microsoft

Microsoft has confirmed a serious security issue affecting Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC) -- the version that was made available to the public prior to the full release of Windows 7. The problem also currently affects Windows Vista and Server ... 2008, but not Windows XP or Server 2008 R2. The issue involves the Server Message Block (SMB) system which is a part of Windows itself and is used for sharing files over a network. A bug in the system means anyone could take advantage of the exploit and use SMB to gain remote access to (and take control of) a remote computer. Temporary Solution: Block ... (view more)

Microsoft yesterday released a package of five Security Bulletins offering fixes for a total of eight vulnerabilities. While it's news worth celebrating, unfortunately the software company has also failed to address three other zero-day ... vulnerabilities . Browse And Get Owned, Drive-By Attacks Addressed All five of the Security Bulletins Microsoft has addressed were outlined in September and deemed "critical" -- the highest level of concern. Three out of five of the issues taken care of by Microsoft fix issues associated with "browse-and-get-owned" attacks, otherwise known as " drive-by" ... (view more)

Microsoft has been cleared of wrong-doing by Russia's federal anti-monopoly service, FAS. It was announced yesterday that the investigation into the Redmond-based company had been closed, with the software giant found not guilty of any violations in ... the way it distributed and marketed Windows XP. The FAS investigation began earlier this summer, with the Russian body announcing that it suspected Microsoft of several antitrust violations in relation to the supply and pricing of the Windows XP operating system (OS). FAS felt that Microsoft might have broken the law when it discontinued the ... (view more)

While many tech insiders anxiously anticipate the release of Windows 7, throwing a party in honor of the new operating system might seem a tad ridiculous to some. However, Microsoft feels that their latest OS offering should be cause for ... celebration, announcing that it might be willing to help those who want to throw a little party come October 22. In an effort to generate even more interest in the product, Microsoft has teamed with House Party to reach out to the average end-user. House Party is a community-based site that helps people around the world host parties. The news of a Windows 7 ... (view more)

It appears Microsoft's threats that last month's injunction against its popular Word software could deliver "irreparable harm" to the company has paid off. A U.S. Court of Appeals judge has granted the Redmond-based firm a stay of the injunction ... pending appeal, meaning it won't have to pull the software off store shelves by early October. Last month a Texas federal judge ordered Microsoft to halt resale of Word, a key component of its Microsoft Office suite, unless it removed important XML features whose patent is owned by Canadian company i4i. Microsoft had been ordered to stop selling Word ... (view more)

Here's the good and bad news on the upcoming Microsoft's monthly Windows Update: the good news is that Microsoft only has five security problems to fix. The bad news is that they are all marked critical. Patch is Due Next Tuesday, but Few Details In ... an unusual move, the company isn't releasing any details about the problems which are being fixed in the next Patch Tuesday update, scheduled for release next week. It's possible the firm doesn't want to tip off hackers who might try to exploit the problems before the fixes are released, but it's unusual that Microsoft wouldn't at least outline ... (view more)

Tired of your wimpy laptop battery kicking out too early? I, for one, have just about had it with my two-year-old Vista-equipped HP laptop, which practically laughs at me every time I attempt more than twenty-five minutes of work sans power cord. In ... an attempt to help ramp up excitement for its upcoming Windows 7, Microsoft has now promised that their new Windows 7 Operating System (OS) could help improve the battery life of your PC. If a recent Microsoft demo is to be believed, the improvements could be dramatic. When the company used two identical laptops running the same DVD in a ... (view more)

According to an anonymous Microsoft insider, the company has been holding special, secret meetings with what could be the least secretive codename, ever: "Screw Google!" As often as once a week, Microsoft is initiating what are being referred to as ... "Screw Google" meetings aimed at discrediting the corporate advancements of Google. Attending these meetings: a blend of Google rivals and third-party professional groups hired to develop the strategies needed to take down the current web search leader . The leak to the public has caused more than a few Microsoft affiliates to sweat. Law ... (view more)

PC makers Dell and Hewlett-Packard, some of the world's largest manufacturers of computers and their accessories, have announced their support for Microsoft's bid to overturn a recent injunction preventing the Redmond-based technology giant from ... selling its popular MS Word software in its current form. Back on August 12, a Texas federal judge ordered Microsoft to stop the resale of Word because of XML patent conflicts with a small, Canadian company. The order accompanied a gargantuan series of fines totaling $290 million, but the real financial threat for Microsoft -- and its major customers ... (view more)

One of Microsoft's latest online advertisement has been called racist in nature, though some argue it's just plain bad photo editing. Whatever the issue, two different versions of the same still-pictured ad were seen on a number of Microsoft web ... sites, including those of foreign affiliates. Black Male Model Swapped for White The advertisement in question depicts a panel of three individuals seated in a boardroom setting at a table. The first seated is a an Asian male; the second, a black male seated behind an open laptop computer; the third, a white female. The problem? The second version of ... (view more)