Jean-Pierre Paradis's Blog

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A download is available on Microsoft.com containing a stencil and template for Exchange Server 2007. If you do Exchange deployment or management this is worth grabbing. It works with Visio 2003 or 2007.
Download

Source : Bink.nu

These are the fixes that leaked last week, now the fix packs are publicly available. [:D] Funny how it says "to improve the performance of Windows Vista in certain scenarios".[8-)] Well believe me, it will improve in all scenarios! So download and install these right away. I'm not sure when they will appear through Windows Update.

Update for Windows Vista for x64-based Systems (KB938979)
This is a performance update. Install this update to improve the performance of Windows Vista in certain scenarios.

Update for Windows Vista (KB938194)
This is a reliability update. Install this update to improve the reliability of Windows Vista in certain scenarios.

Update for Windows Vista (KB938979)
This is a performance update. Install this update to improve the performance of Windows Vista in certain scenarios.

Update for Windows Vista for x64-based Systems (KB938194)
This is a reliability update. Install this update to improve the reliability of Windows Vista in certain scenarios.

Source : Bink.nu

This download comes as a pre-configured VHD. This download enables you evaluate Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Beta 3.

This is a pre-configured VHD image that requires Virtual Server 2005 R2 installed on your system. Please refer to the Virtual Server 2005 R2 System requirements page here.

In addition to the System Requirements for Virtual Server 2005 R2, you will need additional disk and memory resources for running the virtual machine. This VHD is pre-configured to use approximately 10GB of hard disk space and approximately 1024MB of memory.

Download : www.microsoft.com/downloads

Some KB articles from Microsoft offer a hotfix which can be obtained by calling with Microsoft Support, you now can obtain a hotfix without having to interact with a single soul ( no phone calls etc.. ) Easy and convenient.

https://support.microsoft.com/contactus2/emailcontact.aspx?scid=sw;en;1410&WS=hotfix

You will get a form mail in response, and in it will be a link to the http site you can download the fix from.

Source : Spat's WebLog

Microsoft Office Access 2007 provides a rich platform for developing database management solutions with easy-to-use customization tools. If no end-user customization is required (including report modifications), you can choose to distribute those Access 2007 solutions so that they run without requiring a full installation of Access 2007. To do so, you must package and distribute your application with the Access 2007 Runtime.

The Access 2007 Runtime is similar to previous runtimes in that all design-related UI is either removed or disabled.

You do not need to buy any special SKU in order to redistribute the Access 2007 Runtime. You can freely redistribute it or point users to this download.

For information about the Access 2007 Developer Extensions, see Access 2007 Download: Access Developer Extensions.

Source : Bink.nu

If you have searched for the .NET Framework 2.0 Configuration Tool (mscorcfg.msc) in your Administrative Tools you probably noticed that it isn't there (like with v1.1). This is because Microsoft decided to remove this tool from the redistributable package, it is now in the Software Development kit (SDK).

I don't know the reasonning behind this decision but it's certainly not to make things easier for the rest of us. Now I have to download over 300 Mb just to change the security settings.

You can download the SDK at MSDN.

Oh, I almost forgot, you can also use the Code Access Security Policy command line toot (Caspol.exe) to do the same things that then Configuration Tool does, but guess what ? it is also in the SDK (dah).

Wan't to what the new Valencia Formula 1 circuit will look like ? Look at ths video :

Enterra Download Manager is a revolutionary module (plug-in) compatible with Microsoft Internet Explorer. IE plugin that makes files downloading more effective! This easy to use multifunctional toolbar lets users download files from FTP and HTTP servers via appropriate protocols and lets you control the downloads right in the IE window (Compatible with IE version 6.0 and higher). It also has the feature of multi session downloading and files upload resume on the connection break and restoration. This helps to accelerate the process and manage your time more efficiently.

Source : www.enterra-soft.com

These two posters, originally published in the July 2007 issue of TechNet Magazine, provide a strong visual tool to aide in the understanding of various features and components of Windows Server 2008. One poster focuses exclusively on powerful new Active Directory technologies, while the other provides a technical look at a variety of new features available in Windows Server 2008 (such as Server Core, Network Access Protection, and more).

Download : www.microsoft.com/downloads

Do you get stomach ache whenever you think about the complaints you will hear from your colleagues after upgrading to Microsoft Office 2007? I think the new Office user interface is really great! But I am sure you also have these people in your organization who hate any kind of change. And this change is really big! There are two Office add-ins that might be of help to your stomach problem. One is Classic Menu for Office 2007 and the other goes for the name “Toolbar Toggle“.

