Microsoft will auf der Professional Developer Conference (PDC) Ende Oktober neue Einzelheiten zu der für 2005 geplanten Longhorn-Version bekannt geben. Insbesondere die technische Basis der neuen Oberfläche, entwickelt unter dem Codenamen Avalon, soll dem Fachpublikum gezeigt werden. In welchem Umfang die neue Aero-GUI Thema sein wird, in noch nicht bekannt.

Thanks to Neowin.net we have the latest build of MSN Messenger version 6.1 Beta Build 128 and while you're there you might want to check out MSN 9 Beta Build 1802!.

Flirt, banter, gossip, or just catch up without saying a word.

On screen conversations that are more instant than e-mail and more discreet than phone calls.

Neowin.net reports that according to sources close to Microsoft the latest date set for Longhorn to go to manufacturing by is August 15, 2005. This date is due to be announced to many partners/OEMs and internally with Microsofts roadmap dates by the end of next month.

Windows 2000 Registry Repair Utility can help to repair some types of registry corruptions

Registry Corruption in Windows 2000 can prevent your system from booting. The Windows 2000 Registry Repair Utility is a tool that can help to recover a Windows 2000 system from registry corruption. This utility can be downloaded on to floppy disks and then run on the system with the corrupted registry. Six floppy disks are required for downloading this utility. The utility will attempt to repair the corrupted registry and allow your machine to boot again.

Backing up your Microsoft Outlook information is quicker and easier with the Personal Folders Backup feature. Personal Folders Backup creates backup copies of your .PST files at regular intervals, in Outlook 2000 and later versions, making it easy to keep all of your Outlook folders safely backed up.

With Personal Folders Backup, you can choose which of your .PST files you wish to back up, and how often you wish to back them up.

Each .PST file contains all of your Outlook folders, including the Inbox, Calendar, and Contacts. You can have a single .PST file (usually called "Internet Folders" or "Personal Folders" in your Folder List), but you might also have an additional .PST file that you use for archiving ("Archiving Folders"). Personal Folders Backup lets you back up any or all of these .PST files.

A big thanks to the guy's over at Winbeta.org for the Info:

Download the complete DirectX 9.0 SDK - (Summer 2003), which contains the DirectX 9.0b Runtime and all DirectX software required to create DirectX 9.0 compliant applications in C/C++, C#, and Visual Basic .NET.

Der Support von Microsoft läuft aus

Zum Ende des Jahres 2003 läuft die Hersteller-Unterstützung (Support) von www.microsoft.com für die Betriebssysteme Windows 98 und Windows Me aus.

Das heißt, dass der normale Benutzer dieser Betriebssysteme ab 01.01.2004 keine kostenlosen Security-Paches und Updates mehr erhalten wird. Für Firmenkunden hingegen sind andere Fristen vorgesehen.

Thanks to Neowin.net for the Info:

Internet Explorer shuts down unexpectedly because of an access violation. This problem may occur if you have set Windows and buttons to Windows XP style. The Windows and buttons option is on the Appearance tab of the Windows XP Display Properties dialog box.

... That Contains Gzip-Encoded Content

When you browse the Web, you may notice that frames on some Web sites are not displayed correctly, and the HTML code may not be fully rendered.
This issue may occur after you install the Internet Explorer hotfix from the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

331596 Data Is Truncated When You Download a Gzip-Encoded Excel File in Internet Explorer

... When the Recipient's Capabilities Are Not Known

All versions of Outlook Express, including the version that is shipped with Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1, use RC2 40-bit encryption when the recipient's encryption capabilities are unknown.

This fix permits you to use 3DES instead of 40-bit encryption when the recipient's encryption capabilities are not known.

Microsoft has issued a new knowledge base advisory in which the software company announces the availability of a fix for a "Slight Delay When Windows Media Player 9 Series Switches Files Streamed from a Windows Media Services 9 Series Server". The symptoms you may experience are: When you stream files from a Windows Media Services 9 Series server, you may notice a delay of five or six seconds when you switch between files.

Last night, build 4029 of Microsoft's next big thing, Windows code-named "Longhorn", was leaked to the web by the folks over at #betas on irc.ufnet.org... Despite the fact that it was compiled back in June, this is still the latest milestone-build of Longhorn that ever surfaced outside Microsoft's campus.

We reported earlier that Microsoft is in planning to release the first beta of Windows Server 2003 Service-Pack 1 to selected beta testers shortly. The Wait it Over now!!!

More than a month before retail availability, the final version of Office System 2003 (sporting build #5606) has already been leaked to the net. The leak comes in on 5 CDs and includes all the well-known members of the Office System family as well as the two latest additions, OneNote and InfoPath.

Microsoft Germany announced, that they have plans to distribute update or patch CD's in supermarkets / grocery stores which are selling high volumes of Microsoft Windows equipped computers.
This piece of news was reported by the german newspaper "Wirtschaftswoche".
This idea is the result of the latest heavy worm attacks from viruses like Sobrig or Blaster which took advantage of unpatched and unsecure systems of computer users. Also a fully automatic online update feature in the next Windows Versions is planned. If other countries will use these distribution ways is not know yet.

Wie heute die Wirtschaftswoche berichtet, plant Microsoft Deutschland Updates CD´s mit wichtigen Systemupdates / Patches über grosse Discounter wie Lidl oder Aldi an die Endkunden abzugeben.

In Frage für das neue Verteilungssystem kommen Häuser, die in grossen Mengen PC-Systeme, die mit Windows ausgestattet sind, an den Endverbraucher abgeben.

Diese Idee ist ein Resultat der letzen Sobrig / Blaster Attacke, die ein Sicherheitsloch in Windows ausgenutzt hatte und zu Tage brachte, inwiefern von Microsoft ausgegebene Warnung und Updates beachtet werden.
Desweitern ist eine vollautomatische Updatefunktion in den nächsten Windows Versionen geplant. Quelle: Internet.Com

On Monday 08 Sept 2003 we reported that Security expert http-equiv on Full-Disclosure had managed to exploit the flaw that the MS02-032 patch was supposed to fix.

Now Microsoft responsed to Neowin about the issue. "Microsoft is investigating public reports that one of the vulnerabilities that was fixed in the original update appears affected. It appears there is a new variation of the vulnerability that has caused the scare".

News.com reports: Microsoft said Monday that it will open the specifications for its video compression technology, which would allow other companies to make products based on its technology.
The world's largest software maker, which launched its latest video and audio standard Windows Media 9 series in January, said it submitted the standard to the society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) on Monday for review. Acceptance by the international standards body would allow Microsoft's Windows Media 9 to be more easily adopted by other companies since the specifications would be open for all to see.

This update addresses the "Availability of the Windows XP SP1 USB 1.1 and 2.0 Update" issue in Windows XP and is discussed in Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) Article 822603. Download now to install the Windows XP SP1 USB 1.1 and 2.0 update. After you install this item, you may have to restart your computer. File Name: WindowsXP-KB822603-x86-ENU.exe -
Download Size: 342 KB
Date Published: 9/8/2003
Version: 822603
Download and more informations

Source: Microsoft and NeoWin

Der Software-Konzern Microsoft wird die Spezifikationen für seine Technologie zur Video-Kompression offen legen. Teile der Windows Media 9-Plattform wurden gestern bereits beim Standardisierungsgremium Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) eingereicht. Dies teilte das Unternehmen am Montag in Redmond im US-Bundesstaat Washington mit. Durch die Standardisierung erhofft sich Microsoft eine größere Verbreitung der Codecs gegenüber konkurrierenden Formaten von Real Networks oder Apple.