News

• Opinion: Microsoft, instead of turning the lights off on XP, make it open source

  By Mark Gibbs | 13 April, 2012 05:34

  To state the obvious,, Microsoft is hugely important economically and culturally, and as Peter Parker (AKA Spiderman) was told by his grandfather: "With great power comes great responsibility." (Actually Voltaire said it first but he said it in French so that doesn't count.)

• Patch Tuesday: Microsoft to release 6 patches, 1 critical

  By Colin Neagle | 09 March, 2012 08:31

  Microsoft announced today that next week's Patch Tuesday will be the lightest of 2012, with six security bulletins and just one rated critical.

• Calif. woman sues Microsoft over XP downgrades -- again

  By Gregg Keizer | 31 December, 2010 10:12

  Rerun of lawsuit tossed by federal judge last February

• Windows Explorer explained: Easier file selection

  By Rick Broida | 04 December, 2010 02:29

  People who don't work with files on a regular basis have a devil of a time remembering the keyboard shortcut for selecting multiple files. (You hold down the Ctrl key while clicking each individual file.)

• Give Windows 7 (or XP) a Vista-like sidebar

  By Rick Broida | 16 October, 2010 05:55

  One of the things I miss about Windows Vista -- okay, the only thing I miss about Vista -- is the Sidebar. Much as I applaud Microsoft's decision to liberate its desktop gadgets, to make it so you can position them anywhere you like, did it have to be at the expense of the Sidebar itself?

• Microsoft to end support for Windows 2000, XP SP2 on July 13

  By J. Peter Bruzzese | 10 May, 2010 21:03

  Microsoft offers support for its products for five years and extended support for another five years. That time will soon be up for Windows 2000 (desktop and server) and Windows XP SP2: July 13 is the last day that extended support will be available.

• Microsoft survived Vista, says analyst

  By Gregg Keizer | 24 April, 2010 06:14

  Microsoft weathered the storm of Windows Vista, 2007's often-abused operating system, an analyst said today after reviewing the company latest earnings.

• Computer Troubleshooters: Windows 7 a good choice for SMBs

  By Matthew Sainsbury | 03 December, 2009 12:27

  Windows 7 seems to have eluded the bad taste Vista left and won customers over, according to a new survey.

• Microsoft issues security advisory on IE vulnerability

  By John Fontana | 25 November, 2009 03:23

  Microsoft Monday night issued a security advisory that provides customers with guidance and workarounds for dealing with a zero-day exploit aimed at Internet Explorer.

• DirectX 11 Now Available for Windows Vista

  By Jason Cross | 03 November, 2009 04:29

  Microsoft has long said, and we have reminded users, that DirectX 11 is not just a Windows 7 technology. The company promised that DirectX 11 will be available for Vista around the same time as the release of its latest and greatest operating system.

• A guide to Windows 7 security

  By Tony Bradley | 20 October, 2009 00:36

  Until now, Windows Vista was the most secure version of the Windows operating system.

• Programmer slip-up produces critical bug, Microsoft admits

  By Gregg Keizer | 17 October, 2009 04:18

  Microsoft acknowledged Thursday that one of the critical network vulnerabilities it patched earlier in the week was due to a programming error on its part.

• Windows 7 boots slower than Vista, says study

  By Gregg Keizer | 09 October, 2009 04:32

  Microsoft's new Windows 7 operating system boots slower than its unloved predecessor, Windows Vista, a PC tune-up developer said today.

• Ready for Windows 7? Here's how to deploy it right

  By J. Peter Bruzzese | 06 October, 2009 03:54

  Windows 7 is right around the corner. The official release date is Oct. 22, but some PC makers will ship it before then.

• How to Upgrade to Windows 7

  By Lincoln Spector | 02 October, 2009 00:18

  Upgrading your operating system is always fraught with problems and anxiety, and quite often with disaster. But by taking the right precautions, gathering the needed materials, and hoping for the best while preparing for the worst, you can upgrade your PC without losing functionality or gaining gray hairs. I'm here to tell you how.