm Center warns Windows 2000 users to be especially careful as there will most likely be no forthcoming patch.
ADDITIONAL PROTECTION TO FIX-IT PATCH: Disabling AUTORUN, keeping AV updated, and best practices are in order for all operating systems
HOW TO DISABLE AUTORUN FOR USB
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/967715
INTERNET STORM CENTER - Windows shortcut dangers
http://isc.sans.edu/...ml?storyid=9217
http://isc.sans.edu/...ml?storyid=9181
http://isc.sans.edu/...ml?storyid=9190
AVERT LABS - EXCELLENT FAQ
http://www.avertlabs...-vulnerability/
QUOTE: How widely is the issue being exploited? . The issue is known to be exploited by malware in the wild. Initial attacks were limited. However, an exploit module in metasploit was published today that uses WebDAV shares as an exploit vector. We expect wider exploitation of this issue. Users should keep their anti-virus software updated with the latest DATs (signatures).
via > http://myitforum.com...ay-attacks.aspx
Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 5.0 now available!
anyweb
- 07-16-10 05:10 - 0 comments
The new Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit 5.0 is now available for download!
MAP 5.0 is an agentless tool designed to simplify and streamline the IT infrastructure planning process across multiple scenarios through network-wide automated discovery and assessments. This Solution Accelerator performs an inventory of heterogeneous server environments and provides you with usage information for servers in the Core CAL Suite and SQL Server, SQL Server 2008 discovery and assessment for consolidation, Windows 2000 Server migration assessment, and a readiness assessment for the most widely used Microsoft technologies—now including Office 2010.
What’s new in MAP 5.0?
* Heterogeneous server environment inventory - Know what’s in your IT environment. The Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit performs a network inventory of IT assets remotely without the use of agents, identifying heterogeneous server environments consisting of Windows Server and Linux operating systems, including those running in a virtual environment. MAP 5.0 also automates the discovery of Linux-powered LAMP stacks.
* Software usage tracking for Windows Server, SharePoint Server, System Center Configuration Manager, Exchange Server, and SQL Server - Right-size your IT environment with MAP Toolkit 5.0, and simplify your software license management and compliance processes. MAP 5.0’s new usage tracking feature provides consistent software usage reports for key Microsoft server products: Windows Server, SharePoint Server, System Center Configuration Manager, Exchange Server, and SQL Server. Run updated reports whenever you need to accurately assess current software usage and client access history in your environment. This reduces time and administrative costs for managing your server and client access licenses (CALs) and helps you to streamline the management of your software assets.
* Microsoft Office 2010 readiness assessment - Streamline your migration to Office 2010 with MAP 5.0’s hardware compatibility proposal document. The MAP Toolkit provides readiness details and specifics of your IT infrastructure inventory, including hardware and OS requirements and upgrade recommendations for planning a seamless deployment of Office 2010. The actionable recommendations and assessments presented shorten the time it takes to plan your Office 2010 migration and prepares your IT environment for Office 2010 deployment and migration scenarios.
* SQL Server discovery and assessment for consolidation - MAP 5.0’s new database discovery feature gives you the information you need to optimize your database resources and investments. MAP helps you simplify database administration and provides wide-ranging details of databases and server instances—information you can utilize for consolidation. Use the MAP Toolkit’s proposals to better utilize hardware and database resources, reduce administrative costs, and streamline your software licensing needs—all essential for cost-effective IT planning and operations.
* Windows 2000 Server migration assessment - As support for Windows 2000 Server ends soon, MAP 5.0’s Migration Assessment feature helps you prepare for migration to Windows Server 2008 R2 by assessing the Windows 2000 Server environment and legacy workloads in the form of proposals and reports. The MAP Toolkit’s actionable recommendations help you to understand the potential business impact of maintaining legacy workloads and the benefits of migrating to the robust Windows Server 2008 R2 environment. With migration to Windows Server 2008 R2, you’ll be able to utilize the increased IT flexibility and efficiency from such technologies as Hyper-V and Remote Desktop Services, as well as tap into power-savings features to decrease TCO.
Is your organization spending valuable resources planning its IT infrastructure? Download the MAP Toolkit 5.0, and let this tool do the heavy lifting for a wide variety of your IT planning projects.
* Download the MAP 5.0 Toolkit.
* Checkout the MAP Overview DEMO
* Check out the Springboard Series on TechNet Pilot and Deploy Zone for more info on MAP, ACT, MDT and other Solutions Accelerator Tools!
* Check out the great video series our friends at TechNet Edge did on MAP:
+ Part 1- Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit 5.0: Overview
+ Part 2 - Office 2010
+ Part 3 - Windows Server 2008 R2 consolidation
+ Part 4 - Database Discovery for SQL
+ Part 5 - Heterogeneous Server Environment Inventory
+ Part 6 - Software Usage Tracker
via > http://windowsteambl...-available.aspx
MAP 5.0 is an agentless tool designed to simplify and streamline the IT infrastructure planning process across multiple scenarios through network-wide automated discovery and assessments. This Solution Accelerator performs an inventory of heterogeneous server environments and provides you with usage information for servers in the Core CAL Suite and SQL Server, SQL Server 2008 discovery and assessment for consolidation, Windows 2000 Server migration assessment, and a readiness assessment for the most widely used Microsoft technologies—now including Office 2010.
What’s new in MAP 5.0?
* Heterogeneous server environment inventory - Know what’s in your IT environment. The Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit performs a network inventory of IT assets remotely without the use of agents, identifying heterogeneous server environments consisting of Windows Server and Linux operating systems, including those running in a virtual environment. MAP 5.0 also automates the discovery of Linux-powered LAMP stacks.
* Software usage tracking for Windows Server, SharePoint Server, System Center Configuration Manager, Exchange Server, and SQL Server - Right-size your IT environment with MAP Toolkit 5.0, and simplify your software license management and compliance processes. MAP 5.0’s new usage tracking feature provides consistent software usage reports for key Microsoft server products: Windows Server, SharePoint Server, System Center Configuration Manager, Exchange Server, and SQL Server. Run updated reports whenever you need to accurately assess current software usage and client access history in your environment. This reduces time and administrative costs for managing your server and client access licenses (CALs) and helps you to streamline the management of your software assets.
* Microsoft Office 2010 readiness assessment - Streamline your migration to Office 2010 with MAP 5.0’s hardware compatibility proposal document. The MAP Toolkit provides readiness details and specifics of your IT infrastructure inventory, including hardware and OS requirements and upgrade recommendations for planning a seamless deployment of Office 2010. The actionable recommendations and assessments presented shorten the time it takes to plan your Office 2010 migration and prepares your IT environment for Office 2010 deployment and migration scenarios.
* SQL Server discovery and assessment for consolidation - MAP 5.0’s new database discovery feature gives you the information you need to optimize your database resources and investments. MAP helps you simplify database administration and provides wide-ranging details of databases and server instances—information you can utilize for consolidation. Use the MAP Toolkit’s proposals to better utilize hardware and database resources, reduce administrative costs, and streamline your software licensing needs—all essential for cost-effective IT planning and operations.
* Windows 2000 Server migration assessment - As support for Windows 2000 Server ends soon, MAP 5.0’s Migration Assessment feature helps you prepare for migration to Windows Server 2008 R2 by assessing the Windows 2000 Server environment and legacy workloads in the form of proposals and reports. The MAP Toolkit’s actionable recommendations help you to understand the potential business impact of maintaining legacy workloads and the benefits of migrating to the robust Windows Server 2008 R2 environment. With migration to Windows Server 2008 R2, you’ll be able to utilize the increased IT flexibility and efficiency from such technologies as Hyper-V and Remote Desktop Services, as well as tap into power-savings features to decrease TCO.
