Microsoft Corporation admits finding a problem running DirectX 8.1 on Windows XP from AMD technology. According to the company, an error window message is supposed to appear, in case of bad loadings, which it doesn't do so. Some news sources claimed that the source of this causing is from a faulty programming from Microsoft.

Ibelite.com reports with more than 109 million seats already licensed for Microsoft Exchange Server -- twice as many seats deployed as Lotus/Domino -- Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer today announced the company?s plans to release an upgrade to Exchange 2000 Server, code-named "Titanium," in 2003. Titanium will include a range of new benefits for end users, particularly information workers, as well as benefits targeted specifically to IT administrators and the corporate networks they manage.

No, Microsoft does not plan on claiming they never released Windows XP, and make another big deal out of it! Microsoft has been creating yet another version of Windows XP which was previously code-named "Freestyle".

This new version of Windows XP is now being dubbed Windows XP Media Center. The name pretty well explains everything about it in one shot, but to sum it up, as long as your computer includes a TV Tuner, DVD player, etc. this operating system optimizes it all to work to your benefit.

Dear Windows 2000 Service Pack 3 Beta Tester,

Thank you for all your help in testing Windows 2000 Service Pack 3. We are getting very close to our final build and would appreciate it if you could download and test our current release candidate, build 3.151 without delay.

Sincerely,
Microsoft Windows Sustained Engineering Team

Just to let everyone know that the DirectX Homepage has now been updated with the DirectX 8.1b runtime. Here's the fixes listed as of July 11, 2002:

DirectShow

Modifies kernel component stream.sys to correct failure of laptops to resume from hibernation as described in Knowledge Base article Q307207. This fix only affects Windows 2000 systems using a docking station having an attached USB camera. Fixes a blocking issue in quartz.dll on Windows 2000 when running DirectShow in a service. Corrects a boundary case in the MPEG-2 Demultiplexer where packets may be dropped. This condition can occur if the video stream packet size is an integral multiple of transport packet size. The fix is incorporated for all DirectX-supported platforms. Read more...

In case you do not know, there is an interesting article on MICROSOFT support page!

On computers with an AMD processor, programs that use Microsoft DirectX 8.1 may quit without displaying an error message. The same programs work correctly on computers with Intel processors.

The DrawIndexedPrimitive function stops working without displaying an error or debug message. This occurs because of a code error in the AMD-specific optimized code. This code error may lead to heap corruption.

Our sister site Planet-XP.de have snagged 3 screenshots of Windows.NET Beta Build 3660.

Hit the link and you'll se what Microsoft errors will be taken care of in the XP SP1 release. It is also a nice infobase to have, looking back at XP updates. Visit Microsoft

On Monday, Microsoft will reveal that its next-generation Windows Media products, code-named Corona, will be marketed as Windows Media Series 9 when released later this year. Windows Media Series 9 consists of new versions of Windows Media Player, Windows Media Audio and Video codecs, Windows Media Encoder and a new Windows Media Software Development Kit (SDK). Each of these products will be available in beta form to the public beginning September 4, when Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates hosts a Windows Media Series 9 launch event at the Hollywood and Highlands Complex in Los Angeles, California.

Microsoft has just released a brand-new interim build of Windows .NET Server to the beta testers! There is not that much to report about build 3660 at the moment, since the most noticeable changes were already incorporated into the recently leaked internal build 3657.

Just got word from our good friends at Neowin that they now have a fix for MSN Messenger 5.0 Build 317 Beta. Here's what they're saying:

As you all know there is a leaked version of MSN Messenger v5.0.0137, though it's still unusable because you can't login, this is now fixed. There was also the problem that you couldn't stay signed in longer then 30 seconds, also this is fixed.

Neowin.net reports the DirectX team has put together an interim release which addresses some minor network connection issues. These changes will be incorporated into DirectX 9.0 beta 2 but they are being released now to solicit early feedback.

Note: Microsoft call the file Direct Play 8.2, suggesting that there may be one more DX8 release before DX9?

Our german website Planet-XP has snatched a lot of screenshots of the new MSN-Messenger build 5.0.0317. If you are interested in taking a look, head over to Planet-XP.

I received word from Khujo that a new Windows Messenger 5.0 has been leaked. However it appears that it's yet impossible to log in using this version as it doesn't work with the current Microsoft Passport system. Perhaps it will only work with yet to be released Passport 2.5 which is currently in development.

Click on Read More to see first pics. Thanks Khujo ;)

Download Link Available!!! Once again, Microsoft has released a new beta build of the upcoming Internet Explorer 6.0 Service Pack 1 to its lucky testers. There is no word on improvements yet, however it's pretty safe to assume that it includes additional security updates and bug-fixes compared to the previous stand-alone build 1041.

Seems that Wininformant.com have had some insider info regarding Windows 2000 SP3. Here's what they got to report:

Microsoft has delayed the third service pack for Windows 2000--Service Pack 3 (SP3)?for an indefinite period of time, according to internal documents I viewed over the weekend. Win2K was originally due July 17, but Microsoft recently discovered several major bugs in its Microsoft Installer (MSI) 2.0 code, which was to have been bundled with the update. So now the company will remove MS 2.0 from SP3 and include the older version, MSI 1.1, instead, unless feedback from its beta testers and partners indicates that MSI 2.0 must be included. This indecision, obviously, will adversely affect the release schedule for SP3.

This update addresses the "Windows Messenger becomes unable to use an internal camera of Sony VAIO after applying Q316397" issue in Windows XP, and is discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) Article Q323322. Download now to resolve several issues in the Windows Messenger Client and to eliminate popping sounds coming from your speakers. This update also enables users of the Voice.Net service to reach the telephony service from behind Network Address Translators (NATs).

Windows 2000 has been given nine months to live, as far as OEMs are concerned, and Microsoft is pressuring the PC companies to stop offering dual install Win2K/WinXP systems immediately. Microsoft operating systems magically become more expensive and difficult to obtain as soon as there's a new rev out, but so long as the previous version is still available on new PCs via OEMs, business customers have a relatively simple way to stick with their current OS, rather than having to do an expensive rollout of the replacement.

This update addresses a system crash when networking over a modem and is discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) Article Q319810. Download now to prevent a system crash while networking over a modem. Read more...

Title: Unchecked Buffer in Remote Access Service Phonebook Could Lead to Code Execution (Q318138)
Released: 12 June 2002
Revised: 02 July 2002 (Version 2.0) Software: Windows NT 4.0, NT 4.0 Terminal Server Edition, 2000, XP, Routing and Remote Access Server (RRAS)
Impact: Local Privilege Escalation
Max Risk: Critical Read more...