microsoft

Microsoft has issued an automated Windows tool designed to limit the effects of a recent DLL bug . The company has also noted it is only classing the problem as an "important" rather than "critical" risk. Windows Dynamic Link Library (DLL) Bug As ... noted previously, the problem involves dynamic link libraries (DLLs), a type of shortcut that allows multiple applications to access the same code in Windows. Many applications are set to automatically open any DLLs stored within their program folders. It's now emerged that it is easier than previously thought to create bogus files that can exploit ... (view more)

Microsoft yesterday announced it was resurrecting one of the most popular Windows 7 deals to date: the Family Pack discount. The deal, which gives consumers the ability to purchase a trio of upgrade licenses for their shift from XP or Vista to ... Windows 7, will again be available in early October. It's easy to see why the Family Pack Windows 7 deal was so popular: for three licenses the cost is just $150 (or $50 per upgrade), the same as it was last year. Microsoft put the package together for several weeks following the operating system's October 22, 2009 launch, and seems ready to celebrate a ... (view more)

Microsoft Process Monitor 2.92 Process Monitor is an advanced monitoring tool for Windows that shows real-time file system, Registry and process / thread activity. It combines the features of two legacy Sysinternals utilities, Filemon and Regmon, ... and adds an extensive list of enhancements. http://technet.microsoft.com Spiffy 0.5.4 Spiffy is an advanced Gmail notifier for Windows that is free and completely customizable. It supports free Gmail and Google Apps mail, allows you to check up to 5 accounts, and provides users the ability to customize the interface, alerts, icons and more. http:// ... (view more)

Microsoft has announced it plans to make the PC and Mac editions of Office 2011 as compatible as possible. According to Kurt Schmucker, one of the leading figures in Microsoft's Mac division, the goal is simple: you should be able to print out the ... same document in Office on both systems, put one sheet on top of the other, hold them up to the light, and not spot even the slightest difference. Mac Excel Gets Sparkling Makeover One example of this is a new Excel feature named Sparklines. This is designed to allow users to automatically produce small graphs and charts that appear beside the ... (view more)

Microsoft has warned users of its Windows Home Server technology that they could have problems using newer hard drives. It follows earlier warnings that the drives are also problematic for Windows XP users. Drives Use Advanced Format Technology The ... situation involves sectors, the individual chunks into which a hard drive is divided. The standard size of each sector has traditionally been 512 bytes, but some drives are already using a 4 kilobyte sector, and this will become the standard size for all drives after 2011. The new drives are referred to as having "Advanced Format" ... (view more)

Microsoft says its Windows Phone 7 developer tools have already been downloaded more than 300,000 times. The firm hopes this means there will be plenty of apps available to help the new system compete with rivals such as the iPhone and Android. ... Microsoft confirmed that the final edition of the developer toolkit will be released on September 16th, 2010: a package that should contain everything developers need to make sure their apps work when the phones go on sale. (Source: arstechnica.com ) Thus, we now have the clearest indication yet that phones carrying the new operating system should be ... (view more)

Microsoft has voluntarily leaked more details about its upcoming Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) web browser via a Russian Internet portal. The company revealed several new features related to the browser's overall look, which is heavily inspired by a ... rival. To date, Microsoft has yet to reveal a user interface for Internet Explorer 9, even though several developer previews of the browser have emerged since the spring. This means the Russian leak gives us our first glimpse of IE9's navigational model. IE9 Navigation Similar to Google Chrome First impressions suggest Microsoft's next browser -- ... (view more)

Microsoft has addressed a vulnerability affecting the way certain Windows programs load DLLs (dynamic link library files). It has done so by releasing an advisory that explains how to avoid being exploited by hackers. Although the flaw was only ... recently reported, it's a variation of a decade-old issue affecting DLLs. Dynamic link library files are commonly shared amongst multiple Windows programs and are typically included inside Windows setup / install programs. The exploit works like this: if a hacker is able to convince a user into opening a file, they can force a program to load a ... (view more)

When Microsoft and Yahoo hinted at a possible alliance 13 months ago , few believed the tandem would work. What further put the merger at jeopardy was an unsuccessful attempt by Microsoft to capitalize on Yahoo's financial difficulties and overtake ... their counterpart with a proposed bid in 2008 . Since then, alliance talks were put on the back burner -- until now. Microsoft is currently powering the search engine on Yahoo's website in the US and Canada (with the shift in other countries planned for sometime in 2011/2012). The two companies have come to terms on an agreement that serves one ... (view more)

Microsoft has stepped up its marketing by explicitly targeting rival Apple and the Mac. The Redmond-based firm has produced a six-point checklist designed to show the "superiority" of PCs, albeit they're six carefully selected points. In many ... commercial markets the top-selling brand does not acknowledge rivals, while those smaller brands often make direct comparisons to their bigger competitors. Historically, that has been the case with personal computing: while Microsoft has simply touted its own strengths, Apple has run the ongoing "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac" campaign. Microsoft Follows Up on ... (view more)