Is your organization spending valuable resources planning its IT infrastructure? Download the MAP Toolkit 5.0, and let this tool do the heavy lifting for a wide variety of your IT planning projects.
* Download the MAP 5.0 Toolkit.
* Checkout the MAP Overview DEMO
* Check out the Springboard Series on TechNet Pilot and Deploy Zone for more info on MAP, ACT, MDT and other Solutions Accelerator Tools!
* Check out the great video series our friends at TechNet Edge did on MAP:
+ Part 1- Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit 5.0: Overview
+ Part 2 - Office 2010
+ Part 3 - Windows Server 2008 R2 consolidation
+ Part 4 - Database Discovery for SQL
+ Part 5 - Heterogeneous Server Environment Inventory
+ Part 6 - Software Usage Tracker
via > http://windowsteambl...-available.aspx
Windows Phone 7 training kit hits beta
anyweb
- 07-15-10 08:57 - 0 comments
Microsoft's beta release of its Windows Phone 7 Development Training Kit offers several new labs designed to let developers get their feet wet in the new platform.
Described Tuesday in a Microsoft blog, the new beta of the training kit keeps up with the changes found in the Windows Phone 7 Developer Tools, which also hit beta status this week.
Microsoft has revamped the existing labs in the training kit and added a few new ones.
The lab dubbed "Using Windows Phone Launcher and Choosers In Your Applications" exposes the APIs that developers can tap into when writing their apps to run common tasks, such as making phone calls, sending e-mail, and snapping photos.
The lab called "Understanding the Windows Phone Application Lifecycle (handling Tombstone)" delves into "tombstoning," or what happens when when a person navigates away from an app and the OS thus ends the app's process--a necessary task since Windows Phone 7 does not support application multitasking.
The new labs include "Hello Phone," a variation of the familiar "Hello World" program that developers create when learning a new programming language. This lab helps developers learn to use Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phones and Expression Blend to build their apps, according to Microsoft.
The lab on "Building Your First Windows Phone Application" presents a puzzle game designed to take developers on a tour of the different stages of creating an app. The "Windows Phone Navigation and Controls" explains how to navigate among the different screens in a Windows Phone Silverlight app. And the "Game Development with XNA Framework for Windows Phone" teaches developers how to create a basic XNA game app for the phone.
Interested developers can download the training kit to install it locally or use the online edition at Microsoft's Channel 9 Web site to view session videos.
via http://news.cnet.com...0010526-75.html
Described Tuesday in a Microsoft blog, the new beta of the training kit keeps up with the changes found in the Windows Phone 7 Developer Tools, which also hit beta status this week.
Microsoft has revamped the existing labs in the training kit and added a few new ones.
The lab dubbed "Using Windows Phone Launcher and Choosers In Your Applications" exposes the APIs that developers can tap into when writing their apps to run common tasks, such as making phone calls, sending e-mail, and snapping photos.
The lab called "Understanding the Windows Phone Application Lifecycle (handling Tombstone)" delves into "tombstoning," or what happens when when a person navigates away from an app and the OS thus ends the app's process--a necessary task since Windows Phone 7 does not support application multitasking.
The new labs include "Hello Phone," a variation of the familiar "Hello World" program that developers create when learning a new programming language. This lab helps developers learn to use Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 Express for Windows Phones and Expression Blend to build their apps, according to Microsoft.
The lab on "Building Your First Windows Phone Application" presents a puzzle game designed to take developers on a tour of the different stages of creating an app. The "Windows Phone Navigation and Controls" explains how to navigate among the different screens in a Windows Phone Silverlight app. And the "Game Development with XNA Framework for Windows Phone" teaches developers how to create a basic XNA game app for the phone.
Interested developers can download the training kit to install it locally or use the online edition at Microsoft's Channel 9 Web site to view session videos.
via http://news.cnet.com...0010526-75.html
Download Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) Beta
anyweb
- 07-14-10 02:04 - 0 comments
Please Note: This early release of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta is not available for home users. The SP1 Beta does not provide new end-user features, and installation is not supported by Microsoft.
Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta helps keep your PCs and servers on the latest support level, provides ongoing improvements to the Windows Operating System (OS), by including previous updates delivered over Windows Update as well as continuing incremental updates to the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 platforms based on customer and partner feedback, and is easy for organizations to deploy a single set of updates.
Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta will help you:
* Keep your PCs supported and up-to-date
* Get ongoing updates to the Windows 7 platform
* Easily deploy cumulative updates at a single time
* Meet your users' demands for greater business mobility
* Provide a comprehensive set of virtualization innovations
* Provide an easier Service Pack deployment model for better IT efficiency
In order to download and install the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta you must currently have a Release to Manufacturing (RTM) version of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 already installed.
To learn more about piloting, deploying and managing Windows 7, visit the Springboard Series on TechNet.
To learn more about SP1 Beta and Windows Server 2008 R2, visit the SP1 Details Page.
Register for Download and Guided Evaluation
Review Windows 7* and Windows Server 2008 R2 system requirements and the frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Register for evaluation
Download and install beta software
Receive an email with resources to guide you
Question on the beta? Please visit the Windows Support Forum or the Windows Server 2008 R2 Migration & Deployment Forum for additional guidance
*Windows 7 Minimum System Requirements:
* 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
* 1 GB of RAM (32-bit) / 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
* 16 GB available disk space (32-bit) / 20 GB (64-bit)
* DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
* DVD-compatible drive
* Internet access (fees may apply)
Note: Some product features of Windows 7, such as the ability to watch and record live TV, BitLocker, or navigation through the use of “touch,” may require advanced or additional hardware. Windows XP Mode requires an additional 1 GB of RAM and 15 GB of available disk space.
Download using Windows Update for the 32-bit or 64-bit versions or download the ISO which contains both 32-bit and 64-bit versions for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. Check the FAQ for which version you should download.
Register for the Download
http://technet.micro...r/ff183870.aspx
Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta helps keep your PCs and servers on the latest support level, provides ongoing improvements to the Windows Operating System (OS), by including previous updates delivered over Windows Update as well as continuing incremental updates to the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 platforms based on customer and partner feedback, and is easy for organizations to deploy a single set of updates.
Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta will help you:
* Keep your PCs supported and up-to-date
* Get ongoing updates to the Windows 7 platform
* Easily deploy cumulative updates at a single time
* Meet your users' demands for greater business mobility
* Provide a comprehensive set of virtualization innovations
* Provide an easier Service Pack deployment model for better IT efficiency
In order to download and install the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Beta you must currently have a Release to Manufacturing (RTM) version of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 already installed.
To learn more about piloting, deploying and managing Windows 7, visit the Springboard Series on TechNet.
To learn more about SP1 Beta and Windows Server 2008 R2, visit the SP1 Details Page.
Register for Download and Guided Evaluation
Review Windows 7* and Windows Server 2008 R2 system requirements and the frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Register for evaluation
Download and install beta software
Receive an email with resources to guide you
Question on the beta? Please visit the Windows Support Forum or the Windows Server 2008 R2 Migration & Deployment Forum for additional guidance
*Windows 7 Minimum System Requirements:
* 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
* 1 GB of RAM (32-bit) / 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
* 16 GB available disk space (32-bit) / 20 GB (64-bit)
* DirectX 9 graphics processor with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
* DVD-compatible drive
* Internet access (fees may apply)
Note: Some product features of Windows 7, such as the ability to watch and record live TV, BitLocker, or navigation through the use of “touch,” may require advanced or additional hardware. Windows XP Mode requires an additional 1 GB of RAM and 15 GB of available disk space.
Download using Windows Update for the 32-bit or 64-bit versions or download the ISO which contains both 32-bit and 64-bit versions for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. Check the FAQ for which version you should download.
