Windows XP 64-bit Edition

Windows XP 64-bit Edition

Microsoft Windows XP 64-bit Edition is a version of Microsoft's Windows XP operating system designed to run on Intel Itanium family of microprocessors in their native IA-64 mode. It should not be confused with Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, which is designed for x86-64 processors. As of July 2005, Windows XP 64-bit Edition is no longer supported.

Two versions of Windows XP 64-bit Edition were released:

* Windows XP 64-bit Edition for Itanium systems, Version 2002 — Based on Windows XP codebase, which was released in 2001
* Windows XP 64-bit Edition, Version 2003 — Based on Windows Server 2003 codebase, which added support for the Itanium 2 processor, was released on March 28, 2003. [1]

Windows XP 64-bit Edition wasn't marketed as the Itanium version one of Microsoft's other Windows XP editions ('Home', 'Professional', 'Media Center' or 'Tablet PC') but was a separate edition made solely for the Itanium processor and its 64-bit instructions. However it was mostly analogous to Windows XP Professional, but with some limitations:

* The original version lacks most media applications such as Windows Media Player, NetMeeting, Windows Movie Maker, and integrated CD burning, although WMP and NetMeeting were added in the 2003 version.
* Numerous old technologies such as DAO, Jet database were removed; most notably NTVDM and Windows on Windows are no longer present so support for MS-DOS and Win16 applications is absent.

However, unlike previous alternate architecture ports of Windows (Windows NT 4.0 for PowerPC, MIPS R4x00, and Alpha) Windows XP 64-bit Edition could run standard x86 32-bit applications through its WOW64 (Windows on Windows) emulation layer. While the original Itanium processor contains an on-chip IA-32 decoder, it was deemed far too slow for serious use (running at about 400 MHz), so Microsoft and Intel wrote a software 32 to 64 bit translator dubbed the IA-32 Execution Layer. It allows real time translation of x86 32-bit instructions into IA-64 instructions, allowing 32-bit applications to run (albeit significantly more slowly than native code).

Quick Fixes for Five Nasty Vista Problems

Quick Fixes for Five Nasty Vista Problems

Six weeks later, the flaws are floating to the top.

Windows Vista's now a month and a half old, and most of the early adopters have formulated opinions: Some love it, some hate it, some just sort of think it's okay. Most of us at ExtremeTech fall between the first and third camps—it's nifty, but nothing revolutionary. One thing's for sure, though: message boards and blogs all over the Web are alight with reports of incompatibilities, bugs and nags.

A great deal of the problems we've encountered aren't really fixable. It's more a matter of finding a workaround or waiting for a patch or a driver, either from Microsoft, a hardware company, a game developer, or some other third party. No surprise there—Vista is a new operating system and glitches in core code, feature code and driver code are to be expected.

After spending a few hours surfing around, we pinpointed five rather prominent problems that actually have solutions, or that aren't really problems at all. Want to get your AMD Cool & Quiet drivers to load? Care to prevent your iPod hard drive from going corrupt with a few clicks of the mouse? Having trouble installing Adobe Reader? Read onOne of the most common gripes we've seen in message boards all around the Internet involve users not being able to install AMD's Cool & Quiet drivers on Windows Vista, and therefore not getting the power saving effect. AMD's driver Web pages only contain C&Q drivers for Windows XP.

C&Q has been around for a few generations of AMD processors and, provided the chip is installed on a compatible motherboard, it regulates the CPU's multiplier and voltage to go into low power states when the full processor power isn't needed. Since most motherboards contain intelligent circuitry for their CPU fans, the fan will usually slow down when the CPU isn't running hot enough to require full cooling force.

Why isn't there an easy-to-find Vista driver for C&Q features? Simple—it's built in! Windows Vista contains full support for C&Q from the onset, and it even gives you a bit of control over how it runs the CPU.

Go to Control Panel, click System, and click Power Options. Pick a plan, any plan, and click Change Plan Settings—for instance, beneath High Performance, click the blue text. The first page you see shows you how the computer will behave when plugged in and when on battery power; click Change Advanced Power Settings. A dialog box will appear.