Source : 4sysops.com

A new feature in Windows Vista makes it possible to configure international settings from the command line using an extension of the Regional and Languages Options Control Panel. For example, a network administrator may wish to mandate that all corporate computers in his international branch offices use the ISO standard date format (YYYY-MM-dd). By describing this property in an XML file, the network administrator can create script(s) to automate the configuration of the international setting(s) for any Windows Vista installation.

This command line method of configuring international settings requires Windows Vista. It is bundled into the intl.cpl binary that ships with the operating system.

Source : www.microsoft.com/

RadEditor Lite for MOSS 2007

Cross-browser alternative to the default rich-text editor in MOSS and WSS

Colligo Reader for SharePoint

Colligo Reader enables you to easily download content from SharePoint sites to your laptop - so you can access the content offline, rather than having to copy files one by one through a browser.

Source : blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint

There are quite a few names for this famous tool collection. Some write Adminpak, Admin Pack or Adminpack. The official name is Administrations Tools Pack, but Microsoft often speaks about the Windows Server 2003 management tools. Now, you have to learn a new name: RSAT or Remote Server Administration Tools. This is how the management tools are called under Windows Server 2008.

... Now I have just read that Microsoft plans to release a Vista version of RSAT shortly after Service Pack 1 becomes available.

Source : 4sysops.com

Network Monitor 3.1 can now be downloaded for free. There are a couple of interesting new features. Most important certainly is that one can now capture 802.11a/b/g management and data frames.

Source : 4sysops.com
Download : www.microsoft.com/downloads

VMRCplus is a free new Microsoft tool for Virtual Server 2005 R2. It allows you to configure Virtual Server and to manage virtual machines with a real (graphical) interface. Today, I had a quick look at this nifty tool.

Source : 4sysops.com

Microsoft new malware database is online now. Such a virus encyclopedia is quite useful if one of your machines is infected by a virus and your antivirus software is not able to get it under control. You can then search for technical background information and ways to get rid of the pest. It is advisable not to rely on just one virus database, though.

Source : 4sysops.com
Link : www.microsoft.com/security/portal

Active Directory Explorer (AD Explorer) is an advanced Active Directory (AD) viewer and editor. You can use AD Explorer to easily navigate an AD database, define favorite locations, view object properties and attributes without having to open dialog boxes, edit permissions, view an object's schema, and execute sophisticated searches that you can save and re-execute

Source : www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals

When you first install and run Windows Vista, it will calculate your Windows Experience Index score to evaluate your computer's speed and graphics capabilities.

WEI has been a point of contention for many Windows Vista users because the WEI scores tend to be extremely low. Unfortunately, some software requires your WEI score to be above a certain threshold for all the features to work. Fortunately, it is easy to artificially raise your WEI score by modifying the configuration file.

Read the article : www.petri.co.il/artificially_raise_wei.htm

This program helps to locate and fix LCD screens dead pixels.

You can fix the stuck pixels by calling them to do rapid changes. You need to run this program for a couple of hours. There is no warranty on the result, but you don't really have anything to lose trying it out. Good luck.

Official web site : udpix.free.fr

Not soon !

Biran W. McCann has a post on his blog to keep everyone up-to-date on the latest developments of the missing AdminPak for Windows Vista.

To summarize it : not before Vista SP1

Read the post : msmvps.com/blogs/ad

Bink.nu just release a great White Paper on BCDEdit :

On Microsoft Windows Vista and later versions, the boot configuration data (BCD) store, contains the boot configuration parameters and controls the computer's boot environment. BCDEdit is a Windows Vista command-line tool that can be used to add, delete, edit, and modify data in a BCD store. The paper is a reference for BCDEdit commands, data types, and well-known identifiers.

Source : bink.nu

If you want a try Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, there is a new virtual machine available for download.

Download : www.microsoft.com/downloads

As you know, Microsoft Office 2007 launched for Business customers through Volume Licensing in November of 2006 and went to general availability through Retail Box and OEM in January of 2007. As such, now is a great time to educate your customers on the benefits and features of the 2007 Microsoft Office system.

After June 30, 2007, OEM Microsoft Office 2003 will no longer be available from Microsoft. Some authorized OEM Microsoft distributors may have some remaining inventory left for a short time after June 30th; however, Microsoft will no longer be shipping OEM Microsoft Office to them. For all system builders, you can see more about this on the Microsoft System Builder website.

