Windows XP

Microsoft on Tuesday released two security bulletins to fix eight bugs in its Windows and Microsoft Office software. Both bulletins are rated important, but analysts said many of the vulnerabilities could potentially be more severe if exploited.

Joshua Talbot, security intelligence manager at Symantec Security Response, is concerned that in many enterprise environments, Windows XP is still common, and these vulnerabilities are more serious on XP and older systems.

After a record-matching February that flooded corporate security departments with 13 bulletins to address 26 flaws, Microsoft's March Patch Tuesday cycle will be more manageable for IT administrators. On March 9, Microsoft will ship two security updates to fix eight vulnerabilities in Windows and Office.

In its monthly advance notification, Microsoft gave a sneak peak into the bulletins. Both are marked important, Microsoft's second-highest severity rating.

Although Windows 7 has been out for some time, many are just now thinking about upgrading. And that's when the questions begin. The existence of multiple editions, different upgrade options, restrictions on how a PC may be upgraded, the packaging of 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the operating system in the same box, and volume pricing are enough to confuse even experienced techies. Read on for some help.

Microsoft said Friday that it will soon supply European users of Internet Explorer with a choice screen to select an alternative web browser such as Chrome, Firefox, Opera or Safari. The so-called browser ballot was an essential requirement of the antitrust settlement reached between the software giant and the European Commission in December, and to which Microsoft will be bound for the next five years.

Battery problems on Windows 7 machines are not caused by the operating system. That's the position of Stephen Sinofsky, head of the Windows division, in a long posting Monday on the Windows engineering blog.

"At this time," he wrote, "we have no reason to believe there is any issue related to Windows 7 in this context." He acknowledged reports in the press and in forums about faulty battery warnings and batteries failing. "In every case we have been able to identify," Sinofsky added, "the battery being reported on was in fact in need of recommended replacement."

After a light start to the year, Microsoft is getting ready to dump a heavy load on the shoulders of IT administrators. On Patch Tuesday next week, Microsoft will release 13 patches.

Five of the bulletins carry the maximum security rating of critical. Seven are rated important and one is rated moderate. The bulletins address 26 vulnerabilities.

The second generation of netbooks is here and they've brought more storage with them.

The pint-sized mobile computers typically now come pre-loaded with Windows 7, but consumers should remember that not every netbook running Windows 7 is quicker than older models with Windows XP. Models released onto the market in the Christmas run-up are often running on the same hardware as their predecessors.

You can run the majority of existing commercial applications under Windows 7. But finding free programs that work well with Microsoft's newest OS is a bit more challenging. They're out there, though -- tools ranging from simple synchronization applications to full-fledged interface makeover kits. Read on to learn more.

Q: I like the Windows 7 interface better than Windows XP. But I still prefer the Mac. Is there an application out there that will make Windows 7 feel more Mac-like?

Microsoft released a rare out-of-band patch Thursday morning. The emergency patch fixes the Internet Explorer 6 zero-day security vulnerability that hackers have used in several high-profile targeted attacks, including the recent Trojan.Hydraq cyberattacks waged against Google and other large U.S. companies.

Microsoft released a rare out-of-band patch Thursday morning. The emergency patch fixes the Internet Explorer zero-day security vulnerability that hackers have used in several high-profile targeted attacks, including the recent Trojan.Hydraq cyberattacks waged against Google and other large U.S. companies.