Month: February 2009

 

As part of the agreements, Microsoft will run Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.2 and 5.3 as a guest in Hyper-V environments, and will lend its hand to technical support and documentation. Red Hat will also run Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows 2000 Server SP4, and Windows Server 2008 as guests on Red Hat virtualization technologies, with similar tech support offered. Future products will be supported, and customers can expect the first pieces of support for these options sometime this year.

Microsoft has also announced plans to monitor and manage Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 and 5 in System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2, due sometime before midyear. Among other things, SCOM 2007 R2’s Red Hat support means customers will be able to manage applications that are distributed among Windows Server and Red Hat environments.

Smart Computing Magazine has some great support information for end users. I have written articles for the publication and the style of are aimed at the non technical users, you can find more  information at;

http://www.smartcomputing.com 

The tech support section of their site has some great information for fixing common problems you computer may have.

Some are that have great information for end user include the;

How To Get Rid Of …
We’ll tell you what to do to eliminate malware programs from your computer.

Basic Security & Privacy Troubleshooting Articles:

Browser Hijackers
Fake Web Sites
Malicious Ads
Phishing Email Messages
Rootkits
Spam
Spyware
Trojan Horses
Viruses
Worms

 

Microsoft has free support for Home Users

Monthly Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool to help remove specific prevalent malicious software from computers that are running Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, or Windows 2000.

After you download the Microsoft Malicious Software Removal Tool, it runs one time to check your computer for inflection by specific prevalent malicious software and helps remove any infection it finds. Microsoft releases a new version of the tool every month. IF you find a issue that the Software Removal Tool does not fix you can call Microsoft for Free. This service is 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

If you been silly enough to work on your computer as Administrator and messed up your browser by clicking on Malware they will still support you. You should not use the administrator account when surfing the web

The Number is  1-866-PCSAFETY in the United States and in Canada

 

If a USB storage device is not already installed on the computer

If a USB storage device is not already installed on the computer, assign the user or the group Deny permissions to the following files:

• %SystemRoot%InfUsbstor.pnf
• %SystemRoot%InfUsbstor.inf

When you do this, users cannot install a USB storage device on the computer. To assign a user or group Deny permissions to the Usbstor.pnf and Usbstor.inf files, follow these steps:

1. Start Windows Explorer, and then locate the %SystemRoot%Inf folder.
2. Right-click the Usbstor.pnf file, and then click Properties.
3. Click the Security tab.
4. In the Group or user names list, click the user or group that you want to set Deny permissions for.
5. In the Permissions for UserName or GroupName list, click to select the Deny check box next to Full Control, and then click OK.
   Note Also add the System account to the Deny list.
6. Right-click the Usbstor.inf file, and then click Properties.
7. Click the Security tab.
8. In the Group or user names list, click the user or group that you want to set Deny permissions for.
9. In the Permissions for UserName or GroupName list, click to select the Deny check box next to Full Control, and then click OK.

If a USB storage device is already installed on the computer, set the Start value in the following registry key to 4:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesUsbStor

When you do this, the USB storage device does not work when the user connects the device to the computer. To set the Start value, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
3. Locate and then click the following registry key:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesUsbStor

4. In the details pane, double-click Start.
5. In the Value data box, type 4, click Hexadecimal (if it is not already selected), and then click OK.
6. Exit Registry Editor.

The Recycle Bin does not appear on the desktop in Windows Vista. Causing you cannot use the Recycle Bin to do such tasks as restoring a file that was deleted. This article will help you make the Recycle Bin work again

 

To fix this issue, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click Appearance and Personalization, click Personalization, and then click Change desktop icons.
3. Click to select the Recycle Bin check box, and then click OK.

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Thank you for your interest in Microsoft Fix it. We’re working hard to automate solutions to common software problems in an easy, intuitive way that is available when and where you need it. So whether you are looking for a solution in help or support content, or an error report, Fix it provides a way to apply automated fixes, workarounds, or configuration changes so you don’t have to perform a long list of manual steps yourself.

Use this solution center to browse for Fix it solutions by product, contact the Fix it team, or get help and support for problems that do not yet have Fix it solutions.

Join the Fix it Team for a live Webcast on February 19th

Microsoft Reveals New Windows® Phones With Marketplace and My Phone Services

Microsoft mobile partners fly the Windows flag: HTC, LG and Orange preview first Windows® phones.

