Microsoft said Friday that it would deliver the beta of Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2) this coming week to a limited number of testers. The company targeted SP2's ship date for the first half of 2009, well before the expected release of Windows 7, Vista's successor. In postings to company blogs, several Microsoft executives announced that the Vista SP2 beta would be given out to a small number of testers in the Technology Adoption Program, a long-standing group of company partners and customers, on Oct. 29. After Mike Nash, vice president of Windows product management, broke the news mid-day Friday, Celine Allee, a director in the Windows client IT team, followed with more information, including a tentative ship date. "We anticipate broad availability for Windows Vista SP2 in the first half of 2009," Allee said. A week ago, the Windows enthusiast site Neowin.net reported that testers had received invitations to join the beta program, while others speculated that Microsoft would deliver Vista SP2 before it shipped Windows 7. Nash and Allee also said that Microsoft would produce a single service pack that would update both the client version, Vista, and the company's corresponding server software, Windows Server 2008. "Because we've adopted a single serviceability model, these improvements are integrated into a single service pack covering both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008," said Nash. They also confirmed the report by Neowin.net that SP2 will include Windows Search 4, Bluetooth 2.1 wireless support and support for Via Technologies Inc.'s 64-bit processor. Currently, Via is best known for its C7 chip, which powers some ultralight "netbook" laptops, including Hewlett-Packard Co.'s Mini-Note. Windows Search 4.0 is the newest version of Microsoft's desktop search engine and was issued to current Vista users via Windows Update last July; Microsoft released Bluetooth 2.1 support for Vista last April as part of the Vista Feature Pack. Other improvements slated for Vista SP2, said Allee, include faster resume from sleep when a wireless connection has been broken; enabling of the exFAT file system to support UTC timestamps; and support for Blu-ray. Microsoft also said that Vista SP2 will require SP1 as a prerequisite. There will be no such requirement for Windows Server 2008 updates, since the server operating system has not had a separate SP1. Instead, Microsoft unveiled both Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 on the same day last February. In fact, Windows Server 2008 carried the "SP1" label in its version number from the start, one of the first clues that Microsoft was serious about keeping the two operating systems in sync. Windows Server 2008 SP2 will include the final version of its Hyper-V virtualization technology, which it issued as a free download in June; and it will include modifications to its power profile that will yield a 10% improvement over the original edition of the OS. A beta of Windows Server 2008 SP2 will also be seeded to testers on Wednesday. Allee urged users not to wait for the next service pack, "You can, and should, continue your plans for adopting Windows Vista SP1, and roll SP2 into your deployment image when it becomes available," she said. Reference : http://www.pcworld.com/article/152856/vista_sp2_beta_test.html?tk=rss_news
We’re pleased to announce that Service Pack 2 (SP2) for the 2007 Microsoft Office system is expected to be released in the near future. Although we aren’t yet announcing the exact release date, it will fall between February and April of 2009. Historically, we have waited to communicate details about service packs until their release (or very shortly before). As we communicated with SP3 for Office 2003 and SP1 for the 2007 Office System, we will be taking steps to increase transparency and visibility into the Office servicing model at the request of our customers. To that end, we would like to start sharing some details into what will be included in SP2 for the 2007 Office system. This is by no means an exhaustive list of everything included in this service pack and we will share more details prior to the final release, but we want to start communicating to customers what they should be aware of at a high level. To be fair, this is not the first time we have talked about SP2. Several months ago, we announced that we’ll be further demonstrating our increased commitment to interoperability by including support for Open Document Format (ODF), XML Paper Specification (XPS), and Portable Document Format (PDF) in SP2. In addition to those file format additions, some other highlights that you’ll find in SP2 include: For Office Desktop Programs:· Improved Outlook Calendaring Reliability· Improved Outlook Performance· Enabling Object Model support for Charts in PowerPoint and Word· Improved cryptographic functionality by supporting all cryptographic algorithms offered by the operating system· Improved functionality in Excel’s charting mechanism· Ability to ungroup SmartArt graphics (and as a result, the ability to add animations to them in PowerPoint)· Ability for Visio to export UML models to an XML file compliant with the XMI standard· Tool that enables the uninstall of Office client Service Packs For Servers:· Performance and manageability improvements to variations in Enterprise Content Management (ECM) including STSADM commands for repairing links between source and target pages· Improvements around processing status approvals from Office Project Web Access into Office Project Professional 2007 · Improvements to read-only content databases and index rebuild timer jobs in Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Continue At Source Reference : http://blogs.technet.com/office_sustained_engineering/archive/2008/10/22/announcing-service-pack-2-sp2-for-the-2007-microsoft-office-system.aspx