Source : Microsoft Small Business Community Blog

Microsoft has released an update rollup for the Microsoft Solution Accelerator for Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) 2007 . The update rollup supports Windows Vista and Microsoft Windows XP Professional. The update includes all updates to BDD 2007 since the release version of January 2007.

See here for the complete list of fixes.
Download: Business Desktop Deployment 2007 Update Rollup (x86)(x64)

As a kid a pass so many hours playing with my LEGO blocks. So when I heard that there is a software from LEGO called «LEGO Digital Designer» that allow me to play with my favorites blocks on my computer I was thrill.

You work in 3D, you can share your creations with friends you can even order real blocks to make your model in the real world. It's fantastic !

Dowload : ldd.lego.com/download LEGO FACTORY (where you share your models) : us.factory.lego.com

Allin Consulting, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner in the U.S., recently implemented Glu Mobile’s website at www.glu.com. Glu Mobile is a leading publisher of mobile games and entertainment. Allin has been developing solutions around SharePoint and .NET since version “1.0” of both platforms. This is Part 1 in a three part series in which the Allin team (Shawn Parker, Robert Sweeney, Eric Hansen, Stefan Nilsson, and Karl Kuhnhausen) will describe how they architected and developed the glu.com website.

Read the article : SharePoint Team Blog

Anna Liu reports :

"...we’re extremely proud to announce that the www.microsoft.com site is running 100% on our next generation web platform!!"

Source : blogs.msdn.com/annali

Your online accounts, computer files, and personal information are more secure when you use strong passwords to help protect them.

Microsoft offer you a Password Check tool to test the strenght of your passwords.

Link : www.microsoft.com/protect/yourself/password/checker.mspx

I just find out about Rob Dunn great tools for WSUS :

WSUS File Extract Utility
You can use this if you want to download a particular update from the WSUS folder without having to download it from the Internet again. Great for those big Service Packs.
WSUS Error Code Lookup Tool
This is a quick and dirty WSUS & Windows Update error code lookup utility
Duplicate WSUS ids? - Reset Authorization on remote computer
WSUS Superseded Update Finder Utility
A little utility to help with finding superseded updates that have been approved in WSUS.
Windows Update Agent force script
This script (the core was pulled from Microsoft's website, and the WindowsUpdate agent install was borrowed from Torgeir Bakken - thank you!) will tell the WU Automatic Update Client (wuaclt.exe) to 'detectnow', download and install missing windows updates as compared to it's update server. Works for WSUS and regular Windows Update site.

Thanks Bob, great job.

Link : www.vbshf.com

From Bink.nu :

Today, Apple unexpected released a beta version of Safari 3.0, the upcoming version of its Web browser ...

Why is this interesting to you, the Windows user? Well, for the first time, Safari is available in both Windows and Mac OS X versions. Apple did this largely because of the iPhone--third party developers can only target iPhone's built-in version of Safari if they want to create iPhone applications as the company doesn't allow them to create native applications--but no matter. I've always thought that Safari was a high-quality browser. And its release to Windows users could change things, somewhat dramatically, in the browser space.

We'll have to wait and see to know if Safari will became a big player in the browser area or if it will become a simple curiosity.

Read the comple article (with screenshot) : Bink.nu

Updates/comments :

Wow, already 4 DoS bug, 2 remote execution vulnerabilities and 1 0day exploit. Some of these «problems» may event be present on the OSX version. Really is it beta or alpha software ?
Good review from the Canadian' Technet IT Pro blog.
Another review from ARS technica.

Outlook Connector Beta enables you to use your Live Hotmail accounts within Outlook:

Read and send your Office Live Mail/Windows Live Hotmail e-mail messages.
Manage your Live Mail Contacts.
Use advanced options for blocking junk e-mail messages.
Manage multiple e-mail accounts in one place.

With a paid subscription, Outlook Connector Beta enables these additional features:

Manage, share, and synchronize your Windows Live Calendar in Outlook.
Access your Tasks and Notes.

Source : Bink.nu
Download : www.microsoft.com/downloads
More details : Windows Vista Team Blog

Update :

There is some confusion about connecting to Hotmail with Outlook, Outlook Express or Windows Mail. To clarify all that read the article More on the free Outlook Connector beta and other e-mail FAQs on LiveSide.net

Great post on My Digital Life blog to show you how to recover from RFM.

Read the Post here.

