Microsoft finally launches the online Vista Compatibility Center, this can be used to check whether the hardware or software products on your computer are compatible with the Windows Vista Operating System

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A report today on the Computerworld web site states that Microsoft will be making available Windows XP SP3 to most users on Thursday at 10 a.m. Pacific time through Windows Update.

Microsoft delayed the distribution of Windows XP SP3 because it found a compatibility bug between the operating system and the company’s Retail Management System point-of-sale software, but the Thursday 10 July date seems firm; it was included in the cumulative list of all updates available via Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), the server-side update tool many businesses use, as well as via the client-side Windows Update (WU) and Microsoft Update Web-based services.

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A few weeks ago I posted that users of Symantec’s security software had experienced problems after updating their computers to Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3), a bug emptied the Windows’ Device Driver, deleted network connections and created additional unneeded entries in the registry. Symantec released a free tool to clean up the Windows XP SP3 registry corruption, now Microsoft have issued a hot fix that should re-establish lost Internet and wireless connections.

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Hyper-V hypervisor, Microsoft’s latest virtualisation product is finally available, previously code-named ‘Viridian’, it was originally due to be launched in February this year as an integral part of the launch of Windows Server 2008.

Vendors claim virtualisation offers customers the ability to separate software from the underlying hardware, and are pushing it as a potential way of cutting costs.

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Microsoft has launched a new reliability and performance update for Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1).

A recent knowledge base article ID 952709 on the Microsoft Help and Support Site stated: “An update is available that will help improve the performance and reliability of Windows Vista”

“This update resolves issues that may affect some Windows Vista SP1-based computers. These issues have been reported by customers who use the Error Reporting service or Microsoft Customer Support

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I was reading yesterdays Financial Times and an article by Richard Waters about XP and Vista was of interest, in this Kevin Johnson, head of the Windows division at Microsoft had the following to say about a possible XP extension

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As you are no doubt aware by now the 30 June is the final day of Windows XP general availability from retailers and computer makers unless Microsoft changes its mind, which is at this stage unlikely.

Some of these computer makers will continue to sell PCs with factory installed XP licenses after the 30 June by taking advantage of Windows Vista’s downgrade rights.

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A recent survey by Sanford Bernstein & Co, a Wall Street investment bank, has found that the planned adoption of Windows Vista in small, medium, and large businesses has slipped substantially in the last year.

An excerpt from the report reads: “The Vista cycle looks likely to be materially less robust than indicated in our prior survey. A year of overwhelmingly bad publicity, along with opportunities for continued XP ‘downgrades’ or potentially skipping over Vista for Windows 7 look to have meaningfully eroded support for Vista and are likely to impair the product’s overall adoption.”

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