Register for the Download
http://technet.micro...r/ff183870.aspx
Windows XP downgrade deadline extended to 2020
anyweb
- 07-13-10 18:30 - 0 comments
Just a day before Microsoft drops support for Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), the company has announced that people running some versions of Windows 7 can "downgrade" to the aged operating system for up to 10 years.
The move is highly unusual. In the past, Microsoft has terminated downgrade rights - which let customers replace a newer version of Windows with an older edition without paying for two copies - within months of introducing a new OS.
While few consumers may want to downgrade from Windows 7 to XP - unlike when many mutinied against Vista three years ago - businesses often want to standardise on a single operating system to simplify machine management.
Monday's announcement was the second Windows XP downgrade rights extension. Microsoft originally limited Windows 7-to-Windows XP downgrades to six months after Windows 7's release, but backtracked in June 2009 after an analyst with Gartner Research called the plan a "real mess."
Instead, Microsoft later said it would allow downgrades to Windows XP until 18 months after the October 2009 debut of Windows 7, or until it released Windows 7 SP1.
In either scenario, XP downgrade rights would have expired sometime in 2011, perhaps as early as April.
On Monday, Microsoft again changed its mind. Users running Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate will now be able to downgrade to Windows XP Professional throughout the entire lifecycle of Windows 7.
"Our business customers have told us that the removing end-user downgrade rights to Windows XP Professional could be confusing," said Microsoft spokesman Brandon LeBlanc, in an entry on the a company blog.
Windows 7 Professional won't be fully retired until January 2020; the Ultimate edition will be put out to pasture five years earlier, in January 2015.
Although Microsoft said it made the change to simplify the work in tracking licensing rights for PCs, the continued popularity of Windows XP may have had something to do with it. At the Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC), which opened Monday in Washington DC, a company executive acknowledged that 74% of business computers still run XP.
The downgrade rights are available only from OEM copies of Windows 7, those that are pre-installed by computer makers.
"Going forward, businesses can continue to purchase new PCs and utilise end-user downgrade rights to Windows XP or Windows Vista until they are ready to use Windows 7," LeBlanc added in his blog post.
The change impacts only consumers and businesses that don't subscribe to Software Assurance (SA) - Microsoft's annuity-like upgrade guarantee programme - or those who purchase Windows through volume-licensing plans. Those companies already had downgrade rights from any edition, including Windows 7, to any previous version going as far back as Windows 95.
Other deadlines that Microsoft had previously scheduled for Windows remain in place. Computer manufacturers must stop installing Windows XP Home on netbooks as of October 22, 2010, and they may sell PCs with Vista pre-installed only through October 22, 2011.
Computer makers are also scheduled to stop offering factory-installs of XP Professional downgrades on PCs with Windows 7 Professional licences after October 22, 2010. That means Windows users who want to downgrade a Windows 7 system to XP must do it themselves starting October 23 of this year.
It's unlikely that many Microsoft customers, even the largest corporations, will downgrade to XP as long as Microsoft allows. That's because the nearly-nine-year-old operating system falls off the support list for good in April 2014.
Today, Microsoft will supply the last-ever updates for Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), the 2004 upgrade that was superseded four years later by XP SP3.
However, some computer makers continue to sell new PCs with a factory-installed downgrade to Windows XP. Dell , for example, offers downgrades on some Latitude notebooks.
The practice was much more widespread when Microsoft marketed Windows Vista. Then, customers clamored for ways to return to XP after buying new PCs equipped with Vista, a rebellion that forced Microsoft to delay several times the end of XP availability to both large and smaller computer sellers.
via > http://www.pcadvisor...?newsid=3230557
The move is highly unusual. In the past, Microsoft has terminated downgrade rights - which let customers replace a newer version of Windows with an older edition without paying for two copies - within months of introducing a new OS.
While few consumers may want to downgrade from Windows 7 to XP - unlike when many mutinied against Vista three years ago - businesses often want to standardise on a single operating system to simplify machine management.
Monday's announcement was the second Windows XP downgrade rights extension. Microsoft originally limited Windows 7-to-Windows XP downgrades to six months after Windows 7's release, but backtracked in June 2009 after an analyst with Gartner Research called the plan a "real mess."
Instead, Microsoft later said it would allow downgrades to Windows XP until 18 months after the October 2009 debut of Windows 7, or until it released Windows 7 SP1.
In either scenario, XP downgrade rights would have expired sometime in 2011, perhaps as early as April.
On Monday, Microsoft again changed its mind. Users running Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate will now be able to downgrade to Windows XP Professional throughout the entire lifecycle of Windows 7.
"Our business customers have told us that the removing end-user downgrade rights to Windows XP Professional could be confusing," said Microsoft spokesman Brandon LeBlanc, in an entry on the a company blog.
Windows 7 Professional won't be fully retired until January 2020; the Ultimate edition will be put out to pasture five years earlier, in January 2015.
Although Microsoft said it made the change to simplify the work in tracking licensing rights for PCs, the continued popularity of Windows XP may have had something to do with it. At the Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC), which opened Monday in Washington DC, a company executive acknowledged that 74% of business computers still run XP.
The downgrade rights are available only from OEM copies of Windows 7, those that are pre-installed by computer makers.
"Going forward, businesses can continue to purchase new PCs and utilise end-user downgrade rights to Windows XP or Windows Vista until they are ready to use Windows 7," LeBlanc added in his blog post.
The change impacts only consumers and businesses that don't subscribe to Software Assurance (SA) - Microsoft's annuity-like upgrade guarantee programme - or those who purchase Windows through volume-licensing plans. Those companies already had downgrade rights from any edition, including Windows 7, to any previous version going as far back as Windows 95.
Other deadlines that Microsoft had previously scheduled for Windows remain in place. Computer manufacturers must stop installing Windows XP Home on netbooks as of October 22, 2010, and they may sell PCs with Vista pre-installed only through October 22, 2011.
Computer makers are also scheduled to stop offering factory-installs of XP Professional downgrades on PCs with Windows 7 Professional licences after October 22, 2010. That means Windows users who want to downgrade a Windows 7 system to XP must do it themselves starting October 23 of this year.
It's unlikely that many Microsoft customers, even the largest corporations, will downgrade to XP as long as Microsoft allows. That's because the nearly-nine-year-old operating system falls off the support list for good in April 2014.
Today, Microsoft will supply the last-ever updates for Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), the 2004 upgrade that was superseded four years later by XP SP3.
However, some computer makers continue to sell new PCs with a factory-installed downgrade to Windows XP. Dell , for example, offers downgrades on some Latitude notebooks.
The practice was much more widespread when Microsoft marketed Windows Vista. Then, customers clamored for ways to return to XP after buying new PCs equipped with Vista, a rebellion that forced Microsoft to delay several times the end of XP availability to both large and smaller computer sellers.
via > http://www.pcadvisor...?newsid=3230557
64-Bit Momentum Surges with Windows 7
anyweb
- 07-08-10 18:52 - 0 comments
Are you running a 64-bit edition of Windows 7? There is a high likelihood you are. As of June 2010, we see that 46% of all PCs worldwide running Windows 7 are running a 64-bit edition of Windows 7. That is, nearly half of all PCs running Windows 7 are running 64-bit. Compared to Windows Vista at 3 and a half years after launch, only 11% of PCs running Windows Vista worldwide are running 64-bit. With Windows 7, running a 64-bit OS is becoming the norm.
A primary benefit of 64-bit Windows is the increase in addressable memory. This makes more “bits” available to Windows (the OS), which means more information can be “addressed” at once. 32-bit architectures have a memory ceiling of 4GB while the 64-bit architecture increases the memory ceiling to approximately 17.2 billion GB or RAM! Windows 7 is designed to use up to 192 GB of RAM (see SKU and OS comparisons here), a huge jump compared to limits with all 32-bit systems.
