No Vista Ultimate upgrade: has Microsoft lost the plot?
Microsoft as predicted months ago finally announced last week that it would allow PC buyers from now until March when Windows Vista is released to the public to upgrade for a substantial discount or for free, depending on the version.
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30.10.2006 What Does Microsoft's Lost Antitrust Battle in Europe Mean for Windows Vista?
The European Court of First Instance in Luxembourg announced that it was upholding the European Commission’s decision on Microsoft's abuse of its dominant market position with the Windows operating system initially delivered in March 2004.
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17.9.2007 One-Click Vista timestop crack
Thanks to Green Tiger, for this download. If you've had trouble using any of the previous timestop cracks. Then this is the one for you... heres the readme.
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23.2.2007 Remove or Restore New Briefcase At Right Click Menu of Windows 7 and Vista
Briefcase is an ancient feature in Windows operating system, existed since Windows 95. Briefcase works as a special folder that supports two-way file synchronization with another folder on local disk or external USB/FireWire drive and network drive.
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13.6.2009 Windows 7 – Lost in Translation
Windows 7, Microsoft's next iteration of the Windows client and the successor of Windows Vista, is nothing short of lost in translation.
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14.7.2008 Microsoft Presents the Lost Comparison: Windows Vista vs. Windows XP
With both Windows XP and Windows Vista being available concomitantly on the market, Microsoft is doing nothing more than inviting the consumers to compare the two operating systems.
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20.4.2008 Capture Windows 7 and Vista SP2 Images with ConfigMgr 2007 SP2 Beta
Capturing Windows 7 and Windows Vista Service Pack 2 images, but also client assessment, updating and deployment are tasks that can be performed with System Center Configuration Manager 2007.
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15.6.2009 Google falters: Packets lost
We’re getting various reports via that Google services are down or at least sucking some serious wind. The service appears to be back as of noon-ish EDT in New York City. Google cites a “traffic jam” in Asia for the outage.
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14.5.2009 Windows Vista SP2 and Server 2008 SP2 download
Microsoft has released a standalone installer for Windows Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2 today.
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27.5.2009 Click 4 The Cause
Microsoft is trying yet another approach to see some positive growth for its search engine. This time, Microsoft is targeting all philanthropists who search the Internet.
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23.1.2007 Zune 1-Click Podcast Subscriptions
Podcasters can now plan to display a Zune icon or chicklet graphic on their websites to enable an easy “1-Click Podcast Subscription” process for podcast listeners or viewers.
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26.10.2007 Vista's User Account Protection: one click and it's gone
Vista's biggest security enhancement is "User Account Protection" (or "User Account Control" ) which pops up and asks for user authentication before software can make any administrative changes to the system.
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9.9.2006 Google, eBay Forge Click-to-Call Deal
eBay and Google have teamed up to offer "click-to-call" functionality into auction listings and ads, enabling consumers to initiate a voice call directly to a merchant or advertiser through Skype or Google Talk.
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28.8.2006 Unite Windows and Linux With a Single Mouse Click!
After the success I had with my previous tutorial about how to run Windows and a Linux distribution together on the same computer (with a single monitor, keyboard and mouse and no other magic tricks required), I decided to improve the installation method with an extremely easy-to-use one.
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12.2.2008 Hack to Activate and Switch Window in Windows 7 By Mouse Over Hover Without Click
When there are many windows open on desktop of Windows 7, normally users will click on another window in order activate the window into front or foreground and switch to the task or window.
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19.5.2009 Notable Changes in Windows Server 2008 SP2 RC and Windows Vista SP2 RC
Microsoft® continuously improves the Windows Vista® and Windows Server® 2008 operating systems by providing ongoing updates while working with software and hardware vendors to help them deliver improved compatibility, reliability, and performance. These updates are provided to customers by Microsoft’s hardware and software partners, as well as directly from Microsoft in the form of regularly distributed updates delivered via Windows Update. Updates to Windows are also delivered directly to some affected customers and preinstalled by PC manufacturers.
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1.3.2009 Where is Vista SP2?
Even though Microsoft seems increasingly reticent to say the “V” word (Vista), some users still do care. I’ve had several readers ask me when the Redmondians are going to release Vista SP2 on the Microsoft Download site.
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20.5.2009 What is inside of Vista SP2?
Microsoft is continuing to broaden the pool of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) testers beyond the fairly small, select group who’ve been working with test builds for the past few months.
