"XDocs," a code name for the newest member of the Microsoft Office family, streamlines the process of gathering information by enabling teams and organizations to easily create and work with rich, dynamic forms. The information collected can be integrated with a broad range of business processes because XDocs supports any customer-defined XML schema and integrates with XML Web services. As a result, XDocs helps to connect information workers directly to organizational information and gives them the ability to act on it, which leads to greater business impact.

Activewin.com have been informed that DirectX 9 Beta 3 has been released to beta testers.

Requires Microsoft® Windows® 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000 or Windows XP

Does not support either Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0

Do not install the DirectX 9.0 beta on a machine that you need run the shader debugger for DirectX 8.1 code. There is a known issue in Beta 3 that prevents correct operation on DirectX 8.1 shaders. This will be fixed in the near future.

UPDATE: We now have some download links! Thanks to our good friends Neowin.net and Voodoo.

Russian SP1 for Microsoft Windows XP now released.

Download: xpsp1_ru_x86.exe

From russian, with love ;)

The Windows XP Corporate Deployment Tools (deploy.cab) assists system administrators in installing Windows XP on multiple computers. This file contains updates to Setup Manager, the Sysprep utility, and related documentation.

Prepare yourself for the most exciting online event of the year: the unveiling of the new MSN® 8 Internet Service, the Web experience you've been asking for. MSN 8, which launches this fall, is the new Internet service and software from Microsoft® that was designed to make the Web more useful than ever.

This just in from Neowin.net:

Thanks Neo566 for dropping news of an update to MSN Messenger in the forums. Its now at 4.6.0083 so if auto-update didn't prompt you yet go here to update.

Whats that I hear you say? You have 4.7.0104 installed? Thats also correct but you have Windows Messenger for Windows XP. The version number is different than MSN Messenger. Theres even several beta versions of MSN Messenger 5 the latest at at 5.0,0527 but that is not readily available to download yet. We can expect to see that version shipping at the end of this month when Microsoft launches MSN Explorer 8 where MSN Messenger 5 is included in the package.

The Microsoft Visual J#? .NET Redistributable Package 1.1 Beta includes everything you need to run your Visual J# .NET applications on a machine that already has the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 Beta installed.

The Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 Beta includes everything you need to run .NET Framework applications, including the Common Language Runtime, the .NET Framework class library, and ASP.NET. The .NET Framework 1.1 Beta is available for download in English only.

Microsoft has released two new security updates for Windows XP which may require your immediate attention. They apply to previous OS versions of the Redmond based company as well. You find details below. Unchecked Buffer in File Decompression Functions Could Lead to Code Execution (Q329048) Date: 02 October 2002 Software: Microsoft Windows 98 with Plus! Pack, Windows Me or Windows XP Impact: Two vulnerabilities, the most serious of which could run code of attackers choice Max Risk: Moderate Unchecked Buffer in Windows Help Facility Could Enable Code Execution (Q323255) Date: 02 October 2002 Software: Microsoft Windows 98, 98SE, ME, NT4, 2000 and XP Impact: Attacker could gain control over user's system Max Risk: Critical Read more...

Just a quick note to let you know that Microsoft have released the Windows Media Player 9 Series Beta Build 2800 Update for Windows 98 SE, Me, 2000!

You can only download the Update using the Windows Media Player 9 Auto-updater. That's open the player, then click on the Help button, click on check for player updates then download the 2 files there about 1.8mb each and now you have Build 2800. Microsoft's Windows Media Player 9 website has not yet been updated.

Just got word that Bink's Windows XP dedicated website has posted details regarding Microsoft's Windows .Net Server 2003 interim build 3678 pre RC2 and FoxPro 8.0 Toledo. Kinda interesting if you're into MS stuff.

Big Thanks to Xp-erience.org! if you upgrade a Hewlett-Packard Pavilion or a Compaq Presario desktop computer that is running Windows XP to Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1), and you then perform a non-destructive System Recovery operation, any of the following symptoms might occur:

Microsoft just posted this note on their newsgroups:

Thanks to the posts from the few of you that were having trouble getting build 2800, we were able to discover that one of the servers in our distribution system didn't take the propogation of the new build correctly, thus leaving 2799 and causing anyone that happened to hit that particular server to still see/get the old build. This should now be corrected. If anyone is still getting 2799 when they try to download, please let us know!

This article describes situations in which you must reinstall Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows XP. With some Microsoft operating systems such as Microsoft Windows NT you must re-apply the latest service pack after you make a change to your computer. Although you do not have to do so in Windows XP, there are a few situations in which you must reinstall SP1 for Windows XP.

Reinstall SP1 for Windows XP in the following situations:

Microsoft have released some more languages for your edition of Windows XP and XP 64-Bit Edition Service Pack 1.

This update resolves the "Buffer Overrun in SmartHTML Interpreter Could Allow Code Execution" vulnerability in Windows XP/2000! Download now to eliminate a vulnerability of moderate severity in the Front Page 2000 Server Extensions for Microsoft Office.

Processor architecture and system device/core logic design are frequently taken for granted, but are the fundamentals of all hardware platforms. The better these components, the more contribution they can provide to the basic capabilities of a platform. Likewise, a critical flaw in any of these components can result in a completely non-functional platform design.

Yes, Cnet's News.com reports "Microsoft is prepping a version of MSN Messenger with new features that will be available exclusively to paying subscribers of the MSN 8 online service. "
"MICROSOFT PLANS to offer two versions of MSN Messenger 5, one as part of MSN 8 and another as a separate, stand-alone product. But some of the best new features will only be available to MSN 8 customers, who must pay to subscribe to the service. An additional feature would be available exclusively to Windows XP users. " Contd...

Windows Messenger lets you see when your friends are online and exchange instant messages with them. Send instant messages with cool, new emoticons, call anywhere in the world from your computer, see when someone's typing, page a contact's mobile phone, send pictures and music to your friends, and much more. No changelog available.

Saw this at Windows Media Technology download page, dated 24 Septmeber.

Get fast and flexible playback with the best audio and video quality for Windows and the Web. Includes special new features optimized for Windows XP. Read more about the updated build 2800 in the release notes.