Scroll down in the list box until you see Processor Power Management, and click the little + next to it. Now, you can set the minimum and maximum power states for the CPU while on battery, and while plugged in. You set a range, in percentage of the CPU's maximum power, for the processor to adhere to. For instance, in Power Saver mode you might set the minimums to 1 percent and max to 50 percent to save battery life; in High Performance mode you might force the CPU to run at 100 percent across the board for pure gaming muscle. The operating system will throttle the CPU as needed, staying between the power points you specifyVPN DOA
If you're working as a telecommuter or from a remote location via a VPN, you should probably let your company's IT department decide whether or not you should upgrade to Windows Vista. It's likely a bad idea to do it yourself, especially on company equipment, without IT's blessing.

In any case, Windows Vista has a known problem with its VPN system that sometimes prevents users from connecting. After an upgrade, or even after a clean installation, you might set up the VPN exactly as you're supposed to, with all the correct information, and still not get through. It's not your fault.

You may have switched from a wired network to another wired or wireless connection before the VPN failure. If that's the case, Microsoft issued an update to solve the problem. You can get it through Windows Update as well as via that link.

Even if you didn't experience the VPN failure after switching network connections, try this update if you're having VPN problems

How to obtain the latest Office XP service pack

How to obtain the latest Office XP service pack

SUMMARY
This article describes how to obtain the latest Microsoft Office XP service pack.


INTRODUCTION
Office XP service packs provide the latest updates to Office XP. Service packs contain security enhancements and improvements in stability and performance. Additionally, service packs include fixes that have been released previously in separate updates.

This article describes the methods that you can use to obtain the latest Office XP service pack.

MORE INFORMATION
Methods for obtaining the latest Office XP service pack
This following is a list of methods that you can use to obtain the latest Office XP service pack:
• Microsoft Update (recommended) or Office Update
• Microsoft Download Center
• CD-ROM


How to obtain the latest Office XP service pack from Microsoft Update (recommended) or from Office Update
We recommend the following methods if you have access to the Internet on the computer that you want to update. The Microsoft Update and the Office Update Web sites prompt you to automatically install the appropriate Office XP service pack for the computer.
• Microsoft Update (recommended)

To obtain the latest Office XP service pack from Microsoft Office Update, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate (http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate)
Note If you experience issues when you install the latest Office XP service pack from Microsoft Office Update, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/troubleshoot.aspx (http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate/v6/troubleshoot.aspx)
• Office Update

To obtain the latest Office XP service pack from Office Update, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/downloads/FX101321101033.aspx (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/downloads/FX101321101033.aspx)
Note If you experience issues when you install the latest Office XP service pack from Microsoft Update, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
304498 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304498/) How to troubleshoot failures updating your Office installation from the Office Update Web site

How to obtain the latest Office XP service pack from the Microsoft Download Center
We recommend this method when you want to download the service pack but not install it immediately. Use this method when you want to download the service pack and then transfer the service pack to a computer that is not connected to the Intranet or to a computer that has a show Internet connection.
• Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) - Release date: March 9, 2004

To obtain Office XP SP3, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=85af7bfd-6f69-4289-8bd1-eb966bcdfb5e&DisplayLang=en (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=85af7bfd-6f69-4289-8bd1-eb966bcdfb5e&DisplayLang=en)
• Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) - Release date: August 20, 2002

To obtain Office XP SP2, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1a8ce553-ab76-4a63-99da-b4ed914c1514&DisplayLang=en (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1a8ce553-ab76-4a63-99da-b4ed914c1514&DisplayLang=en)
• Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 1 (SP1) - Release date: December 13, 2001

To obtain Office XP SP1, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d4d8a9a4-31fc-480b-9cd9-adccb6997ce3&DisplayLang=en (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=d4d8a9a4-31fc-480b-9cd9-adccb6997ce3&DisplayLang=en)


