Microsoft

Almost since the day Microsoft Corp. released its Windows XP computer operating system nearly three years ago, it has been a favorite target of hackers and critics eager to stress its numerous security shortcomings.

Now, more than two years after promising to do something about it, Microsoft is about to release the biggest update ever for Windows. The free upgrade is designed to make users safer from cyberattacks by sealing entries to viruses, better protecting personal data and fending off spyware.

Almost since the day Microsoft Corp. released its Windows XP computer operating system nearly three years ago, it has been a favorite target of hackers and critics eager to stress its numerous security shortcomings.

Now, more than two years after promising to do something about it, Microsoft is about to release the biggest update ever for Windows. The free upgrade is designed to make users safer from cyberattacks by sealing entries to viruses, better protecting personal data and fending off spyware.

Microsoft is alpha-testing its upcoming antivirus product, according to industry sources. They claim the antivirus software works as a "behavior blocker" that monitors different events and actions on computers. If the event or action is typical of virus or is harmful, it will be prevented.

Microsoft's Meltdown conference is all about building games on Windows. Originally started as a compatibility test-fest for hardware makers and software developers, the event has matured into a Windows game developer convention. Highlights from this year's gathering, held July 27th and 28th in Seattle, included presentations about the company's XNA development tools and how to get the most out of Direct3D and DirectSound.

Customers who buy a 64-bit server with 32-bit Windows Server OS can upgrade free to 64-Bit Windows when it arrives, says Microsoft

Although server customers may have to wait a little longer for a version of Windows that supports their 64-bit systems, they won't have to pay for an upgrade when the software does ship.

Microsoft may break its normal patch cycle to issue a fix for the vulnerability infamously exploited by last month's Download.Ject (AKA Scob) attack. Internet.com cites Dean Hachamovitch, Microsoft group product manager for Internet Explorer, in support of a story that a patch is imminent. It reports that patch to be released next week will provide a "long-term solution to the core vulnerability" that led to the Download.Ject attack, one of the most serious security pratfalls ever to hit IE.

A party at Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates' waterfront mansion recently became the focus of unusual police attention.

The US Department of Homeland Security announced a "temporary security zone" earlier this month around Gates' Lake Washington home, saying in a notice published in the Federal Register that the move was necessary to prevent "terrorism, sabotage or other subversive acts."

Microsoft revealed the progress it has made in building search technology on Thursday when it demonstrated a tool that can comb both the Internet and a PC's hard drive.

MSN Chief Yusuf Mehdi showed a prototype of the search software to an audience at its annual Microsoft Financial Analyst Meeting here. The technology is designed to quickly look through a hard drive, finding all the matches for a word from within documents, e-mails and even e-mail attachments. The version Mehdi presented also returned Web results on the right side of the page.

MICROSOFT CONFIRMED today that the 64-bit version of Windows XP for Extended Systems is tied to the first service pack for Windows Server 2003, and will now ship in the first half of 2005.
The firm said that SP1 for Windows Server 2003 will focus on security, performance and reliability.

The reason for the delay is, according to Microsoft, because the development cycle is "driven by quality with a focus on the needs of customers, rather than an arbitrary date".

Service Pack 2 for XP is still expected in August, said Microsoft.

After plowing through more than 200 pages of documentation about the extensive changes in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), I wasn't optimistic about testing the XP SP2 beta. With the introduction of a real firewall; security controls for Distributed COM (DCOM), remote procedure call (RPC), and WWW Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV) operations; secure wireless networking; the ability to kill pop-ups; and hands-on management of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) plug-ins, SP2 has more in common with a new OS than a service pack with bug fixes.