The Hotfix - Vista SP1, XP SP3, IE8, Home Server, and more!

It can be argued that Microsoft's main focus with Windows Vista was security. While sceptics try to claim that there has not been much improvement, Vista does appear to be Microsoft's most secure OS to date.

Nevertheless, it's far from perfect, and not only on the security front. While many tests show that Vista outperforms XP on some high-end computers, the average computer system does not run Windows Vista as well as it does Windows XP. This will of course change as the average computer becomes more powerful and as Microsoft tweaks the operating system (SP1 already offers some help), but the fact of the matter is that Vista is recognized as a slow operating system.

View Full Article: Ars Technica

Big businesses need to start planning now to handle changes that will take place when a new version of the Internet's fundamental routing protocol becomes ubiquitous, or risk losing online customers, according to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

Most Internet communications currently use Internet protocol version 4 (IPv4). However, IPv6 is increasingly being used, and IPv4 addresses, which are co-ordinated by ICANN, will run out by 2011. Large businesses will not be directly affected, as most use private IP addresses. However, ICANN said businesses should still implement IPv6-compatible hardware and systems or face being left behind.

View Full Article: ZDNet Australia

Lai Hoong Fai: We will be releasing the beta of Visual Studio 2008 SP1 and the .NET Framework SP1. Each of these releases contains a significant amount of new functionality and bug fixes for developers which will further enhance their experiences with our products. However, this bulletin is focused on new functionality specifically in .NET Framework SP1 and Visual Studio SP1 for Client development.

The .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 Beta delivers more controls, a streamlined setup, improved start-up performance, and powerful new graphics features for WPF development. This release includes numerous bug fixes and the following feature areas:

• New and improved graphics capabilities for both 2D and 3D
• New controls and extensibility
• Performance improvements for startup and runtime, as well as streamlined setup
• Interop with HTML (DOM) as well as DirectX

As part of the streamlined setup we are introducing a new .NET Framework 3.5 Client Profile which is a perfect subset of the .NET Framework 3.5 targeted exclusively at client applications and clients scenarios. The Client Profile will work with ClickOnce application deployments.

Source: WinBeta

        Only AMD systems affected, says former Microsoft security manager

Installing Windows XP Service Pack 3 sends some PCs into an endless series of reboots, according to posts to a Microsoft support forum.

Jesper Johansson, a former program manager for security policy at Microsoft Corp. and a prominent Windows blogger, has worked with users to tentatively identify the problem as involving only machines using processors from Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

Messages from frustrated users began accumulating on the XP SP3 support newsgroup Wednesday, just a day after Microsoft released the update to the general public.

"I just installed Windows XP SP3 and after completing the processes and when the system reboots, the system cannot proceed to load the Windows," said a user identified as "Olin" in a message that kicked off a long thread. "It just displays the flash screen of Windows then after it reboots again."

Most users who left messages on the forum said that they were unable to boot into Windows Safe mode — a last-ditch way to sidestep the normal boot process for troubleshooting purposes — or revert to a previously saved System Restore point.

Some were understandably upset. "Way to go, Microsoft, releasing the pile of dung called SP3 that hoses your system so bad even Safe Mode isn't working!" said a user identified as Mike Voss. "Props to your QA guys, they certainly have done their job."

Johansson, who watched one of his PCs repeatedly reboot after installing XP SP3, traded accounts with several other users on the newsgroup and summarized the results on his blog.

According to Johansson, there appears to be two separate issues. One affects only AMD-equipped PCs sold by Hewlett-Packard Co. "The problem is that HP, apparently along with other OEMs, deploys the same image to Intel-based computers that they do to AMD-based computers," said Johansson. "Because the image for both Intel and AMD is the same, all have the intelppm.sys driver installed and running. That driver provides power management on Intel-based computers. On an AMD-based computer, amdk8.sys provides the same functionality."

Running the intelppm.sys driver on an AMD-powered PC isn't normally an issue, but on the first reboot after a service pack installation, it causes "a big problem," Johansson said. The machine either fails to boot or crashes and immediately reboots.