How to obtain the latest Office XP service pack on a CD-ROM
To obtain the latest Office XP service pack on a CD-ROM, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/orkarchive/oxpsp3cd.htm (http://www.microsoft.com/office/orkarchive/oxpsp3cd.htm)


How to obtain more information about the latest Office XP service pack
The following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles describe how to obtain a list of issues that are fixed by the latest Office XP service pack. Additionally, the articles contain information about the known issues with the latest Office XP service pack.
• Office XP SP3 - Release date: March 9, 2004 For more information about Office XP SP3, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
832671 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/832671/) Description of Microsoft Office XP Service Pack 3
• Office XP SP2 - Release date: August 20, 2002 For more information about Office XP SP2, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
325671 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/325671/) Description of Office XP Service Pack 2 (S)
• Office XP SP1 - Release date: December 13, 2001 For more information about Office XP SP1, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
307843 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307843/) Description of the Office XP Service Pack 1

Open Software Foundation

Open Software Foundation

Open Software Foundation (OSF) was an organization founded in 1988 to create an open standard for an implementation of the Unix operating system.[1] The organization was first proposed by Armando Stettner of Digital Equipment Corporation at a by-invitation-only meeting hosted by DEC for several UNIX vendors (called the Hamilton Group) to be an organization for joint development, mostly in response to the threat of the unilateral 'merged UNIX' efforts by AT&T and Sun Microsystems. The foundation's original members were Apollo Computer, Groupe Bull, Digital Equipment Corporation, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Nixdorf Computer, and Siemens AG, sometimes called the "Gang of Seven". Later members included Philips and Hitachi.

The founding of the organization was largely seen as a response to the collaboration between AT&T and Sun Microsystems on UNIX System V Release 4, and a fear that other vendors would be locked out of the standardization process. This led Scott McNealy of Sun to quip that "OSF" really stood for "Oppose Sun Forever." The competition between the opposing versions of Unix became known as the Unix wars. AT&T founded the UNIX International (UI) organization later that year as a counter-response to the OSF.

OSF's standard Unix implementation was known as OSF/1 and was first released in 1992.[2] For the most part, it was a failure; by the time OSF stopped development of OSF/1 in 1994, the only vendor using OSF/1 was Digital, which rebranded it Digital UNIX (later known as Tru64 UNIX after Digital's acquisition by Compaq).

Other well-known technologies developed by OSF include Motif and DCE, respectively a widget toolkit and package of distributed network computing technologies.

By 1993, it had become clear that the greater threat to Unix vendors was not each other as much as the increasing presence of Microsoft in enterprise computing. In May, the COSE initiative was announced by the major players in the Unix world from both the UI and OSF camps: Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Sun, Unix System Laboratories, and the Santa Cruz Operation. As part of this agreement, Sun became an OSF member, and OSF submitted Motif to the X/Open Consortium for certification and branding.

In March 1994, OSF and UI merged into a new organization, retaining the OSF name and incorporating COSE's development model into its new Pre-Structured Technology (PST) process.[3] It also assumed responsibility for future work on the COSE initiative's Common Desktop Environment (CDE). In September 1995, the merger of OSF/Motif and CDE into a single project, CDE/Motif, was announced.[4]

In February 1996 the new OSF merged with X/Open to become The Open Group.

Despite the similarity in name and the fact that both groups were based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, there was never any connection between OSF and the Free Software Foundation

Basic Microsoft Windows XP troubleshooting

Basic Microsoft Windows XP troubleshooting

Issue:

Basic Microsoft Windows XP troubleshooting.
Additional information:

This document has been created as a location of general steps that can be taken to help you with problems you may be experiencing with Microsoft Windows XP that are either general problems and/or problems not documented elsewhere in the Computer Hope database.

Below are some reasons why a user may follow the steps in this document.

1. Unknown or undocumented problem with computer running Microsoft Windows XP.
2. Performance issues with the computer, for example, the computer running slowly.
3. Users who wish to run maintenance on the computer or potentially speed up the computer.
4. Users looking for steps to help resolve an issue or that may help locate the cause of an issue.