Essentially, 64-bit Windows allows your PC to take advantage of more memory to do more things. If you are like me and are running tons of apps, you can see a real difference in performance. Aside from the performance gains, there are also security enhancements and support for virtualization as well.
The reason for the jump in transition to 64-bit PCs can be attributed to a few things. The first is the price of memory has dropped over the last several years making it easier for OEMs to up the amount of memory in the PCs they ship. And most major processors in PCs today are capable of running a 64-bit OS. There are also more and more compatible devices and applications for PCs running 64-bit Windows 7– but I’ll talk more about this in a minute.
OEMs today have fully embraced 64-bit. We have seen many OEMs convert entire consumer lines of PCs to 64-bit only – which can be seen quite a bit today in North America. According to Stephen Baker at NPD, 77% of PCs sold at retail in April 2010 in the U.S. had a 64-bit edition of Windows 7 pre-installed.
And businesses are adopting Windows 7 64-bit as well. According to Gartner*, by 2014 75% of all business PCs will be running a 64-bit edition of Windows. Intel recently migrated to 64-bit Windows 7 citing the following on their deployment:
“Our decision to move to 64-bit computing allows us to take advantage of new systems with higher memory capabilities while positioning Intel to take advantage of 64-bit applications as they become available. Moving to this computing model also provides additional security benefits, including Data Execution Prevention (DEP), which helps prevent malicious code exploits by disallowing applications from executing code from a non-executable memory region.”
Intel has released a whitepaper on their deployment of 64-bit Windows 7, which can be found here.
As I mentioned previously, there are more compatible hardware and software for PCs today thanks to the amazing work from our partners (ISVs and IHVs) making their products compatible with 64-bit. Through the Windows Logo Program (the “Compatible with Windows 7” logo today), hardware partners are required to develop 64-bit drivers for their devices and software partners are required to have their applications compatible with 64-bit Windows 7. This groundwork was laid with the Windows Logo Program for Windows Vista and carries through to today with Windows 7. To understand more about hardware and software for 64-bit Windows, check out this article by our Help and How-to team.
To find out what’s compatible with 64-bit Windows 7, millions of consumers and businesses are visiting the Windows 7 Compatibility Center where they can easily check 64-bit compatibility on thousands of devices and applications, get 64-bit driver and software downloads and send feedback on their experience. You can also find products that have met the Windows testing requirements to earn the “Compatible with Windows 7” logo.
And the Windows 7 Compatibility Center recently went international with support for 17 markets in 12 languages - see this recent post by Mark Relph on the latest release.
To find out if your PC can run a 64-bit edition of Windows 7, you can run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. If your PC isn’t currently capable of running a 64-bit edition of Windows 7, the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor will let you know if there are any memory upgrades that might be done to move to 64-bit. If you buy a new PC, you are likely to get 64-bit Windows 7 pre-installed but if you decide to upgrade your PC, all versions of Windows 7 (except Starter) include both a 32-bit and 64-bit DVD in the box.
As you can see, millions of consumers and business customers alike are making the transition to 64-bit computing with Windows 7. For me personally, almost every laptop and desktop PC I have is running 64-bit Windows 7.
Happy 64-bit computing!
* Gartner, Inc., “Plan to Implement Some 64-Bit Versions of Windows 7,” Stephen Kleynhans, October 6, 2009
via > http://windowsteambl...-windows-7.aspx
A primary benefit of 64-bit Windows is the increase in addressable memory. This makes more “bits” available to Windows (the OS), which means more information can be “addressed” at once. 32-bit architectures have a memory ceiling of 4GB while the 64-bit architecture increases the memory ceiling to approximately 17.2 billion GB or RAM! Windows 7 is designed to use up to 192 GB of RAM (see SKU and OS comparisons here), a huge jump compared to limits with all 32-bit systems.
Essentially, 64-bit Windows allows your PC to take advantage of more memory to do more things. If you are like me and are running tons of apps, you can see a real difference in performance. Aside from the performance gains, there are also security enhancements and support for virtualization as well.
The reason for the jump in transition to 64-bit PCs can be attributed to a few things. The first is the price of memory has dropped over the last several years making it easier for OEMs to up the amount of memory in the PCs they ship. And most major processors in PCs today are capable of running a 64-bit OS. There are also more and more compatible devices and applications for PCs running 64-bit Windows 7– but I’ll talk more about this in a minute.
OEMs today have fully embraced 64-bit. We have seen many OEMs convert entire consumer lines of PCs to 64-bit only – which can be seen quite a bit today in North America. According to Stephen Baker at NPD, 77% of PCs sold at retail in April 2010 in the U.S. had a 64-bit edition of Windows 7 pre-installed.
And businesses are adopting Windows 7 64-bit as well. According to Gartner*, by 2014 75% of all business PCs will be running a 64-bit edition of Windows. Intel recently migrated to 64-bit Windows 7 citing the following on their deployment:
“Our decision to move to 64-bit computing allows us to take advantage of new systems with higher memory capabilities while positioning Intel to take advantage of 64-bit applications as they become available. Moving to this computing model also provides additional security benefits, including Data Execution Prevention (DEP), which helps prevent malicious code exploits by disallowing applications from executing code from a non-executable memory region.”
Intel has released a whitepaper on their deployment of 64-bit Windows 7, which can be found here.
As I mentioned previously, there are more compatible hardware and software for PCs today thanks to the amazing work from our partners (ISVs and IHVs) making their products compatible with 64-bit. Through the Windows Logo Program (the “Compatible with Windows 7” logo today), hardware partners are required to develop 64-bit drivers for their devices and software partners are required to have their applications compatible with 64-bit Windows 7. This groundwork was laid with the Windows Logo Program for Windows Vista and carries through to today with Windows 7. To understand more about hardware and software for 64-bit Windows, check out this article by our Help and How-to team.
To find out what’s compatible with 64-bit Windows 7, millions of consumers and businesses are visiting the Windows 7 Compatibility Center where they can easily check 64-bit compatibility on thousands of devices and applications, get 64-bit driver and software downloads and send feedback on their experience. You can also find products that have met the Windows testing requirements to earn the “Compatible with Windows 7” logo.
And the Windows 7 Compatibility Center recently went international with support for 17 markets in 12 languages - see this recent post by Mark Relph on the latest release.
To find out if your PC can run a 64-bit edition of Windows 7, you can run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. If your PC isn’t currently capable of running a 64-bit edition of Windows 7, the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor will let you know if there are any memory upgrades that might be done to move to 64-bit. If you buy a new PC, you are likely to get 64-bit Windows 7 pre-installed but if you decide to upgrade your PC, all versions of Windows 7 (except Starter) include both a 32-bit and 64-bit DVD in the box.
As you can see, millions of consumers and business customers alike are making the transition to 64-bit computing with Windows 7. For me personally, almost every laptop and desktop PC I have is running 64-bit Windows 7.
Happy 64-bit computing!
* Gartner, Inc., “Plan to Implement Some 64-Bit Versions of Windows 7,” Stephen Kleynhans, October 6, 2009
via > http://windowsteambl...-windows-7.aspx
Microsoft Internet Explorer Use Grows
anyweb
- 07-05-10 19:24 - 0 comments
IE increased usage from 59.8 per cent to 60.3 per cent, according to new statistics from Net Applications, an analytics company that monitors browser usage across a large network of websites. It was buoyed by increasing usage of IE8 that offset the decline in IE7 — and by what web developers no doubt hope will be only a temporary pause in the decline of the despised IE6.
The change in fortunes was significant enough that Microsoft couldn't resist crowing about IE's progress in a blog post on Thursday. "We certainly don't judge our business on just two months of data, but the direction here is encouraging," said Ryan Gavin, senior director of business and marketing for Internet Explorer.
