Microsoft has created a new tool, the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA), to analyze Windows systems for common security misconfigurations. Version 1.0 of MBSA includes a graphical and command line interface that can perform local or remote scans of Windows systems. MBSA runs on Windows 2000 and Windows XP systems and will scan for missing hotfixes and vulnerabilities in the following products: Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Internet Information Server (IIS) 4.0 and 5.0, SQL Server 7.0 and 2000, Internet Explorer (IE) 5.01 and later, and Office 2000 and XP.

Windows 2000 Resource Kit software tools listed on this page for free and install them on your computer. These utilities can help you streamline administrative tasks such as managing Active Directory?, administering security features, working with Group Policy and Terminal Services, automating application deployment, and other important jobs. Nearly 300 such tools are included on the Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit companion CD.

These tools are designed to be installed and run only on Microsoft® Windows 2000. They are neither localized nor supported by Microsoft.

This is an update for the Microsoft BackOffice Web Administrator component of Microsoft BackOffice Server versions 4.0 and 4.5. This update is only intended to correct the problem described in KB article Q316838 and should only be applied to systems that have been determined to be at risk of attack.

Windows XP Service Pack 1 alpha builds have shipped to OEMs and eventually will include many enhancements to the core OS as well as the usual bug fixes we are used to seeing with a service pack. Such enhancements include:

Ibelite.com Vibrant Logic claims to have interesting Information on the next version of Office Codenamed NGO. The site writes its codename as ONG, however the video shows it as NGO. I can't verify the authenticity of this presentation...but see for yourself, either someone at Microsoft wasn't too careful, or someone spent a long time on a fake.

It seems that a relatively extensive flash presentation on Microsoft's next revision of Office has been leaked. It details the features and pricing model for Office.NET or Office NGO. Suggesting that consumers can buy office and use its standard features, which look similar to current versions of Office XP or a buy into a contract based model, where they get the software and a 1 year subscription to an online workspace, with options to renew subscriptions or purchase a working copy of Office.

Just got word from Malti @ our sister site Planet-XP.de that he's snagged some more screenshots, this time for the following:

Exclusive Screenshots Of Microsoft Windows Memphis part 2.

Screenshots of Windows Neptun and Whistler.

Exclusive Screenshots of Internet Explorer 6 SP1 build 2800.1005

Just saw this @Neowin.net

Cheers IRazor for the link.. A quickie post to let you guys know we have received a link for the latest build of IE6 SP1 (Service Pack 1) and you can download it.. Sop grab it while you can and feel free to mirror it.

I can also confirm the new whacky dialog that warns the user of potential harm when downloading off the Internet. Not much else visably new and where is the RESUME feature!! gaaah. Pff, ah well theres always IE7!

Update From Ibelite.com:

How to Install

Option 1:

Ok Here is the Deal, this pack was missing a cab file called scripten.cab. Its 818 kb. IeXbeta set up a new *re-pack* of it. You can download Ie6 Sp1 from IEXbeta.

Option 2:

If you downloaded the existing file and recieved a prompt for a user and pass, download these files. Put them into your install directory and make sure you replace the iesetup.ini with the new one from the zip.

The .NET Framework Data Provider for Oracle is an add-on component to the .NET Framework that provides access to an Oracle database using the Oracle Call Interface (OCI) as provided by Oracle Client software.

This update resolves the "Opening Group Policy Files for Exclusive Read Access Blocks Policy Application" issue affecting Windows 2000 domain controllers, and is discussed in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS02-016. Download now to prevent an attacker from blocking the application of Group Policy within a Windows 2000 domain.

This update addresses several CD Burning issues that are discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) Article Q309691 and Q320174. Download now to prevent problems with CD burning.

The Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) is a collection of useful tools and documents that enable both application developers and IT professionals to resolve application compatibility issues. The ACT can be used on both Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

Microsoft has released a patch that resolves the "Unchecked buffer in the Multiple UNC Provider" security vulnerability in Windows XP. The vulnerability results because of a flaw in the Multiple UNC (uniform naming convention) Provider (MUP), which is a network file system resource locator that runs in kernel-mode memory in Windows. Download now to prevent a malicious user from causing your computer to restart or to run unauthorized programs.

Planet-XP.de our sister site seems to have got their hands on some exclusive screenshots of Microsoft Windows Memphis. I bet your wondering wtf is this? So am I. Here's a quick translation using babelfish cos both Degger and Rancho have been on a 4 day p*** up! Told them not to go too that beer festival. LOL

Windows Memphis - which is what? You will ask yourselves surely - the solution is quite simple:

Windows Memphis was the first beta version of the later Windows98 - from Microsoft.

Neowin.net are reporting a new version of Internet Explorer SP1 build 2800.1005 has been released. Here's what they have to say about it:

To install IE 6 SP1 build 2800.1005 you must either uninstall your previous tech betas or use a clean machine to install this release of Internet Explorer 6 SP 1.

128-bit doesn't appear when mousing over padlock on https site.

Mousing over the padlock in the status bar on a https site will not cause the 128-bit message to appear. However 128-bit encryption does still occur although the tool tip is broken.

The Shared Source CLI implementation (beta) is a complete implementation of the ECMA C# and CLI standards that build and run on Windows XP and FreeBSD. It includes a complete build environment, along with test harnesses, documentation, and tools for working with the Shared Source CLI.

This update resolves the "'Certificate Revocation List Is Not Available' Error Message Appears with Encrypted Outlook Mail" issue in Windows 2000 and is discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article (KB) 308707. Download now to prevent an error message from appearing when you receive an encrypted e-mail message.

Portqry.exe is a command-line utility that you can use to help troubleshoot TCP/IP connectivity issues. Portqry.exe runs on Windows 2000-based computers. The utility reports the port status of TCP and UDP ports on a computer you choose.

Microsoft® Windows® XP includes built-in processor performance control to take advantage of microprocessors that utilize performance states to operate the processor more efficiently when it is not fully utilized. This download white paper outlines the new BIOS implementations needed to expose this capability in Windows XP; this paper also details the functionality and policies employed by Windows XP for processor performance control.

This download white paper describes issues and solutions for achieving fast system start up on PC systems running the Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system. This paper provides guidelines for system manufacturers to improve boot and resume times for new PCs. This paper also briefly summarizes several of the changes in Windows XP that promote quick system availability.

The "28 March 2002 Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer" update eliminates all previously addressed security vulnerabilities affecting Internet Explorer, as well as two new vulnerabilities, and is discussed in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS02-015. Download now to protect your computer from these vulnerabilities, the most serious of which could allow a malicious user to run code on your computer.

ActiveWin posted a review about the Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Integrated Developer Environment. Here´s a bit of it: When I first decided to write a review of Visual Studio .NET, I thought it would be simple and straight forward. I mean, it was not a review on the .NET initiative, but of the Visual Studio IDE itself, and all integrated development environments are pretty much the same. You have an editor to write the code in, a way to compile your application with a single command, and most have nice debugging features built into the system. However, the Visual Studio .NET IDE has left me feeling a bit overwhelmed by the vast number of features and options that are available without making it complicated to use. Head over an read the complete review by using the above link.