Critical Security Update for Windows 7 Beta
A security issue has been identified that could allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to compromise your system and gain control over it.
download -
comments -
11.3.2009 XP SP3 and Vista SP1 Critical Security Patches
The latest Critical security patches for Windows XP Service Pack 3 and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 are available from Microsoft.
windows -
comments -
13.8.2008 Microsoft Patches Critical Vista SP1 and XP SP3 Vulnerabilities
It's patching time yet again for Microsoft, as the software giant made available no less than eight security bulletins on December 9, 2008, designed to plug vulnerabilities in a range of products including Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows XP Service Pack 3.
windows -
comments -
10.12.2008 Critical Office update on the way
Microsoft plans to release a "critical" security update for Office next week, one of three bulletins it will distribute as part of its monthly patch cycle.
microsoft -
comments -
11.9.2006 Major Update Coming to Vista SP1 and XP SP3, but Users Won't Feel a Thing
A major update is coming to Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows XP Service Pack 3, but Microsoft guarantees that end users won't feel a thing.
windows -
comments -
6.7.2008 The Vista SP1 and XP SP3 WU Refresh Impacts the Entire Update Infrastructure
At the end of the past week, Microsoft announced a refresh to the Windows Update agent in Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows XP Service Pack 3.
windows -
comments -
8.7.2008 New Beta Builds of Vista SP1 and XP SP3 in December?
Microsoft is hard at work hammering away at the two service packs designed to refresh the Windows XP and Windows Vista clients.
windows -
comments -
9.11.2007 Vista SP1 RC Preview Is Here, XP SP3 Beta Up Next
If you are waiting for the first beta of Windows XP Service Pack 3, go ahead and start holding your breath. Microsofts latest moves in the service pack arena offer clear indication of the fact that the baking time for the Windows XP SP3 Beta is almost over.
windows -
comments -
17.11.2007 Windows 7 Beta Critical to Compatibility
In another example of the fact that Windows 7 will be everything that Windows Vista was not, Microsoft indicated a strong commitment to ensure a high level of compatibility for the next iteration of the Windows client from the get go.
windows -
comments -
30.5.2008 Vista SP1 Beta Download Next Week? Windows XP SP3 Missing in Action
Microsoft is hard at work cooking the upcoming releases of Windows Vista SP1, Windows XP SP3 and Windows Server 2008 RC 0, formerly codenamed Longhorn.
windows -
comments -
21.9.2007 Windows 7 RTM Safe from Vista and XP Critical Vulnerabilities
When it launched Windows Vista back in January 2007, Microsoft made sure to emphasize added security as part of the Wow.
download -
comments -
12.8.2009 Microsoft patched critical Windows bug in XP SP3 early
The appearance and disappearance of a Windows XP installation snafu indicates that Microsoft patched a critical vulnerability in XP's still-unfinished Service Pack 3 (SP3) weeks before it fixed any other version of Windows.
windows -
comments -
15.4.2008 Critical Security Patch for Windows XP Service Pack 3 Final
Windows XP SP3 was barely out the door, when Microsoft rushed to issue the first critical patch for the service pack. Concomitantly with the general
availability of the last service pack for XP, Microsoft dropped the first critical security update designed to patch Internet Explorer 7 running on XP SP3 RTM Build 5512.
windows -
comments -
8.5.2008 9 Critical Errors in Installation of XP SP3 RTM Build 5512
Users looking to Service Pack 3 for Windows XP, as Service Pack 2's second coming and the perfect reason to avoid Windows Vista SP1, might need to reconsider their plans.
windows -
comments -
10.5.2008 Microsoft Update SP1 invites sent out
Microsoft has selected testers to help with scenarios on a Service Pack 1 update for Microsoft Update. The beta is only expected to last until the end of January. Microsoft released the Update service last year after extensive testing that brought together Windows and Office Updates on one page.
microsoft -
comments -
19.1.2006 Windows 7 beta testers find critical Windows Installer Bug
Mary Jo reports that a number of Windows 7 Beta testers have come across a bug that crashes the system randomly whenever they try to start a Windows Update or install anything using Microsoft's MSI installer.