Users may find explicit documented questions and answers on our Windows XP Q&A page. Additional information about Windows XP can also be found on our Windows XP main page.

Solutions:

Error messages encountered during boot before Windows loads

Before following the below steps please make sure that the error you are encountering is not already documented on Computer Hope by performing a quick search for the error and by looking through our Windows XP Q&A page.

1. Ensure that your computer BIOS settings are correctly configured to the hardware that is installed in your computer. Improper settings in the BIOS may cause various types of errors when first booting an IBM compatible computer. These errors often occur as the computer is first booting and may stop the load process of the computer.

Error messages while Windows is loading

Errors that occur while Windows XP is loading and/or or prevent Windows XP from loading are likely being caused by a configuration error in the registry.

1. If you have recently changed or installed something that could have caused Normal Windows to stop loading, try loading the last known good configuration. Additional information about how to do this can be found on document CH000627.
2. If you are unable to get into Normal Windows and believe that removing or uninstalling a program or changing a setting may help enable you to get into Windows, boot the computer into Windows XP Safe Mode. Additional information about Safe Mode can be found on document CHSAFE.
3. If your computer has worked fine in the past but recently has been experiencing the issue you're encountering, run the System Restore option to restore the computer to an earlier date. Information about how to do this can be found on document CH000589.

Other error messages that occur while Windows is loading or after Windows is loaded

Errors that have occurred while Windows is loading and/or after Windows has completed loading are often caused by a program that is automatically loading each time Windows is loading, problem or misconfiguration of a hardware device, or computer virus.

1. If errors occur but Microsoft Windows still loads, verify no issues or conflicts exist in Device Manager. If errors are found, read through our Device Manager page for steps on resolving issues.
2. Ensure that if programs are loading automatically that these errors are not associated with these programs. Many times utilities such as virus programs may attempt to load when Windows first starts and cause errors to occur. If you believe that your startup errors are associated with another program, please refer to our basic software troubleshooting.
3. Make sure Windows XP is up to date by checking Microsoft Windows update page. Additional information about updating Microsoft Windows can be found on document CH000545.
4. If your computer has a virus protection program installed, make sure it is up to date and that no viruses are being detected. If your computer does not have a virus protection program, you may wish to consider installing a program to make sure no viruses are causing your problems. Information about updating your antivirus program can be found on document CH000533 and information about what antivirus programs are available can be found on document CH000514.
5. If your computer has worked fine in the past but recently has been experiencing the issue you're encountering, run the System Restore option to restore the computer to an earlier date. Information about how to do this can be found on document CH000589.

Other error messages

If you are experiencing other error messages, it is likely these errors are being caused by the software program you are running and/or a hardware device you are attempting to utilize. It is recommended you see the basic troubleshooting section for your hardware device or software program.

Computer running slowly

1. Make sure your computer has at least 500MB of free hard disk drive space. If your computer has less than 500MB free, it may cause the computer to operate more slowly. Additional information about regaining hard disk drive space can be found on document CH000528.
2. Run Microsoft Scandisk and Defrag on the computer. Additional information and help with these commands can be found on our scandisk page and our defrag page.
3. Close any programs that are running in the background and/or disable background programs from automatically loading each time your computer boots. Information about doing this can be found in document CHTSR.
4. Click Start, Search, and click For Files or Folders. In the search window, search for files named *.tmp and make sure you are searching or looking in the local C: drive. Once search has completed, delete any files found.
5. Ensure that no errors or conflicts exist in the Device Manager.
6. Make sure Windows XP is up to date by checking Microsoft Windows update page. Additional information about updating Microsoft Windows can be found on document CH000545.
7. Ensure your computer has the latest drivers for the hardware devices installed in your computer. See document CH000546 for additional information on what drivers should be updated on your computer.
8. If your computer has a virus protection program installed, make sure it is up to date and that no viruses are being detected. If your computer does not have a virus protection program, you may wish to consider installing a program to make sure no viruses are causing your problems. Information about updating your antivirus program can be found on document CH000533 and information about what antivirus programs are available can be found on document CH000514.
9. If your computer has worked fine in the past but recently has been experiencing the issue you're encountering, run the System Restore option to restore the computer to an earlier date. Information about how to do this can be found on document CH000589.

