As inevitable as the tides rolling in: every time a new Windows version is released, someone with too much time on his hands tries to install it on extremely outdated hardware. Sure, it won’t be usable by any standard whatsoever, but it’s still a fun thing to do. Of course, Windows 7 couldn’t lag behind.
Tag Archives: Windows 7
Comparing 32-bit to 64-bit Windows 7 for Business Use
Posted by js
on 17/12/2009
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Windows 7 Under Fire For Patent Infringement
Posted by js
on 17/12/2009
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eldavojohn writes “A patent issued in 2003 called ‘Method and system for demultiplexing a first sequence of packet components to identify specific components wherein subsequent components are processed without re-identifying components’ is now owned by Implicit Networks, who has recently claimed Windows 7 infringes upon it with its Filtering Platform. This is used in Vista, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008. Implicit is seeking a jury trial and damages. A shocking turn of events; you actually want to cheer for Microsoft this time as Implicit is nothing more than a patent licensing company (troll) and has done battle with Sun, AMD, Intel and NVIDIA.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Microsoft Finally Open Sources Windows 7 Tool
Posted by js
on 15/12/2009
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Jan writes “Microsoft has open sourced the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool by releasing it under the GPLv2 license. The code is now available on CodePlex, Microsoft’s Open Source software project hosting repository, over at wudt.codeplex.com. The actual installer for the tool is now again available for download at the Microsoft Store (2.59MB). (Microsoft previously took responsiblity for the violation.)”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Microsoft Denies It Built Backdoor Into Windows 7
Posted by js
on 25/11/2009
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CWmike writes “Microsoft has denied that it has built a backdoor into Windows 7, a concern that surfaced yesterday after a senior National Security Agency (NSA) official testified before Congress that the agency had worked on the operating system. ‘Microsoft has not and will not put “backdoors” into Windows,’ a company spokeswoman said, reacting to a Computerworld story Wednesday. On Monday, Richard Schaeffer, the NSA’s information assurance director, told the Senate’s Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security that the agency had partnered with the developer during the creation of Windows 7 ‘to enhance Microsoft’s operating system security guide.’ Thursday’s categorical denial by Microsoft was accompanied by further explanation of exactly how the NSA participated in the making of Windows 7. ‘The work being discussed here is purely in conjunction with our Security Compliance Management Toolkit,’ said the spokeswoman. The company rolled out the Windows 7 version of the toolkit late last month, shortly after it officially launched the operating system.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Microsoft: No NSA Backdoor in Windows 7
Posted by js
on 25/11/2009
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The First Windows 7 Zero-Day Exploit
Posted by js
on 18/11/2009
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xploraiswakco writes with the first Microsoft-confirmed Windows 7 zero-day vulnerability, with a demonstration exploit publicly available. The problem is in SMBv2 and SMBv1 and affects Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, but not Vista, XP, or Windows Server 2003. A maliciously crafted URI could hard-crash affected machines beyond any remedy besides pushing the white button. “Microsoft said it may patch the problem, but didn’t spell out a timetable or commit to an out-of-cycle update before the next regularly-scheduled Patch Tuesday of December 8. Instead, the company suggested users block TCP ports 139 and 445 at the firewall.” Reader xploraiswakco adds, “As important as this the mentioned article is, it should also be pointed out that any IT staff worth their pay packet should already have port 139 blocked at the firewall, and probably port 445. too.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Microsoft Kernel Engineers Talk About Windows 7′s Kernel
Posted by js
on 18/11/2009
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Microsoft’s Professional Developers Conference is currently under way, and as usual, the technical fellows at Microsoft gave speeches about the deep architecture of Windows – in this case, Windows 7 of course. As it turns out, quite some seriously impressive changes have been made to the very core of Windows – all without breaking a single application. Thanks to BetaNews for summarising this technical talk so well.
Snow Leopard and Windows 7 still can’t crack the netbook problem
Posted by js
on 11/11/2009
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Yesterday evening, Apple rolled out the 10.6.2 update to its Snow Leopard operating system, which concentrated mostly on general bug fixes and stability issues as well as some issues in Mail, MobileMe and Safari. In all, there are more than a hundred improvements, and more than 40 security related fixes.
But the big talk today is that this update officially terminates support for Intel’s Atom processor family. These low cost, low power processors have become the standard in many nettops, netbooks, MIDs, and ultraportables, and Apple has made a concerted effort to stay out of the way of most of these device categories.
Because Apple has not created a netbook, for example, OS X users could install the operating system on their unsupported netbooks and create what is affectionately referred to as a “Hackintosh.” Atom-based machines from Asus, MSI, Dell, and HP have all been successfully converted into Hackintoshes with varying degrees of usability.
Users running Snow Leopard on their Atom-based netbooks however, are now reporting widespread failure when attempting to install the 10.6.2 update. A development build of the update reportedly killed Atom support, but the blogger who discovered this fact later retracted his statement as speculation “until the final version of 10.6.2 is out.”
Well, that blogger today has declared Atom officially unsupported.
While only a small contingent of users have turned their devices into Hackintoshes, Apple’s blockage of Intel’s netbook-specific platform is symptomatic of a larger distaste for the form factor.
Microsoft, for example, has gone back and forth with its promotion of netbooks, trying to keep on top of the category with “lite” or legacy versions of Windows while simultaneously preventing it from cannibalizing the market for the current, full versions of Windows.
According to online shopping site Retrevo, Windows 7 Starter Edition (which was found in 23 of 28 new netbooks) actually lacks many features standard in Windows XP. The site asked 1,100 of its users if they were aware that Windows 7 Starter Edition lacked multi-monitor support, desktop personalization, and DVD playback, and 61% said they were not. Unsurprisingly, this made those same users reconsider Windows 7 Starter Edition as a positive quality of a new netbook.
While the survey was more than a little loaded to generate a negative response, the point remains that our big OS makers still can’t figure out how to deliver a product to the netbook market that won’t be detrimental to their bottom line.
Windows 7 Endless Reboot Answer Evades Microsoft
Posted by js
on 06/11/2009
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Users remained stymied today by endless reboots after trying to upgrade their PCs to Windows 7, according to messages posted on Microsoft’s support forum. An answer has yet to be found for all users, who began reporting the problem last Friday after watching the upgrade stall two-thirds of the way through the process.