Tag: Microsoft
PC security starts with an assessment of the security risks. The security of your computer depends on the operating system you are running. If you are running one of Microsoft’s Windows versions, then you are probably familiar with the security issues of earlier Windows versions. With the increased use of the internet, security has become an even more important issue. As such, it is no surprise that regular updates and patches to Windows XP and Vista are still released.
Obviously there is more to security than just the operating system. Every PC that is connected to the internet requires a firewall to keep out undesired internet traffic. Next to that, a good antivirus program is essential to keeping your PC safe.
But where do you start if you want to find out how secure your system is? You may think that you have all the required PC security in place, but how can you be sure? Well one of the first steps is to check the baseline security and Microsoft has a great free tool that enables you to check your system security. Read More»
Posted in Computer, Windows Vista | 1 Comment »
Although DirectX has been around for some time, there are still quite often problems with DirectX that are related to versions and DirectX files. Microsoft has actually updated some of the files of the latest DirectX version for Windows XP, which is DirectX 9.0c. As a result you can not always be sure that the correct DirectX version will ensure that you do not have problems. Typically a lot of PC games make use of DirectX, so they are the applications showing DirectX errors.
Runtime errors often relate to DirectX DLL files, like the d3dx9_25.dll, d3dx9_26.dll, or d3dx9_27.dll, while DirectX update problems often cause “internal system errors” or “missing file” errors.
Here are a few tips on how to deal with DirectX errors and problems: Read More»
Posted in Computer, Hardware | No Comments »
If you are running Windows XP, there is no standard support for ISO files. These files however are quite common as an alternative to installation CDs or DVDs. An ISO file is basically an image of a CD or DVD. You can use CD Burning software to create a CD from the ISO file.
But in many cases you might not want to write a CD-ROM or DVD from the ISO file, you simply want to access the contents while the ISO file resides on your hard disk. There are software solutions available for this, which create a virtual CD or DVD drive. You can then mount the ISO file as a drive and access the contents of the ISO file.
Most of these software solutions however are commercial software, which means you need to pay for them. If you do not need the fancy user interface, you can also use a virtual cd-rom tool created by Microsoft. Read More»
Posted in Firefox, Linux, Software, Windows XP | 1 Comment »
Although most Windows software comes with an installation program, there can still be problems if you install or uninstall software. A failed installation can cause the installation not to be redone without clearing the failed installation. Unfortunately a failed installation can often not be undone, which means you are stuck with a chicken and egg situation.
Another common situation is when you installed a trial of a software product and after expiration you need to uninstall it before you can install a registered version. In case the uninstall process is not complete, chances are the software will keep on indicating the expired status.
If the standard uninstaller for the program does not work, you can try to manually remove the software. This means that the related files need to be removed from disk and all related configuration data needs to be removed. Some (older) software uses local configuration files that reside with the program in the installation directory, but most software will use the Windows registry to store configuration information. Read More»
Posted in Software, Windows Vista, Windows XP | No Comments »
Microsoft plans to debut serving Windows Search 4.0 automatically to Windows Vista Service Pack 1 by the end of July. With the final version up for grabs through the Download Center since the beginning of June 2008, the Redmond company is now wrapping up Windows Search 4.0 for delivery through Windows Update. However, only users with Windows Vista with Automatic Update enabled will receive the update by default; Windows XP users running either Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3 will have to perform a manual upgrade.
“Windows XP users will see Windows Search 4.0 available as an Optional update, which means you must visit the Windows Update Web site to install it. Windows Vista users with SP1 installed will see the update as a Recommended update. This means that, if a Windows Vista user has set their machine to automatically install updates, Windows Search 4.0 will automatically install on PCs running Windows Vista SP1. The release of Windows Search 4.0 to Windows Update will be gradual for these users,” revealed a member of the Microsoft Update team. Read More»
Posted in Software, Windows Vista, Windows XP | No Comments »
Unfortunately for Microsoft, one of the aspects of its proprietary operating system that has grown to become associated by default with the Windows brand is the Blue Screen of Death. BSOD, for short, is the result of a critical system error that will stop the operating system dead in its tracks and lead to a reboot.
In the NT corner of the universe, blue is by no means a welcomed color, and the BSOD even managed to span a cousin after the launch of Windows Vista. The Black Screen of Death was used to refer to systems thrown into Reduced Functionality Mode, scenarios far less severe than a critical system crash, of course depending on perspective. Read More»
Posted in Computer | 1 Comment »
Volume Licensing is just one of the modalities to acquire Microsoft software, but perhaps, as customers are concerned, it is also the most appealing because of the cost savings it implies. In contrast to the retail copies of Windows Vista, the main benefit of the Volume Licenses is that it takes the cost of the packaging and of the media out of the price equation of the product. And this, of course, is not valid just for Vista, now complete with Service Pack 1, but also for additional Microsoft solutions that make the object of Volume Licensing. In the Redmond giant’s perspective, one of the most relevant benefits for volume license customers is the ability to acquire Software Assurance.
“Software acquired through Microsoft Volume Licensing is a software license only. A software license provides the right to run a Microsoft software product. Savings above retail boxed software prices can be realized by participating in a Microsoft Volume Licensing program. Read More»
Posted in Software, Windows Vista | No Comments »
For reasons inexplicable to mere mortals, Microsoft doesn’t allow you to customize how Windows Vista’s screensavers work for example, by changing how the bubbles look in the Bubbles screensaver, or the number or thickness of the ribbons in the Ribbons screensaver.
If you’re willing to get your hands dirty by using the Registry, though, you can customize both. For the Bubbles screensaver, for example, you can turn the bubbles metallic or keep them transparent, configure whether the bubbles should have shadows, and display the bubbles against the desktop or instead against a solid black background. For the Ribbons screensaver, you can change the number and thickness of the ribbons.
To customize the Bubbles screensaver, launch the Registry Editor by typing regedit at the Start Search box or at a command prompt and pressing Enter. Then: Read More»
Posted in Windows Vista | No Comments »
Windows Update is a lifesaver for those of us who are not diligent in keeping our computers up-to-date with the latest fixes, patches, etc. However, the dialog box that constantly pops up after an update is installed reminding me to restart my computer is an annoyance, especially when I’m in the middle of something.
Eventually though, Windows gets annoyed with me and simply indicates that my computer will reboot in 5 minutes. To prevent this from happening, without having to temporarily disable Windows Update, you can disable automatic reboots from happening when a user is logged on. To accomplish this in Vista:
1. Click Start, type regedit.exe and press Enter. Read More»
Posted in Windows Vista | 1 Comment »
Microsoft is offering Windows Vista users no less than 17 User Interface (UI) Language packs designed for integration with the operating system. However, the company informed that only the 32-bit editions of the latest Windows client can have LIPs implemented. In fact, the Language Interface Packs are restricted only to the English language versions of 32-bit Vista, with no support for the 64-bit variant of the operating system or for previous Windows releases. The 17 LIPs can be installed on Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, Enterprise and Ultimate, but only 15 of them also play nice with the Starter SKU.
Albanian, Assamese, Bosnian - Cyrillic, Bosnian - Latin, Gujarati, Hindi, Icelandic, Indonesian, Kazakh, Macedonian, Malay, Marathi, Serbian - Cyrillic, Tamil, Uzbek - Latin, Vietnamese and Welsh are all the language UI packages offered for Windows Vista. With the exception of Icelandic and Welsh, all can also be deployed on the Vista Starter edition. The rest of the Vista SKUs are supported by default. Read More»
Posted in Windows Vista | 1 Comment »