Issue with hardware device

If you are having difficulties with a hardware device, please see our basic troubleshooting section for steps that can be taken to help resolve your hardware issues.

Other

If you are still running into errors or unable to resolve your issue, please search our web page, check our on-line help section, and check our Q&A section for additional help and/or recommendations. If after checking these locations you are still unable to resolve your issue, feel free to contact our support team.

Posted by All Books Information at 8:23 AM

Basic network troubleshooting.

Basic network troubleshooting.

Issue:

Basic network troubleshooting.
Cause:

If a computer is unable to connect to a network or see other computers on a network, it may be necessary to troubleshoot the network. A network may not work because of any of the below reasons.

1. Network card not connected properly.
2. Bad network card drivers or software settings.
3. Firewall preventing computers from seeing each other.
4. Connection related issues.
5. Bad network hardware.

Solution:

Because of the large variety of network configurations, operating systems, setup, etc… not all of the below information may apply to your network or operating system. If your computer is connected to a company or large network, or you are not the administrator of the network, it is recommended that if you are unable to resolve your issues after following the below recommendations that you contact the network administrator or company representative.

Note: If you are being prompted for a Network password and do not know the password, Computer Hope is unable to assist users with obtaining a new or finding out the old password.
Verify connections / LEDs

Verify that the network cable is properly connected to the back of the computer. In addition, when checking the connection of the network cable, ensure that the LEDs on the network are properly illuminated. For example, a network card with a solid green LED or light usually indicates that the card is either connected or receiving a signal. Note: generally, when the green light is flashing, this is an indication of data being sent or received.

If, however, the card does not have any lights or has orange or red lights, it is possible that either the card is bad, the card is not connected properly, or that the card is not receiving a signal from the network.

If you are on a small or local network and have the capability of checking a hub or switch, verify that the cables are properly connected and that the hub or switch has power.

Adapter resources

Ensure that if this is a new network card being installed into the computer that the card’s resources are properly set and/or are not conflicting with any hardware in the computer.

Users who are using Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000 or XP, verify that Device Manager has no conflicts or errors. Additional help and information about Device Manager and resources can be found on our Device Manager page.

Adapter functionality

Verify that the network card is capable of pinging or seeing itself by using the ping command. Windows / MS-DOS users ping the computer from a MS-DOS prompt. Unix / Linux variant users ping the computer from the shell.

To ping the card or the localhost, type either

ping 127.0.0.1

or

ping localhost

This should show a listing of replies from the network card. If you receive an error or if the transmission failed, it is likely that either the network card is not physically installed into the computer correctly, or that the card is bad.

Protocol

Verify that the correct protocols are installed on the computer. Most networks today will utilize TCP/IP, but may also utilize or require IPX/SPX and NetBEUI.

Additional information and help with installing and reinstalling a network protocol can be found on document CH000470.

When the TCP/IP protocol is installed, unless a DNS server or other computer assigns the IPX address, the user must specify an IP address as well as a Subnet Mask. To do this, follow the below instructions.

1.

Click Start / Settings / Control Panel
2.

Double-click the Network icon
3.

Within the configuration tab double-click the TCP/IP protocol icon. Note: Do not click on the PPP or Dial-Up adapter, click on the network card adapter.
4.

In the TCP/IP properties click the IP address tab
5.

Select the option to specify an IP address
6.

Enter the IP address and Subnet Mask address, an example of such an address could be:

IP Address: 102.55.92.1
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.192

7.

When specifying these values, the computers on the network must all have the same Subnet Mask and have a different IP Address. For example, when using the above values on one computer you would want to use an IP address of 102.55.92.2 on another computer and then specify the same Subnet Mask.

