Sasser Enters Round 6 as Patch Tuesday Arrives

Just as IT brushes itself off from the Sasser worm, it's that time again. Today is Microsoft's Patch Tuesday, that day once a month when Microsoft puts out all the security patches it's been working on. 05/11/2004

Why do Spammers Spam?

Are spammers mostly misunderstood individuals who are providing a valuable service? 05/11/2004

SMS 2003 SP1 Beta Available

Beta testing is underway for the first service pack for Systems Management Server 2003, Microsoft's enterprise product for change and configuration management. 05/11/2004

Mono Brings .NET to Open Systems

Thanks to Mono 1.0, .NET is for Linux, Unix and even MacOS. 05/11/2004

Virtualize This

Test networks on Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 beta. 05/10/2004

Sun, Microsoft Kiss and Make Up

Microsoft agrees to pay out $2 billion to Sun in landmark agreement. 05/10/2004

Out with SUS, in with WUS

Dramatic update to software updating services 05/10/2004

The New Microsoft Management Roadmap

Update from Microsoft Management Summit in March. 05/10/2004

Power Brakes for IIS

Prevent Internet Information Server from being installed automatically. 05/07/2004

Beta Unveiled of Live Communications Server 2005

Microsoft this week opened a beta program for the second-generation version of its instant messaging server. 05/06/2004

IBM Offers Open Beta of 'Stinger' DB2

IBM is entering the open beta stage for "Stinger," the code-name for the next-generation release of DB2, which is slated for availability later this year. The next release of DB2 will make it easier for DBAs to deploy, configure, maintain and optimize DB2 databases. 05/06/2004

Free Re-Take of MCP Exams

Pearson VUE is offering a free re-take on select MCP exams to anyone who fails an exam between April 30 and June 30. 05/06/2004

Microsoft Adds ActiveViews to Free SQL Reporting Services Add-On

Microsoft may be setting its sights on business users with very little, if any, development expertise. 05/05/2004

Windows Update Gets Big Investment

Microsoft is throwing big money at Windows Update, the company's infrastructure and technologies for distributing patches to its ubiquitous Windows software. 05/05/2004

Gates: Majority of Chips 64-Bit by End of 2005

The 64-bit extensions to x86 instructions pioneered by AMD and adopted by Intel are leading to a "wonderful transition" to 64-bit computing, according to Bill Gates. 05/05/2004

Opinion: Is Sun Losing its Spark?

Great Scott, what's going on? Sun and Microsoft recently agreed to bury the hatchet and concentrate on integration, not instigation. Is this good news for customers? Yes and no. Yes because it's high time someone began making an effort to make systems more interoperable. No because when big vendors make nicey-nicey with each other, especially when lawyers are involved, it's often time to run the other way. 05/05/2004

More Than 210 Million Copies of Windows XP Shipped

Windows XP shipments topped 210 million between the October 2001 launch and March of this year, Microsoft said. 05/04/2004

Windows XP for Extended Systems Now Slated for Q4

Microsoft provided a finish line for its lengthy process of putting out a 64-bit edition of Windows XP that will support the AMD 64-bit processors. 05/04/2004

Four Versions of Sasser Worm Spreading Chaos

Four variants of Sasser, the first major worm to exploit flaws patched by Microsoft's huge security bug fixing patch last month, were wreaking havoc on computer networks. 05/04/2004

Longhorn Preview Gets Updated

Microsoft readied another preview copy of "Longhorn," code-name for the next generation version of Windows, for attendees of its Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in Seattle this week. 05/04/2004

Allchin Updates Windows Server Roadmap at WinHEC

Microsoft is now developing the Windows "Longhorn" server and Windows "Longhorn" client in lockstep, a change from the staggered development the company was previously pursuing for its next generation version of Windows. 05/04/2004

Enforcing Stronger Passwords

Microsoft's password complexity filter: what's wrong with it and why you might need something better. 05/04/2004

