The Windows 7 Desktop
Microsoft is laboring to deliver a new level of personalization, choice and control with the Windows 7 desktop, according to Senior Vice President, Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group, Steven Sinofsky.
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3.11.2008 Windows Desktop Search 3.0 Beta 2
The search engine in WDS 3.0 is a Microsoft Windows service that is also used by programs such as Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 and Microsoft Office OneNote 2007.
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23.8.2006 Windows Desktop Search 3.01
Windows Desktop Search (WDS) 3.01 is a minor update to Windows Desktop Search 3.0 that adds: support for indexing UNC files, additional support for enterprise deployment, and stability improvements.
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20.2.2007 Windows Vista 3D Desktop
Microsoft indicated early that Vista will feature a three-dimensional interface with transparency, moving objects, anti-aliasing and other effects. Thanks to portos for this download.
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10.7.2007 Windows Optimized Desktop Scenarios
Via Microsoft Connect, the company is accepting participation requests in a new Beta program for Windows Optimized Desktop Scenarios. The software giant aims to streamline the way in which users interact with the desktop in an enterprise environment.
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27.11.2008 Turn on Remote Desktop in Windows Vista
Remote Desktop is disabled by default in Windows Vista, but it’s easy enough to turn it back on. If you need to access your Vista PC from another box, it’s an essential thing to turn on.
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26.1.2007 The Future of Windows Live Mail Desktop
There hasn't been much news on Windows Live Mail desktop since 2006, with a minor update being released in February.
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13.3.2007 The Death of the Windows Desktop Operating System
The death of the Windows desktop operating system is not necessarily related to the non-Windows platform Midori developed in Redmond, or with a Rich Internet Application platform hosted in the cloud. entrustIT, a Microsoft Gold partner in the UK offered a glimpse at where the evolution of IT will inherently take the Windows client.
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5.8.2008 The Windows 7 Desktop and UI – Customization and Flexibility
The Windows 7 desktop and graphical user interface are right on track to delivering an evolution compared to Windows Vista, and in this context, provide a high degree of customization and flexibility, superior to what is available with the successor of Windows XP.
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6.10.2008 Windows 7 RTM Desktop Optimization Pack Available
The latest version of the Desktop Optimization Pack offered by Microsoft is tailored to the company’s most recent iteration of the Windows operating system.
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21.10.2009 Windows Live Mail Desktop Beta Released
Microsoft confirmed Wednesday that it has released the Windows Live Mail Desktop Beta to select beta testers and partners.
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30.3.2006 New Windows Live Mail Desktop Feature Revealed
Using their usual "More Than Mail" blog, the Windows Live Mail Desktop Beta team revealed yet another feature of it, along with a screenshot of a recent build.
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3.6.2006 New Build of Windows Live Mail Desktop Released
In this new build you’ll see some major improvements! Right off the bat,
the most noticeable change will likely be the updates we’ve made to our User
Interface.
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18.8.2006 Windows Live Mail Desktop Build 1172
The Windows Live Mail Desktop team has just announced yet another refresh of the increasingly popular mail reading application. This is the first refresh in over a month, and brings an outstanding number of improvements.
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17.11.2006 Disable Windows Vista Evaluation Watermark from Desktop
If an user install Windows Vista in trial or demo or evaluation mode, by skipping and not keying in any Windows product registration key when asked during installation of Windows Vista.
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24.11.2006 Windows Vista Desktop Optimization Pack Updated
Microsoft has announced that it wrapped up its Desktop Optimization Pack for Windows Vista and that an updated and complete version of the offering will be made available for download on July 1 2007.
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5.6.2007 Windows Vista SP1 RTM Optimized Desktop
With the advent of Windows Vista at the end of 2006/the beginning of 2007, Microsoft has started pouring a consistent amount of efforts into enabling optimized desktops.
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30.4.2008 Windows Vista SP1 at the Basis of the Optimized Desktop
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is at the basis of Microsoft's vision for the Optimized Desktop. Of course that the Redmond company is building a comprehensive strategy that involves additional resources and solutions on top of its Windows client.
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4.9.2008 How to Pin Show Desktop Option to Windows 7 Taskbar
Windows 7 has got revamped taskbar also known as superbar. Windows 7 taskbar has number of excellent features like Jumplist, Thumbnail preview, Aero peak, etc.