Firewall

If your computer network utilizes a firewall, ensure that all ports required are open. If possible, close the firewall software program or disconnect the computer from the firewall to ensure it is not causing the problem.

Additional time

In some cases it may take a computer some additional time to detect or see the network. If after booting the computer you are unable to see the network, give the computer 2-3 minutes to detect the network. Windows users may also want to try pressing the F5 (refresh) key when in Network Neighborhood to refresh the network connections and possibly detect the network.

Additional troubleshooting

If after following or verifying the above recommendations you are still unable to connect or see the network, attempt one or more of the below recommendations.

If you have installed or are using TCP/IP as your protocol you can attempt to ping another computer’s IP address to verify if the computer is able to send and receive data. To do this, Windows or MS-DOS users must be at a prompt and Linux / Unix variant users must open or be at a shell.

Once at the prompt assuming, that the address of the computer you wish to attempt to ping is 102.55.92.2, you would type:

ping 102.55.92.2

If you receive a response back from this address (and it is a different computer), this demonstrates that the computer is communicating over the network. If you are still unable to connect or see the network, it is possible that other issues may be present.

Another method of determining network issues is to use the tracert command if you are a MS-DOS or Windows user or the traceroute command if you are a Linux / Unix variant user. To use this command you must be at the command prompt or shell.

Once at the prompt, assuming that the address is again 102.55.92.2, type:

tracert 102.55.92.2

or

traceroute 102.55.92.2

This should begin listing the hops between the computer and network devices. When the connection fails, determine which device is causing the issue by reviewing the traceroute listing.

Write disk file to raw floppy diskette

Write disk file to raw floppy diskette

Enter disk image source file name: bd030112.bin
Enter target diskette drive: a



Remaining Update Soon Keep watch !!!

Disable Error Reporting

Disable Error Reporting 1. Open Control Panel 2. Click on Performance and Maintenance. 3. Click on System. 4. Then click on the Advanced tab 5. Click on the error-reporting button on the bottom of the windows. 6. Select Disable error reporting. 7. Click OK 8. Click OK

Win XP Won’t Completely Shutdown

Win XP Won’t Completely Shutdown


- Goto Control Panel, then goto Power Options.
- Click on the APM Tab, then check the "Enable Advanced Power Management support."
- Shut down your PC. It should now successfully complete the Shut Down process.

Remove Shared Documents

Remove Shared Documents


Open Regedit(Start- Run- Regedit) and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SOFTWARE Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion Explorer My Computer NameSpace DelegateFolders

There will see a sub-key named {59031a47-3f72-44a7-89c5-5595fe6b30ee}. By Deleting this you can remove the 'Other Files stored on This Computer' group.

Force users to press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to Logon

Force users to press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to Logon


(XPPro only)

Go to start/run,

and type control userpasswords2

How to Convert FAT to NTFS file system

How to Convert FAT to NTFS file system

To convert a FAT partition to NTFS, perform the following steps.

Click Start, click Programs, and then click Command Prompt.

In Windows XP, click Start, click Run, type cmd and then click OK.

At the command prompt, type CONVERT [driveletter]: /FS:NTFS.

Convert.exe will attempt to convert the partition to NTFS.

NOTE: Although the chance of corruption or data loss during the conversion from FAT to NTFS is minimal, it is best to perform a full backup of the data on the drive that it is to be converted prior to executing the convert command. It is also recommended to verify the integrity of the backup before proceeding, as well as to run RDISK and update the emergency repair disk (ERD).

Windows Update's silent patches

Microsoft updates Windows without users' consent By Scott Dunn

Microsoft has begun patching files on Windows XP and Vista without users' knowledge, even when the users have turned off auto-updates.

Many companies require testing of patches before they are widely installed, and businesses in this situation are objecting to the stealth patching.


Files changed with no notice to users

In recent days, Windows Update (WU) started altering files on users' systems without displaying any dialog box to request permission. The only files that have been reportedly altered to date are nine small executables on XP and nine on Vista that are used by WU itself. Microsoft is patching these files silently, even if auto-updates have been disabled on a particular PC.