windows -
comments -
19.1.2009 Update on Windows Vista SP1 Prerequisite KB937287
We've heard a few reports about problems customers may be experiencing as a result of KB937287, the servicing stack update I blogged about last week, and I wanted to provide a quick update for you.
common -
comments -
20.2.2008 Why installing Vista SP1 might fail via Windows Update
When you try to install Windows Vista SP1 via Windows Update you can get error: Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is not available for installation from Windows Update and is not offered by Automatic Updates.
windows -
comments -
20.3.2008 Windows Vista SP1 Update Resumes Tomorrow
I have a quick update for you about Windows Vista SP1. The Microsoft Update Blog contains some important information about updates to the SP1 prerequisite distribution plan. Starting tomorrow, we are resuming the automatic update and installation of the Servicing Stack Update.
windows -
comments -
7.4.2008 Vista Compatibility and Reliability Update Available, Adjacent to SP1
Even though SP1 for Windows Vista was released to manufacturing in February 2008, and the gold bits of the service pack began being available to the general public in March, Microsoft is still issuing updates for the RTM version of its latest Windows client.
windows -
comments -
22.5.2008 .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 for XP SP3 and Vista SP1
Microsoft has made Service Pack 1 for .NET Framework 3.5 for Windows Server 2008 available for download. Designed to integrate seamlessly with Windows Vista SP1, Windows XP SP3, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008, .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 is now live on the Microsoft Download Center.
download -
comments -
11.8.2008 Windows Update spoof allows early download of Vista SP1
Ever since Vista was released, there has been discussion of when Microsoft would deliver SP1, and whether or not that delivery would be a significant milestone in the OS's development.
windows -
comments -
17.10.2007 Vista SP1 to hit Windows Update Tuesday, reports say
Microsoft will release Windows Vista Service Pack 1 next week to a wider audience, according to information posted on Amazon.com and reports from a Web site that correctly called SP1's ship date last month.
windows -
comments -
16.3.2008 Microsoft Office 2007 SP1 releasing to Automatic Update
As we noted when we released Office 2003 Service Pack 3 via Microsoft Update (MU), we are committed to providing at least 30 days notice before making Office service packs available via Microsoft Update automatic distribution (for Vista and XP).
microsoft -
comments -
10.5.2008 Vista SP1 Application Compatibility Update Fixes Black Screens of Death
With the release of the gold version of Service Pack 1, but also with the maturing of the software and hardware environment orbiting around the Windows client, Windows Vista's compatibility level has continually increased.
download -
comments -
14.8.2008 Vista SP1 RC Leaves XP SP2 in the Dust, but What About XP SP3?
Although Microsoft has indicated a strong disapproval of benchmarking tests involving development milestones of Windows Vista Service Pack 1, the temptation is simply too big to ignore.
windows -
comments -
17.1.2008 Microsoft Makes Its Own Vista SP1 vs. XP SP2, Leaves XP SP3 Out
Ever since the advent of Window Vista, at the end of November 2006 for businesses and in January 2007 for the general public, Microsoft has virtually invited the comparison between the two operating systems.
windows -
comments -
8.5.2008 Windows Defender Beta 2 Update
Microsoft released a new Windows Defender 2, yesterday. Used to check for spyware mainly, Windows Defender is the succesor of Windows Antispyware.
download -
comments -
13.4.2006 Update for Windows XP (KB900485)
Install this update to resolve an issue in which you receive a ?stop 0x7e in aec.sys? error message on a computer that is running Windows XP Service Pack 2. The error may occur during startup, or after the system has started. AEC.SYS is the acoustic echo canceling driver. After you install this update, you may have to restart your computer.
windows -
comments -
9.1.2006 The First Update for XP SP3 RTM
Although it was released to manufacturing on April 21, 2008, the third and last service pack for Windows XP has yet to make it to end users. Despite this, Microsoft has already made available the first update tailored on XP SP3.
download -
comments -
22.4.2008XP SP3 Beta Preview Out, Last Update to XP
Microsoft sent out an e-mail to Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 beta testers, announcing the arrival of the Windows XP Service Pack 3 Beta
Preview. Microsoft reiterated that this will be the final update for the aging operating system, which debuted in 2001...