Although IE has long been scorned by web developers for its out-of-date features and its lack of compliance with web standards, Microsoft is working hard to change the browser's image. The IE9 Platform Preview bare-bones browser prototypes, of which three have been released so far, are steadily accumulating modern features in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) and Javascript. And Windows, despite the browser ballot that in Europe presents Windows users with a choice of browsers besides IE as a result of an antitrust settlement, remains a powerful means of distributing the software.
Some of IE8's gains probably can be ascribed to the growing use of Windows 7, which ships with that browser and is showing some signs of finally being a successor to Windows XP that people actually are embracing. Net Applications showed that the browsing usage of Windows 7 climbed from 12.7 per cent to 13.7 per cent from May to June; Windows Vista dropped from 15.2 per cent to 14.7 per cent; and Windows XP dropped from 62.6 per cent to 62.4 per cent.
Meanwhile, IE's biggest rival, Firefox, dropped in usage from 24.3 per cent to 23.8 per cent. And third-place Chrome climbed from 7.0 per cent to 7.2 per cent from May to June.
In fourth place, Apple's Safari rose from 4.8 per cent to 4.9 per cent, and Opera slipped from 2.4 per cent to 2.3 per cent.
via > http://www.osnews.co...lorer_Use_Grows
and > http://www.builderau...rer-use-grows/0,339028227,339304236,00.htm?feed=rss
The change in fortunes was significant enough that Microsoft couldn't resist crowing about IE's progress in a blog post on Thursday. "We certainly don't judge our business on just two months of data, but the direction here is encouraging," said Ryan Gavin, senior director of business and marketing for Internet Explorer.
Although IE has long been scorned by web developers for its out-of-date features and its lack of compliance with web standards, Microsoft is working hard to change the browser's image. The IE9 Platform Preview bare-bones browser prototypes, of which three have been released so far, are steadily accumulating modern features in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) and Javascript. And Windows, despite the browser ballot that in Europe presents Windows users with a choice of browsers besides IE as a result of an antitrust settlement, remains a powerful means of distributing the software.
Some of IE8's gains probably can be ascribed to the growing use of Windows 7, which ships with that browser and is showing some signs of finally being a successor to Windows XP that people actually are embracing. Net Applications showed that the browsing usage of Windows 7 climbed from 12.7 per cent to 13.7 per cent from May to June; Windows Vista dropped from 15.2 per cent to 14.7 per cent; and Windows XP dropped from 62.6 per cent to 62.4 per cent.
Meanwhile, IE's biggest rival, Firefox, dropped in usage from 24.3 per cent to 23.8 per cent. And third-place Chrome climbed from 7.0 per cent to 7.2 per cent from May to June.
In fourth place, Apple's Safari rose from 4.8 per cent to 4.9 per cent, and Opera slipped from 2.4 per cent to 2.3 per cent.
via > http://www.osnews.co...lorer_Use_Grows
and > http://www.builderau...rer-use-grows/0,339028227,339304236,00.htm?feed=rss
Hackers target Microsoft Windows XP support system
anyweb
- 07-01-10 19:36 - 0 comments
Hi-tech criminals are "escalating" attacks on an unpatched bug in the Windows XP help and support system.
Microsoft said it had seen more than 10,000 machines hit by the attack that, so far, it has not found a fix for.
Windows PCs falling victim will have control of that machine handed over to attackers.
Microsoft said the attacks had gone from theoretical to real very quickly and urged users to take steps to protect themselves.
'Nightmare' attack
Microsoft revealed the upturn in attacks in a blog post saying that it had been monitoring activity around the loophole since it was first revealed on 10 June.
Found by Google engineer Travis Ormandy, the loophole revolves around the Help and Support system built into XP. Mr Ormandy found that it was possible to exploit its ability to give remote aid and apply fixes to ailing machines.
Initially, said Microsoft, it only saw "innocuous" attacks by researchers attempting to replicate what Mr Ormandy had found.
Real exploits turned up on 15 June and these have been enthusiastically adopted by hi-tech criminals.
Writing on the Microsoft Security Centre blog, Holly Stewart said it had started seeing "seemingly-automated, randomly-generated" web pages that host the exploit.
A variety of trojans, spam tools and viruses are being downloaded to compromised machines, she said.
Rik Ferguson, senior security researcher at Trend Micro, said: "It's certainly very serious and is now being actively exploited by what appears to be several different groups as you can see form the multiple payloads being delivered."
Carole Thierault, senior security consultant at Sophos, said attacks like this were a "nightmare" to defend against if people did not regularly update or use anti-virus.
Statistics gathered by Microsoft suggest Portugal was taking the brunt of the attacks but users in Russia and Croatia were also being hit. More than 10,000 machines had been hit at least once by the attack, it found.
To avoid falling victim, Microsoft advised users to turn off the part of the Help and Support system that is vulnerable. It has produced an automated tool that can do this for users.
Mr Ferguson from Trend Micro said there were other steps users could take to stay safe.
"It is important to ensure that your security software is capable of identifying and blocking malicious websites," he said, "as you can be sure that the criminals behind this will be constantly updating their malicious files to try and avoid traditional security."
Microsoft said it was working on a lasting fix for the loophole.
via > http://news.bbc.co.u...gy/10473495.stm
Microsoft said it had seen more than 10,000 machines hit by the attack that, so far, it has not found a fix for.
Windows PCs falling victim will have control of that machine handed over to attackers.
Microsoft said the attacks had gone from theoretical to real very quickly and urged users to take steps to protect themselves.
'Nightmare' attack
Microsoft revealed the upturn in attacks in a blog post saying that it had been monitoring activity around the loophole since it was first revealed on 10 June.
Found by Google engineer Travis Ormandy, the loophole revolves around the Help and Support system built into XP. Mr Ormandy found that it was possible to exploit its ability to give remote aid and apply fixes to ailing machines.
Initially, said Microsoft, it only saw "innocuous" attacks by researchers attempting to replicate what Mr Ormandy had found.
Real exploits turned up on 15 June and these have been enthusiastically adopted by hi-tech criminals.
Writing on the Microsoft Security Centre blog, Holly Stewart said it had started seeing "seemingly-automated, randomly-generated" web pages that host the exploit.
A variety of trojans, spam tools and viruses are being downloaded to compromised machines, she said.
Rik Ferguson, senior security researcher at Trend Micro, said: "It's certainly very serious and is now being actively exploited by what appears to be several different groups as you can see form the multiple payloads being delivered."
Carole Thierault, senior security consultant at Sophos, said attacks like this were a "nightmare" to defend against if people did not regularly update or use anti-virus.
Statistics gathered by Microsoft suggest Portugal was taking the brunt of the attacks but users in Russia and Croatia were also being hit. More than 10,000 machines had been hit at least once by the attack, it found.
To avoid falling victim, Microsoft advised users to turn off the part of the Help and Support system that is vulnerable. It has produced an automated tool that can do this for users.
Mr Ferguson from Trend Micro said there were other steps users could take to stay safe.
"It is important to ensure that your security software is capable of identifying and blocking malicious websites," he said, "as you can be sure that the criminals behind this will be constantly updating their malicious files to try and avoid traditional security."
Microsoft said it was working on a lasting fix for the loophole.
via > http://news.bbc.co.u...gy/10473495.stm
Windows 8 Plans Leaked
anyweb
- 06-30-10 07:06 - 0 comments
An Italian Windows site called "Windowsette" has published some purported secret Microsoft documents outlining some design and strategy plans for Windows 8. The Microsoft Kitchen blog has provided some analysis of the documents. The documents appear genuine, and there's lots of interesting information there.
