Microsoft has released two new important updates - rated critical by the Redmond based Software giant - for Internet Explorer and Outlook Express. Affected versions range from version 5.01 to 6 SP1 of Internet Explorer where a security vulnerability has been identified that could allow an attacker to compromise your Windows-based computer and, possibly, read files on it. A similar vulnerability exists in Outlook Express. I have added both updates to our Internet Explorer Post SP1 Updates chart. Users of other versions than IE 6 SP1 and OE SP1 please consult Windows Update.

Windows XP puts your imagination in charge, making it easy to create greeting cards with your own photos, spice up your home movies with new sound effects and turn them into video screen savers, turn your computer into the party jukebox, and more. Download screen savers, PowerToys, and other tools that help you have more fun and create amazing things with Windows XP this spring.

A new build 4.066 of Windows 2000 SP4 has leaked to the web and is available in English and German language versions! Click on the Windows 2000 logo for your download.

Thanks to Neobond at Neowin.net for sending this in. In a follow up to our post here on troubles with Q811493 patch for Windows XP y_notm has submitted to the BPN section that MS have posted a workaround on the WUv4 beta newsgroup (Windows Update v4). Rancho*: I simply advise you to *NOT* install this patch, or if you have - uninstall it. If you install the Q330909 [original article] patch instead you will get even newer versions of the affected system core files and circumvent the whole performance issue. We have already mentioned this in the release article for Q811493 by the way. I have added a file comparison screenshot for all disbelievers.

Neowin.net reports that Windows update users and prudent sys admins might have installed the latest Windows patch without a thought. That might not have been such a good idea. The patch is meant to fix a hole in Windows Messaging but can end up causing a severe performance degradation.

They never stop working at Microsoft and we have a sneak peak at what to expect in the next Windows. Read the preview to see what to expect when it's released. There is sure to be some major redesign of the user interface after the new API becomes developed further, as well as Microsoft's new WFS(Windows File System) that is database-based which they plan to include in the final release. Another coming attraction is the addition of integrated CD and DVD burning that will follow the Mt. Ranier Specs. For those of you who haven't heard about Mt. Ranier, it will allow the hardware of the CD/DVD-burner to be integrated with the OS and allow you to copy files by dragging them in just like you can do with a floppy drive now without the use of outside software.

A source told me, Longhorn Build 4021 found its way on to the net...

Thanks to creamhackered at Neowin.net for the info. I hate to say it again but no new features as such in this build, although we're hearing whisperings from the Redmond hillsides that concurrent sessions might be implemented by the time May is finished with. Hold onto your hats on that one though.

For the screenshots warp2 Neowin.net.

Just spotted this at Iexbeta.com:

On 26 March Microsoft announced that Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 CALs, Windows 2000 Terminal Services CALs and Windows 2000 Internet Connectors were to be discontinued as of 1 April 2003. If you require Windows 2000 Server/CALs etc. they can purchase Windows Server 2003 instead and downgrade to 2000. They can do this without relinquishing the rights to Windows Server 2003 so they can install this version whenever they like. Media kits for Windows Server 2003 are expected to be available on 24 April.

Microsoft silently updated the build of Windows messenger for Windows Xp to 4.7.2009 without announcing the changes in the latest version. One can expect miscellaneous minor updates as there's no major change apparently.

MSN 8.5 just automatically updated to build 8.50.0016.0801, with some minor visible changes such as a MSN butterfly on the dashboard on startup as opposed to the MSN logo, address bar animation, along with other visual changes. Also added is a "Check Names" button to the Write Message screen when composing a new e-mail message, which will check the e-mail addresses listed in the To or CC fields for mis-spellings (applies to only those e-mail addresses you have in your address book). Click on Read More... to for a screenshot and a download link.

Thanks to my good mate Waddy at NTFS.org for this information.

Normally available only to subscribers, three CD images comprising the April 2003 MSDN Library have been posted by Microsoft for public download. The MSDN Library contains documentation, code samples, technical articles and reference guides designed for Microsoft developers.

The Microsoft VM is a virtual machine for the Win32® operating environment. The Microsoft VM is shipped in most versions of Windows as well as in most versions of Internet Explorer. The present Microsoft VM, which includes all previously released fixes to the VM, has been updated to include a fix for the newly reported security vulnerability. This new security vulnerability affects the ByteCode Verifier component of the Microsoft VM, and results because the ByteCode verifier does not correctly check for the presence of certain malicious code when a Java applet is being loaded. The attack vector for this new security issue would likely involve an attacker creating a malicious Java applet and inserting it into a web page that when opened, would exploit the vulnerability. An attacker could then host this malicious web page on a web site, or could send it to a user in e-mail.

Thanks to creamhackered at Neowin.net for the info.

Now that references to Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) and Windows 2000 SP4 are appearing in Microsoft documents, it?s time to review the procedure you follow to combine hotfixes with a slipstream installation directory.

The Microsoft Windows Script Control is an ActiveX control that provides developers with an easy way to make their applications scriptable. This, in turn, enables users to extend application functionality through scripts, much as they do with macros today.

This update addresses a potential problem when using system cloning and FBRESEAL.EXE on Windows XP Embedded runtimes. When FBRESEAL.EXE is run on the embedded runtime, certain information can be reset, including domain membership, user-specific information such as start menu items, mounted drives, and network information. This update allows the OEM to decide which sets of information are retained or reset.

This just in from Neowin.net ... Windows Server 2003 is shipped default with the themes service disabled. Neowin made an article enabling these services and more you can view that here. A special thanks to vorte[x] of WiNBETA for creating a working patch for the RTM version of Windows Server 2003. Instructions for applying the patch are as follows:

MSN Messenger is an instant messaging program that lets you send instant messages with cool emoticons, send pictures and other files to your friends, call a phone anywhere in the world from your computer, see when someone is typing a message to you, page a contact's mobile phone, and much more. Click on Read More... for download links

Thanks to Neowin.net for the info.

Late on Friday night Microsoft unveiled a set of intructions to enable and install Plus! for Windows XP on Windows Server 2003.

It may look as Windows 2000 SP4 RC 4.62 has been leaked.