betanews.com -
06.10.2007Expiration dates for Vista SP1 and XP SP3 blocks announced
If you're an IT professional and currently using Microsoft's Service Pack Blocker, the software giant recently announced that the current
blocks for Vista SP1 and XP SP3 are going to expire in a few months. The Service Pack Blocker Tool only temporarily prevents Windows from the
installation of a Service Pack via Windows Update, and the block is only effective for one year after the Service pack is released to the market via
Windows Update. Effective April 28th, 2009, Windows Vista SP1 will no longer be blocked by the tool and will be delivered via Windows Update. The
same goes for Windows XP SP3, but the block will be lifted on May 19th, 2009.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
30.01.2009Why installing Vista SP1 might fail via Windows Update
When you try to install Windows Vista SP1 via Windows Update you can get error: Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is not available for installation from
Windows Update and is not offered by Automatic Updates.
To help ensure a positive update experience, Windows Update will temporarily not
offer Windows Vista SP1 to systems that have the following device drivers. In some cases, these device drivers are problematic on Windows Vista-based
computers when you update to Windows Vista SP1. By installing updated device drivers, you will resolve the issue and enable Windows Update to offer
Windows Vista SP1.
Click read more to view a list of drivers that don't work well with Vista SP1:
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
20.03.2008Critical security patch for IE released, Win 7 RC affected
Microsoft has released an out of band security patch (MS09-034) to fix remote exploits in Internet Explorer. This security update is rated Critical
for the following versions of Internet Explorer:Internet Explorer 5.01, running on supported editions of Microsoft Windows 2000Internet Explorer 6
SP1, running on supported editions of Microsoft Windows 2000 and Windows XPInternet Explorer 7, running on supported edititions of Windows XP and
VistaInternet Explorer 8, running on supported editions of Windows XP and VistaInternet Explorer 8, running on Windows 7 Release Candidate (build
7100) This security update also resolves three privately reported vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. These vulnerabilities could allow remote code
execution if a user views a specially crafted Web page using Internet Explorer.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
28.07.2009Windows 7 Beta 1 Vs Windows Vista Vs Windows XP
After Windows 7 beta 1 leaked, many bloggers caught hold of it very soon and started testing/using Windows 7. We saw Ed Bott from ZDnet reporting
about the changes in the Windows 7 beta 1 license agreement. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes from ZDnet has benchmarked Windows 7 with its successors Windows
Vista and Windows XP. The Windows 7 build 6.1.7000.0.081212-1400 was considered for testing. Since its 32bit, it was tested against 32bit versions of
Windows Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
03.01.2009Vista SP1 Also Halted
This is a bit of an update to the story posted earlier, but just so everyone knows Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3 have been halted. I know there are a
bunch of websites out there telling you that they are available through Windows Update but that is incorrect. Both Vista SP1 and WinXP SP3 have been
pulled for now.
jcxp.net -
30.04.2008Microsoft Update Service Pack
Coming
Microsoft is preparing to beta
test the first service pack
for Microsoft Update, the
Redmond company's new
all-in-one Web site for
downloading updates to many of
its products, including
Windows and Office. The beta
program will begin early next
year, but little is known
about what changes SP1 will
bring...
betanews.com -
29.12.2005Windows XP SP3 Yields Performance Gains Over Vista SP1
After a disappointing showing by Windows Vista SP1 (see previous post), we were pleasantly surprised to discover that Windows XP Service Pack 3
(v.3244) delivers a measurable performance boost to this aging desktop OS. Testing with OfficeBench showed an 10% performance boost vs. the same
configuration running under Windows XP w/Service Pack 2.
Since SP3 was supposed to be mostly a bug-fix/patch consolidation release - unlike
w/Vista SP1, Microsoft made no promises of improved performance for XP - the unexpected speed boost comes as a nice bonus. In fact, XP SP3 is
shaping-up to be a "must have" update for the majority of users who are still running Redmond's not-so-latest and greatest desktop
OS.
Of course, none of this bodes well for Vista, which is now more than 2x slower than the most current builds of its older sibling.
Suffice to say that performance-minded users will likely choose to stick with the now even speedier Windows XP - at least until more "Windows
7" information becomes publicly available.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
24.11.2007MS preps critical Vista patch for Tuesday
Microsoft plans to issue two security patches next Tuesday, one of which earns the dreaded rating of critical, in this year's first edition of its
regular Patch Tuesday update cycle.