In a big surprise, Microsoft is looking to Apple for inspiration, and these documents contain high praise for Apple's "virtuous cycle" of UI quality and user productivity. They even seem to have looked to Apple for hardware design inspiration for a Windows 8 prototype machine (though they missed the mark - it's ugly). They're putting some thought into new ways of doing user authentication, including facial recognition via webcam. They're putting a lot of thought into how new, smaller and non-PC form factors are going to affect the computing landscape, though they plan to focus their energies on Slate, Laptop, and All-in-One form factors. But in a recognition of smaller device trends, they're putting energy efficiency and fast booting as major goals.
Probably the most interesting feature in the plan is "push button reset," which is something that I've been asking for for a long time. When your machine starts to act up, or maybe you suspect a malware infection, you can automatically reinstall Windows while retaining your personal information.
And of course, Microsoft is planning an App Store for Windows. It seems that everyone has realized that as much as Apple's app store concept robs the PC ecosystem of some of the essential essence of what made the PC great in the first place, the convenience to the user, and the revenue potential to the operator of the App Store is just too good an opportunity to pass up.
Engadget has more analysis.
via http://www.osnews.co..._8_Plans_Leaked
In a big surprise, Microsoft is looking to Apple for inspiration, and these documents contain high praise for Apple's "virtuous cycle" of UI quality and user productivity. They even seem to have looked to Apple for hardware design inspiration for a Windows 8 prototype machine (though they missed the mark - it's ugly). They're putting some thought into new ways of doing user authentication, including facial recognition via webcam. They're putting a lot of thought into how new, smaller and non-PC form factors are going to affect the computing landscape, though they plan to focus their energies on Slate, Laptop, and All-in-One form factors. But in a recognition of smaller device trends, they're putting energy efficiency and fast booting as major goals.
Probably the most interesting feature in the plan is "push button reset," which is something that I've been asking for for a long time. When your machine starts to act up, or maybe you suspect a malware infection, you can automatically reinstall Windows while retaining your personal information.
And of course, Microsoft is planning an App Store for Windows. It seems that everyone has realized that as much as Apple's app store concept robs the PC ecosystem of some of the essential essence of what made the PC great in the first place, the convenience to the user, and the revenue potential to the operator of the App Store is just too good an opportunity to pass up.
Engadget has more analysis.
via http://www.osnews.co..._8_Plans_Leaked
Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) will end on July 13, 2010.
anyweb
- 06-29-10 20:28 - 0 comments
As we announced in 2008, support for Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) will end on July 13, 2010. Support for Windows 2000 will end on the same date. Support for Windows Vista Release to Manufacturing (RTM) will end on April 13, 2010.
NOTE: There is no Service Pack 3 for the 64-bit version of Windows XP. If you are running the 64-bit version of Windows XP with Service Pack 2, you are on the latest service pack and will continue to be eligible for support and receive updates until April 8, 2014.
To find out if you are running the 64-bit version of Windows XP, right-click My Computer, then click Properties. If you do not see "64-bit" listed, then you are running the 32-bit version and you need to install Service Pack 3 . If "64-bit" is listed under System, then you are running the 64-bit version.
Customers running an unsupported version of Windows or service pack will not be eligible for any of our support options. Updates, including security updates released with bulletins from the Microsoft Security Response Center, will be reviewed and built for the supported versions and service packs only. The most current service packs are available to organizations, and they are easily deployed via Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services/Microsoft System Center, and the Microsoft Download Center. To better understand the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy and your support options visit the Microsoft Support Lifecycle page.
There is no supported migration path from Windows 2000 to Windows 7 using the Windows User State Migration Tool (USMT). You will need to upgrade to Windows XP and then migrate to Windows 7 using USMT 4.0, a tool included with the Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK). For more information on Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 Server End of Support visit Windows 2000 End of Support Solution Center.
Updating your Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 2000 PCs before the end of mainstream support dates will ensure your PCs stay supported and receive security updates. The best way to be secure and supported is by migrating to Windows 7.
*
Small and midsize businesses should migrate to Windows 7 Professional, which is designed to help you work the way you want, help you get more done, and safeguard your work.
*
Larger organizations should migrate to Windows 7 Enterprise, which enables enterprise users to be more productive from anywhere, manage risk through enhanced security and control, and reduce costs through streamlined PC management.
*
There are tools to help test and mitigate application compatibility issues, including the Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit, Windows XP Mode, and Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) to help migration. To learn more about these tools, visit the Springboard Series on TechNet.
*
Upgrading to Internet Explorer 8 improves the level of protection against current and emerging online threats.
Where can I go to learn more about Windows 7 for my business?
*
Enterprise customers
*
Small and Midsize Business customers
*
Microsoft partners
http://www.microsoft...of-support.aspx
NOTE: There is no Service Pack 3 for the 64-bit version of Windows XP. If you are running the 64-bit version of Windows XP with Service Pack 2, you are on the latest service pack and will continue to be eligible for support and receive updates until April 8, 2014.
To find out if you are running the 64-bit version of Windows XP, right-click My Computer, then click Properties. If you do not see "64-bit" listed, then you are running the 32-bit version and you need to install Service Pack 3 . If "64-bit" is listed under System, then you are running the 64-bit version.
Customers running an unsupported version of Windows or service pack will not be eligible for any of our support options. Updates, including security updates released with bulletins from the Microsoft Security Response Center, will be reviewed and built for the supported versions and service packs only. The most current service packs are available to organizations, and they are easily deployed via Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services/Microsoft System Center, and the Microsoft Download Center. To better understand the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy and your support options visit the Microsoft Support Lifecycle page.
There is no supported migration path from Windows 2000 to Windows 7 using the Windows User State Migration Tool (USMT). You will need to upgrade to Windows XP and then migrate to Windows 7 using USMT 4.0, a tool included with the Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK). For more information on Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 Server End of Support visit Windows 2000 End of Support Solution Center.
Updating your Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 2000 PCs before the end of mainstream support dates will ensure your PCs stay supported and receive security updates. The best way to be secure and supported is by migrating to Windows 7.
*
Small and midsize businesses should migrate to Windows 7 Professional, which is designed to help you work the way you want, help you get more done, and safeguard your work.
*
Larger organizations should migrate to Windows 7 Enterprise, which enables enterprise users to be more productive from anywhere, manage risk through enhanced security and control, and reduce costs through streamlined PC management.
*
There are tools to help test and mitigate application compatibility issues, including the Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit, Windows XP Mode, and Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) to help migration. To learn more about these tools, visit the Springboard Series on TechNet.
*
Upgrading to Internet Explorer 8 improves the level of protection against current and emerging online threats.
Where can I go to learn more about Windows 7 for my business?
*
Enterprise customers
*
Small and Midsize Business customers
*
Microsoft partners
http://www.microsoft...of-support.aspx
150 Million copies of Windows 7 sold, seven copies every second
anyweb
- 06-24-10 19:24 - 0 comments
Microsoft said on Wednesday that it had sold 150 Million licenses of Windows 7, seven copies every second.
The extraordinary fact was announced on the Windows Team Blog by Microsoft blogger Brandon LeBlanc. "We are excited to announce that Windows 7 has sold 150 million licenses to-date. As I’ve said before, Windows 7 is the fastest selling operating system in history with 7 copies of Windows 7 sold every second", said LeBlanc.
Microsoft made the headlines in January when it announced that it had sold over 60 million licenses of Windows 7. In March the company hit the 90 million milestone and estimates that 300 million licenses will be sold during 2010.