You may also want to read brian Livingston's article on WindowsSecrets.com about Vista activation. It will help you learn what to do if you hit the 3 rearm limit.

Today Microsoft will release to the Web the final version of Virtual Server 2005 R2 service pack 1. Available at no charge, this service pack adds support for hardware-assisted virtualization and improved backup services and compatibility. A new feature to the service pack is Volume Shadow Services, which provides customers with improved support for backup and disaster recovery. Instead of scheduling downtime for backing up each virtual machine individually, customers will now be able to take snapshot backups of physical machines, with no downtime, that will in turn take snapshots of all the virtual machines on that physical host.

The download be will going live at approximately 12 p.m. PDT today.

Source : Bink.nu

Using the power of virtualization, you can now quickly evaluate Microsoft and partner solutions through a series of pre-configured Virtual Hard Disks (VHDs). You can download the VHDs and evaluate them for free in your own environment without the need for dedicated servers or complex installations. Start now by selecting a lab from the VHD catalog below:

Source : www.microsoft.com/vhd

A full PowerShell provider for exposing WSS/SPS 2003 (support for 2007 coming) as a filesystem. Administer your SharePoint installation with familiar copy/move/rename/delete and new-item metaphors. Move users between roles, copy users between webs; use the full power of the shell to script away the pain of GUI based mass-management.

Link : www.codeplex.com/PSSharePoint

The PHP development team would like to announce the immediate availability of PHP 5.2.3. This release continues to improve the security and the stability of the 5.X branch as well as addressing two regressions introduced by the previous 5.2 releases. These regressions relate to the timeout handling over non-blocking SSL connections and the lack of HTTP_RAW_POST_DATA in certain conditions. All users are encouraged to upgrade to this release.

May, 25th update

It is (kb907306) an update to the WebFolders and not the Mini-redirector (WebDAV). And I was partly wrong, it does fix the '401, Unauthorized' error by replacing de mini-redirector by the WebFolders package. Although I'm now able to connect to my webDav folder on WebCT, I can't modify any file (save).

Microsoft has announced the alpha version of Popfly, its new application creation, mashup enabling tool and social networking software for nonprogrammers.

Popfly consists of two parts: Popfly Creator, which is a set of online visual tools for building Web pages and mashups; and Popfly Space, which is an online community of creators where you can host, share, rate, comment and even remix creations from other Popfly users.

Popfly is based on the concept of "Blocks," akin to Lego blocks, which users can snap together to create applications and build Web sites to share with others.

Source : Bink.nu
Check out http://www.popfly.com

Frank Koch (from Microsoft Switzerland) has written a Windows PowerShell book and made it available for FREE download HERE. The subtitle is "An introduction to scripting technologies for people with no real background knowledge".

Micorosoft may offer 250Mb, 500Mb or more of online free storage. The new Windows Live Folders initiative looks very promising.

This service was previously called Windows Live Drive.

The Windows Live Folders homepage is now offline. The beta has not started and there is no signup page yet either. But you can see what it would look like at www.liveside.net

Own a non-Ultimate edition of Windows Vista, but very like the DreamScene application featured in Ultimate Extras package?

Read this article.

Microsoft SharedView is a fast and easy way to share documents and screen views with small groups of friends or coworkers; anytime, anywhere. Use SharedView to put your heads together and collaborate.

More effective meetings and phone calls
Connect with up to 15 people in different locations and get your point across by showing them what's on your screen.
Work together in real time
Share, review, and update documents with multiple people in real time.
Use anytime, anywhere
SharedView is easy to use, from anywhere, at a moment's notice.

Click here to learn more about the SharedView Beta (note: at the time I posted my blog the link was not working)

You can download it at www.microsoft.com/downloads

Since last week the code name for this product was «Tahiti». There's a blog about it : codenametahiti.com

If you want to get familiar with the new ribbon in Office 2007 products Micorosoft has just the thing for you. They just release a new series of video call «Up to speed with ...»

You can watch it live here :

Or you can also download them from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/ to see them later.

You can turn scripts into redistributable executable files with existing software in Windows Vista and Windows XP. Windows Vista and Windows XP both have a rarely used tool known as IExpress.

The tool allows you to wrap an executable file around your scripts so that you can distribute any script as an .exe rather than distributing a "raw" script file (.bat, .vbs, etc.).

This eliminates the need of explaining to non-technical users how to execute scripts through the Command Prompt. This is an extremely useful tool for turning Visual Basic script files and other non-executable scripts into one-click executables.