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4.12.2008 Vista SP1 RC1 Flies Past Vista RTM and Windows XP SP2
Despite the fact that Microsoft has expressed its official position regarding testing Windows Vista Service Pack 1 ahead of its finalization, there is simply too much of a hunger for the service pack.
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27.12.2007 x64 Vista SP2 JPG Rendering Performance Inferior to x86 Vista SP2's
The JPG rendering process on 64-bit flavors of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 is inferior to that on the 32-bit variants of the operating system.
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10.6.2009 Get ready for Vista and Win2k8 SP2!
Just a heads up to prepare for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2.
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21.5.2009 No Critical Patches for Vista SP2
Come June 9, 2009, Microsoft plans to release no less than 10 security bulletins for various supported releases of Internet Explorer, Windows client and server operating systems and the Office System.
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5.6.2009 Vista SP1 vs. XP SP2 - Benchmarked
Some people are concerned that in order to get an accurate measurement of boot time the system needs to be booted many times. Let me assure you that the systems here under testing were rebooted more times than most normal PCs are over the course of several months.]
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18.2.2008 Details on Windows Vista SP2 emerge
Microsoft has begun to release some details on the enhancements that they intend to bring with Windows Vista Service Pack 2. As we reported on Neowin last week, Microsoft has released an early beta build of Vista SP2 to testers weighing in at around 290MB.
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26.10.2008 With Vista SP2, Microsoft is back on track
From the other side of the world comes a report that Windows Vista Service Pack 2 will be released to manufacturing in April 2009, roughly a year after SP1.
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2.12.2008 Microsoft Vista SP2 beta: Nothing new has been added
If you install the beta of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) expecting to see visible changes to your version of Vista, you'll be sorely disappointed.
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9.12.2008 Vista SP2 RTM Already Leaked and Available for download soon
Microsoft was yet to announce the releasing to manufacturing of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2 that the bits had already been leaked to torrent trackers. On April 28, the Redmond company indicated that Vista SP2 (a package that also contains Windows Server 2008 SP2) had RTM'd.
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29.4.2009 DirectX 11 for Windows Vista SP2 Available
Microsoft is beginning to backport Windows 7 features to Windows Vista, and as an integral part of the process, the company is also upgrading Vista’s graphics technology to the level of Windows 7.
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12.9.2009 More Free Windows to Keep Vista and XP SP2 Company
Without indicating a strong affinity for the open source business model Microsoft is rather generous with its operating systems.
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1.4.2008 Vista SP2 and Windows 7 by the End of June 2009
The evolution of the Windows client, involving both Windows Vista (now with Service Pack 1) and Windows 7, appears to be closer than Microsoft is ready to acknowledge officially.
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18.10.2008Microsoft releases Windows Vista SP2 and Server 2008 SP2
Microsoft has released a standalone installer for Windows Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2 today. The software giant posted some things to know
about the service packs last month, one of the warnings is if "vLite" was used to customize your Windows Vista installation, you may have removed
required system components which prevent Service Pack 2 from installing. Microsoft has a workaround for this issue. Microsoft is expected to post the
bits to Windows Update in the coming weeks but if you are eager to install SP2 today then the download links are listed below. Download: Vista
SP2/Server 2008 SP2 32 bit Download: Vista SP2/Server 2008 SP2 64 bit
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
26.05.2009Microsoft readying RC of Vista SP2 for February 2009
Citing a source at Microsoft, Techarp has revealed that Microsoft is targeting a release candidate (RC) version of Windows Vista SP2 for February
2009. Microsoft sent invites to testers in mid October asking them to take part in the SP2 beta. Build 16489 was released to special group of testers
in late October but Microsoft has been quiet since then. TechArp also believes the RTM of Vista SP2 will be in April 2009. Microsoft is readying SP2
so there are additional incentives for customers to upgrade to Window Vista now, instead of waiting for Windows 7.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
24.11.2008Microsoft: Vista SP2, Windows Server SP2 betas Thursday
Not one half-hour after Microsoft responded to BetaNews' inquiry, the company reversed its position, effectively announcing that the first public
betas of Vista SP2 not in February, but next Thursday...
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03.12.2008Windows Vista SP2 RC to be released to public next week
Last week we had a rumor that Windows Vista SP2 RC was released to select testers. It turns out that it might be just a notification from Microsoft a
week ahead that RC is done and available for testing or it might have been a near final RC made available for testing to select testers. Microsoft
has announced today that the RC of SP2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 is available to TechNet and MSDN subscribers to test prior to final
release. Microsoft will make SP2 RC available to the general public via TechNet during next week. As expected the final version of SP2 will be made
available in the 2nd quarter of 2009.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
26.02.2009Vista SP2: What's inside?