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7.10.2009 Open Beta Invitation for Windows Live Mail Desktop
We’ve finally done it! Our ‘little’ project to bring you the next generation consumer mail application is going massively public. As of today (actually we slipped it out quietly last week or so) we are instituting a hassle-free sign up for the Mail Desktop beta.
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27.7.2006 Windows 7 to let users create a Desktop Slideshow from files, feeds
Curious as to what else was under Microsoft’s elaborate lock, key, and duct-tape protection scheme mentioned earlier, I had my friend Chris Holmes run a scan of his 7 system, as I’m still babying my laptop’s SSD drive.
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10.11.2008 How to Enable Concurrent Sessions for Remote Desktop in Windows 7 RTM
In past we had posted hack to enable Multiple users access (Concurrent sessions) for Remote desktop on Windows 7 Beta.
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31.8.2009 Windows 7 Pre-Beta Build 6801 Wallpapers Desktop Slideshow
The Desktop Slideshow is one of the features that Microsoft has tucked away in Windows 7, hidden even from testers (at this point in time) including the participants at the Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles at the end of the past month.
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5.11.2008 Registry Tweaks to Enhance Your Windows XPerience - Part V: Desktop Icons
Once again, it's time to enhance your Windows XP operating system exactly the way you want and without paying a cent on expensive programs that do something so simple that even a kid could handle it.
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26.11.2008 Fix Windows 7 Build 7057 Desktop.ini Opening on Every Reboot
Windows 7 Build 7057 x86 is leaked & available for download on popular torrent websites and I suppose many of you have already downloaded & Installed Windows 7 build 7057. If you haven’t downloaded then check out screenshots of windows 7 build 7057 here.
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16.3.2009 Connect Windows 7 with XP SP3 Vista SP2 via Remote Desktop Connection 7.0
Microsoft is gearing up to release a tool that will permit users of Windows Vista and Windows XP computers to connect to Windows 7 machines, and to take advantage of features that only the latest version of the Windows client brings to the table.
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12.9.2009 Remote Desktop Connection 6.0
Remote Desktop Connection (Terminal Services Client 6.0, KB925876) provides a way to use any new Terminal Services features introduced in Microsoft Windows Vista and Microsoft Windows Server Code Name “Longhorn”.
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29.11.2006 The Desktop -- Time To Say Goodbye?
July 19, 2007 (Computerworld) When Paul Scheib at Boston's Children's Hospital goes shopping for PCs, his choice is more often a desktop than a notebook. Thanks to bdh734 for this article.
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21.7.2007 Download Windows 7 Remote Desktop Connection 7.0 for XP SP3 and Vista SP1 and SP2
While Windows 7 technologies are, as a general rule, available exclusively with the latest iteration of the Windows client from Microsoft, there also are exceptions.
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4.11.2009 Microsoft to bring Hotmail onto the desktop
Microsoft has started beta testing software that will take its Web e-mail onto the desktop.
This week, Microsoft served up the first test version of Windows Live Mail Desktop, a free Windows program that will let users manage multiple e-mail accounts. The software is designed to work with Windows Live Mail, the successor to Hotmail that is also in beta testing.
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31.3.2006Desktop Security: Create Custom Login Experiences With Credential Providers For Windows Vista
Credential providers in
Windows Vista allow you to
customize the logon experience
and integrate the
authentication methods that
best meet your organization's
needs. With this article,
learn how to write your own...
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27.01.2007How to: Create custom wallpaper collections in Windows 7
Do you love customizing your Windows desktop? If you do, you'll love this trick! By default, Windows 7 includes several locations to choose
pictures and desktop backgrounds from, such as Windows Desktop Backgrounds, Pictures Library, Top Rated Photos, and Solid Colors. In this article, I
will walk you through the process of creating your own wallpaper collection through the registry, and how to customize it to your liking. This process
will help you categorize and sort your wallpapers efficiently, and allow you to use a mix of categorized wallpapers with Windows 7's new automatic
background shuffle without the need to lump everything together. Disclaimer: The steps in this article involve modifying the Windows registry.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
28.07.2009PPG Industries continues IT success with Windows Vista
After some positive feedback from customers about last month's customer interview with City of Miami, The Windows Blog has come out with another
Windows Vista customer insight. The Windows Blog interviews Mike Calabrese, Senior IT Architect - Global Desktop Services of PPG Industries, one of
the world's leading coatings and specialty materials companies, about what keeps him up at night, and how Windows Vista helps address some of his
biggest challenges. When asked whether there any benefits using Windows Vista in the IT Environment, Mike replied that Management is another area
where Windows Vista adds value and the vast number of group policies provides the ability to customize desktop configurations globally with just a few
clicks.