Digging Deep

Build effective security moats with a defense-in-depth strategy. 05/03/2004

Control Schizophrenia

FSLogic Protect 1.0 supports multiple personalities. 05/01/2004

Implementing a Low-Budget Disaster Recovery Plan

How to prepare a small or medium business for disaster without overextending its already tight budget or overwhelming management with the details of an in-depth proposal. 05/01/2004

Ooops! Recovering Deleted Files: Volume Snapshots vs. Undelete 4.0

Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Services and Undelete 4.0 are a potent one-two punch. 05/01/2004

10 DNS Errors That Will Kill Your Network

DNS is the foundation the house of Active Directory is built upon. If DNS doesn’t work, neither will your Windows network. Here are the 10 most common DNS errors—and how you can avoid them. 05/01/2004

Renewal Notice

Are you past due? 05/01/2004

Install Help Files from Other Operating Systems

Having this information at your finger tips will let you switch from one OS's help to any other. 05/01/2004

Activate Windows Impersonation Selectively

Activate Windows impersonation selectively, determine the update order of DataTables at run time, guarantee the delivery order of asynchronous delegates, and more. 05/01/2004

Streamline Your Systems Management

In March 2004, Microsoft refined its new management vision with the announcement of Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 and the first version of its unified operations environment, System Center 2005. Both products are due for release later this summer. 05/01/2004

Outsourcing 101; Bill's Mills; AD Accounts and more

Recalculate VS.NET Project Dependencies Automatically

You can build a macro that recalculates and sets assembly dependencies upon request with the VS.NET automation model, even if your solution uses file references. 05/01/2004

Secure Your Directory-Enabled Apps

Find out how Active Directory Application Mode and Windows Authorization Manager can simplify security, personalization, and configuration for your directory-enabled applications. 05/01/2004

A Live Meeting Minus the Airfare

Microsoft’s newest collaboration tool. 05/01/2004

Windows Server 2003 Gains Traction

The Windows Server 2003 rollout is rapid, according to a new survey. Key drivers are security, Active Directory and Exchange 2003. 05/01/2004

Keeping Pace With Patches

Ecora automates Windows and Unix patch management. 05/01/2004

What's Your Level?

Maturity in management comes at different stages. 05/01/2004

Thin Clients, Fat Heads

This business owner’s thin-client Windows network was impregnable. Or so he thought, until he met Bob… 05/01/2004

Souping Up Windows 2003 Migrations

Five tools that promise to speed and ease Windows 2003 file and print migrations. Which one is the very best? 05/01/2004

Share and SharePoint Alike

Managing and sharing documents the Microsoft way. 05/01/2004

Create PDFs From ASP Apps

Check out the latest VS.NET add-ins, including a product that lets you create, read, and modify PDF documents from any application supporting COM, including ASP and ASP.NET. 05/01/2004

Trace Code With .NET

Build a .NET Framework based class library that makes tracing a true asset to your development experience. 05/01/2004

Delegating Rights

You can give ordinary users NT and WMI administrative rights for routine tasks—to a degree. 05/01/2004

Keep Data Consistent With Transactions

Employ the manual and automatic transaction models supported by the .NET Framework to maintain consistent data in your applications. 05/01/2004

Welcome to Multiple Version Hell

DLL Hell is largely a thing of the past with VS.NET and the .NET Framework. But having multiple versions of the same components can be trying in its own right. 05/01/2004

The Hidden Risks of Process Controls

These networks aren’t well known by many, yet they’re responsible for controlling much in our lives. And they’re not very secure. 05/01/2004

Book Review: Delve Inside C#

The C# Programming Language is a reference book that will benefit both beginners and veterans alike. Topics include exceptions, unsafe code, generics, anonymous methods, iterators, and partial types. 05/01/2004

Analyze Your Baseline Security

MBSA offers much more than updates to your network. 05/01/2004

Test Code-Access Security

CAS/Tester from Desaware runs your application through an automated test suite that assesses and reports on your app's code-access security. 05/01/2004