John Pol's Open Salon Blog

Microsoft Retiring Support for WinXP SP2

Mon, 3 Aug 2009 06:08:42 -0400

Microsoft will retire support for Windows XP Service Pack 2 one year from today.

Windows XP is not being retired, but support for Service Pack 2 is. It may be the case, and in fact I would guess it would be the case, that from them on you will have to have Service Pack 3 in order get support, including patches to subsequently disclosed vulnerabilities.

It has been policy in the past for Microsoft to retire support for service packs. You can no longer get updates for XP with no service packs (what they call SP0) or with SP1. You must have SP2 in order to get updates. After Patch Tuesday, July 13, 2010 you will have to have SP3 installed in order to get updates for Windows XP. And in fact, if a vulnerability is found in SP2 that is not in SP3, it will not be patched.

And we have reached the end of the line for Windows XP service packs: After SP3 no new service packs are planned. Microsoft will not end support for Windows XP itself for almost 4 years more. That is scheduled for Patch Tuesday, April 8, 2014.

Given that SP3 was released in May 2008, this would mean 6 years of updates since the last service pack, which adds up to quite a mess. Deploying a new system under such circumstances requires a large update process. By then we should be on to Windows 8 or 9, but the determination among many of you to keep your XP systems forever seems strong.

Typically, after support is ended for a service pack Microsoft leaves the individual updates in their Download Center, but the automated update systems: Windows Update, Microsoft Update and Windows Software Update Services, no longer will provide updates.

Windows XP was released in October 2001 and has had a very long lifecycle for an operating system. SP2 was released in August 2004 and thus will have a 6 year life, far longer than the typical support life cycle from most vendors.

Source: pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2350118,00.asp

Windows Operating Systems Help & Support

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 06:07:03 -0400

Since Microsoft had launched its series of Windows Operating Systems for PC’s in line, it had also released various Windows Updates for all the operating systems along with Microsoft help.

Microsoft had launched latest bug fixes through windows updates and latest add no’s for Windows Operating Systems like the Windows installer and internet explorer. The purpose of fixes in Windows Updates was also used to provide end user a better security and enhance the performance of the operating system. Microsoft help feature was available in all the Microsoft operating systems and also on Microsoft website as online Microsoft help.

Launch of the Windows service pack was also a very good initiative towards building a stable operating system and midterm developmental changes were brought in the Windows operating system. Since Windows vista help provided the user to learn how Windows Updates are being installed. Online Microsoft help was also introduced for installation of Windows Updates and troubleshooting pertaining to windows updates.

There are various security updates released as soon as the security threats are being heard from windows operating system users. These security updates are known as Tuesday patches and are released on second Tuesday of each month. Apart from releasing the security updates to prevent users from the vulnerabilities of the Virus, Trojans and other malicious items Microsoft also releases various security patches as and when needed. Also online Microsoft help is being provided to the users at this time of distress.

Online Windows help and online Microsoft help is kept in general very easy for the users to eradicate the malicious programs or the software’s. Apart from the Windows security updates and Windows service pack there are various updates released for the various Microsoft applications like Microsoft office, Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express etc. Microsoft help is available on the user PC to access help related to updates for these applications and online Microsoft help is also available so that the user can be up to date with these security updates from anywhere while being on internet.

These updates are integrated in the automatic updates of the Windows operating systems. In order to know more about automatic updates either refers to Microsoft help feature in operating system or online Microsoft help. After the evolution of Windows Updates, Microsoft has launched various versions of Windows Updates. It started with version 3 i.e: v3 in 1998 for windows 98 and then it came in line with the Windows Operating Systems being either released or enhanced.

Followed by v4, v5 and v6. Version 6 was very important as it provided integration for Windows Genuine Advantage which would analyse the Windows Operating System and check the authenticity of the operating system and if it was not genuine then would not provide any future assistance with Windows Updates. In the Windows Control panel user would always find the option of Windows Updates and set it to automatic thus enhancing the capability of the operating system to perform better and secure the Windows operating system from vulnerabilities.

Fonts and languages in the windows 7

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 02:07:21 -0400

As we all know that windows 7 one of the upcoming operating system from the Microsoft is going to be released on 22nd of October.