Mary Jo Foley: Microsoft is continuing to broaden the pool of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) testers beyond the fairly small, select group
who’ve been working with test builds for the past few months.
Over on the jkOnTheRun blog, Kevin Tofel posted
the most complete list I’ve seen of what’s in Vista SP2. In addition
to the known Vista SP2 features such as the ability to record data on to Blu-Ray media natively in Windows Vista and the addition of Windows Connect
Now for simpler wifi configuration Tofel says SP2 also will include...
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03.12.2008Vista and Windows Server 2008 SP2 RC released
Last week the Windows Team Blog announced that the availability of SP2 RC for Vista would be available soon. Today they have posted that the download
is now live and you can find the information needed here. If you have a beta install of SP2 loaded on your computer it must be uninstalled before
attempting to load the RC. It should also be mentioned that this, while close, is not a final product and a few hiccups may occur along the way. You
can download the RC directly from the Customer Preview Program or use the Windows Update Experience Kit to obtain the RC for your personal computer.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
05.03.2009Vista SP2: Microsoft to push via Windows Update in 'the coming weeks'
Microsoft still isn't saying anything more about why Vista SP2 still isn't available yet on the Microsoft Download site, but company officials are
telling customers that Microsoft will
push SP2
automatically via Windows Update "in the coming weeks"...
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21.05.2009Vista SP2 and Server 2008 SP2: watch this space
As some of you may recall, Windows Server 2008 shipped
with SP1 already installed. Microsoft
made this decision in order to synchronize the Windows client and server release schedule. As such, SP2 will be released simultaneously for both Vista
and Server 2008. Earlier this month Microsoft put up
Knowledge Base Article 948465, a
placeholder for both Windows Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008...
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15.10.2008Windows Vista SP2 RC build released to testers
TechARP predicted last month that RC-Escrow build of SP2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 will be released between the dates Jan 26-30 and
the RC build between the dates Feb 16-20. The RC Escrow build of SP2 was sent to testers at the end of January and the rumor is that now Microsoft has
released the RC build of SP2 to Microsoft Connect testers exactly between the dates predicted by TechARP. Ars reports that RC build is available for
download as a standalone installer package or via Windows Update or as a slipstreamed download which includes 691 individual hotfixes.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
20.02.2009XP SP2 vs. Vista RTM vs. Vista SP1: Gaming benchmark
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Here are the benchmark results that many of you have been waiting for - a look at how well ten popular games work on XP SP2,
Vista RTM and Vista SP1.
Its been nearly a year since I took a look at the state of gaming under the Vista OS. The last time I
compared XP SP2 to Vista, I was disappointed with Microsofts new OS as a gaming platform because I could get far more bang for my bucks out of XP than
I could out of the new OS. Partly I put this down to immature drivers, but on the whole I was convinced that at the core of the problem was Vista.
So, is Vista worth bothering with as a gaming platform?
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28.02.2008Microsoft Vista SP2 beta: Nothing new has been added (yet)
If you install the beta of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) expecting to see visible changes to your version of Vista, you'll be sorely
disappointed. At least in this initial beta, all the changes are under the hood, and even they are far from earth-shaking. Microsoft says that it has
fixed compatibility problems with the third-party Spy Sweeper and ZoneAlarm security applications, enhanced hardware support for Direct X, improved
Wi-Fi connections after a system resumes from sleep, improved Windows Search, added support for the newest Bluetooth specification (2.1) and rolled up
all previous Vista updates.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
09.12.2008Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 SP2 reaches RTM
Microsoft has finally finished and compiled the RTM version of Windows Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008. The full version string being
6.0.6006.18005, which company officials have confirmed is the final RTM version of SP2. Currently circulating around popular BitTorrent websites, the
final version is available in 32 and 64 bit versions. Microsoft is expected to announce public availability later this week. Screenshots of the file
properties: Thanks to Neowin user Vask for the heads up.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
29.04.2009Microsoft sends Vista SP2 invites - beta release in 4 weeks
Thanks to a tipster we have learned Microsoft has started sending Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2 invites to select testers today.
Earlier this week it was
revealed the company will release SP2 before Windows 7. Microsoft recently put a
placeholder online for the upcoming betas of Windows
Vista SP2 and Windows Server 2008 SP2.
