I conclude my Windows Vista February 2006 CTP/Build 5342 review with a harsh but necessary look at the many ways that Microsoft has disappointed us with Windows Vista.
Windows Live Messenger 8.0.0683.00
Maybe it's inappropriate to use the word "leak" in this metaphor, so let's just say some little birdies couldn't hold on to "their precious".
Update for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (KB913800)
Update to address digital rights management (DRM) protected content failures after installing Update Rollup 2 for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (KB900325).
Windows Desktop Search 2.6.5 (KB911993)
Windows Desktop Search (WDS) helps you find virtually anything on your PC or your networked drives including e-mail messages, calendar appointments, documents, and more.
Windows Defender Beta 2 Build 1347
Windows Defender (Beta 2) is a free program that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software.
April 2006 DirectX SDK
This DirectX SDK release contains updates to tools, utilities, samples, Documentation, and runtime debug files for x64 and x86 platforms. This release also include a public pre-release of Microsoft Cross-Platform Audio Creation tool, and Direct3D 10.
April 2006 Security and Critical Releases Bulk Update
This ISO-9660 CD image file contains the security update for Windows released on Windows Update on April 11th, 2006. This does not contain security updates for other Microsoft products.
Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for April, 2006
Download the March security updates for Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office.
Internet Explorer 7 Build 5358 Leaked
Sweet. That?s all I can say about this build. Alot of performance improvement and some refresh UI design as well. Unlike the previous build (5299,5335), this build (5358) offer better stability and alot of bugfixes.
DirectX End-User Runtimes (April 2006) Full Download
This download provides the DirectX end-user multi-languaged redistributable that developers can include with their product. The redistributable license agreement covers the terms under which developers may use the Redistributable. For full details please review the DirectX SDK EULA.txt and DirectX Redist.txt files located in the license directory. Microsoft
Windows RSS Platform Screensaver Sample
Complete source code for a screensaver that uses the Windows RSS Platform to display images from picture feeds. This sample requires Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 Preview.
Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows XP
The Microsoft Shared Computer Toolkit for Windows® XP. Version 1.1 software update is now available. The new version still offers the same powerful software tools for shared computers in classrooms, school computer labs, libraries, and other public places as the previous version, and also includes software updates that resolve a few known issues.
Internet Explorer 7 Build 5347 Screens
Our bro's over at WinFuture.de have snagged some screenshots of Internet Explorer 7 Build 5347
Updates for Windows Server 2003
Microsoft has released two new updates for Windows Server 2003:
IPMI server management system fix Fix for various problems when using an older version of the Storport driver
IPMI server management system fix Fix for various problems when using an older version of the Storport driver
Word Games
This Is How Low Microsoft plans to play some logo word games to get people to maybe pay twice for their next computer.
DirectX 10 TRU Preview
Myabe some of you heard about it, maybe some of you didn't. We decided to take a closer look at the upcoming version of DirectX. This version will come later this year once with the release of Windows Vista. Read more about DirectX 10..Microsoft is going to release later this year, with Windows Vista, the new version of Direct X . Direct X 10.
SyncToy v1.2
SyncToy, a free PowerToy for Microsoft Windows XP, is an easy to use, highly customizable program that helps users to do the heavy lifting involved with the copying, moving, and synchronization of different directories. Most common operations can be performed with just a few clicks of the mouse, and additional customization is available without added complexity.
Windows Vista 5342 Screenshots
Included in this build is an extensive collection of drivers and the exclusive sidebar. Glass is also a feature that we all have come to respect and love, along with the 3D flip.
Windows Vista and PC Gamers
Microsoft always hosts a Developer's Day session early during Game Developer Conference each year. This year, several sessions were devoted to features of Windows Vista, including Direct3D 10 and features built into the new O/S that would affect both developers and users. While Microsoft announced that the consumer versions of Windows Vista would be delayed, it's clear that Vista will reshape the PC gaming landscape. Let's take a look at a few of the highlights.
Microsoft Confirms IE6 Security Bug
We?re still investigating, but we have confirmed this vulnerability and I am writing a Microsoft Security Advisory on this. But we wanted to make sure customers knew we were aware of this and we will address it in a security update. If you're using the new refresh of the IE7 Beta 2 Preview announced at Mix06, then you are not affected by the public report. Microsoft Security Center Blog