It's surprising that these files can be changed without the user's knowledge. The Automatic Updates dialog box in the Control Panel can be set to prevent updates from being installed automatically. However, with Microsoft's latest stealth move, updates to the WU executables seem to be installed regardless of the settings — without notifying users.

When users launch Windows Update, Microsoft's online service can check the version of its executables on the PC and update them if necessary. What's unusual is that people are reporting changes in these files although WU wasn't authorized to install anything.

This isn't the first time Microsoft has pushed updates out to users who prefer to test and install their updates manually. Not long ago, another Windows component, svchost.exe, was causing problems with Windows Update, as last reported on June 21 in the Windows Secrets Newsletter. In that case, however, the Windows Update site notified users that updated software had to be installed before the patching process could proceed. This time, such a notice never appears.

For users who elect not to have updates installed automatically, the issue of consent is crucial. Microsoft has apparently decided, however, that it doesn't need permission to patch Windows Updates files, even if you've set your preferences to require it.

Microsoft provides no tech information — yet

To make matters even stranger, a search on Microsoft's Web site reveals no information at all on the stealth updates. Let's say you wished to voluntarily download and install the new WU executable files when you were, for example, reinstalling a system. You'd be hard-pressed to find the updated files in order to download them. At this writing, you either get a stealth install or nothing.

A few Web forums have already started to discuss the updated files, which bear the version number 7.0.6000.381. The only explanation found at Microsoft's site comes from a user identified as Dean-Dean on a Microsoft Communities forum. In reply to a question, he states:

"Windows Update Software 7.0.6000.381 is an update to Windows Update itself. It is an update for both Windows XP and Windows Vista. Unless the update is installed, Windows Update won't work, at least in terms of searching for further updates. Normal use of Windows Update, in other words, is blocked until this update is installed."

Windows Secrets contributing editor Susan Bradley contacted Microsoft Partner Support about the update and received this short reply:


"7.0.6000.381 is a consumer only release that addresses some specific issues found after .374 was released. It will not be available via WSUS [Windows Server Update Services]. A standalone installer and the redist will be available soon, I will keep an eye on it and notify you when it is available."

Unfortunately, this reply does not explain why the stealth patching began with so little information provided to customers. Nor does it provide any details on the "specific issues" that the update supposedly addresses.

System logs confirm stealth installs

In his forum post, Dean-Dean names several files that are changed on XP and Vista. The patching process updates several Windows\System32 executables (with the extensions .exe, .dll, and .cpl) to version 7.0.6000.381, according to the post.

In Vista, the following files are updated:

1. wuapi.dll
2. wuapp.exe
3. wuauclt.exe
4. wuaueng.dll
5. wucltux.dll
6. wudriver.dll
7. wups.dll
8. wups2.dll
9. wuwebv.dll

In XP, the following files are updated:

1. cdm.dll
2. wuapi.dll
3. wuauclt.exe
4. wuaucpl.cpl
5. wuaueng.dll
6. wucltui.dll
7. wups.dll
8. wups2.dll
9. wuweb.dll

These files are by no means viruses, and Microsoft appears to have no malicious intent in patching them. However, writing files to a user's PC without notice (when auto-updating has been turned off) is behavior that's usually associated with hacker Web sites. The question being raised in discussion forums is, "Why is Microsoft operating in this way?"

How to check which version your PC has

If a system has been patched in the past few months, the nine executables in Windows\System32 will either show an earlier version number, 7.0.6000.374, or the stealth patch: 7.0.6000.381. (The version numbers can be seen by right-clicking a file and choosing Properties. In XP, click the Version tab and then select File Version. In Vista, click the Details tab.)

In addition, PCs that received the update will have new executables in subfolders named 7.0.6000.381 under the following folders:

c:\Windows\System32\SoftwareDistribution\Setup\ServiceStartup\wups.dll
c:\Windows\System32\SoftwareDistribution\Setup\ServiceStartup\wups2.dll

Users can also verify whether patching occurred by checking Windows' Event Log:

Step 1. In XP, click Start, Run.