Microsoft will include Windows Search 4 in Vista SP2 along with Bluetooth wireless support
(including latest BT 2.1 fixes), support for the new VIA 64-bit CPU and additional application compatibility updates.
For Windows Server
2008 SP2, Microsoft will include Backwards compatibility with Terminal Services licensing keys, improved manageability features with DFS/FRS console,
and Storage Resource Manager, print server and spooler performance improvements for printers in Windows Vista and Server 2008 and improved error
reporting in DFSR to help identify incorrectly configured deployments which lead to failed replication.
Both builds are "anticipated" to
be released within the next four weeks.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
18.10.2008Windows Vista SP1 outperforms Windows XP SP2 in file copy.
"Its interesting that people seem to think that Vista under performs in every area of the system which is quite an incorrect perception. In this demo
I show how Vista outperforms Windows XP and I show the under the covers process traces of just how it achieves it."
"Demo environment
consists of two images. One Vista SP1 and the other Windows XP SP2 both on the same HDD IO and communicating across my home wireless network to a
Windows Server 2008 box on my main LAN. Once the two images get going latency gets introduced and things start to slow down....except Vista doesnt
slow down." Watch and see at
Edge TechNet.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
27.05.2008Windows Installer 4.5 for Vista SP2, 5.0 for Windows 7
In June 2008, Microsoft
released Windows Installer 4.5 on the Microsoft Download Center for XP SP2+, Server 2003 SP1+, Vista, and Server 2008. Now, with yesterday's release
of the
SP2 RC-Escrow
build, it has been confirmed that the new version will also be bundled with the second service pack for Vista and Server 2008.
winbeta.org -
29.01.2009Vista SP2 to be Delivered Before 7
According to Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft is aiming to release a second service pack for Vista, supposedly even before 7 ships:
"The Windows
team is readying second service packs (SP2) for Vista — and for its server complement, Windows Server 2008 — and is aiming to deliver these SP2s
before it releases Windows 7, according to my sources.
I’m hearing that Microsoft already has delivered a beta of at least Vista SP2 to
select hardware and software partners, the same way that it has been providing a hand-chosen few with early builds of Windows 7."
jcxp.net -
19.10.2008Exclusive: Windows Vista SP2 RC released to general public
As expected, Windows Vista Service Pack 2 RC and Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2 RC is now available to general public for download. You can
download the SP2 RC for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 below: ISO for Windows Server 2008 x86/x64/ia64 and Windows Vista x86/x64x86 for
Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista x86x64 for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista x64IA64 for Windows Server 2008 ia64 The service pack is
delivered as a single release for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. There will be a single 32-bit standalone installer (302 MB to 390 MB)
for both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
04.03.2009Windows Vista SP2 RC-Escrow build released to testers
Ars Technica reports that Microsoft has sent out the RC-Escrow build of SP2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 to testers. An email has been
sent to SP2 testers regarding this release. The RC-Escrow build is available for download from this Thursday as a standalone installer or via Windows
Update or as a slipstreamed download. Microsoft claims that the service pack includes 656 individual hotfixes. The Escrow Build is a build where
development halts and developers & beta testers start testing the product for any show-stopper bugs. Microsoft has emphasized this to testers to
concentrate only on the regressions and confirmation of fixes when asking for feedback which includes the RC Escrow install survey.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
29.01.2009Windows Server 2003 SP2 hits Automatic Update on June 12th
FYI next week on Tuesday, June
12th Microsoft will begin
releasing Windows Server 2003
SP2 through Automatic Updates
(AU.)
To ensure more
control over when and how SP2
is deployed, users will need
to click on the AU śUpdates
are ready to installť balloon
notification, accept the end
user license agreement and go
through the Welcome screen.
Customers can also use the
http://www.microsoft.com/downl
oads/details.aspx?familyid=fc1
45b0b-c148-445a-82ba-9b2f3aef6
e60&displaylang=en>SP2 blocker
tool if they wish to disable
delivery via AU completely.
WSUS admins are also
required to explicitly accept
the SP2 EULA in order to
enable automatic deployment.
winbeta.org -
07.06.2007Microsoft aiming to deliver Vista SP2 before Windows 7
Mary Jo Foley: The Windows team is readying second service packs (SP2) for Vista and for its server complement, Windows Server 2008 and is aiming to
deliver these SP2s before it releases Windows 7, according to my sources.
Im hearing that Microsoft already has delivered a beta
of at least Vista SP2 to select hardware and software partners, the same way that it has been providing a hand-chosen few with early builds of Windows
7...
winbeta.org -
15.10.2008