The critical update covers a flaw that allows the remote execution of malicious software on vulnerable
clients, including Windows Vista systems. The patch is also a critical update for Windows XP. The second update, rated as "important", covers an
unspecified privilege elevation flaw.
neowin.net -
04.01.2008Windows 7 beta testers find critical Windows Installer Bug
Mary Jo reports that a number of Windows 7 Beta testers have come across a bug that crashes the system randomly whenever they try to start a Windows
Update or install anything using Microsoft's MSI installer. Enthusiast Chris Holmes claims that many users have started experiencing random
crashing of explorer and msiexec.exe when trying to start Windows Update or install anything that uses an MSI based installer. Some have gone to the
extent of reinstalling the beta. Rafael has discovered that the fault arises from the Software Quality Management (SQM) Client which is a part of the
Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP).
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
20.01.2009XP SP3 RC Preview Clarification
I just noticed a post at
Bink.nu where Steven mentions that the XP SP3 RC Preview is now available on Connect. Just to clarify, Microsoft have not
released any new build of XP SP3 to the general Windows Beta Program. While there is the possibility that he may be talking about a different private
beta program on Connect, the main Windows Beta Program on Connect which houses the Vista SP1/Server 2008/XP SP3 betas was last updated with the XP SP3
Beta (Build 3205) in early October.
winbeta.org -
24.10.2007Why SP1 was offered to some via Windows Update yesterday
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Yesterday some people got a surprise - Windows Vista SP1 coming down the Windows Update pipes. Turns out someone at Microsoft
flipped the wrong switch.
Here the information that I have thanks to a Microsoft spokesperson:
Were very pleased
with the progress weve made with Windows Vista to date. Since releasing SP1 to manufacturing on February 4th, we have made Windows Vista SP1 available
to beta testers, MSDN and TechNet Plus subscribers, as well as Volume Licensing customers. Today, a build of SP1 was posted to Windows Update and it
was inadvertently made available to a broad group. The build was intended only for our more technically advanced testers, and was meant to only be
offered to those with a specific registry key set on their PC. For general availability, we are still planning to make SP1 broadly available in the
mid-March timeframe.
winbeta.org -
22.02.2008Microsoft Blocks XP-to-Windows 7 Beta Upgrades
The version of Windows 7 Beta 1 that Microsoft made available for download on its Technet site Thursday does not support upgrades from systems running
its Windows XP operating system, according to a first look at the available code in the CRN Test Center. It does, however, permit upgrades from Vista
SP1 to Windows 7. A Microsoft spokesman said that no final decisions have yet been made about what will be included or not included in the generally
available version of Windows 7, but that the company as a practice advises only clean installations of operating systems during the beta phase anyway.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
09.01.2009Photos: Installing Vista SP1 beta
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes: Earlier today I downloaded the standalone installer for Windows Vista SP1 build 6001.16659 and installed it on a few systems
to see what it was like -- and I thought you might like to take a look at it.
Don't expect huge UI changes after installing SP1
-- the changes are small and subtle. In fact, if you're not familiar with Windows Vista, you might miss the SP1 changes. I've put together an image
gallery showing some of the most significant changes.
winbeta.org -
28.09.2007Microsoft fixes eleven flaws in six patches; three are critical
Microsoft has released its
July 2007
security bulletin, which
includes six updates: Three
are designated as Critical by
the software giant; two are
deemed Important, and one is
ranked as Moderate. Two affect
Microsoft Office, and one
affects the Windows Vista
Firewall. This patch cycles
also addresses one flaw first
reported in 2005. To keep your
Windows XP SP1 system secure,
update to Windows XP SP2
today.
All Microsoft
security patches for Windows
and Office software are
available via Microsoft Update
or via the individual
bulletins detailed
here.
winbeta.org -
11.07.2007Office 2007 SP1 Installation/Slipstream Guide
Some of you may be wondering how to do a clean install of Office 2007 using an Office 2007 RTM image along with SP1 at the same time. As you may know,
Office 2007 makes use of the Updates folder in the installation media to install any new updates that it finds in the folder however updates have to
be in the .msp file format for them to be recognized. Since the Office 2007 SP1 update file is delivered in the .exe format, an extra step is required
before being able to proceed:
First, you should copy the contents of the Office 2007 RTM image to a temporary folder. For our
example we're using C:O2007Temp. We have also copied the Office 2007 SP1 Update file (office2007sp1-kb936982-fullfile-en-us.exe) to the D:
drive.