Read the full article : www.petri.co.il

Do you use the Run feature in Windows XP or Vista ? For most, this feature remains unused (or rarely used).

Why is that? Well, First off nearly all of the Run Commands Correspond to a particular Control Panel Item or a Utility, Tool or Task that can be accessed through Windows.

There are, however, tools and utilities that I bet you never knew you had that can be accessed through the Run feature. The main reason most people don't use the Run feature is because they don't know the Commands. So, to solve that problem, I decided to put together the following listing, which lists 177 Run Commands and what they correspond too...

Source : fixmyvista.com

Here's my personal list of Windows Vista shortcuts :

Press	To
Alt + Double-Click	Displays property sheet for the selected item
Alt + Esc	Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened
Shift	Hold when loading disk to prevent AutoPlay application
Shift + Right-Click	Shows alternative commands for the selected object
Ctrl + Shift + Enter	Launch the application with elevated privileges in the windows search box (start menu)
Ctrl + Shift + Esc	Open Task Manager
Ctrl + Tab	Move forward through tabs
Windows + F	Search for a file or folder
Windows + X	Windows Mobility Center
Windows + Space	Bring Sidebar to front
Windows + D	Show Desktop
Windows + Tab	Cycle through programs on the taskbar by using Windows Flip 3-D

Each time that you send a new message in Outlook, the emails that you type in To/Cc fields, are automatically inserted into the AutoComplete list, so in the next time that you type an email address, Outlook automatically completes the right email address for you.

The AutoComplete file of Outlook is stored under [Your Profile]\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook , and it always saved as the profile name of Outlook with .NK2 extension.

This utility reads the AutoComplete file of Outlook (with .NK2 extension), displays all email records stored in it, and allows you to easily export these records into text/html/xml file.

Download this utility at Nirsoft.net

Windows Live Hotmail is now officially out of Beta. Paul Thurrott's have good review of the new service.

Read de the review : www.winsupersite.com

Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of Microsoft .NET–based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web.

It works on Windows and Mac OS X with Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari browser.

It's still in beta but you can download it and try it at www.microsoft.com/silverlight

George Ou compares Microsoft Office 2007 to OpenOffice 2.2 in memory and CPU usage using the OOXML and ODF file formats. The conclusion according to Ou:

"We can see that the OpenOffice.org ODF XML parser (while vastly improved) is still about 5 times slower than Microsoft's OOXML parser. OpenOffice.org also seems to consume nearly 4 times the amount of RAM to hold the same data. While OpenOffice.org continues to have fewer features than Microsoft Office, it continues to consume far more resources than Microsoft."

Read the article at zdnet.com

Ashton Mills has a good review of Ubuntu 7.04 on apcMag.com :

I love Linux and want it to succeed in the areas it doesn't currently, so I'm usually straight about what does and doesn't work -- because tip-toeing the issues isn't doing the community any favours. I have great expectations for 7.04, and unfortunately they're not all met. If you're a fanboy, don't read on, because I'll shatter your fragile world.

Read the article at apcMag.com

Lex van der Horst wrote at MSTN :

Lots of useful Windows Vista tips are now starting to materialize. A new one that I've just implemented on my external Lacie USB Hard Drive is to enable Write Caching, which is turned off by default. By enabling Write Caching you can significantly speedup external Hard Drives in Windows Vista.
To enable Write Caching for external drives in Windows Vista do the following:

In the Start Menu type "Device Manager"
Under Disk Drives find your External Drive
Right-click on it and select "Properties"
Go to the Policies tab and check "Optimize for performance"
Click OK and reboot

One final word of warning. If you want to disconnect or turn the drive off yo should use the "Safely Disconnect Hardware" option in the taskbar, to make sure that you don't lose any data.

Microsoft already gave us command finders for Word, Excel and PowerPoint 2007 (read my post), now a new one is available for Outlook.

See it at office.Microsoft.com

There is a few new options in the NETSH command in Windows Vista that may help you diagnose problems with wireless network connections.

Type netsh wlan show network mode=ssid

To display infos about each visible SSID

Type netsh wlan show network mode=bssid

To display infos about each visible SSID, antennas, signal strength, radio type and channel.

More infos : technet2.microsoft.com

A month earlier then expected WSUS 3.0 is released to web!

Microsoft Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 delivers new features including an MMC-based user interface with advanced filtering and reporting, improved performance and operational reliability, flexible deployment options to improve branch office support, and more content access through the Microsoft Update Catalog site.

