Get security patches without Windows Genuine Advantage (er, Windows Activation Technology)

If you ever wondered how to get around Microsoft’s obnoxious Windows Genuine Advantage antipiracy program, run over to the Windows Secrets Newsletter site.

Susan Bradley has an utterly authoritative explanation of what’s going on behind the scenes with WGA – and what you can do about it.

The Best Cheap Video Cards

As I’ve described in my Windows Secrets Newsletter articles, there are two obstacles to turning a fairly-recent Windows XP machine into a Windows 7 powerhouse: memory and video cards.

If you’re contemplating changing your WinXP or Vista PC over to Windows 7, start by running the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. That will tell you immediately if you have a show-stopper problem: no Windows 7 driver for a specific piece of hardware, for example, or no Windows 7 support for your favorite program.

Based on experience with more than a dozen old Windows XP machines, if your PC passes Upgrade Advisor muster, you should also make two hardware changes: bring your memory up to 1 GB; and install a decent video card. Memory’s cheap. So are good video cards.

Joel Durham at ExtremeTech just posted a thorough review of Budget Gaming Graphics Cards. In the $175 category, he recommends the ATI Radeon HD 4870. In the $100 category, he gives the nod to the  Radeon HD 4770.

From what I’ve seen, putting $30 of additional memory and a $100 video card in a fairly recent Windows XP machine creates a very competent Windows 7 machine.

Now the big question is… how much will Microsoft charge for Windows 7?

Time’s Biggest Losers

OK, I’m not about to argue with the magazine that named the PC “Man of the Year.” But this issue’s list of the 10 Biggest Tech Failures of the Past Decade raises a couple of hackles.

Of course, top on my list is Windows Vista. Sorry, folks, but I don’t think of Vista as a technical failure. I’d reaily admit that it’s a marketing failure. But technical? No way.

Vista was created to improve the security of the most widely used PC operating system in the world. The securities features were not much better than the previous versions of Windows based on most reviews of the software. Vista was also not compatible with a number of older PCs which limited the number of users who were likely to upgrade from the earlier version of Windows, known as XP.

Sorry, but Vista was created to sell more copies of Windows. Security improvement were part of the kit ‘n kaboodle, of course, but they weren’t the driving force. XP was on its last legs, and Vista rated as a revenue shot in the arm – desperately needed because Microsoft gave away its earlier XP upgrade, known as Service Pack 2.

I think the authors of the list should look back at the marketing drivel, er, material for Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, and Windows XP. They’ll discover that Microsoft has listed security improvements as one of their top features in new versions of Windows just about forever. The big difference with Vista was that it actually delivered significant security improvements.

And, I’m sorry, but anyone who tells you that Vista’s “securities features were not much better than the previous versions of Windows” simply doesn’t know what they’re talking about. When’s the last time you had to remove a rootkit from a Vista machine?

I agree with most of the other Time choices (actually done by 24/7wallst.com). But YouTube? Sorry, but as far as I’m concerned, YouTube embodies a pioneering technology. No, the YouTubbets haven’t made any money yet. Still – a technological failure? No way.

Office 2010 Technical Preview leaked

I can’t say that I’m very excited about the prospects, but a beta test version of Office 2010 destined to become the Technical Preview appears to be available on the newsgroups.

The leaked screen shots don’t ring my chimes. More Ribbon. More buttons.

MS-DEFCON 2: PowerPoint Patch Posted

Black Tuesdays just aren’t as exciting as they once were.

This month, we get just one security bulletin – and it’s only really important if you use PowerPoint 2000.

Hang in there. Let’s see if MS gets all of the problems ironed out with the earlier patches.

We’re still at MS-DEFCON 2: Patch reliability is unclear. Unless you have an immediate, pressing need to install a specific patch, don’t do it.

Office 2010 beta kickoff in July

It’s official, the Technical Preview of the next version of Office will be made available in July. Microsoft’s new Office 2010 blog announces:

1. Office 2010 will be available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

2. Office 2010 will run on Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.

3. You don’t need to replace hardware that is capable of running 2007, it will support Office 2010.

I’m not sure, but I think point 3 means that any hardware supported by Office 2007 will also be supported by Office 2010. I’ve been wracking my brain to figure out if there’s any additional meaning to the sentence. And I’ve been wracking what’s left of my wracked brain to figure out what specific hardware they’re talking about. Ah well.

Official Windows 7 ship date waffle

Bill Veghte, who gave the keynote at TechEd, mentioned the new official line on Windows 7’s ship date. Microsoft’s Press Release says:

As part of today’s news, Microsoft Corp. announced that the company is anticipating that the next version of its client operating system, Windows 7, will be available to customers in time for the holiday shopping season.

which narrows things down to, oh, sometime this year, eh? The Engineering Windows 7 blog goes into more detail about the Release to Manufacturing process, while still playing coy with the dates:

Ultimately our partners will determine when their PCs are available in market. If the feedback and telemetry on Windows 7 match our expectations then we will enter the final phases of the RTM process in about 3 months. If we are successful in that, then we tracking to our shared goal of having PCs with Windows 7 available this Holiday season.

I’m sticking to the prediction I made almost a year ago: I bet you’ll be able to buy a shrinkwrapped copy of Windows 7 on store shelves on September 1.

One Black Tuesday patch coming next week

Microsoft has announced that it’s only going to release one patch this coming Black Tuesday. It’s a “critical” patch for PowerPoint.

Chances are very good it’s  a patch for the 0day hole I described a little over a month ago.

We’re still at MS-DEFCON 2: Patch reliability is unclear. Unless you have an immediate, pressing need to install a specific patch, don’t do it.