Then, using the Run command in Windows XP/Vista (WinKey+R), run the following command:
D:office2007sp1-kb936982-fullfile-en-us.exe /extract:C:O2007TempUpdates
replacing D: with wherever you stored
the Office 2007 SP1 update file and C:O2007Temp with wherever you stored the Office 2007 RTM files. After agreeing to the Microsoft Software
License Terms, SP1 will be extracted to C:O2007TempUpdates.
That's it! Just start the setup for Office 2007 and the
updates for SP1 will then be picked up and installed during the setup. The same method applies to any other Office 2007 SP1 update.
winbeta.org -
12.12.2007Office 2007 SP1 Update Availability Clarification
Bobbie Harder: Posting this as I've noted just a little bit of confusion with how Office 2007 SP1 is made available for download after it's release
yesterday. As you know, Office 2007 SP1 was released yesterday to Microsoft Update, and to WSUS as part of the Tues, Dec 11th release.
As planned, Office 2007 SP1 was not pushed via Automatic Updates. There has been some confusion where Windows Vista customers are seeing
Office 2007 SP1 listed as available with an option to install in their Windows Update control panel applet. The new Vista experience of the Windows
Update applet combines the convenience of the Microsoft Update site, by isting all applicable available updates, and the best of the Automatic
Updates behavior. This allows users to specify what update types they want to automatically download and install (and when), as well as combines the
interactive experience of the Microsoft Update site.
winbeta.org -
13.12.2007Gartner report: Don't wait for SP1 to deploy Vista
Enterprises planning to deploy Windows Vista should not wait for Microsoft to release Vista's first service pack (SP1), due in early 2008, before
doing so, according to a Gartner analysis.
In the
analysis, titled Vista SP1 Is
Important, but Less So Than SPs of the Past, Gartner research vice president Michael A. Silver noted that "Windows client service packs are
important, but not as important as they used to be. Integrate Windows Vista SP1 if possible, but don't delay plans waiting for it."
Many organizations often wait until Microsoft releases the first service pack on its client operating system "before they test and plan
deployment, he explained. But Microsoft "has become adept at deploying updates through services like Windows Update, Microsoft Update and Automatic
Update, so SPs are now less important than they once were."
Another factor in play here: "Many organizations have highly
complex PC environments and would not be ready to deploy Vista before
, so SPI will not be in the critical path form them,"
Silver wrote...
winbeta.org - 07.09.2007
Rumor: Vista SP1 coming February 18, XP SP3 on March 23
French tech website PC INpact is reporting that
it got its grubby little hands on the exact release dates of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 as well as Windows XP Service Pack 3. According to a source,
Vista SP1 is to be released on the night of February 18 while XP SP3 will be released on the night of March 23.
Although Microsoft has not
given a tight timeframe for when to expect XP SP3, it did state earlier that Vista SP1 will be available in mid-March. The screenshots should be
therefore taken with a grain of salt. It is possible that these memos were sent out before Microsoft delayed Vista to mid-March. Could it be that the
Vista date is wrong but the XP one is correct?
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 07.02.2008
Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 on MSDN & TechNet (Plus)
Microsoft sent out a mail on Wednesday informing MSDN and TechNet Plus users that Windows Vista SP1 images as well as Windows Server 2008 (RTM) have
been made available to subscribers. Upon checking however, I was unable to find the promised SP1 image on my TechNet subscription.
Microsoft had last
week, backpedaled and decided to move the release for certain customers and beta testers up from mid-March to
mid-to-late-February. I imagine some subscribers have yet to see it appear on their download list but should all go according to plan, those images
should be made available before March.
Up to 3 pre-requisites will start appearing through Windows Update for everyone else before
mid-March, which is required before SP1 can be installed on Windows Vista. This is due to an update of the update service from within Windows that is
required before SP1 can be installed.
Read full story.....
neowin.net - 14.02.2008
