window

Microsoft said Wednesday that the first release candidate of its Hyper-V hypervisor will be available for download.

This release will be the near-final code of the virtualization utility that Microsoft is building into Windows Server 2008. The final version will be available in August, according to Microsoft.

Microsoft released the beta of Hyper-V late last year, and it was also included with Windows Server 2008 when that software was launched last month.

The company has had to strip out some of the virtualization features it had originally planned in order to get a product to market this year and take … Read more

Long gone are the days where Microsoft service pack releases such as Windows XP SP2 would deliver shocks measurable on the Richter scale. Redmond has returned to its old habits of including mostly security repairs and crash fixes, but nothing in the way of new features. That doesn't mean that Vista users should skip out on Vista Service Pack 1.

Downloading anything from Microsoft is never easy, in my experience, and Vista SP1 is no different. Microsoft has announced that it won't begin to roll out the service pack through its automatic updates until April, so you must … Read more

April is apparently coming early this year.

Microsoft has abruptly changed its tune on when Service Pack 1 will start showing up on retail shelves. Microsoft said it has started shipping the full retail versions of the product as of Tuesday (in addition to making it available for download). That means that Amazon.com is indeed going to be able to start sending out copies on Wednesday, as it had billed on its Web site.

As of Monday, Microsoft told CNET News.com that retail boxed copies would not be available until "as soon as April." Apparently that … Read more

Well, Amazon was at least half right. As the retailer predicted, Microsoft did make Windows Vista Service Pack 1 available for download on Tuesday via Windows Update and on its Web site.

Still unclear is when it will start being available on retail shelves. Amazon said it will start shipping boxed copies with SP1 included on Wednesday, while Microsoft said it will be at retailers "as soon as April." I've asked for further clarification on the disparity, but have yet to hear back.

Meanwhile, in a posting on the Windows Vista blog, Microsoft also went into a … Read more

Are one or more web sites not doing what they're supposed to be doing?

My knee-jerk reaction would be try another web browser. Internet Explorer users should install Firefox if for no other reason than this. Rather than debug a problem, it's easier to work around it when possible. If you've never used Firefox before, I suggest starting with the portable version. It's less intrusive.

Windows XP users with a mis-behaving instance of Internet Explorer, should read Microsoft's Knowledge Base article How to reinstall or repair Internet Explorer in Windows XP.

One of the suggestions … Read more

Leave it to Amazon to clear up Microsoft's obfuscations.

Windows Vista Service Pack 1 will be available for shipping on Wednesday, March 19, according to a listing on Amazon.com. People can preorder the software already.

A search on the term "Windows SP1" returns several versions of Windows Vista, including Ultimate and Home Premium editions. The suggested manufacturers' price for Vista Ultimate with SP1 is $319.95 ($299.99 on Amazon) and Vista Home Premium with SP1 is $239.95 ($215.99 on Amazon).

On Monday, my colleague Ina Fried tried to nail down the exact shipping date … Read more

The preset power schemes in Windows XP and Vista are too generic to match your unique computing style. Creating your own custom scheme can reduce your energy bill without cutting into your work time.

All those little light-emitting diodes glowing green, blue, yellow, and every other color of the rainbow after you've shut down for the day indicate a tiny amount of power flowing down the drain. Turn off the uninterruptible power supply (UPS) or surge suppressor you've got your equipment plugged into AFTER you shut the devices down normally. When you're ready to get started the … Read more

(Update, March 18, 2008 5:21 AM PDT: Amazon.com has listed Windows Vista SP1 as ready for shipment starting Wednesday.)

So, when is Windows Vista Service Pack 1 coming out?

It sounds like a simple question, but the answer is anything but simple.

Without trying to get Clintonesque and say it depends on your definition of is, let's just say there are many different ways of getting the operating system update and each is operating on its own schedule.

In February, CEO Steve Ballmer announced that Microsoft had wrapped up development of the update, but the company cautioned … Read more

For a long time now, Microsoft has been arguing that service packs are less significant than they used to be. What was once taken as a sign that a product had the kinks ironed out is now more a psychological milestone than a technical one.

That said, many are still pointing to the release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 as a key sign to businesses that the product is ready to be taken seriously.

Microsoft finalized the code for Windows Vista Service Pack 1 at the beginning of February and eventually allowed some technical users to start downloading the … Read more