Open APIs May Help Microsoft Repair Reputation
Today's news could, if played correctly, repair the long-held notion in the industry that Microsoft is a proprietary bully that buries anyone who jumps in its sandbox.
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22.2.2008 Vista Can Be Taken Down by an Animated Cursor
In what could be the most embarrassing exploit to impact Windows Vista since its commercial launch in January, security engineers at McAfee's Avert Labs confirmed today - and posted the video to prove - that the operating system can be caused to enter an interminable crash-restart-crash loop, by means of a buffer overflow triggered by nothing more than a malformed animated cursor file.
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30.3.2007 Microsoft to Refund Xbox 360 Repair Fees
Well, this is certainly a welcome surprise. Microsoft has announced that it will waive the cost of repairs on all Xbox 360 consoles manufactured in 2005, including refunding any fees that have already been paid.
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22.9.2006 System Repair Engineer (SREng) 2.5.16.900
System Repair Engineer, also called SREng is a security related software and a system maintenance software, the main purpose of SREng is try to detect some common system issues and most common damages caused by Computer Virus.
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17.7.2007 BITS Repair Tool for Windows Vista Available updated
The BITS Repair Tool will help you fix a problem caused by the corruption of BITS state files. The problem stops the host process for Windows Services, which prevents you from using BITS to transfer files. Thanks to pacpis for this download.
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2.9.2007 Repair Corrupted Internet Explorer with Fix IE Utility
Often it happens that after getting infected with Malware, spywares or virus your Internet Explorer gets corrupted.
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13.10.2009 Microsoft Patches Windows Cursor Flaw
As expected, Microsoft has released security update MS07-017, which patches a critical vulnerability in Windows Animated Cursor Handling. The company says it was working on the fix since December, and has posted it early due to reports of attacks.
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4.4.2007 Firefox Also Vulnerable to Windows Cursor Exploit
Contrary to other reports, Mozilla's Firefox 2.0 is vulnerable to attackers armed with the Windows animated cursor exploit, a researcher says. Thanks to Matt for this news.
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5.4.2007 Microsoft repairs cursor vulnerability fix
Microsoft on Tuesday plans to push out a fix to repair problems caused by last week's emergency cursor flaw patch.
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10.4.2007 Lessons learned from the Animated Cursor Security Bug
A core tenet of the SDL is to take and incorporate lessons learned when we issue a security update, and there is a great deal to learn from the recent animated cursor bug,
MS07-017, so I want to spend a few minutes to go over some of the things we have learned from this bug.
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28.4.2007 MS: Another Patch for cursor patch
Stop 0x0000007F error when you try to print from computers that are running Windows XP or Windows 2000 and that have GDI security update 925902 installed
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20.4.2007Microsoft Patches Windows Cursor Flaw
As expected, Microsoft has
released a security update to
patch a critical vulnerability
in Windows Animated Cursor
Handling. The company says it
was working on the fix since
December, and has posted it
early due to reports of
attacks...
betanews.com -
04.04.2007Vista Can Be Taken Down by an Animated Cursor
In what could be the most
embarrassing exploit to impact
Windows Vista since its
commercial launch in January,
security engineers at
McAfee's Avert Labs confirmed
today that the operating
system can be caused to enter
an interminable
crash-restart-crash loop, by
means of a buffer overflow
triggered by nothing more than
a malformed animated cursor
file...
betanews.com -
30.03.2007Hubble sends first images after successful repair mission
After undergoing repair, Hubble is back online and is producing images that are both clear and the most detailed we have ever seen. The mission took
place in May to update the aging telescope and essentially turned the 19 year old giant into a new beast that is much more capable. The repair
mission added a new camera to the orbiting telescope. The new wide field camera 3 replaces the wide field camera 2. The new camera covers the
visible spectrum and some of the near ultraviolet and infrared fields. "With these two channels, WFC3 will achieve excellent panchromatic (full -
spectrum) imaging.
Read
full story.....
neowin.net -
10.09.2009Sky News exposes dodgy laptop repair shops [UK]
Sky News in the UK have exposed several laptop repair shops including some big names like Micro Anvika and PC World. During the investigation,
researchers unplugged a RAM stick from a laptop to see if the shops would simply diagnose the fault or charge extra for work and components. Only one
shop was genuinely honest, Pix 4 in Shepherds Bush. The rest, including Micro Anvika and PC World, charged huge amounts for work that was not
required, including replacing the laptop motherboard. Sky News found that the most serious offender was Revival Computers in Hammersmith, West
London. Revival Computers snooped around the researches documents including pictures of the researcher in a bikini.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
22.07.2009Microsoft Research tackles mobile touch-screen problem
Daniel Vogel, a Ph.D.
candidate at the University of
Toronto, and Patrick Baudisch,
a scientist at Microsoft
Research, have created a
technique designed to make it
easier to select items on a
mobile-phone screen with a
finger rather than a pointed
stylus. The Microsoft Research
project, called Shift,
automatically displays a
circular image with a small
"x" on the screen above
where a user places his
finger. By toggling the tip of
his finger, a user can move
the X to place it on top of
the item he wants to choose.