The other problem, according to Johansson, also seems to affect only AMD machines, and involves an error message indicating trouble with the PC's BIOS. Johansson said that the ensuing recommendation to update the BIOS is "most likely not your problem," but said that the problem may be isolated to a specific motherboard. "Possibly, it is related to computers with the Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe motherboard in them," he said.

Johansson also spelled out workarounds for both problems on his blog. The HP issue can be solved by disabling the intelppm.sys driver, while the second fix requires the user to plug in a USB flash drive before booting.

Microsoft was not immediately available for comment early Friday, but someone identified as a Microsoft employee on the support forum had asked users to e-mail him information about the PC's system configuration and whether they were able to enter Safe mode, and to submit event viewer logs.

Source: ComputerWorld

               "GAME SALES TRUMP MARK SET BY 'HALO 3"

No taint of ill repute could deter the worldwide rush for "Grand Theft Auto IV," a notoriously violent video game that racked up a record $500 million in estimated retail sales globally in its first week.

Take-Two Interactive Software, the "Grand Theft Auto" publisher that's under pressure from a takeover bid by Electronic Arts, said Wednesday that GTA IV sold approximately 6 million copies in the seven days since its April 29 release.

About 3.6 million copies were sold the first day, with a retail value of roughly $310 million for combined sales of the standard $60 game and a $90 collector's edition, the company said. GTA IV is available for two consoles, Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.

The dollar figures were boosted by exchange rates that made the retail price significantly higher in Europe, where almost as many copies may have been sold as in the United States, according to analyst Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities.

Still, the GTA results soared beyond the previously reported video-game and entertainment highs: $300 million in global first-week sales last year for Microsoft's "Halo 3" game, and worldwide first-week movie box office totals of more than $400 million each last year for Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and Sony's "Spider-Man 3."

Microsoft has quite a bit in store for the Zune with its new Zune version 2.5 software update. The greatest additions are the new Zune Card integration and TV show downloads on Zune Marketplace. Those features as well as much-requested features like gapless playback, improved syncing controls, meta data editing, auto playlists and other tweaks have also been included.

On the marketing front, Microsoft is really pushing the Zune Pass going forward, and will be launching a new TV commercial to help plug it. Subscribers will particularly benefit from the new Zune Card sharing, which lets you automatically score copies of your pals' favorite songs, artists and recent plays -- non-subscribers can view that Zune Card info, but will have to buy the tracks if they want to have a listen. You can either download the software directly, or you’ll be prompted for an update the next time your open your Zune software.

Source: Engadget

While we don't usually do these kind of late-night TV infomercials, this one should be of interest to a few of you. Amazon.com is currently running a $30 rebate on Windows Live OneCare 2.0, which means after rebate you get it for free. Its US-only (sorry!) but here's the link if you're interested:

Get Windows Live OneCare 2.0 @ Amazon.com

Source: LiveSide

We knew it would come sooner or later, and from the looks of it widespread 64-bit computing might be on the horizon. Just yesterday we posted the results of our poll asking whether you’re running a 64-bit operating system, and only about a quarter of you are. That could be changing as more PC manufacturers start to push 64-bit machines.

TG Daily noticed that Gateway had started to ship consumer PC’s that are running a 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium. They dubbed Gateway the “first large PC vendor” to make this move, but after looking around I noticed that others are doing the same thing. HP is offering a 64-bit Vista option on many of their laptops and desktops, and some are as low as $449… nearly half the price of Gateway’s cheapest 64-bit computer. A little more digging revealed that some ASUS notebooks are also shipping with a 64-bit version of Vista.

Now we’re just sitting back waiting for other manufacturers to start adopting the technology. It’s definitely nice to see the transition to 64-bit starting to take place, and hopefully by large vendors like HP jumping on board some of the compatibility issues will be eliminated for those adopting 64-bit.

The next time you go shopping for a PC don’t be surprised if you’re walking away with a 64-bit operating system!

Source: Cybernet

availability saga of the first service pack for Vista is now in its final stage, namely delivery through Automatic Updates. Two days after the RTM of Windows XP Service Pack 3, Microsoft started pushing Windows Vista SP1 through AU. In this manner, the service pack was delivered and deployed automatically to all Vista RTM users that had Automatic Update enablers.