Step 2. Type eventvwr.msc and press Enter.

Step 3. In the tree pane on the left, select System.

Step 4. The right pane displays events and several details about them. Event types such as "Installation" are labeled in the Category column. "Windows Update Agent" is the event typically listed in the Source column for system patches.

On systems that were checked recently by Windows Secrets readers, the Event Log shows two installation events on Aug. 24. The files were stealth-updated in the early morning hours. (The time stamp will vary, of course, on machines that received the patch on other dates.)

To investigate further, you can open the Event Log's properties for each event. Normally, when a Windows update event occurs, the properties dialog box shows an associated KB number, enabling you to find more information at Microsoft's Web site. Mysteriously, no KB number is given for the WU updates that began in August. The description merely reads, "Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Automatic Updates."

No need to roll back the updated files

Again, it's important to note that there's nothing harmful about the updated files themselves. There are no reports of software conflicts and no reason to remove the files (which WU apparently needs in order to access the latest patches). The only concern is the mechanism Microsoft is using to perform its patching, and how this mechanism might be used by the software giant in the future.
http://WindowsSecrets.com/comp/070913

BEFORE you go VISTA, READ THIS from Microsoft!

Please read this important information before proceeding


• System requirements
View system requirements and information on Windows Vista Capable and Premium Ready PCs.

• Release notes
View the release notes for Windows Vista RC1 (available in English only).

• Upgrade limitations
You may not be able to upgrade your installation of Windows Vista RC1 to the final, commercially available edition of Windows Vista. To upgrade, you will need to acquire the final edition of Windows Vista and you may have to do a clean installation.

• Time-limited software
Windows Vista RC1 is time-limited, pre-release software that will expire on June 1, 2007.

• Beta support policy
This is pre-release (beta) software distributed for trial and testing purposes only.
Microsoft does not provide technical support for beta releases.

Although formal support is not offered for this beta, we have provided newsgroups to help answer questions you may have related to the installation and use of Windows Vista RC1.
To join or read postings in these newsgroups, please visit
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com.

• 2007 Office System Beta 2 compatibility
If you are using 2007 Office system Beta 2 be sure to download the 2007 Microsoft Office system Beta 2 Technical Refresh, the most recent update. (The Technical Refresh is required to use Office Beta 2 with Windows Vista RC1.)


• Installation limitations
There are three installation scenarios for Windows Vista RC1:

1. You can do a clean installation.

This process will overwrite any data that you have on your hard disk or on your installation partition. The overwritten data will be lost and unrecoverable.

2. You can upgrade an existing installation of Windows XP.


3. You can upgrade an existing installation of Windows Vista Beta 2.

No other installation scenarios are supported.

Upgrading to this beta from any other edition of Windows requires a clean installation, as described in option 1.

In addition, once you install Windows Vista RC1, you cannot roll back to the previous operating system installation—you will either have to acquire and install the final released edition of Windows Vista or reinstall a previous edition of Windows.

Before installing Windows Vista RC1 on any computer, please remember to back up all your files.

Upgrading from Windows Vista Beta 2
Please install any Critical Updates from Windows Update before upgrading from Beta 2 to RC1.
Go to Start, All Programs, Windows Update, and click the "Check for Updates" button.
Note: Please close any open applications before beginning an upgrade. During installation, we recommend that you have an active Internet connection and choose Go online to get the latest updates for installation.

start up problem

start up problem
"instruction at 0x00000000 reference memory at 0x00000000 memory could not be readed". click ok to terminate or cancel pop up message showing every time when the system boots.

Solution:


Is any Dump of Memory
Goto Start----> Right click on My Computer ---> Properties----->Advanced--->Performance--->Advanced--->Virtual Memory
---->change value to 756 MB or 1024MB
then Set and click OK ..RESTART THE COMPUTER....