Steve Ballmer, Andy Lees and Prithvi Raj: Mobile World Congress 2009 – Feb. 16, 2009

BARCELONA, Spain — Feb. 16, 2009 — Today at Mobile World Congress 2009, Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer along with key mobile partners, HTC, LG and Orange, unveiled new Windows® phones featuring new user-friendly software and services. The next generation of Windows® phones will be based on Windows Mobile 6.5 and feature a new user interface and a richer browsing experience. In addition, Windows® phones will feature two new services: My Phone, to sync text messages, photos, video, contacts and more to the Web; and Windows® Marketplace for Mobile, a new marketplace that will provide direct-to-phone mobile applications and can be accessed from both the phone and the Web.

Contacts are backed up with My Phone so users don’t have to worry about losing contacts.

Click for larger version.

“Windows® phones bring together the best of the Web, the PC and the phone so you can connect instantly to the experiences you care about, no matter where you are,” Ballmer said. “We’re working with partners across the industry to deliver a new generation of Windows® phones that break down the barriers between people, information and applications and provide great end-to-end experiences that span your entire life, at work and at home.”

Windows Mobile 6.5 Delivers New User Experience

The new Windows Mobile 6.5 home screen keeps people up-to-date on important information by providing a dashboard-like experience to items such as new e-mails, texts, missed calls and calendar appointments. It also includes an improved touch-screen interface, making it easy to take action with a finger, and an updated version of the latest Internet Explorer Mobile browser, which in a third-party research study sponsored by Microsoft supported execution of up to 48 percent more assigned tasks than the other browsers and phones studied.

My Phone allow users to view and manage photos on their phone on the Web.

Click for larger version.

My Phone Service Connects the Phone to the Web

The free My Phone service will enable people to access, manage and back up their personal information on their device to a password-protected Web-based service, making it easier to upgrade phones without the worry of losing important information. With automatic syncing and backup, users can count on their contacts, appointments, text messages and other information being kept up to date and easily restored should they lose or upgrade their phone. Consumers also will be able to automatically upload photos and video from their Windows® phone directly to the My Phone service, making it simple to preserve content that, in the past, would have lived and died on the phone. The My Phone service is currently available in a limited invitation-only beta.

Rich and Integrated Marketplace Service Will Offer Easy Access to Mobile Applications

The new operating system features Windows® Marketplace for Mobile, a rich and integrated marketplace for searching, browsing and purchasing mobile applications from Windows® phones or from a PC by simply using a Windows Live ID. The new marketplace will be included with all Windows phones based on Windows Mobile 6.5, which will help consumers to easily find, install and experience those applications that fit their needs and make the phone truly personal. Developers, who have already built over 20,000 applications for Windows® phones, will be able to offer applications to customers through the marketplace via a simple security and compatibility check from Microsoft.

Partners Showcase New Windows® Phones

Microsoft chief executive officer Steve Ballmer speaks at a press conference during the 2009 Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, Feb. 16, 2009.

Click for high-res version.

Leading mobile partners from around the world revealed some of the first Windows® phones showcasing the new operating system. In particular, mobile operator Orange will update its portfolio to offer new Windows phones with enhanced browsing, diverse personalization options and new user experiences. Similarly, two of the world’s top phone manufacturers displayed their Windows® phones.

•

The LG-GM7300 is a stylish, user-friendly phone with features such as one-click e-mail set up to help people stay connected to the information they care about most. Available first on Windows Mobile 6.1, LG will add a Windows Mobile 6.5 version to the family, complementing an expanded alliance to dramatically increase the number of LG phones running Windows.

•

HTC’s Touch Diamond 2 and Touch Pro 2, announced today, will be upgradeable to Windows Mobile 6.5. New enhanced contact integration combined with new Internet capabilities deliver a people-centric approach to mobile communication. HTC’s Touch Diamond 2 features TouchFLO 3D, a sleek and compact design with a large 3.2-inch high-resolution wide-screen display, while HTC Touch Pro 2 introduces one of the best-ever mobile productivity experiences on a phone highlighted by HTC’s new Straight Talk technology, an integrated e-mail, voice and speakerphone experience.

The new Windows^® phones are expected to be available in the second half of 2009. Additional information on companies supporting Windows Mobile 6.5 can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/mobileworldcongress/docs/partnerlist.doc.

www.re-mission.net is a site where you can download software for young people with cancer. The game allow and teaches patient how to cope with cancer and learn about adherence to their prescribed treatments, in a fun way.