Lifting the finger from the
screen selects the item.
Shift builds on an
already developed technology
known as Offset Cursor, which
displays a cursor just above
the spot a user touches on the
screen. That allows users to
place their fingers below the
items they want to choose so
that they can see the items
rather than hiding them with
their fingers. Vogel and
Baudisch said Offset Cursor
has drawbacks, particularly
for users trying to choose an
icon near the edge of the
screen. Because Offset Cursor
displays the cursor above the
finger, it can't be used to
choose icons at the bottom of
the screen. Shift only
displays the image when
necessary, so if a user
touches a large item, Shift
doesn't pop up the circular
image.
neowin.net -
17.05.2007How To Repair & Recover Data From Damaged CD's Or DVD's
Varun Kashyap: CD and DVD are fragile media. A few scratches here and there and they can easily become coasters on your table. I have had plenty of
them myself.
Lets just look at some of the ways we can recover data from those spoilt CD/DVD's...
winbeta.org -
28.12.2008BITS Repair Tool for Windows Vista Available
The BITS Repair Tool will help you fix a problem caused by the corruption of BITS state files. The problem stops the host process for Windows
Services, which prevents you from using BITS to transfer files. Use this tool to resolve the corruption and re-enable BITS transfers. After you
install this item, you may have to restart your computer.
This update is provided to you and licensed under the Windows Vista
License Terms.
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01.09.2007Windows Live OneCare Firewall Repair Tool
This support tool is intended for customers whose OneCare firewall reports that it cannot install a required upgrade or cannot turn on the firewall.
This tool is NOT intended to diagnose or treat more specific functionality issues such as opening or closing ports, allowing applications, or
otherwise.
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22.11.2007How to Repair the Windows Vista Bootloader
There's a section of the EasyBCD documentation/user manual/wiki that contains more than just information on how to use the program. If you've
corrupted your bootloader, run into one or more bootmgr-related errors, installed Windows XP or Linux after installing Vista, or otherwise managed to
fry, crack, melt, or break the Vista bootloader, then here's how you fix it.
We've compiled information from over twos-years'
worth of experience with fixing broken bootloaders into a single guide, broken up into subsections for varying levels of damage to the bootloader. If
you can get into Windows, we advise that you download & install
EasyBCD, then follow the instructions
in this section of the guide to
repair the Vista
bootloader from within Windows.
winbeta.org -
25.01.2008Online Repair Site for Xbox 360 Launched
In the hopes of making Xbox
360 repairs faster and more
efficient, Microsoft have set
up an online option for
customers in the United
States. Here's what was
posted on the Microsoft owned
Gamerscore Blog:
For those of you
who require sending your Xbox
or Xbox 360 in for repairs, we
now have another option to
speed things along. Xbox.com
has an online option for
customers in the US, now
available at
http://servi
ce.xbox.com.
This new service lets
you register your Xbox or Xbox
360 console, setup a repair,
and track the status of the
repair, all online. This new
site lets you create
In-Warranty or Out-of-warranty
repairs, and even gives you a
$5 discount for
Out-of-Warranty repairs.
We hope you
don't need to use it, but if
you do, we hope it speeds
things along.
winbeta.org -
04.08.2007Open APIs May Help Microsoft Repair Reputation
If Microsoft executes effectively on its new interoperability promises, it could repair its tarnished reputation in the technology industry and help
the company get out of its own way to compete more effectively with Google.
At first glance, Microsoft's news on Thursday that it would
provide access to documentation for its major software products, including Windows Vista, Office 2007 and Exchange Server 2007, appeared to be a way
to appease the European Commission in its ongoing antitrust case. It also seemed an acknowledgment that Microsoft can't ignore the open-source
community's impact on its business and prominence in the industry any longer.
neowin.net -
22.02.2008Telecom Carriers Repair
Katrina Damage
Some services are restored,
thanks to 'cells on wheels'
and quick repairs...
pcworld.com -
16.09.2005Microsoft Adds Xbox 360 Warranty "Enhancements"
Microsoft has made some new
changes to the Xbox 360's
warranty. The last change was
made back in late December
when the console
warranty was
boosted from 90 days to a full
year .
The latest
changes , however,
should go a long way to fill
in any gaps that may have been
missing/lacking in the Xbox
360's warranty service.