Read full
story.....
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11.12.2008TiVo releases Desktop 2.7 for Windows
It's been just under a year since TiVo last updated its Desktop software which allows videos to be shared between a user's TiVO DVR and PC or other
networked devices. Now there's a new version for both Desktop and Desktop Plus users...
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06.02.2009Flexible Desktop Computing White Paper Released
For the past couple of months
Microsoft has been working on
a white paper that discusses
the variety of both
established and emerging
desktop deployment
technologies in the industry
today. For most organizations
rich clients have been proven
to be the most productive way
from a desktop angle and with
Windows Vista there are big
improvements to make everyone
even more productive.
Combined with some server
based elements, (e.g. Softgrid
Application Virtualization,
Folder Redirection, etc...)
Windows Vista provides key
benefits to enhance user
productivity while increasing
data security and management
capabilities. Still, for some
organizations, the complexity
of their environments have
grown as some workers have
very limited tasks in their
desktop environments yet deal
with massive amounts of
sensitive data while other
workers need full capabilities
on their desktops. So the
purpose of this paper is to
provide an overview and a
starting point for a
discussion on some of the
different desktop
architectures out there as
well as showing how Windows
Vista can play an integral
part in their deployment.
You can find and download
the paper at
www.windowsvista.com/flex
ibledesktop or you can read it
right away on this blog if you
click
here. At both the first
site and this blog you will
continue to find more and more
information on what Microsoft
is doing to make it easier to
manage and customize your IT
infrastructure.
winbeta.org - 26.06.2007
Stardock outlines Object Desktop for Vista plans
Software developer Stardock
Corp. has begun to unveil its
Windows Vista plans for its
popular desktop enhancement
suite, Object Desktop. Object
Desktop is a set of programs
designed to allow users to
customize their Windows
experience. On Windows, it was
the first product to provide
OS skinning, widgets and
gadgets, alpha blended
shadows, min/max effects, ZIP
files as folders, and a number
of other features that users
take for granted today.
Stardock believes that
Windows Vista offers the most
potential yet for users to be
able to personalize their
Windows experience. This is
due to a new feature in
Windows Vista known as the
Desktop Window Manager (DWM)
which is a compositor that
turns the Windows Vista
desktop into a 3D surface
(much like you'd have in
computer game). This allows
for what Stardock claims is
"cool and interesting ways to
display information, programs,
and data without suffering the
performance hit because most
of it is being done on the
video card."
This
week, Stardock intends to
release the beta of
WindowBlinds for Windows Vista
for Object Desktop users and
has announced support for
creating gadgets for the
Windows Sidebar using
DesktopX. It has released a
document outlining some of its
"first wave" of Windows
Vista applications for Object
Desktop. This also includes
the ability to use WPF and
.NET for Sidebar gadgets via
Object Desktop.
Microsoft's Jim Allchin has
asked developers to make full
use of Windows Vista in order
to help differentiate Windows
Vista from Windows XP. With
its expected January release,
a lot of users are looking for
tangible benefits of Windows
Vista over Windows XP.
Microsoft has asserted that
the Windows Presentation
Foundation (WPF) and DWM along
with enhanced security, and a
new communications layer help
make Vista a compelling
upgrade.
neowin.net - 15.11.2006
Windows 7: RDP changes improve virtual desktop performance
The Remote Desktop Client in Windows 7 is equipped with new features and enhancements via Remote Desktop Protocol 7 (RDP). The most interesting
enhancement is the support for Desktop Composition, full Aero glass effect. Below are the features introduced in Windows 7 Remote Desktop Client
Windows 7 Aero supportDirect 2D & Direct 3D 10.1 application supportTrue multi-monitor supportRDP Core Performance ImprovementsMultimedia
enhancementsMedia Foundation supportDirectShow supportLow Latency audio playback supportBi-directional audio support I fired up the Remote Desktop
Client in the latest Windows 7 build 7057 and tested few things. Remote desktop connection experience is very much improved compared to its previous
versions and I also found the session to be incredibly responsive even while playing HD videos.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 16.03.2009
Neowin Review: Fence your desktop with Stardock Fences
Windows Desktop - A place where every installed application likes to place a shortcut and also a place to hold all your shortcuts and favorites.