Imagine that you’re working in a research laboratory during the day. You watch cancer cells multiplying under a microscope. At night, you go home and play video games with your family and friends. Then you get the idea that a video game for young people with cancer might play a positive role in helping them fight their disease. A video game designed especially for kids with cancer might give them a feeling of power over their disease as they blast away at the cancer cells. And you could use top-notch research to test the game and see if it really would help the kids. That’s exactly what Pam Omidyar imagined.  And in 2001, she founded HopeLab to make this idea a reality. 

The result, a game called Re-Mission (featuring Roxxi, the intrepid nanobot), is a challenging, 3D "shooter" with 20 levels that takes the player on a journey through the body of young patients with different kinds of cancer.  Created by leading video game developers and animators in collaboration with scientific and medical consultants and HopeLab staff, this state-of-the-art game is designed to be cool and fun, while helping players to increase their personal knowledge about cancer and improve their confidence in their ability to manage their cancer. 

Teenagers and young adults with cancer participated actively throughout the game development process to ensure that the game was fun, and that it really spoke to the issues that they confront every day in their fight against cancer. 

Please support this great work by visiting www.re-mission.net

Face book has changed their policies and you need to be aware.

Facebook’s terms of service (TOS) has changed !

You hereby grant Facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to (a) use, copy, publish, stream, store, retain, publicly perform or display, transmit, scan, reformat, modify, edit, frame, translate, excerpt, adapt, create derivative works and distribute (through multiple tiers), any User Content you (i) Post on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof subject only to your privacy settings or (ii) enable a user to Post, including by offering a Share Link on your website and (b) to use your name, likeness and image for any purpose, including commercial or advertising, each of (a) and (b) on or in connection with the Facebook Service or the promotion thereof.

That language is the same as in the old TOS, but there was an important couple of lines at the end of that section that have been removed:

You may remove your User Content from the Site at any time. If you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however you acknowledge that the Company may retain archived copies of your User Content.

Furthermore, the "Termination" section near the end of the TOs states:

The following sections will survive any termination of your use of the Facebook Service: Prohibited Conduct, User Content, Your Privacy Practices, Gift Credits, Ownership; Proprietary Rights, Licenses, Submissions, User Disputes; Complaints, Indemnity, General Disclaimers, Limitation on Liability, Termination and Changes to the Facebook Service, Arbitration, Governing Law; Venue and Jurisdiction and Other.

Make sure you never upload anything you don’t feel comfortable giving away forever, because it’s Facebook’s now.

Several Facebook groups have formed to protest the new TOS:
"People Against the new Terms of Service (TOS)"
"FACEBOOK OWNS YOU: Protest the New Changes to the TOS!"
"Those against Facebook’s new TOS!"

Thanks to the consumerist.com

Microsoft and Gemalto Partner to Bring

Windows Live Messenger to the Mass Market of Mobile Subscribers

Customers can keep in touch with friends and communities on the go through any handset that allows SIM cards.

BARCELONA, Spain — Feb. 16, 2009 — Microsoft Corp. and Gemalto today announced they are collaborating to offer Windows Live Messenger services to the mass market of mobile subscribers through a new Windows Live Messenger client application that comes pre-installed on phone Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards. The Gemalto application, named SIMessenger, is the world’s first Microsoft-certified instant messaging SIM client solution.

Gemalto’s SIMessenger enables users to easily keep in touch with their Windows Live Messenger contacts from their mobile phone. SIMessenger offers an intuitive menu that allows subscribers to access their Windows Live Messenger environment with an experience similar to what they get when accessing it from a PC. SIMessenger also automatically launches when they switch their handset on, so they can start chatting immediately. SIMessenger’s user-friendly interface enables quick and easy navigation, so that users retrieve the messaging service they are familiar with while on the move.

To date, three operators have successfully deployed SIMessenger: Oi in Brazil, Personal S.A. in Argentina and Movistar in Peru. Gemalto has already delivered close to 5 million SIM cards embedding the Windows Live instant messaging application.

“Through our alliance with Gemalto, we are able to greatly expand the reach of the Windows Live Messenger experience on mobile to new markets and more consumers,” said Tom Bailey, senior director of product management for Windows Live for Mobile services. “SIMessenger will enable the masses to easily use the popular Windows Live Messenger to communicate with the people they care about while on the go.”

“Worldwide, people who own a mobile phone widely outnumber those who have Internet access,” added Philippe Vallée, executive vice president of the Telecommunications Business Unit at Gemalto. “With more than 320 million active Windows Live Messenger accounts worldwide, combined with 3.6 billion SIM cards currently in use, there is strong growth potential for SIMessenger, and Gemalto is proud to join forces with Microsoft to make messaging available to all.”