Microsoft has released a new version of Windows Installer. It is responsible for managing application installation and configuration.

There are many changes implemented in this new version. However, most of them are targeted for software developers or IT management. All users will need to install it to take advantage of the new features.

This versions does not configure the Windows Installer service to run in safe mode. I don’t know why Microsoft does this as it is needed to uninstall programs that use Windows Installer in safe mode. You can enable it in safe mode using VistaTweaker.

You can install it over any version you have because it will update it to 4.5 automatically. Just be sure to download the correct version for your Windows installation.

Download

Windows Vista bootloader can only be modified using bcdedit.exe or for short, BCD (Boot Configuration Data) along with commands and parameters. Microsoft made this changes to allow more possibilities of configuration and to be prepared for future technologies.

This is challenging for average users that just want to add an entry for another operative system or to choose which of them to boot first.

EasyBCD is a great application that lets you manage the bootloader entries with easy to understand options. It has entries for Windows XP or earlier versions, Mac OS X and Linux.

It has a backup feature in case you want to restore the default values. Also, it can look for errors and enable debug mode, a feature that lets you see what is actually happening at boot time.

If you have more than one operative system (this is known as Dual-boot or Multi-boot), or want to install another one along with your current installation of Vista, EasyBCD can help you add or manage this entries with ease.

Here is a FAQ from Microsoft about BCD.

Website EasyBCD Documentation

Microsoft has published a demo of the Multi-touch feature of Windows 7.

It looks great but i think that it will be best suited for kiosks or PDA’s. I can’t imagine myself or other home users using this everyday.

However, it is interesting because this can be added to new Windows Mobile releases or products such as Tablet PC’s or cellphones.

Video: Multi-Touch in Windows 7

Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 SP1 now supports Windows Vista SP1, Windows XP SP3, among other new features. You can use it to run other operating systems without modifying your hard disks or current installation of Windows.

I use Virtual PC to test my unattended dvd’s of Vista and XP. Also, i have tried many Live CD’s and Linux distros using Parallels Workstation virtual machines, but there is no support for linux in Virtual PC 2007 yet. Hopefully Microsoft will add it in the future.

Here’s a description from Microsoft:

Virtual PC lets you create separate virtual machines on your Windows desktop, each of which virtualizes the hardware of a complete physical computer. Use virtual machines to run operating systems such as MS-DOS, Windows, and OS/2. You can run multiple operating systems at once on a single physical computer and switch between them as easily as switching applications—instantly, with a mouse click. Virtual PC is perfect for any scenario in which you need to support multiple operating systems, whether you use it for tech support, legacy application support, training, or just for consolidating physical computers.

You can even download virtual hard disks (VHD) from Microsoft to try them on Virtual PC 2007. As far as i remember, there are Windows Vista VHD, Office 2007 and Visual Studio 2008.

So, if you are among the people who haven’t tried Vista yet, now is the time to do so.

Check the system requirements to make sure you can run it.

Website Download

Unattended usage:
Grab the MSI installer from the temp folder and use
/qb /norestart

I have just read that HP is asking their customers to hold on the SP3 upgrade if they have AMD-based computers. One possible cause for the endless reboot problem is that many OEM’s, including HP, used disc images that were made for Intel-based systems in their AMD offerings.

Microsoft and OEM’s are working in a patch that will take care of this issue. Meanwhile, refer to my previous post about this to possible solutions.

Source: The Reg

Why is Microsoft (MSFT) so concerned about Google? (GOOG) Lots of reasons, one of which is this: By this time next year, Google’s search business will be larger and more profitable than the most profitable and legendary monopoly in history–Microsoft Windows. (Just Google’s search business–that doesn’t even include AdSense).

Before we go to the numbers, a few important observations.

• Both products are natural monopolies. Google’s share of the search market should continue to approach Microsoft’s share of the operating system market (90%+)
• Both products are wildly, fantastically profitable. Microsoft’s Windows business has operating margins of 75%-plus. So does Google’s search business (once you factor out the billions Google is spending on products that produce zero revenue).
• Google natural monopoly is growing a lot faster than Microsoft’s. Google’s search business should be bigger than Microsoft’s Windows business by early next year (at the latest). Google is also growing faster than Microsoft’s two monopolies combined–Windows and Office. Google has yet to develop a second huge, fantastically profitable monopoly–the Office equivalent–but AdSense is getting there.

Read the full article Source: Silicon Alley Insider

With Windows 7 likely to be complete in Q4 2009, Microsoft’s chairman Bill Gates hinted at what the company is planning for the next version of Windows last week.

In a speech at the Windows Digital Lifestyle Consortium (in Tokyo) last Wednesday, Gates hinted:

“We’re hard at work, I would say, on the next version, which we call Windows 7. I’m very excited about the work being done there. The ability to be lower power, take less memory, be more efficient, and have lots more connections up to the mobile phone, so those scenarios connect up well to make it a great platform for the best gaming that can be done, to connect up to the thing being done out on the Internet, so that, for example, if you have two personal computers, that your files automatically are synchronized between them, and so you don’t have a lot of work to move that data back and forth.”

Gates also mentioned Windows Live services and the fact the company has 400 million users connected to these services. Also mentioned was the fact that Gates sees “a major new version of Windows every two to three years”, noting that services that Windows connects up to would be updated on a regular basis.

Microsoft is currently in the middle of building Windows Live Mesh which plays on the idea of being able to sync data between multiple PCs and mobile phones.

Source: Neowin

A video has been posted in YouTube. It shows what appears to be a Windows 7 new features demonstration. Windows haters are already criticizing this features in many forums and blogs.

I can say that i’m impressed that, if this is true, Windows 7 will boost productivity a lot. The dual-pane explorer is a “long due” feature i have been asking for.

Also, the virtual drive and the new task manager caught my attention. All of this can be achieve now in Vista or XP just by installing some third party programs, as many people are saying.

But let me say that, when integrated in the operative system itself, the chance for bugs, crashes, unexpected behavior can be practically non-existent. And not to mention that the video shows that these features are integrated really nice.

I hope to hear or read about this a little more to confirm this is actually being done and not just a fake video. If it’s fake, well, it’s the best fake video i’ve seen so far.