Things can become very messy when you have lots of desktop icons, like mine below: Well, there's not that many on my desktop, but I still place
them in categories. Microsoft Office Apps all reside together and Windows Live Apps reside together. Each time I bring a new shortcut to my desktop,
Windows places them in a separate order which it thinks to be right and then I move that shortcut icon to its appropriate group.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 05.02.2009
Windows Search 4.0 vs. Google Desktop 5.5
Brad Linder: Microsoft released an updated version of Windows
Search, its free desktop search client the other day. And while there are dozens of excellent desktop search clients, including a few good free
ones, it seems inevitable that people are going to compare Windows Search to Google Desktop. Because you know, any time either company releases
something kind of cool someones assumes that it's just a ripoff of a product offered by the other. Or Apple.
Anyway, we've been
using Windows Search for the past few days and we thought we'd let you know how it stacks up against Google Desktop. Read on for the results.
winbeta.org - 30.03.2008
New Windows Genuine authenticator can blank desktop backgrounds
If in the last week or so you've noticed that your desktop background in Windows XP Professional goes completely black exactly every 60 minutes,
don't worry, it's not a virus...
betanews.com - 28.08.2008
Windows Desktop Search 3.01 (KB917013)
Windows Desktop Search (WDS)
3.01 is a minor update to
Windows Desktop Search 3.0
that adds: support for
indexing UNC files, additional
support for enterprise
deployment, and stability
improvements. WDS 3.01
installs on Windows XP and
Window Server 2003, but is not
needed for Windows Vista since
the WDS component is already
included in Vista. Windows
Desktop Search 3.01 helps you
to find, preview, and use your
documents, e-mail, music,
photos, and other items. The
search engine in Windows
Desktop Search 3.01 is a
Windows service that is also
used by applications such as
Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
and OneNote 2007 to index
application content and
deliver instant results when
searching within that
application.
If you choose to install and
use Windows Desktop Search,
you can search for e-mail,
documents and other files
located on your computer. No
information about the files on
your computer will be sent to
Microsoft as part of this
process. Instead, Windows
Desktop Search will index the
content of your computer and
store the index file on your
computer. You can customize
Windows Desktop Search to
index only specified folders
on your computer. Windows
Desktop search will not store
copies of e-mail or documents
after they are deleted. After
you install this item, you may
have to restart your
computer.
Note WDS 3.01 can be
installed as a new install or
as an upgrade from 02.05.xxxx,
02.06.xxxx or 03.00.0000. On
an upgrade from 03.00.0000,
you will not need to rebuild
your index.
This download package
includes the Update.exe, ADM
File and Add-in for Files on
Microsoft Networks.
jcxp.net - 22.02.2007
Windows Desktop Search 3.01 Available
Windows Desktop Search (WDS) 3.01 is a minor update to Windows Desktop Search 3.0 that adds: support for indexing UNC files, additional support for
enterprise deployment, and stability improvements. WDS 3.01 installs on Windows XP and Window Server 2003, but is not needed for Windows Vista since
the WDS component is already included in Vista. Windows Desktop Search 3.01 helps you to find, preview, and use your documents, e-mail, music, photos,
and other items. The search engine in Windows Desktop Search 3.01 is a Windows service that is also used by applications such as Microsoft Office
Outlook 2007 and OneNote 2007 to index application content and deliver instant results when searching within that application.
If
you choose to install and use Windows Desktop Search, you can search for e-mail, documents and other files located on your computer. No information
about the files on your computer will be sent to Microsoft as part of this process. Instead, Windows Desktop Search will index the content of your
computer and store the index file on your computer. You can customize Windows Desktop Search to index only specified folders on your computer. Windows
Desktop search will not store copies of e-mail or documents after they are deleted.