More at www.microsoft.com/Technet/WindowsServer/WSUS

Source : bink.nu

How many times did you ask where is that command ? (I know were it was before)

Microsoft has develop three really cool apps in Flash that can visually help you find these commands.

Find commands in Word 2007
http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/asstvid.aspx?assetid=XT100766331033&vwidth=1044&vheight=788&type=flash&CTT=11&Origin=HA100744321033
Find commands in PowerPoint 2007
http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/asstvid.aspx?assetid=XT101493271033&vwidth=1044&vheight=788&type=flash&CTT=11&Origin=HA101490761033
Find commands in Excel2007
http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/asstvid.aspx?assetid=XT101493291033&vwidth=1044&vheight=788&type=flash&CTT=11&Origin=HA101491511033

If you prefer to navigate from the Office Web site (it's not always obvious) :

Go to the Products section
Click on Excel, Word or Powerpoint from the list that appears down the left hand side
Look for the "Quick Start" Box way down the page for the product (centre right)
Click the link "Find Commands in ..."

To my knowledge these apps are only available form the English US web site.

Thanks to Darren Strange for giving us a steer on this stuff. (By the way Darren has a great blog about Office : blogs.msdn.com/officerocker

Technorati tags: IIS7, PHP, IIS News Item

Bill Staples [Product Unit Manager for the Internet Information Services (IIS) team] has a great article about the new IIS7 in Longhorn beta 3 at IIS.net

Read the arcticle : iis.net

Jeremy Page wrotes in OneMicrosoftWay Journal :

Your life as a web admin is about to get easier, assuming you are using Windows as your platform of choice. IIS7 in the newly released Longhorn Beta 3 is chock full of updated and upgraded goodness. A few specific features look like they will save a lot of time and effort for admins.

Read the article : arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars

Another good article from Paul Thurrott. If you have some interest in Longhorn you should read this one.

Ref : www.winsupersite.com

Windows Server Code Name Longhorn is schedueled for release to beta testers sometime later today, with some of the most important changes coming to Longhorn Server Core. Core will support a grand total of 8 roles, double the 4 roles it had back in mid 2005. The grand total of roles available to Server Core includes:

Active Directory
Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services
DNS
DHCP
File/Print
Windows Media Services
Terminal Services Easy Print, Remote App, and Gateway
Virtualization (configuring a server as a dedicated host for virtual servers.) (won't be available immediately)

PowerShell is also included in the 3rd beta release of Longhorn Server, as well as the Windows Firewall being enabled by default.

Download : www.microsoft.com/windowsserver/longhorn
Direct download : Enterprise Edition

Source : Bink.nu

It has been a while since we've heard of former Formula One Champion, Jacques Villeneuve. The Canadian gave an interview with jv-world to talk about his music, motor racing, married life and baby Jules.

Source : www.jv-world.com

Matt Mondok wrote in OneMicrosoftWay Journal:

After some users with large Outlook 2007 Personal Folders (pst files) complained about the e-mail client running slowly, Microsoft released a patch last week that is said to improve the application's performance. According to the patch's description, it fixes two problems: the first where a calendar item is marked as private if it is opened by the Search Desktop feature, and the second being the performance issue.

Functionality that should become more responsive after applying the update includes:

Downloading messages from Exchange
Deleting messages
Moving and copying messages
Switching between messages
Outlook startup

Read the complete article at ARStechnica
The update, KB933493, is available from the Microsoft Download Center

Vista uses a new protocol named Link Layer Topology Discovery (LLTD) to display a network “map” of all computers in a network, but the protocol is only in Vista, so XP computers do not show up in this map.

Microsoft has generously released the software for XP, and it must be installed on an XP machine for it to show up in the Vista map. Click here to download the software for Windows XP SP2.

Source : Top 12 Vista Tweaks

Nick White wrote on Windows Vista Team Blog :

Yesterday we officially unveiled the name for what was previously known as the extremely catchy "WPF/e" (Windows Presentation Foundation Everywhere) at the 2007 National Association of Broadcasters Conference. WPF/e is now Microsoft Silverlight.

OK, so what? Just what is Microsoft Silverlight? It's a new cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in that allows users a new and richer multimedia experience when using a Web browser (for example, it supports 720p HD media playback). Web developers targeting IE, Firefox and even Apple's Safari browser can all make use of Silverlight for a consistently amazing experience. It's also a client- and server-agnostic platform; this means that the runtimes are the same on any platform, allowing you to deliver the Silverlight experience from an Apache web server, if you like -- without requiring any MS software on the server. How's that for interoperability?

