Free Republic

The IT world has been saying it for years, and now Microsoft itself is chiming in on the topic. Removing admin rights from users will eliminate 90% of the critical and remote execution flaws found in Windows 7, including most spyware threats. most Windows 7 flaws are found when normal users are operating as an admin or privileged user. By removing those extra permissions, and leaving just the administration account active, Windows 7 becomes an operating system nearly on par, security wise, with Mac OS X and Linux. It means that users in the work place will have to accept...

Most Windows 7 customers are satisfied with the new operating system, according to tech analyst house Forrester Research, but many stick-in-the-mud types still see no reason to upgrade from the OS that refuses to die - Windows XP. Forrester published the results of its study (subscription required) about take-up of Microsoft’s old and new operating systems this week. It found that 86 per cent of 4,559 US punters who took part in the survey were happy with Windows 7. However, the same research also reaffirmed that there’s still plenty of love out there for Microsoft’s aged Windows XP, with 43...

I am looking for some help. I have an older application that is not 64-bit. It will run on Win 7 32-bit and also in virtualization on Win 7 Pro & Win 7 Ultimate. The problem is Win 7 64-bit Home - the most popular version.

IE 6 browser is antique, but there are still companies continue to use the current IE 6 is still very common in the enterprise side, but even Microsoft’s long-term partner Intel is also still using relatively surprising.

Hello fellow DBA and other small business owners, I'm seeking advice about accounting software for small business operations. I've used Quickbooks for decades and I'm looking for a new application since my business has upgraded to Win-7, which is WOW btw. QB has become a tiresome and time consuming ordeal since the old school support has become a memory of the past. What app do you use and how long? Does it fare well with small DBA’? And any other input would be gratefully appreciated.

Greetings. Sometimes a seemingly small software update can usher in a whole new world. When Microsoft shortly pushes out a Windows 7 update with the reportedly innocuous title "Update for Microsoft Windows (KB971033)" -- it will be taking your Windows 7 system where it has never been before. And it may not be a place where you want to go. Imagine that you're sitting quietly in your living-room at your PC, perhaps watching YouTube. Suddenly, a pair of big, burly guys barge into your house and demand that you let them check your computer to make sure that it's "genuine"...

Seattle - The successful launch of new operating system Windows 7 propelled Microsoft to record revenue in the fourth quarter of 2009, the software giant reported Thursday. Microsoft reported net income of 6.7 billion, a 60 per cent increase on the year prior, while revenue rose 18 per cent to 19 billion dollars. 'This is a record quarter for Windows units,' Kevin Turner, Microsoft's chief operating officer, said in a news release. 'We are thrilled by the consumer reception to Windows 7 and by business enthusiasm to adopt Windows 7.' The company said it sold more than 60 million Windows...

Just saw my first ad fior a sub $500 full fledged 15" screen notebook today....Just commenting, on the evolution in pricing. When Win 7 first came out, you couldn't find a notebook with it for under $700. I guess the OEMs have finally cleared out most of their back stock of Vista licenses, and PCs that can't handle Win 7. I'll expect we'll be seeing better deals on laptops with Win 7 coming out soon. If for no other reason than to compete better with iPad prices. Why buy crippleware when the full real deal costs the same or less?

I'm trying to copy MP3 folders from my Windows 7 music library to a removable USB drive. However, when I drag the folder from the right pane and try to drop it into the drive on the left pain, it only creates a link to the folder. When I right click on the folder, there is no copy command. Any suggestions?

Please excuse the Vanity post - I am desperate! I have a new PC with Windows 7. At odd times I loose the Internet connection. I know cable internet signal is coming through the router as other PCs in the system have connections. At first the lost connection was happening each time I would reboot. Now it happens at seemingly "random" times .... I realize it's probly not random, but I can't see a correlation yet ... and the connection usually comes back when I reboot again. The Dell tech support wants me to reinstall the windows software. That would...

Microsoft has confirmed that it is investigating a problem described as the "black screen of death", which affects its latest operating system. The error means that users of Windows 7 see a totally black screen after logging on to the system. The firm said it was looking into reports that suggest its latest security update, issued on 10 November, was the cause the problem. Reports suggest the flaw also affects Vista, XP and other systems. Software firm Prevx, which has issued a fix for the problem, says "millions" of people may be affected. "Users have resorted to reloading Windows as...