Note: WDS 3.01 can be installed as a new
install or as an upgrade from 02.05.xxxx, 02.06.xxxx or 03.00.0000. On an upgrade from 03.00.0000, you will not need to rebuild your index.
winbeta.org - 01.09.2007
More types of gadgets for iGoogle
Google Desktop lets you not only search your computer easily, but you can also personalize your desktop. From cultivating a virtual potted plant, to
reading the latest news and checking the weather forecast, you can customize your desktop with a variety of gadgets and a sidebar. Some of you have
asked if you can also put gadgets on iGoogle homepages next to your other gadgets. And starting today, the answer is yes.
With Google Desktop 5.5 Beta, you can you now embed Google Desktop Gadgets right into your iGoogle homepage.
Gadgets on an iGoogle homepage can have more advanced functionality, such as playing music from your computer. You can find
them alongside other gadgets in the iGoogle Content Directory. We've also improved some of the other features; such as better looking Quick Search
Box, support for multiple copies of a gadget, and improved Outlook search functionality. Read more on the Google Desktop Blog and check out these gadgets you can now add to your iGoogle homepage.
winbeta.org - 06.10.2007
Windows Live Desktop Apps
Renamed
In order to lessen some
confusion surrounding its
Windows Live Web services and
desktop applications,
Microsoft has opted to rename
two of its products. The
Windows Live Search
application, formerly known as
OneView, will now be called
Windows Live Search Center...
betanews.com - 13.07.2006
Windows Desktop Search Loses
Toolbar
At the IT Forum in Barcelona
Tuesday, Microsoft took the
wraps off a version of Windows
Desktop Search without the MSN
Toolbar, which is designed
specially for deployment in
businesses. The application
replaces Windows' paltry
built-in search functionality
and can be integrated with
Office and SharePoint...
betanews.com - 15.11.2005
Remote Desktop Web Connection ActiveX Control Available
The downloadable Remote
Desktop Web Connection ActiveX
control provides most of the
same functionality as the full
Remote Desktop Connection
software; however, the Remote
Desktop Web Connection is
designed to deliver this
functionality over the Web.
The Web package
Setup program installs the
downloadable ActiveX control
and sample Web page on a
server running Internet
Information Services (IIS) 4.0
or later.
Supported Operating
Systems: Windows 2000; Windows
95; Windows 98; Windows NT;
Windows Server 2003; Windows
XP
winbeta.org - 27.07.2007
Three Replacements for Windows Active Desktop
MakeUseOf.com: Active Desktop, a feature introduced with Internet Explorer 4.0, and
included in every Windows version since then until Windows Server 2003, allowed users to place websites on their desktop. While it enjoyed little
widespread use, and often was subject to criticism, the idea of placing websites on the desktop is still an appealing idea to some (provided you enjoy
widgets on the desktop).
In this post I’ll be exploring replacements for the now defunct Active Desktop feature - Snippage, AveDesktopSites, and minibrowser.
winbeta.org - 03.02.2009
2009: Linux and the desktop
Choosing a desktop platform usually involves the choice between Windows or Macintosh. There are a few factors which people consider when they are
choosing a desktop platform. In no particular order, people want application compatibility, stability, security, performance, and ease of use. When
we look at desktop market share, we can see the following (as of statistics reported in October of 2008): Windows boasts the lead with 91% market
share, down 5% from March of 2003. Mac holds 6% market share, an increase of 4% from March, 2003. Finally, Linux has doubled its market share since
2003 with a current 4%.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 02.01.2009
Quandary: Is Windows Desktop Search Installing Itself?
At least two independent, private network administrators have reported on their blogs since yesterday that their Windows Server Update Service has
downloaded and deployed to their network clients the most recent update to Microsoft's Windows Desktop Search engine, even though those services are
set up not to deploy updated software automatically...
betanews.com - 26.10.2007
Google Desktop Now for Macs
Google Desktop 1.0 is now
available for Macs, the search
giant announced Wednesday. The
software is more basic than
its Windows counterpart,
focusing strictly on searching
for files, e-mails and Web
pages. A "Quick Search
Box" resides on the
desktop and displays results
to queries in a dropdown menu...
betanews.com - 04.04.2007