Jason Brooks has a good article for linux beginners on eWeek.com :

It's free! You can tailor it to your own needs! There's a distro for every need! Sure, Linux is tempting, but getting started isn't so easy. eWEEK Labs offers advice for getting your head, and your organization, around Linux.

Source : eWeek.com

For some IT pros, the only thing they look forward to more than the new version of Windows is the new Windows Resource Kit-and the Windows Vista Resource Kit is available now. This official Microsoft reference provides more than 1,500 pages of in-depth technical guidance on deploying; securing, and managing Windows Vista.

Here are a few of the topics that are covered in the Windows Vista Resource Kit:

Deployment
From installation basics to corporate-level installation guidance for the Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) 2007 for Windows Vista and the 2007 Microsoft Office system, the Windows Vista Resource Kit covers all areas of Windows Vista deployment including:

Deployment automation
Application compatibility and deployment
Disk imaging
User state migration
Volume activation

Management
Controlling how Windows Vista functions and how users access its resources is an important part of supporting the operating system. The Windows Vista Resource Kit covers management topics such as:

User accounts
Disks and storage
Device management
Printing
File sharing and collaboration
Internet access and security

Maintenance
The ability to restore a system to efficient operation is an important part of a technician's job. The Windows Vista Resource Kit offers guidance for maintenance tasks including:

Health and performance monitoring
Remote user assistance
Software updates and patches
Client protection (hardening Windows)

Networking
Windows Vista is designed to operate in networks from two linked home systems to immense corporate networks with thousands of networked computers. The Windows Vista Resource Kit has everything you need to know about the following topics:

Configuring Windows networking
Configuring Windows Firewall with Advanced Security
Connecting to remote networks
Deploying the next generation Internet-TCP/IP version 6 (IPv6)

Troubleshooting
Windows Vista is designed to be the most resilient operating system we've ever released. In spite of this, problems do sometimes happen. When they do, the Windows Vista Resource Kit has information on the following topics:

Startup issues
Hardware issues
Network issues
Stop errors

Tools and Utilities
In addition to the guidance listed above, the Windows Vista Resource Kit includes a CD of tools and utilities to help you troubleshoot, manage, and configure Windows Vista. Among these tools are more than 150 timesaving scripts to help automate administrative tasks, additional job aids, and an eBook of the entire resource kit.

Source : windowsvistablog.com

There is two new Virtual Labs at TechNet that looks interesting :

Microsoft Search Solutions for the Enterprise

Overview (Lab 1 of 8)
Security and Compliance (Lab 2 of 8)
Customizing Search (Lab 3 of 8)
Desktop Search (Lab 4 of 8)
Configuring Microsoft Office SharePoint Server for Search (Lab 5 of 8)
People and Properties (Lab 6 of 8)
Business Data Catalog (Lab 7 of 8)
Protocol Handlers (Lab 8 of 8)

Getting Started with Windows Vista: Virtual Lab Express Series

Browse with enhanced security
Better Protection from Malware
Built-in Diagnostics
Instantly Search and Find Information
Improved and Automated Help Options
Set up and Connect to Networks with Simplicity
Easily Manage your Data Synchronization
Improve your PC's Power Management
Collaborate in Small Groups Anywhere, Anytime

Large WSUS deployments will have their performance degrade over time if the WSUS database is not maintained properly. The WSUSDBMaintenance script is a T-SQL script that can be run by SQL Server administrators to re-index and defragment the WSUS database.

Source : www.microsoft.com/downloads

The Virtual Machine Additions for Linux were updated to version 1.2 yesterday. They were last updated on the 16/10/2006. You can download the additions from Microsoft Connect and a snippet is below:

This package contains the Virtual Machine Additions for Linux, for use with Virtual Server 2005 R2.
VERSION 1.2 - now with support for SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 10

Important

Please review the README documents that are installed with the package, as they contain important information about the use of the Virtual Machine Additions for Linux.

The Virtual Machine Additions for Linux can be installed in the following Linux Operating Systems when running as guests of Virtual Server 2005 R2:

Enterprise distributions

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1 (update 6)

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 (update 6)

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4

SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 9

SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 10

Standard distributions

Red Hat Linux 7.3

Red Hat Linux 9.0

SuSE Linux 9.2

SuSE Linux 9.3

SuSE Linux 10.0

Support

The Virtual Machine Additions for Linux are supported through the product support channels for Virtual Server 2005 R2.

