Tag: Windows
November 14, 2008 by
Jason
Since Windows 7 is nothing more than the evolution of Windows Vista, the two operating systems manage to share a consistent volume of resources. In this regard, Microsoft informes that the Vista Bridge Sample Library 1.3, which, in accordance with its label, is designed for Windows Vista, is capable of stretching all the way to Windows 7. Microsoft’s insistence to ensure backward compatibility with Windows Vista is by no means limited to software solutions and hardware products, and also involves the programming model of the platform.
“The Windows Vista Bridge Sample Library (VBSL) is an ongoing effort by the Microsoft SDK team to bridge between the .NET framework and the native Windows API. The VBSL is a class library that makes it much easier for managed developers to access light-up Windows Vista features with no need to worry about the Interop layer,” revealed a Microsoft representative.
Vista Bridge Sample Library 1.3 is designed to take developers beyond the .NET Framework. Vista provides, in fact, a range of features not included in the runtime environment, Read More»
Posted in Windows 7, windows vista | 1 Comment »
November 12, 2008 by
Jason With Windows 7 pre-Beta Build 6801 out of Redmond, it was only natural that DirectX 11 would follow. And this is precisely what happened. Having served Milestone 3 Build of the next iteration of the Windows client, Microsoft is also moving forward with the graphics technology included by default with the operating system. The transition from Vista to Windows 7 is synonymous with the evolution from DirectX 10.1 (in Vista SP1) to DirectX 11. At this point in time, the first taste of the next version of the DirectX suite of multimedia application programming interfaces (APIs), namely DirectX 11, is available for download via the November 2008 DirectX Software Development Kit.
“Included in the November 2008 DirectX SDK is a technical preview of Direct3D 11 and associated components and tools. Direct3D 11 is an update to Direct3D 10.1 enabling new hardware features as well as improving the breadth of configurations supported by Direct3D. As such, Direct3D 11 enables developers to create applications and games that work on Direct3D 10, Direct3D 10.1, and Direct3D 11 hardware when it becomes available. With the addition of WARP and Direct3D 10 Level 9, Direct3D 10.1 and Direct3D 11 have the ability to target fast software rasterization and Direct3D 9 hardware,” Microsoft revealed. Read More»
Posted in Windows 7, windows vista | 2 Comments »
November 09, 2008 by
Jason Worms, Trojans, adware, spyware, key loggers and viruses are all types of malicious code that may invade your computer, seriously harming your system and data while also hogging system resources or reducing PC performance and Internet bandwidth. Here are seven ways to protect yourself against malware.
1. Update your operating system regularly
The first step in protecting your PC, and your valuable data, is to ensure that the operating system (OS) is updated with the latest security patches. This is critical as OS manufacturers, such as Microsoft Windows, update the security features of their products continuously to cover any potential and actual loopholes.
2. Buy good anti-virus software
Secondly you should have updated anti-virus software running on your system. This software must be able to scan email and files, as they are downloaded from the Internet, to help prevent malware reaching your system. It is also important to make sure that this anti-virus software is updated frequently, with fixes to the actual engine and to the database files, ensuring they contain the latest cures against new viruses, worms and Trojans. Read More»
Posted in Computer | No Comments »
November 06, 2008 by
Jason The Games for Windows Branding tool is one of the evolved aspects of the DirectX software development kit launched on November 5, 2008 for a variety of Windows releases, including Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows XP Service Pack 3.
The November 2008 DirectX SDK delivers the Runtime, along with the additional software (updates to tools, utilities, samples, documentation, and runtime debug files) set up to enable developers to create content compliant with DirectX. Both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows are covered by the DirectX SDK update.
The November 2008 DirectX SDK has taken the Games for Windows Branding tool (offered initially in the August 2008 release of the SDK) to the next level. “This tool helps developers and publishers test their compliance against the Games for Windows technical requirements and test requirements,” revealed Microsoft. Read More»
Posted in Windows XP, windows vista | No Comments »
November 06, 2008 by
Jason
Microsoft issued a warning related to the detection of new examples of malicious code in attacks attempting to exploit a vulnerability affecting various Windows client and server releases. In October, the Redmond giant put out an out-of-band security patch designed to plug a vulnerability residing in the Server Service on Windows systems. According to the company, a successful exploit of the security flaw would lead to remote code execution. The patch was released on October 23, 2008, and will render attacks useless.
“We have seen some new pieces of malware attempting to exploit this vulnerability this week. And while so far, none of these attacks are the broad, fast-moving, self-replicating attacks people usually think of when they hear the word ‘worm,’ they do underscore the importance of deploying this update if you haven’t already,” revealed Security Response Communications Lead, Christopher Budd.
Budd indicated that Microsoft was seeing consistent deployments of the MS08-067 patch, and urged customers that had failed to update so far to do so as soon as possible. At the same time, Microsoft provided a list of malware built to exploit the Server Service vulnerability, including: Read More»
Posted in Windows XP, windows vista | 1 Comment »
November 06, 2008 by
Jason Just thought I should give the community my top five list for computer troubleshooting!