Windows 7 sales are up and Microsoft is please with the success of its Windows 7 upgrade. While Apple seems to be content with “going negative” when it comes to commercials touting its computing products, Microsoft has taken a different route with Windows 7. Apple has focused more on bashing Windows 7 (and the faults of its predecessors) rather than focus on the main strengths of the OS X platform. Microsoft, on the other hand, has created positive ads which tout the new features in Windows 7. It appears that Microsoft’s positive route — along with relatively positive reviews —...

My thanks to @girlygeekdom on Twitter for highlighting what must be the most surreal Internet marketing plan ever - British girl band the Sugababes are being used to promote Windows 7. There is a website called 'sugababeslovewindows7' to announce it. I'm as flummoxed as anyone by this. Let's take to one side the fact that I'm a 44 year old man and not at all in the Sugababes' market - what exactly is this trying to say about the brand? That it's easy to use? OK, check - but surely it's no longer acceptable to dismiss young females as incapable...

A number of complaints are swirling around the Internet today about issues with Apple's new Core i7-based iMacs -- among them, reports of units showing up dead on arrival or even with cracked screens. New iMac users are reporting that their unit chimes as it should when the power button is pressed, but the display is blank and nothing else happens. Adding insult to injury, these customers are discovering that after returning their dead units, they face a lengthy wait of up to two weeks for a replacement. Apple's discussion support forum is filling up with such complaints according to...

The National Security Agency has been working with Microsoft Corp. to help improve security measures for its new Windows 7 operating system, a senior NSA official said on Tuesday. The confirmation of the NSA's role, which began during the development of the software, is a sign of the agency's deepening involvement with the private sector when it comes to building defenses against cyberattacks. "Working in partnership with Microsoft and (the Department of Defense), NSA leveraged our unique expertise and operational knowledge of system threats and vulnerabilities to enhance Microsoft's operating system security guide without constraining the user's ability to perform...

A Microsoft executive was quoted in an interview as saying "what we've tried to do with Windows 7...is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics". The comments, by partner group manager Simon Aldous, appeared in UK computing trade magazine PCR. Microsoft countered that Mr Aldous was not involved with the development of Windows 7. Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc said in a blog that Mr Aldous's comments were "inaccurate and uninformed". Suggestions that Microsoft has borrowed technology ideas has been rife for as long as the Windows and Mac operating systems have been around.

I have purchased Windows 7, and have downloaded it. I now have the file Win7-HP-Retail-en-us-x86. on my desktop. I would like to do a custom install (i.e. wipe out everything on the disk and reinstall software), not an upgrade. Therefore: - MUST I copy this win7 application to a CD or DVD? I'm thinking I should, because if I don't, won't the installation of Windows 7 wipe out the Windows installation file itself? - If I do have to burn a CD or DVD with this Win7 file, must I make it bootable? I need the computer to boot off...

Behind the taskbarComment Much better than Vista, and the best Windows yet. That seems to be the consensus view on Windows 7, and after two and a half months with the final build, I more or less agree - despite the niggling voice that says behind the new taskbar it is not really so different from Windows Vista. Nevertheless, Windows 7 on its launch today is a better experience than Windows Vista was when released in early 2007, thanks to a UI polish, faster hardware, better drivers, and new features that users actually enjoy - Taskbar, Libraries, Aero Peek -...

The brand new 27" iMac is suffering from major problems with video graphics while Windows 7 operating on the same machines is working fine. According to Apple bulletin boards, users started to notice that their Macs' pretty screens were running movies in browsers that were choppier than the North Sea in winter. With no help from Apple, Mac Fans have been trying to piece together what could be causing such a kerfuffle. Initially the thought was that it was probably some cheap Chinese component which was failing or overheating. However when Windows 7 appeared on the scene and users started...

Now that we in the northern hemisphere have had some time to digest the Windows 7 hype and settle in for the coming winter, we thought we would get some more hard data regarding Windows 7 security. On October 22nd, we settled in at SophosLabs and loaded a full release copy of Windows 7 on a clean machine. We configured it to follow the system defaults for User Account Control (UAC) and did not load any anti-virus software.We grabbed the next 10 unique samples that arrived in the SophosLabs feed to see how well the newer, more secure version of...