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Microsoft Plugs Critical Vista Hole

Microsoft has just patched another critical hole in Vista that it knew about as long ago as last Christmas. The delay was similar to its lag in patching the serious (and heavily targeted) animated-cursor flaw I told you about last month. The new problem involves the way that the OS’s Client/Server Run-time Subsystem (CSRSS) handles …

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Microsoft Invites Hackers Back for Blue Hat

Microsoft’s latest Blue Hat conference kicked off with talks on mobile security, hardware hacking, and Windows security tools Microsoft Corp. is once again inviting members of the hacking community into its Redmond, Washington, campus to show the software giant where it’s gone wrong. The company’s latest Blue Hat conference kicked off Wednesday with talks on mobile security, hardware hacking, Microsoft’s security tools and the underground vulnerability economy. Microsoft began hosting these events two years ago as a way to foster dialogue between the company’s security team and external security researchers, many of whom have been critical of the company’s approach to security. Typically held twice a year, the Blue Hat conferences are closed to most outsiders but draw hundreds of Microsoft employees. The name Blue Hat derives from the Black Hat security conferences. The “Blue” part comes from the color of badges that Microsoft staffers wear on campus. The conference …

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Apa yang salah dengan Windows Vista?

Windows Vista adalah langkah besar menuju kemunduran kebebasan anda. Biasanya, software baru memberikan kebebasan untuk melakukan sesuatu yang lebih dengan komputer anda. Vista didisain untuk membatasi apa yang dapat anda lakukan. Vista memaksakan bentuk baru dari DRM (Digital Rights Management). DRM ini lebih tepat disebut Digital Restrictions Management, karena dengan teknologi ini perusahaan besar mencoba untuk menekan kita semua, dengan cara mengontrol tentang bagaimana kita menggunakan komputer. Berikut kutipan dari Bruce Scheier (Ahli keamanan teknologi) “Windows Vista membawa kumpulan “feature” yang anda tidak inginkan. Feature ini akan membuat komputer anda kurang dapat dipercaya dan kurang aman. Mereka (feature) membuat komputer anda lebih tidak stabil dan berjalan lebih lambat. Mereka akan menyebabkan masalah dukungan teknis. Bahkan feature ini memaksa anda untuk mengupgrade perangkat hardware dan software yang telah ada. Teknologi DRM yang bersifat otoriter – dan anda tidak dapat menolak mereka.” “Windows Vista includes an array of “features” that you don’t …

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Inside Windows Vista User Account Control

UAC’s Goal UAC is meant to enable users to run with standard user rights, as opposed to administrative rights. Administrative rights give users the ability to read and modify any part of the operating system, including the code and data of other users—and even Windows® itself. Without administrative rights users cannot accidentally (or deliberately) modify system settings, malware can’t alter system security settings or disable antivirus software, and users can’t compromise the sensitive information of other users on shared computers. Running with standard user rights can therefore reduce urgent help desk calls in corporate environments, mitigate the impact of malware, keep home computers running more smoothly, and protect sensitive data on shared computers. UAC had to address several problems to make it practical to run with a standard user account. First, prior to Windows Vista™, the Windows usage model has been one of assumed administrative rights. Software developers assumed their …

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Frustrated with Windows Service Pack 2?

OK, so you’ve tried Windows XP SP2. And you hate it. You installed the update, and a can’t-live-without-it application broke into a billion pieces. Or you can’t connect to the Internet, no matter how many hoops you jump through. Now your only thought is: Out, damned SP2! Is it possible to get rid of SP2 once you’ve installed it? Or is SP2 like an unwanted guest who comes for a three-day visit but ends up moving into your spare bedroom? Try these SP2 rollback maneuvers. Of course, you’ll be removing some of the security features that Microsoft intends for keeping your PC safer. So you should know how to update your OS yourself. 1. Outta here with Add or Remove. Microsoft has its own preferred order of tactics to dump SP2, and “Add or remove programs” heads the list. It’s also the simplest, so try it first. It took about …

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Troubleshooting Vista Troubleshooting Vista

Early adopters of Windows Vista have had bragging rights for a few months now. They’ve been able to play with the latest and greatest operating system from Microsoft before many others have taken the leap. But they’ve also had to put up with plenty of problems and annoyances. While Vista is packed with cutting-edge technology and sports a snazzy new interface, it also comes with its share of surprises that can make even veteran Windows users scratch their head in bewilderment. Here’s a rundown of troubleshooting strategies for some of the more common problems that Vista owners are facing. Your hard drive is working overtime with Vista installed There are several reasons why you might see your hard drive light continually flashing – and system performance slowing – after Vista is up and running. First, Vista requires more memory than XP – considerably more in some cases. Whereas you could …

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Transparent Windows And Added Security: New Twists In Windows Vista

Windows are best kept transparent, Microsoft appears to have decided. This is one of the most obvious new twists to the freshly released Windows Vista operating system. But the [more] software also has lots of other snazzy surprises in store for users. While hardly a revolution, users can look forward to a collection of more-or-less helpful utilities for their computers. Vista customers can actually expect several thousand new functions, Microsoft claims. Most of them are hidden underneath the hood, so to speak. One eye-catching element is the new graphical interface, dubbed Aero. It is remarkable first for its semi- transparent windows. Open several windows at once, and you can still see which other folders and documents are open beneath them. This is not exactly trailblazing in the world of operating systems, though. Transparent windows are also available in Apple’s Mac OS X and with various Linux versions.

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Report Says Windows Gets The Fastest Repairs

Microsoft is frequently dinged for having insecure products, with security holes and vulnerabilities. But Symantec (Quote), no friend of Microsoft, said in its latest research report that when it comes to widely-used operating systems, Microsoft is doing better overall than its leading commercial competitors. The information was a part of Symantec’s 11th Internet Security Threat Report. The report, released this week, covered a huge range of security and vulnerability issues over the last six months of 2006, including operating systems. The report found that Microsoft (Quote) Windows had the fewest number of patches and the shortest average patch development time of the five operating systems it monitored in the last six months of 2006.

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Why Does Windows Get Slower Over Time?

If you use Windows, you know the story: the months pass, and your once-snappy computer becomes sluggish, unstable, or unpredictable. The natural impulse is to blame Windows itself. The phenomenon is so well known and widespread that some in the industry have even coined a term for it: “Windows rot.” The idea is that, for lack of a specific cause, Windows just performs worse the longer you use it. The fact is, though, a lot of Windows woes are preventable – if you know how. Windows rot is the predictable result of actions that users tend to perform without knowing how it will impact their Windows-based PCs. So what can you do to prevent Windows rot? Here are some solutions.

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