The first
new change is free shipping
for consoles in and out of
warranty that are sent in for
repair. Microsoft will send a
postage paid box to return
your console to the repair
center.
For in-warranty repairs,
customers are given an
additional 90 days of warranty
or the remainder of their
existing warranty (whichever
is longer). Customers are
still responsible for repair
costs on consoles out of
warranty. However, when
Microsoft sends you back a
repaired console it will come
with a fresh one-year repair
warranty.
Other warranty enhancements
--
as
witnessed here --
include faster repair service.
Microsoft is committed to
repairing and shipping your
broken console within five
business days. Microsoft is
also adding more Xbox customer
care representatives and is
bulking up its on-site
technical support facilities.
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04.04.2007Microsoft researching split-screen desktop software
Microsoft research in India
has developed a piece of
software that magically
doubles the productivity of a
single computer with the
simple addition of a second
keyboard and mouse. Borrowing
the concept from video games
-- that's the first thing we
think of when we see this
setup, go figure -- the
software effectively splits
the screen in two and drops in
a second cursor, allowing two
users to use the same machine.
Although the software is
designed to allow two people
to work independently of each
other, it is possible for the
cursor to cross the central
boundary which apparently
"opens the door on sharing
and collaborating with
documents."
neowin.net -
07.05.2007Man captures images of Atlantis pulling Hubble out of orbit
NASA and some very brave astronauts are currently on a mission to perform maintenance on the aging Hubble space telescope. The mission itself is to
repair broken parts and add in a new camera and other new pieces to help extend the life of the telescope. One amateur astronomer wasn't content
with only reading about it online or possibly watching a live feed. He decided to take a picture of the repair mission by himself from down here on
Earth. What you see below is Atlantis as it is about to capture Hubble from orbit. These impressive and stunning photos were taken by Thierry
Legault's from Florida and the backdrop in the picture is the Sun.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
15.05.2009Milkyway rises over Texas video, in honor of Hubble
In honoring the success of the Hubble repair mission star watchers across the globe are holding "star parties" to observe the heavens. Neowin
recently posted pictures of Atlantis pulling Hubble out of orbit and today, in celebration of the successful Hubble repair mission, we bring you the
video below. The Hubble has been successfully repaired and the last humans to ever touch it have left the telescope. The final day was relatively
drama free other than the emotions of those on board who completed the dangerous space walks some 350 miles above the Earth. The telescope has
serviced a vital role in exploring our Universe.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
19.05.2009Nearly a million NEC laptops eligible for free repair
NEC is offering the remedy to an issue which causes its computers to smoke and smell as if plastic is burning...
betanews.com -
11.06.2008AT&T to form its own 'Geek Squad'
AT&T today launched ConnecTech, an in-home support team that deals with setup and repair of home media services, and not exclusively to AT&T
customers...
betanews.com -
22.08.2008Microsoft Investigates Blocked Patch Updates in XP
Microsoft officials say they are investigating reports that files the company deployed this summer prevent Windows XP users who run a built-in
"repair" function from installing as many as 80 of the company's latest security patches.
"We are aware of reports about
customers not being able to download some updates from Windows Update when using the latest version of the Windows Update client and after
reinstalling Windows XP system files from CD," a Microsoft spokesperson said Sept. 27. "We take this issue very seriously and are investigating the
root cause of this behavior and what options are available to address it."
The issue was brought to light by Scott Dunn, a
writer and associate editor with Windows Secrets Newsletter. According to Dunn, the problem is stealthy updates deployed by Microsoft in July and
August. The files prevent Windows XP users who utilize the repair function from installing recent patches...
winbeta.org -
28.09.2007Windows Update failure after repairing from XP CD
Microsoft/Windows Update Program Manager Nate Clinton
has just posted on an issue
we've learned of that affects some users of Windows Update repairing their systems using a Windows XP CD. The symptom is that some Windows XP
customers are unable to install updates via the latest version of Windows Update after using a Windows XP CD to perform the "Repair from CD"
function.
The issue does not look to be widespread and occurs
in rather exceptional only under specific circumstances; it
occurs because the Windows XP Repair CD replaces all system files, including Windows Update, with older versions of those files. Meanwhile, the most
current version of Windows Update (which is already present on the system) includes a file that is not present in the Windows Update image on the
Repair CD. After performing the repair, the new file remains on the system and creates a registry mismatch, causing subsequent installation of some
updates to fail.
Luckily, there is a remedy: customers experiencing this issue can 1) refer to
KB article 943144; 2) check
Nate's post for work-around steps now; or, 3) contact Support using the telephone number(s) found at
support.microsoft.com/security (usually found in the right-hand nav).
neowin.net -
29.09.2007
