Microsoft Support & Discussions

Bulletin Severity Rating:Critical - This security update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. These vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if messages received by the Internet Authentication Service server are copied incorrectly into memory when handling PEAP authentication attempts. An attacker who successfully exploited either of these vulnerabilities could take complete control of an affected system. Servers using Internet Authentication Service are only affected when using PEAP with MS-CHAP v2 authentication. View the full article

Bulletin Severity Rating:Important - This security update resolves two privately reported vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows. The more severe of these vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if an attacker sent a specially crafted HTTP request to an ADFS-enabled Web server. An attacker would need to be an authenticated user in order to exploit either of these vulnerabilities. View the full article

Bulletin Severity Rating:Important - This security update resolves a privately reported vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The vulnerability could allow a denial of service if a remote, authenticated attacker, while communicating through Internet Protocol security (IPsec), sends a specially crafted ISAKMP message to the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service (LSASS) on an affected system. View the full article

Windows 7 is seeing success in the marketplace which I am very happy about from a security perspective. The Microsoft Security Intelligence Report has shown us again and again that the more up-to-date a PC is, the less likely it is to be infected by malware and other potentially dangerous software. So Windows 7 making strides is helpful to the ecosystem overall from a security standpoint. Success comes at a price though, through greater scrutiny and misinterpretation of some of the technologies. One of those technologies is BitLocker. I've seen numerous claims the past few weeks about weaknesses in BitLocker and even claims of commercial software that "breaks" BitL…

Here's the December 2009 update to "What I Use". Changes include a return to the iPod platform after months of dabbling with Zune HD, my favorite iPhone apps, Office 2010, a broader mix of web browsers, Modern Warfare 2, and some Mac virtualization solutions. View the full article

I've started building out my support page for "Windows 7 Secrets," starting with some errata, additions, and notes to the initial printing of the book. I'll be adding more over time, including some reader-submitted errata and some major content updates. View the full article

In the latest episode of the Windows Weekly podcast, Leo and I discuss Windows Weekly video, the MIA Windows 7 USB/DVD tool, ATT vs. Verizon, web browser usage share, Office 2010 release date, the (fake) Black Screen of Death, and much more... View the full article

Switching to the Mac doesn't mean you have to give up on Windows 7. In fact, over 80 percent of Mac users run Windows too. Here's how to make it happen, either with dual boot or via a virtualization solution. View the full article

Ready for some World War II-era nostalgia? Then check out Call of Duty Classic for the Xbox 360, an Xbox Live Arcade title that brings the original game in the series to the console for the first time. View the full article

As we rush to the cloud computing future, it's important to remember that the computing platforms of today will continue forward. Microsoft's success creating today's platforms should help going forward. View the full article

I appeared on the most recent episode of the This Week in Tech (TWiT) podcast with Leo Laporte, Jerry Pournelle, and Dwight Silverman. Topics include the truth about Windows 7 market share, why B Dalton's was good for literacy, and the fate of Ezekiel the Z80... View the full article

The Xbox 360 product lineup drops down to just two models for this holiday selling season, the low-end Xbox 360 Arcade and the recently price-reduced Xbox 360 Elite, which features a 120 GB hard drive. View the full article

In the latest episode of the Windows Weekly podcast, Leo and I discuss more Office 2010 Public Beta news, Windows Home Server PP3, Google Chrome OS, captioning in digital video, and much more... View the full article

This guide explains the process for upgrading Active Directory domains to Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2, how to upgrade the operating system of domain controllers, and how to add domain controllers that run Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 to an existing domain. Overview Upgrading your network operating system requires minimal network configuration and typically has a low impact on user operations. The upgrade process is straightforward, efficient, and allows your organization to take advantage of the improved security that is offered by the Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 operating systems. This guide covers the process …

URL rewrite module provides a rule-based rewriting mechanism for changing requested URL’s before they get processed by web server. The Microsoft URL Rewrite Module 1.1 for IIS 7 provides flexible rules-based rewrite engine that can be used to perform broad spectrum of URL manipulation tasks, including, but not limited to: Enabling user friendly and search engine friendly URL with dynamic web applications Rewriting URL’s based on HTTP headers and server variables Web site content handling Controlling access to web site content based on URL segments or request metadata. The installation package includes several additional components and hotfixes required by U…

Netbooks are the fastest-growing segment of the PC industry and extremely popular with consumers. But are they a good investment for businesses too? View the full article

Read this over at InfoPackets a couple days ago. 2012 for Windows 8 release sounds abut right. What's your thoughts on Windows 8 being released in 2012?

A look at the lessons Microsoft learned developing Windows 7 and how it will apply those lessons to Windows 8 and other future products. View the full article

In part 3 of my Office 2010 Beta review, I look at new two ways to get the suite: Office 2010 Starter edition and Click-2-Run... View the full article

Many expect Microsoft to become the next IBM, a huge, successful, and almost universally boring behemoth. This may still happen. But at least Microsoft is going kicking and screaming into this possible future. View the full article