On April 29, the day Microsoft was supposed to start serving the gold bits of XP SP3 Build 5512 via Windows Update and the Download Center, the company revealed that it was postponing the availability of the last service pack for XP, as well as discontinuing the distribution of Vista SP1 through AU due to an incompatibility problem. According to the Redmond company, both service packs had issues integrating with the Dynamics Retail Management System.

Since last week, Microsoft has built and set up a filter on Windows Update designed to prevent the two service packs being offered to Microsoft Dynamics RMS customers. The company advised Dynamics RMS users not to install any of the service packs and for those that have already deployed Vista SP1 and XP SP3 to contact Microsoft Customer Support Services. Still, with the filters now in place. Vista SP1 RTM downloads through AU are live yet again, even though the service pack was available all along on WU and the Download Center.

"You may have heard about an incompatibility Dynamics Retail Management System has with SP3 and Windows Vista SP1– we’ve added a filter to block WU from offering Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista SP1 to systems w/ RMS for now and will make a fix available soon. You may have also heard that we temporarily suspended automatic distribution of Windows Vista SP1 for this - we’re now also happy to report that we’ve resumed automatic distribution of Windows Vista SP1," revealed a member of the Microsoft Update Product Team.
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 All Language Standalone is available for download here.

Source: Softpedia

A PCWorld article yesterday is saying that AMD needs to double its current market share (13%) to survive. AMD has long been propped up by the netroots community, but in my opinion has had its image fade in the online community for some time now. 

While AMD once held the undisputed performance edge in processors, which many of us see a critical benchmark, this performance edge also buy something that is less understood, longevity of life out of your purchase.  Lately they have been touting the performance to price metric, which might be true, but to me is a false argument.  I want the better raw performer as it will get me the most life out of the chip as well as the immediate perceived value.

I know that AMD will find it hard to compete with Intel on a resource level, so they need to get back to what brought them to the table.  RAW performance, and the only way to do this is to out innovate Intel.  Which is probably going to be harder a second time.

What are your current thoughts on AMD?  Are they really on life support? Can they pull out of this perceived tail spin?

Source: Windows Connected

We knew it was coming, and after waiting for quite some time for Freesat to go from concept to reality, television viewers across the UK can finally indulge. If you'll recall, a recent survey found that just 5% of Europe's HDTV owners actually bothered to tune into HD programming, but now that number is likely to change. Effective today, 98-percent of the UK can fork out a one-time fee of £49 ($96) to £120 ($234) in order to acquire a FreeSat set-top-box, and after an £80 ($156) installation, users will have subscription-free access to BBC HD, ITV HD (coming soon), Channel 4's digital service and around 70 other TV / radio channels. Better still, that number is slated to rise to 200 before the year's end, and unsurprisingly, the launch is expected to boost available high-def offerings in the region. Anyone across the pond have their equipment set up already? How's the service?

Source: Engadget

After a pricing spat with Apple led NBC to pull its video content from iTunes, the broadcaster has struck a deal with Microsoft's Zune online store.

On Tuesday, as part of an announcement about new Zune features, Microsoft planned to say that it will start selling television programs at the Zune store for viewing on its portable music player. NBC is among the broadcasters supplying videos for the service.

The videos, which also come from Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Turner Broadcasting and VH1, will cost US$1.99 each. Users will be able to choose from 800 episodes.

The price is significant because it is the same that Apple charges for most TV programs in iTunes. However, at the time of the dispute between Apple and NBC last year, Apple said NBC wanted to increase its wholesale price of each episode by so much that Apple would have to charge $4.99 per episode. Apple said it wouldn't agree to that price change.

At the time, NBC disputed Apple's version of events and said that NBC wanted to offer customers a variety of pricing options, including bundles of programs for set fees. When NBC's contract with Apple expired in December last year, it was not renewed.

Microsoft's flexibility over price was one reason NBC wanted to sell its content through the Zune store, according to Microsoft. "We have worked closely with them around flexibility and protection of IP," said Julio Estrada, general manager for Zune Social. "Zune will control the price of the episodes, but we're open to understanding which episodes can be priced lower and how we may introduce premium content which may be priced higher than $1.99," he said.

Source: PC World