Microsoft released Windows 7 on October 22, 2009. The operating system has received praise from consumers, businesses and the media. In November 2009, Windows 7 managed to surpass Apple's Snow Leopard market share in just two weeks. In early February it was revealed that Windows 7 had reached 10% market share in just three months. Windows 7 has also driven an uptake of 64-bit computing. According to ChangeBASE research, conducted with senior IT decision makers, more than 65% of businesses hoped to migrated to Windows 7 within 12 months of its release. Over 50% of those migrating will be choosing the 64-bit route.
Screenshots of a Windows 7 post RTM build showed up on the web in February, fueling speculation that Microsoft is compiling early Windows 8 builds. The successor to Windows 7 will likely be available in 2011 as an ex-Microsoft worker penned July 2011 as the RTM date for Windows 8.
Microsoft is currently readying its first Service Pack for Windows 7. Technical beta testers recently received build 7601.16562.100603-1800. A public beta version will be available in July with a public release in September this year.
The extraordinary fact was announced on the Windows Team Blog by Microsoft blogger Brandon LeBlanc. "We are excited to announce that Windows 7 has sold 150 million licenses to-date. As I’ve said before, Windows 7 is the fastest selling operating system in history with 7 copies of Windows 7 sold every second", said LeBlanc.
Microsoft made the headlines in January when it announced that it had sold over 60 million licenses of Windows 7. In March the company hit the 90 million milestone and estimates that 300 million licenses will be sold during 2010.
Microsoft released Windows 7 on October 22, 2009. The operating system has received praise from consumers, businesses and the media. In November 2009, Windows 7 managed to surpass Apple's Snow Leopard market share in just two weeks. In early February it was revealed that Windows 7 had reached 10% market share in just three months. Windows 7 has also driven an uptake of 64-bit computing. According to ChangeBASE research, conducted with senior IT decision makers, more than 65% of businesses hoped to migrated to Windows 7 within 12 months of its release. Over 50% of those migrating will be choosing the 64-bit route.
Screenshots of a Windows 7 post RTM build showed up on the web in February, fueling speculation that Microsoft is compiling early Windows 8 builds. The successor to Windows 7 will likely be available in 2011 as an ex-Microsoft worker penned July 2011 as the RTM date for Windows 8.
Microsoft is currently readying its first Service Pack for Windows 7. Technical beta testers recently received build 7601.16562.100603-1800. A public beta version will be available in July with a public release in September this year.
Windows Live Essentials beta available now
anyweb
- 06-24-10 19:20 - 0 comments
Windows Live Essentials beta has already been unveiled and now is available for public testing. The package contains useful tools for everyday use including Windows Live Movie Maker, Mail, Messenger, Writer, Photo Gallery, Sync, and Family Safety.
Windows Live Essentials supports ribbon across many of the programs included, like Movie Maker, Mail, Photo Gallery and Writer. Microsoft has used this ribbon in other software products released including Microsoft Office 2010.
Photo Gallery
Windows Live Photo Gallery is a simple way to view, sort, edit and share your photos and videos. Windows Live Photo Gallery allows you to tag, rate, caption and share with friends and your social networks, including Facebook, Flickr, Windows Live Groups, YouTube and SkyDrive.
Movie Maker
Movie Maker offers you simple and effective ways of adding, editing and creating videos. Add multiple videos to make one video, add music, backgrounds, transitions and much more. You can record directly from your webcam or import from your camera and edit using an assortment of visual effects to give your video a professional touch.
Once you're all finished, directly upload your video to YouTube, Facebook, or SkyDrive. Movie Maker allows for sharing plug-ins, so you can add other sharing websites in the future.
Mail
Connect any Windows Live Passport to Mail, allowing you to send and receive emails all right from your desktop. Keep your emails, calendars, RSS feeds and contacts organized all from your desktop, without using a browser. Windows Live Mail delivers most of the features that Microsoft Office 2010 offers.
Sync
Easily access your folders from your desktop to your laptop or other home computers. Select any folder on your computer with pictures or videos to sync with another computer. Remotely connect and browse the folders and files you need while you're away from your desktop. You can even sync Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office 2010 settings using Sync.
Writer
If you manage a blog or just like keeping a personal journal, Windows Live Writer lets you post directly from your desktop, with the ability to include YouTube or desktop videos, pictures, photo albums, maps, emoticons and tags. You can even set Windows Live Writer to use your online blog theme, so you can preview exactly how it will look before you publish.
Family Safety
Designed to keep your children safe by giving parents or guardians control over what is available to view. Simple and easy to manage filters can be enabled for your Windows accounts, making sure your children can't access adult content. Windows Live Family Safety makes it easy to monitor what your kids are viewing online. Requests and blocked websites are sent to the parents email, giving them the option to approve or deny access to certain websites.
Messenger
One of the biggest improvements in Windows Live Essentials is Messenger. Now with integrated social networks like Facebook and MySpace, with more networks coming, users can view, comment, and post right within Windows Live Messenger.
Messenger allows you to switch between the social network + contacts and the classic contact list view. Users not interested in the social networking addition can view their contact list as they always have. Instantly chat with friends and family all around the world, sharing videos and photos, even using your webcam to chat live with them.
Download
Download Windows Live Essentials beta
Build number: 15.3.2804.0607
via http://www.neowin.ne...a-available-now
Windows Live Essentials supports ribbon across many of the programs included, like Movie Maker, Mail, Photo Gallery and Writer. Microsoft has used this ribbon in other software products released including Microsoft Office 2010.
Photo Gallery
Windows Live Photo Gallery is a simple way to view, sort, edit and share your photos and videos. Windows Live Photo Gallery allows you to tag, rate, caption and share with friends and your social networks, including Facebook, Flickr, Windows Live Groups, YouTube and SkyDrive.
Movie Maker
Movie Maker offers you simple and effective ways of adding, editing and creating videos. Add multiple videos to make one video, add music, backgrounds, transitions and much more. You can record directly from your webcam or import from your camera and edit using an assortment of visual effects to give your video a professional touch.
Once you're all finished, directly upload your video to YouTube, Facebook, or SkyDrive. Movie Maker allows for sharing plug-ins, so you can add other sharing websites in the future.
Connect any Windows Live Passport to Mail, allowing you to send and receive emails all right from your desktop. Keep your emails, calendars, RSS feeds and contacts organized all from your desktop, without using a browser. Windows Live Mail delivers most of the features that Microsoft Office 2010 offers.
Sync
Easily access your folders from your desktop to your laptop or other home computers. Select any folder on your computer with pictures or videos to sync with another computer. Remotely connect and browse the folders and files you need while you're away from your desktop. You can even sync Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office 2010 settings using Sync.
Writer
If you manage a blog or just like keeping a personal journal, Windows Live Writer lets you post directly from your desktop, with the ability to include YouTube or desktop videos, pictures, photo albums, maps, emoticons and tags. You can even set Windows Live Writer to use your online blog theme, so you can preview exactly how it will look before you publish.
Family Safety
Designed to keep your children safe by giving parents or guardians control over what is available to view. Simple and easy to manage filters can be enabled for your Windows accounts, making sure your children can't access adult content. Windows Live Family Safety makes it easy to monitor what your kids are viewing online. Requests and blocked websites are sent to the parents email, giving them the option to approve or deny access to certain websites.
Messenger
One of the biggest improvements in Windows Live Essentials is Messenger. Now with integrated social networks like Facebook and MySpace, with more networks coming, users can view, comment, and post right within Windows Live Messenger.
Messenger allows you to switch between the social network + contacts and the classic contact list view. Users not interested in the social networking addition can view their contact list as they always have. Instantly chat with friends and family all around the world, sharing videos and photos, even using your webcam to chat live with them.
Download
Download Windows Live Essentials beta
Build number: 15.3.2804.0607
via http://www.neowin.ne...a-available-now
PC Sales To Grow 20 Percent This Year
anyweb
- 06-18-10 21:30 - 0 comments
Things may be turning around in the PC market, according to new analysis by IDC.
