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Starting today, many users of new, unregistered copies of Microsoft Windows will have to make a phone call in order to activate the software's license. In a move to curb piracy of its flagship operating system, Microsoft has disabled the Internet activation alternative, now requiring these users to orally confirm their use of the product.
Microsoft has begun reminding users who last year blocked the installation of Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) that a deadline is fast approaching. On April 12, all blocking mechanisms will expire and Windows XP and XP SP1 systems will automatically download and update to SP2.
Microsoft has realized that browsers like Firefox have taken much of the IE market because of the advanced, new features they offer. Since MIE was not updated since WinXP was introduced, they were falling behind. Instead of waiting for Longhorn to eventually be released, Microsoft has decided to develop a new version of MIE. The sudo-announcement is linked below.
It was only a month ago that Microsoft Corp. announced its free antispyware application; however, malware has already been detected by an antivirus company, Sophos PLC, that will disable Microsoft's program and delete all files in the program's installation directory. The malware, known as BankAsh-A, not only deletes all of the Microsoft antispyware files, it then goes on to install
Check laptop email without booting-up Microsoft wants PC makers to mount mobile-phone-like displays on the lids of laptop computers so users can check the time, battery status, appointments or see if new e-mail has arrived without having to open and start up their PC. The software giant is including support for such displays in the next version of Windows, codenamed Longhorn, due out in 2006. Microsoft is developing software and reference designs for the displays, which it says will give users instant access to select data and save time and battery life because there is no need to open and boot up the PC.
Do not click another link until you go to the Start menu and click on Windows Update. Microsoft admits to 19 vulnerabilities, with a MSBlast-Level Worm likely. The company released its largest group of security patches in nearly a year, posting 12 security bulletins encompassing 19 vulnerabilities, 14 of which it marked "Critical." Among them is a vulnerability that one security vendor claims will likely lead to the biggest, baddest worm since mid-2003. SMB is the standard protocol that Windows uses to share files, printers, and serial ports, and to communicate between computers, particularly between servers and client desktops. A specially-crafted SMB packet sent to a vulnerable PC could, said Microsoft, let an attacker "take complete control of the affected system."
Montgomery said Microsoft is on track for two other key releases for this year. The 2005 editions of the Visual Studio programming tools and the SQL Server database are slated to get new test versions in the coming weeks, with final releases scheduled for late summer.