Identity Integration Feature Pack for Microsoft® Windows Server™ Active Directory® with Service Pack 2 (SP2) manages identities and coordinates user details across Microsoft Active Directory, Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM), Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server, and Exchange Server 2003 implementations. Using Identity Integration Feature Pack, you can combine identity information for a given user or resource into a single, logical view. Identity Integration Feature Pack also automates the provisioning of new and updated identity data, eliminating time-consuming, repetitive administration and the need to manually add, delete, or update identity information, groups, and user accounts. Reference : http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d9143610-c04d-41c4-b7ea-6f56819769d5&DisplayLang=en
Graphic: Diego AguirreMicrosoft will begin beta testing the next service pack update for Windows Vista within weeks, according to a Windows enthusiast Web site. Testers have received invitations to beta test Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (SP2), reported Neowin.net on Friday. Betas are expected to be released to invited testers, but not to the general public, in approximately four weeks, Neowin.net said, citing multiple tipsters. Service packs typically consist of collections of the patches, hotfixes and reliability updates released since the original edition of the OS, or its last service pack, whichever came last. At times, however, the company introduces new features to its software via such packs. Among those features, reported Neowin.net, Vista SP2 will include Windows Search 4, Bluetooth 2.1 wireless support, and support for Via Technologies Inc.'s 64-bit processor. Currently, Via is best known for its C7 chip, which powers some ultra-light "netbook" laptops, including Hewlett-Packard Co. 's Mini-Note. Windows Search 4.0 is the newest version of Microsoft's desktop search engine, and was issued to current Vista users via Windows Update last July. Vista SP1 , the single service pack released thus far, went final in February 2008, just over a year after the operating system debuted in retail and was made available to consumers. The highly-anticipated SP1, however, suffered a bumpy launch, as users complained that they weren't able to upgrade and others reported that their PCs were crippled by endless reboots . Earlier this month, speculation that Microsoft would soon seed select testers with a beta of Vista SP2 began after users noticed that the company had added a placeholder to its support database for the service packs for both Vista and Windows Server 2008. Others, including blogger Mary-Jo Foley, have confirmed the Neowin.net reports; in a post last week , Foley said that a few testers had already received Vista SP2 betas, and that Microsoft wanted to issue the service pack before it released Windows 7, Vista's successor. Microsoft announced just last week that it would use the "Windows 7" code name as the product's official name . Also last week, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer called Windows 7 "Windows Vista, a lot better." Reference : http://www.pcworld.com/article/152494/Vista_SP2.html?tk=rss_news
.NET Framework 3.5 SP1 Language PackMicrosoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 Language Pack contain translated text, such as error messages, for each language. .NET Framework 3.5 Client ProfileThe Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Client Profile contains the .NET Framework assemblies needed for the installation and distribution of .NET Framework client applications. Silverlight Tools Beta 2Add-on for Visual Studio 2008 for developing applications for Silverlight 2 Beta 2 Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office system (version 3.0 Runtime) (x86)This download (VSTOR30.exe) installs the Visual Studio Tools for the Office system 3.0 Runtime, which is required to run VSTO solutions for the 2007 Microsoft Office system built using Microsoft Visual Studio 2008. Windows SDK for Windows Server 2008 Rc UpdateUpdated Resource Compiler for Windows Server 2008 SDK. .NET Framework 3.5 Service pack 1Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 is a full cumulative update that contains many new features building incrementally upon .NET Framework 2.0, 3.0, 3.5, and includes cumulative servicing updates to the .NET Framework 2.0 and .NET Framework 3.0 subcomponents. VS 2008 Service Pack Preparation ToolThe tool is intended to prepare systems that may have previously been updated with SP1 pre-releases. Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System (Version 3.0 Runtime) Language PackThe Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System (Version 3.0 Runtime) language pack contains the text of runtime user interface elements, such as error messages, for languages other than English. Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System (Version 3.0 Runtime) SP1 Language PackThe Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for the Microsoft Office System (Version 3.0 Runtime) SP1 language pack contains the text of runtime user interface elements, such as error messages, for languages other than English. Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Sample LibraryMicrosoft Visual C++ provides code samples for applications and tools that use many of the technologies in Visual C++. .NET Framework 3.5 Client Profile Language PackThe Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Client Profile Language Pack contains translated text, such as error messages, for each language. Microsoft Report Viewer Redistributable 2008 SP1 Language PackThe Microsoft Report Viewer Redistributable 2008 SP1 Language Pack includes Windows Forms and ASP.NET Web server controls for viewing reports designed using Microsoft reporting technology. Visual Studio 2008 Shell (isolated mode) with Service Pack 1 RedistributableThe Visual Studio 2008 Shell (isolated mode) redistributable SP1 contains the runtime binaries needed to deploy your Visual Studio 2008 Shell (isolated mode) based application. Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1This download installs Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1 (SP1). Visual Studio 2008 Express Editions with SP1The Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Express Editions with SP1 are a free set of tools that are simple, fun and easy to learn. Continuing the Microsoft tradition of enabling developers of all skill levels, this latest release enables hobbyists, students, experienced and casual developers alike to create cool, fun applications. Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1This download installs Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1 (SP1). Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1 Remote DebuggerThis is the full remote debugger installation for Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1. This is not an upgrade patch. Visual Studio 2008 Express Editions with SP1The Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Express Editions with SP1 are a free set of tools that are simple, fun and easy to learn. Continuing the Microsoft tradition of enabling developers of all skill levels, this latest release enables hobbyists, students, experienced and casual developers alike to create cool, fun applications. Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1 Stand-Alone ProfilerThis is the full Stand-Alone Profiler installation for Visual Studio 2008 Service Pack 1. This is not an upgrade patch. Visual Studio 2008 Team Foundation Server SP1This Service Pack contains bug fixes and new features that address feedback from customers and provide support for recent operating system and database releases. This service pack applies to Team Foundation Server 2008, Team Foundation 2008 Proxy, and Team Foundation Server 2008 Build. Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (ia64)The Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (IA64) installs runtime components of Visual C++ Libraries required to run 64-bit applications developed with Visual C++ SP1 on a computer that does not have Visual C++ 2008 SP1 installed. Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86)The Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (x86) installs runtime components of Visual C++ Libraries required to run applications developed with Visual C++ SP1 on a computer that does not have Visual C++ 2008 SP1 installed. Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (x64)The Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable Package (x64) installs runtime components of Visual C++ Libraries required to run 64-bit applications developed with Visual C++ SP1 on a computer that does not have Visual C++ 2008 SP1 installed. eScrum for Microsoft Visual Studio Team SystemeScrum is a Web-based, end-to-end project management tool for Scrum built on the Microsoft Visual Studio Team Foundation Server platform। This software is released "as is". Microsoft does not provide support services for it.
The vague timetable that Microsoft Corp. gave Monday for pushing out Windows XP SP3 to most users got specific Tuesday as the company quietly said it would release the upgrade on Thursday at 10 a.m. PDT. Microsoft will add Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) to Windows Update at that time, and trigger its automatic download and installation for users who have left the operating system's update service at its default "Automatic (recommended)" setting. "Updated applicability rules and updated metadata to target the update to Automatic Update channel," read a Microsoft support document revised Tuesday after the company unveiled its monthly security patches. "The Automatic Update change will be published at 10:00 A.M. on July 10." Monday, a Microsoft manager said only that XP SP3 would be automatically downloaded and installed "shortly," but did not specify a date. Microsoft delayed the distribution of Windows XP SP3 twice this spring, but the July 10 date seems firm; it was included in the cumulative list of all updates available via Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), the server-side update tool many businesses use, as well as via the client-side Windows Update (WU) and Microsoft Update Web-based services. A Microsoft spokeswoman, however, was not able to immediately confirm that July 10 will, in fact, be XP SP3's automatic update debut. In late April, Microsoft postponed the release of XP SP3 because it found a compatibility bug between the operating system and the company's Retail Management System (RMS) point-of-sale software. It also stopped the automatic installation of Windows Vista SP1, which had already been pushed to some users. A few weeks later, Microsoft added a filter to WU to block AMD-powered PCs susceptible to an "endless reboot" problem from seeing Windows XP SP3 as an available update. In late June, Microsoft crafted a fix and added it to the WU list. Users who had WU set to automatically grab and install updates presumably have this patch already in place. However, it's not clear how the automatic distribution of XP SP3 will affect users running AMD-equipped machines that haven't been updated with the June fix. The announcement that Microsoft would release XP SP3 to Automatic Updates came just a week after the company started the operating system on its road to retirement by halting sales of the operating system to retail outlets and barring major computer makers from installing it on most new PCs. People who want to block the automatic deployment of Windows XP SP3 can either modify the Windows Update settings, or download and use the Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool Kit, which provides several tools for stopping the service pack from reaching client PCs until at least April 2009। Reference : http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/148110/microsoft_promises_xp_sp3_download_thursday.html