1. Your computer isn’t turning on? “Oh, no!” You think, “I’d better get a new one!” STOP right there. Before you get too frustrated, be sure you have checked that the power cord is actually plugged into your wall socket properly. You may think it sounds silly, but believe me, it’s more common than you think even for the computer savvy. If your computer is connected through a power board, you should try plugging it directly into the wall (note for the safety conscious: by plugging the power cable
directly into the wall, you lessen the chance of power failure and damage to your machine). Another reason that your PC may not start is if you have made any repairs or modification to your machine. You may have unwittingly pulled out a connect plug; check all connections.
2. If your computer is starting but is spitting error messages at you, then you might need to take out any memory modules such as RAM and then reset them by plugging them back into different RAM slots.If you get an error such as ‘Unexpected Interrupt in Protected Mode,’ then there is a problem with the settings you have entered in BIOS. To fix it go into BIOS and set it to default settings. If the problem still won’t go away, then you must remove the CMOS chip on your motherboard then put it back in to clean BIOS completely. Read More»
Posted in Computer | No Comments »
November 05, 2008 by
Jason Removable flash memory sticks are pretty much one of the most handy little pieces of technology to come along in the last couple of years. They come in various shapes and their storage size can range from a measly 128 MB to a whopping 32 GB. And you’re not restricted by what you are able to put onto these devices either. Which got me thinking today. I am regularly installing fresh copies of Windows onto new built PCs, so I look for any way to increase the speed at which my work gets done without compromising quality, of course.
So I thought, with the speed of flash drives today, it could be possible to install Windows XP onto those PCs in a much faster time than with optical media (CD/DVD). Plus with all the motherboards I use, I always make sure that the motherboards support booting from USB as it’s a very handy feature. So I decided to look into the various guides that can be found on the Internet. Originally meant for the EEEPC, I found a guide that I was able to understand. Because of the way it was written it took me longer than 10 minutes to understand the whole procedure and I’m sure the average geek would be completely confused before they had reached the second line, simply because of the total lack of explanation on the part of the guide’s creator for those who do not usually do this kind of thing. Read More»
Posted in Windows XP | 3 Comments »
November 05, 2008 by
Jason There’s been a number of articles on the Web about how to change the text on Windows XP Start button. So I decided to add one here at WinXpFix.com for those of you who support this site by spending your time here. First, most people think there is a limit of five letters that you can use on the Windows XP Start button, I have use more then five letters with no trouble. I’m still test this XP Start button hack and I will post any changes or updated on this page.
Here are the steps you need to edit and change the text on Windows XP Start button, also some links to software that will change XP start button text for you.
NOTE: Change XP text at your own risk. I’m not responsible for any of the damage you may do to your system.
The Steps!
1. You Need to Modify “Explorer.exe File” To make the changes you need to locate and edit the file “explorer.exe” it’s located at C:Windows. The file “Explorer.exe” is a binary file, so you will need special editor (Resource Hacker) will do. Resource Hacker is a good freeware utility to view, modify, rename, add, delete and extract resources in 32bit Windows executables and resource files. Read More»
Posted in Windows XP | No Comments »
November 03, 2008 by
Jason You can transfer files and settings from one Windows computer to another by using a tool called Windows Easy Transfer. To use this tool, your old computer must be running Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Vista, and your new computer must be running Windows Vista.
To find Windows Easy Transfer, click Start, and then type Windows Easy Transfer in the Search box.
Before we start, let’s look at what you can transfer. You can transfer:
• User accounts, which include passwords and personalized settings.
• Files and folders, including documents, photos, and music.
• Other information, such as Internet favorites, e-mail messages, and program settings.
During a transfer, you won’t be deleting anything from your old computer. Read More»
Posted in Computer | No Comments »
November 01, 2008 by
Jason
Although Outlook Express was known to be rather vulnerable to online attacks, viruses and spyware, recent updates have improved Outlook Express security a lot. Considering that many use Outlook Express for e-mail and news reading, it is reassuring that Microsoft has addressed most known security holes.
As with most software though, security can be harmed when users get sloppy in how they use the software and how they configure the software. This is especially true with online applications. If you allow all kinds of content in e-mail or click every attachment you receive, no protection will be good enough.
So use good judgment when using Outlook Express to minimize your exposure to online threats. For MAXIMUM Outlook Express security consider the following tips too.
Windows and Outlook Express Updates
Regularly update your Windows XP software. Outlook Express is an integrated part of Windows XP, so any patches or updates to Outlook Express are released through Windows XP updates. If you have Windows updates set to automatic, Outlook Express will be updated as well. If you set Windows updates to ‘disabled’, then you need to manually update Windows XP. Read More»
Posted in Computer, Office | No Comments »