IDC reported this week that it expects revenue in the 2010 PC market to surpass a peak that was last set in 2008. The main growth driver will come from mainstream notebooks, IDC predicts, based on its June "Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker" report. Netbooks, which IDC calls "mininotebook PCs," will play less of a role in driving PC sales, staying at less than 12 percent of sales, the analyst firm predicts.
The desktop PC is not quite dead yet, with IDC expecting growth of "over 8% in 2010." This positive expectation is based on the idea that businesses will start buying new PCs and "the popularity of All-in-One PCs." It also arises from a low earlier benchmark -- or, as IDC puts it, "a dismal 2009" for desktop PCs. However, a table accompanying IDC's announcement shows relatively flat figures for desktop PC sales -- at least in the U.S. market -- over the next four years.
Global PC sales grew 27 percent in the first quarter of 2010 compared with last year's first quarter, according to IDC. The analyst firm expects to see a growth rate of 20 percent overall for global PC sales for the whole of this year.
The market will face some disruption from new portable PCs hitting the market, according to Jay Chou, an IDC research analyst.
"New devices such as e-readers and media tablets will pose disruptive challenges to conventional usage models while opening up intriguing possibilities in consumer and mobile business spaces," Chou said, in a released statement. The success of the new devices will depend on balancing the benefits of portability with having the ability to produce "creative content" on the new devices.
IDC forecasts that total worldwide PC shipments will grow from 296 million in 2009 to 570 million in 2014. In the U.S. market, total PC shipments will grow from 70 million in 2009 to 121 million in 2014, IDC predicts.
Forrester Research analysts, looking at the U.S. consumer PC market, also see some upward trends.
"Over the next five years, PC unit sales across all form factors will increase by 52%," stated Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps, in a recent blog post. "In fact, desktops are the only type of PC whose numbers will be fewer in 2015 than they are today -- and even desktops will benefit from innovation in gaming and 3D."
Forrester predicts that "growth will come from new form factors like tablets, but laptop sales will increase steadily also." Tablets will start outselling netbooks in 2012, according to Forrester's report, "The US Consumer PC Market In 2015." Forrester's report, like that of IDC, also sees PCs as not quite dead yet.
"Fewer desktops will be sold in 2015 than in 2010, but in 2015, they'll still be used by more consumers than any other type of PC," Rotman Epps stated.
via > http://redmondmag.co...indows-noob.com
IDC reported this week that it expects revenue in the 2010 PC market to surpass a peak that was last set in 2008. The main growth driver will come from mainstream notebooks, IDC predicts, based on its June "Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker" report. Netbooks, which IDC calls "mininotebook PCs," will play less of a role in driving PC sales, staying at less than 12 percent of sales, the analyst firm predicts.
The desktop PC is not quite dead yet, with IDC expecting growth of "over 8% in 2010." This positive expectation is based on the idea that businesses will start buying new PCs and "the popularity of All-in-One PCs." It also arises from a low earlier benchmark -- or, as IDC puts it, "a dismal 2009" for desktop PCs. However, a table accompanying IDC's announcement shows relatively flat figures for desktop PC sales -- at least in the U.S. market -- over the next four years.
Global PC sales grew 27 percent in the first quarter of 2010 compared with last year's first quarter, according to IDC. The analyst firm expects to see a growth rate of 20 percent overall for global PC sales for the whole of this year.
The market will face some disruption from new portable PCs hitting the market, according to Jay Chou, an IDC research analyst.
"New devices such as e-readers and media tablets will pose disruptive challenges to conventional usage models while opening up intriguing possibilities in consumer and mobile business spaces," Chou said, in a released statement. The success of the new devices will depend on balancing the benefits of portability with having the ability to produce "creative content" on the new devices.
IDC forecasts that total worldwide PC shipments will grow from 296 million in 2009 to 570 million in 2014. In the U.S. market, total PC shipments will grow from 70 million in 2009 to 121 million in 2014, IDC predicts.
Forrester Research analysts, looking at the U.S. consumer PC market, also see some upward trends.
"Over the next five years, PC unit sales across all form factors will increase by 52%," stated Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps, in a recent blog post. "In fact, desktops are the only type of PC whose numbers will be fewer in 2015 than they are today -- and even desktops will benefit from innovation in gaming and 3D."
Forrester predicts that "growth will come from new form factors like tablets, but laptop sales will increase steadily also." Tablets will start outselling netbooks in 2012, according to Forrester's report, "The US Consumer PC Market In 2015." Forrester's report, like that of IDC, also sees PCs as not quite dead yet.
"Fewer desktops will be sold in 2015 than in 2010, but in 2015, they'll still be used by more consumers than any other type of PC," Rotman Epps stated.
via > http://redmondmag.co...indows-noob.com
Site Navigation
Online Users
5 members, 114 visitors and 0 anonymous users
MSN/Bing, soomon, Yahoo, Doktor, Psylak, DimStam, Peter van der Woude
July 2010
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
|
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
|
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Latest Discussions
- LiteTouch ISO keeps rebooti... by Psylak (Today, 06:36 AM)
Read: 45 Comments: 1 - Ballmer Outlines Mobile Str... by anyweb (Today, 05:19 AM)
Read: 56 Comments: 0 - Status Message Query by ejon (Yesterday, 09:47 PM)
Read: 80 Comments: 0 - Format Partition by randy (Yesterday, 12:42 PM)
Read: 131 Comments: 1 - Hello from Tamarino38 by Tamarino38 (Yesterday, 11:05 AM)
Read: 135 Comments: 1 - MDT 2010 rebuild by RGB09 (Yesterday, 08:13 AM)
Read: 151 Comments: 0 - windows-noob t shirts by anyweb (Yesterday, 07:28 AM)
Read: 153 Comments: 0 - How do i deploy software/Ap... by konetie (Yesterday, 05:36 AM)
Read: 158 Comments: 0 - usmtutils.exe - Hardlink by boognish (07-28-10 19:09)
Read: 232 Comments: 1 - Deployment Inconsistencies by StueyT (07-28-10 08:47)
Read: 308 Comments: 8 - i havent had the time to te... by wmmayms (07-28-10 05:24)
Read: 274 Comments: 5 - How can i Configure Configu... by konetie (07-28-10 04:50)
Read: 283 Comments: 1 - Packaging noob looking for ... by Yekim (07-27-10 20:17)
Read: 329 Comments: 1 - Server by noobadmin (07-27-10 15:54)
Read: 334 Comments: 1 - Software Distribution by ramsy (07-27-10 14:09)
Read: 389 Comments: 3
Recommended Sites
Microsoft Technet Forums
Configuration Manager Documentation Library
MSDN System Center Configuration Manager SDK
MyITforum.com
The Deployment guys
Dell TechCenter
SCCM Troubleshooting and Support
Blogs:
Nialls' blog
Peters' Blog
Jason Sandys
Aidan Finn
SCUG.dk
Scug.se
Kenny Buntinx
Kim Oppalfens
Garth Jones
Chris Nackers Blog
Michael Petersens Blog
Stefan Schörling
Jannes Alink
Greg Ramsey
Configuration Manager Support Team Blog
Inside OSD
Configuration Manager Documentation Library
MSDN System Center Configuration Manager SDK
MyITforum.com
The Deployment guys
Dell TechCenter
SCCM Troubleshooting and Support
Blogs:
Nialls' blog
Peters' Blog
Jason Sandys
Aidan Finn
SCUG.dk
Scug.se
Kenny Buntinx
Kim Oppalfens
Garth Jones
Chris Nackers Blog
Michael Petersens Blog
Stefan Schörling
Jannes Alink
Greg Ramsey
Configuration Manager Support Team Blog
Inside OSD