Several new features are added to this windows 7, so that is can used world wide.

Some of the new features added in the final version of Windows 7 are new fonts, new language packs and also localized themes and customizations.

In the windows 7 several new fonts and new languages are added, in order to make this operating system as global operating system. this windows 7 operating system has fifty 50 fonts in the final version of windows 7 which is going to be released on 22 October.

Due to the increase in fonts in the windows 7,Fonts control panel is also changed. Now in the windows 7 there will be large icon view. now the fonts will give much information about looks of fonts.
Windows 7 also added several themes and backgrounds for the local market.

Languages added to the windows 7.

In the windows 7, 36 new languages are added. there will be additional languages available for download as Language Interface Packs (LIPs) onto any Windows 7 edition as part of the Local Language Program (LLP).

Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer not impressed by Google Chrome

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:07:10 -0400

As we all know that google in preparing to launch it's Os "Chrome OS" .some of the extperts are very much impressed with this operating system .

To Steve Ballmer, an OS can not be focused on the Web. The CEO of Microsoft said he was nevertheless interested in the Google project. As for Bill Gates, he believes that Chrome OS itself does nothing new.

The two great figures of Microsoft trying to minimize the decision last week to launch a Google operating system, Chrome OS. For the CEO of the publisher, Steve Ballmer, interviewed at the event WPC (Worldwide Partner Conference), a new operating system is not necessary.

According to the boss of Microsoft, a computer is not limited to access the Internet. Based on a study, Steve Ballmer said that 50% of time spent by PC users did not require browser.

Already many in the Linux market by Bill Gates

Before a laughing audience is composed of true partners Microsoft, Steve Ballmer had assured that the Google project was interesting. "Who knows what that thing? For me, this OS is Chrome highly interesting, "he said. "It will not happen until a year and a half, and then they have already announced an operating system," said Steve Ballmer, referring to Android.

But the CEO of Microsoft is not alone in having been invited to speak on Chrome OS. Its founder, Bill Gates, in an interview with CNET News has also downplayed the announcement of Google.

"There are many, many Linux distributions, with different packages and different ways to boot. In a way, I am surprised that people behave as if they were something new. Android runs after all already NETBOOK. It includes a browser, "said Bill Gates.

Piquant, former CEO of Microsoft has also stated that when it was the wave that Google was the most interesting. Chrome If OS can not even pretend to compete with Windows, on the communication front, the battle between Google and Microsoft it is in any case already in progress.

How to make our computer fast and in good working condition

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:07:42 -0400

This is a very common observation, that most of the computer users faces problem once their computer becomes old, Due to the accumulation of unwanted files and registry corruption in the computer .

But we can make our computer fast and in a good working condition by following some of the basic steps.

1 Remove unwanted programs from Add and Remove .

As we all know that the files and process present in the computer, uses the computer resources . and becomes a responsible for the slow computer. There are severel application programs present in the computer which we don't use, so we should remove all unwanted application softwares from the Add and Remove. this will free computer resources and free some disk space in the computer.

2 Remove unwanted programs from the Startup.

One of the common reason for the slow login of the computer, is the presence of lot of startup items in the startup. we can remove unwanted startup items and speed upon the booting of our computer by following these steps.

a Search for the RUN

b Type Msconfig.

c Once the msconfig windows in open select startup Tab and Remove or uncheck the unwanted startup items from the computer.

d Restart your computer .

3 Virus or other malicious programs are also a big reason for slow performance of the computer, so we should use updated antivirus software and always scan your computer with the updated antivirs software.

4 We should optimize pc, web browser. This will help us to make our web browser fast .

Here the optimization means to delete temporary file , cookies and other settings from the web browser.

5 Due to continuous use of computer for long time, cause the accumulation of unwanted temporary files in the computer.

We can remove all these temporay files from your computer by following these steps .

a Delete all the temporary junk files fom your computer , ie %temp% , temp , pretech .

b Use diskcleanup .

c Use Disk defragmentaion on your computer.

By following all these steps we can make our computer fast and in good working condition for a long time .