Microsoft has released a reliability update for Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) that fixes several bugs in the OS update, including one that threw off errors when users tried to run large applications, such as Microsoft's own Excel 2007 and Windows Media Player. The update, which Microsoft posted Tuesday to its download servers, will be pushed to users automatically next month via Windows Update, a company engineer said on a support forum yesterday. Although Microsoft regularly issues reliability updates separate from its normal monthly security fixes, this is the first time it has released one specifically for Windows Vista SP1. Microsoft released Vista SP1 to the general public in late March. Among the fixes included with the update is one that Microsoft characterized as an issue "in which large applications cannot run after the computer is turned on for extended periods of time," according to an accompanying description of the update's contents. "For example, when you try to start Excel 2007 after the computer is turned on for extended periods of time, a user may receive an error message that resembles the following: EXCEL.EXE is not a valid Win32 application." Users reported the problem on a Vista support forum as early as April 1, claiming that they saw the error message when trying to run Office 2007 applications, including Excel and Access, as well as when launching Vista's built-in screen capture tool and Windows Media Player. Within three weeks, Microsoft engineers on the same forum thread had confirmed the bug and said the company was working on a fix. "The error messages are confusing, but the problem is neither an invalid application file nor insufficient system resources," said John Gray, who identified himself as a Microsoft employee. "It only affects certain applications, and typically only after the user has been logged in for an extended period of time." Tuesday, Gray chimed in again to tell users the fix was tucked into the reliability update. "Thanks for your patience!," he wrote on the forum. "This should resolve this issue for those of you hitting it." The SP1 reliability update fixed several other bugs, according to Microsoft's write-up, including crashes when using Apple Inc.'s QuickTime multimedia player, and stuttering audio and video high-definition playback on systems equipped with Nvidia network adapters। Reference : http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/147591/vista_service_pack_patched.html
On Tuesday, Microsoft released Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Office 2008 for Mac, designed to add stability, security, and performance enhancements to the suite of office applications. The update features suite-wide fixes, as well as improvements to the individual applications that make up Office. Microsoft says the service pack will improve performance when you type text into a text box, shape, or chart element. A more-intelligent Remove Office tool will no longer search for copies of Office in a Time Machine backup, while another fix provides for proper layer positioning with inserted PSD files. Office 2004 applications could quit unexpectedly when users tried to copy content into them from an Office 2008 program; Service Pack 1 fixes this bug. Word 2008 changes: Improvements to the word-processing application include a set of new business card templates that work in Publishing Layout view. Among the fixes to Word, the Service Pack will properly apply the Customize workspace background setting in Publishing Layout view and Notebook Layout view to new documents; correctly apply font formatting changes to content when you use the Repeat command; and allow characters such as hyphens to display correctly when the font formatting is changed to Small Caps. The update also fixes a number of problems with Notebook Layout View. Excel 2008 changes: Service Pack 1 restores chart formatting options available in previous versions of Office and improves the spreadsheet program's ability to alert you to potential compatibility issues when you save the workbook in a file format compatible with previous versions of Excel (including Excel for Windows). Changes made when you move or resize the formula bar will now be retained. Microsoft also improved support for secondary displays. PowerPoint 2008 changes: The presentation software now remembers when you fix a broken movie link and then save your file. In addition, the update fixes speed and stability issues when printing, while making it easier to see and drag static guides. Microsoft introduced a set of new AppleScript classes and commands for creating scripts that select and perform operations on selected objects. Users can also now apply transitions to slide masters. Entourage 2008 changes: The update fixes a vCard bug that prevented Entourage from exporting cards without photos. It also improves Microsoft Sync Services stability, fixes problems with hyperlinks, gains an updated definition file for more effective junk e-mail filtering, and retains original received dates and times of imported messages. The e-mail client will now skip bad messages when it's connected to POP e-mail accounts so that it can continue to download remaining e-mail messages. The update prevents duplicate contacts and calendar events after syncing with an iPhone or iPod touch for the first time and now renders HTML signatures correctly. Office 2008 SP1 is available now as a download from Microsoft's Web site or via Microsoft Auto Update. Service Pack 1 is the second update released by Microsoft since Office 2008's debut. In March, the company issued Office 2008 for Mac 12.0.1 which offered security and stability improvements for the productivity suite. Reference : http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,145805-pg,1/article.html
|