Source : Bink.nu

The Change Analysis Diagnostic tool scans the computer and displays recent changes to the following areas:

Software programs: The software programs that are listed in the Add or Remove Programs item in Control Panel.
Operating system components: Hotfixes and downloads from Windows Update.
Browser Helper Objects (BHOs): COM components that Internet Explorer loads when it starts. BHOs can intercept browser events, access Internet Explorer controls, create windows, and install add-ins that monitor messages and actions.
Drivers: Kernel-mode device drivers and file system drivers.
ActiveX controls: COM controls that have been downloaded by Internet Explorer or that are used in some Web pages.
Other Auto-Start Extensibility Points (ASEPs): ASEPs let programs start without action from the user. An ASEP may accept one or more ASEP hooks, each of which is associated with a program.

The tool also displays changes to loaded applications and startup objects.

This is a new Microsoft's tool.

More infos : www.microsoft.com/technet

With Windows Vista, your Boot Configuration Data (BDC) is not in the boot.ini file anymore.

If you want to change your BCD you must use the new command line tool BCDedit.exe ou try the free EasyBCD that provides a GUI to edit your BCD.

References :

VhdExpand is now VhdResize.

VhdResize will resize Microsoft's VHD files and will also convert between Fixed and Dynamic file types. This is a sector by sector copy operation from one size/type to the other and the source file remains unaltered.

VhdResize requires the Microsoft .Net 2.0 framework available via Windows Update and here.

Ref : vmtoolkit.com

This initiative is an effort to improve the security of PHP. However we will not concentrate on problems in the PHP language that might result in insecure PHP applications, but on security vulnerabilities in the PHP core. During March 2007 old and new security vulnerabilities in the Zend Engine, the PHP core and the PHP extensions will be disclosed on a day by day basis. We will also point out necessary changes in the current vulnerability management process used by the PHP Security Response Team.

Ref : www.php-security.org

Peter Bright published Part I of Ars Technica's three-part Windows Vista review coverage. This is an excellent article to get under the hood and learn what's new in the graphic stack and APIs.

Ref : arstechnica.com

Paul Thurrott wrote in his WindowsITPro newsletter :

Adobe has informed its customers that they will need to pay for new versions of many of its products if they expect to run them glitch- free on Windows Vista. The reason? Adobe has no plans to ensure that its currently shipping products work properly with Microsoft's new OS.

If you're searching for an example of a wrong way to do things look at how Adobe products support Windows Vista.

Before you spend you money for a new version of an Adobe Product why don't you look at the competition.

Brian Livingston wrote :

Microsoft always says it opposes "software pirates" who sell thousands of unauthorized copies of Windows.

But the Redmond company has made things a lot easier for pirates by adding a line to the Registry that can be changed from 0 to 1 to postpone the need to "activate" Vista indefinitely.

Source : windowssecrets.com

This article contains information about application compatibility testing that was performed for the English version of Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (SP2). The Windows serviceability AppCompat test teams tested more than 1,500 server applications and desktop applications on computers that were running Windows Server 2003 SP2. This article contains two tables that summarize the results of the tests.

Source : Microsoft.com

On Windows Update now, or see below (links are not all working yet, Bink.nu is too quick)

Source : Bink.nu

When you power-on your computer it will broadcast to the world a list the list of WiFi access-points you've got cached on your computer, the previous IP address you used (requested by DHCP), your NetBIOS name, your login ID, and a list of servers (via NetBIOS request) you want connections to.

Even if you then establish a VPN connection to hide everything else, you've already broadcasted this information to everyone on the local network.

The FERRET tool gathers this broadcasted information and correlates it. It demonstrates how much you expose to hackers.

Source: erratasec.com

In the past, Microsoft has said that its ASP.NET AJAX (Atlas) framework could be used sans Microsoft development tools. Particularly, the client-side library in ASP.NET AJAX can interact with several web-based programming languages as it consists of nothing more than JavaScript. That being said, one industrious Microsoft dev has gone ahead and created a library called "PHP for Microsoft AJAX Library" that allows PHP developers to easily interact with Microsoft's rich client framework.

Download : codeplex.com/phpmsajax
Source : arstechnica.com/journals/microsoft.ars

Jean-Pierre Paradis's Blog

May, 25th update

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