TechWeb reported:Microsoft on Thursday gave early warning that next week's monthly dose of security bulletins and patches will be among its biggest ever. According to the Advance Notification service, which pre-announces upcoming patches but limits the information disclosed, next Tuesday's roundup will include 13 security bulletins, at least three of which will be marked "Critical," the Redmond, Wash.-based developer's most dire warning.

But it's not Linux. And sorry, Apple Computer fans, it's not the Mac.
The biggest rival to Windows sales is Windows itself--or rather pirated copies of the OS. And Microsoft is starting to put its foot down. In its most serious bid yet to reap revenue from those who've been getting Windows without payment to Microsoft, the company plans to require computer owners to verify that their copy of Windows is properly licensed before allowing them to download software from Microsoft's site. By mid-year, the once voluntary Windows Genuine Advantage program will become mandatory. Read on at ZdNet

Microsoft has never released a service pack for Windows98 SE. But I made a Service Pack for Windows98 SE users. It contains all Windows98 SE updates from WindowsUpdate site and more.

CD copy-protection specialist Macrovision is to work with Microsoft to ensure their respective DRM and anti-rip technologies are interoperable, the two companies said this week. Sounds straightforward enough, but the deal runs deeper. Microsoft agreed to license a number of Macrovision's patents, in particular those relating to analogue copy protection technology and more recent extensions to that system that cover video-on-demand, pay-per-view content and support for the US 'broadcast flag', which determines whether consumers will be able to record digital TV broadcasts.............
"An Internet-delivered movie, downloaded to a PC, can now be protected on analog video playback out of a PC," the two companies claimed. The deal also signals MS' interest in building pay-per-view, VoD and support for other approaches to content delivery into Windows, the better to turn Media Center PCs into the jack-of-all-trades home entertainment systems MS wants them to be............. Read on at TheReg

Thanks to garrikfox in our forums for the hint. Windows XP Professional x64 Edition RC 1 is available for download on Microsoft website. If you want to play a bit, add if free to your Cart Quote:Note: The Windows XP Professional x64 Edition - CD will not be available until approximately late February. If you prefer to not wait for the CD version, you are welcome to continue to process your order for the download version. Windows XP Professional x64 Edition is designed to address the most demanding business needs of technical workstation users who require large amounts of memory and floating point performance in areas such as mechanical design and analysis, digital content creation, and scientific and high-performance computing applications.

This download enables you to update the Web Folders component in Microsoft Windows operating systems, and provides additional functionality.

Thats right folks! MSN has made the preview off the next msn.com available! Feel free to take the tour and try the new MSN.com BETA here! If you hate the new layout, go back to the old one!

Myth (Definition) - A fiction or half-truth, especially one that forms part of an ideology. There are numerous Myths floating around the Internet regarding Windows XP, especially relating to Optimizations and Security. Hopefully this site will debunk some of these.

A completely new version of the famous Scriptomatic, the utility that writes WMI scripts for you. (And, in the process, teaches you the fundamental concepts behind writing WMI scripts for yourself.) Unlike its predecessor, Scriptomatic 2.0 isn?t limited to writing just VBScript scripts; instead, Scriptomatic 2.0 can write scripts in Perl, Python, or JScript as well.

Panda Software reports: These files are .wmv files infected by Trj/WmvDownloader.A and Trj/WmvDownloader.B, two Trojans that take advantage of a new technology incorporated in Microsoft Windows Media player to install spyware, adware and dialers, as well as computer viruses

A computer security researcher and an antivirus company are warning Microsoft Corp. customers about an unpatched hole in the company's Internet Explorer Web browser that could allow a remote attacker to bypass security warnings and download malicious content onto vulnerable systems.

"Avalon" is the code name for Microsoft's unified presentation subsystem for Windows. It consists of a display engine and a managed-code framework. "Avalon" unifies how Windows creates, displays, and manipulates documents, media, and user interface. This enables developers and designers to create visually-stunning, differentiated user experiences that improve customer connection. When it ships, scheduled for 2006, "Avalon" will be available on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and all future releases of the Windows operating system. When delivered, "Avalon" will become Microsoft's strategic user interface (UI) technology. The "Avalon" Community Technology Preview (CTP) became available to the MSDN members in November of 2004.

After you install Windows XP SP2 and then try to run MSN Messenger, the input method editor (IME) may not respond or run as expected.

Microsoft released Service Pack 2 (SP2) for the Windows XP operating system back in August (2004), representing significant improvements in many areas, especially system security. For those people that are still unsure whether they should update to it, the following five reasons may help make the decision easier.

BigBruin

GamePC have thrown up their review of Microsoft?s XP Professional x64 Edition RC1! Here's a snip.

We've been tracking the progress of Windows XP Professional x64 Edition since late in 2003, when we tested their first public build (1039) which was released in a pre-beta state. We've since followed up with reports of their later public builds, 1069 and 1218, both of which saw the operating system making huge strides in terms of stability, driver support, and software compatibility. While the operating system has been progressing nicely, the constant delays are enough to make anyone lose hope of a final release. We were beginning to think that the operating system would ever see the light of day, as we are now entering 2005 without a final copy in our hands and without a firm release date.

The Windows security updates for January 2005 include several important updates for Microsoft Windows and some installations of Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1, a component of Windows. If you have any of the software listed on this page installed on your computer, you should visit the Windows Update Web site to install related updates.

This time, more security issues with Internet Explorer are surfacing. As specialists say that IE vulnerabilities are sometimes not as bad as they first seem. This occassion seems to be quite different.

DataFuse

These tools simplify the adoption of Windows Server 2003, reduce overall network administration, and facilitate the migration to Windows Server 2003 from NetWare, NDS, and eDirectory.

Microsoft ActiveSync 3.8 is the latest synchronization software for Windows Mobile-based Pocket PCs and Smartphones. ActiveSync 3.8 contains fixes making synchronization more trouble free than ever before and includes all the significant improvements brought to you in ActiveSync 3.5, 3.6, and 3.7.1: it is easy to install and use while offering the best levels of reliability.

Try Out the All New Windows XP Game Advisor! Put more fun in your life with the all new Windows XP Game Advisor. Find game information including demos, trailers, screenshots and updates and determine if a game will work on your Windows XP powered computer before you buy!