Jeff Alexander's Weblog

Feedback Needed from IT Pro’s

jeffa36 — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:48:21 GMT

Well it’s that time of year again. Another financial year has gone by and we are beginning to plan for the new year. Well to be honest we have been planning for some time now. But this time around I thought I would call out to the community to get your thoughts on a couple of areas myself and Deeps have been thinking about so that we can tailor events and content delivery that best meets your needs. So what I’ve done is setup some simple polls on Twitter using Polldaddy. Now some of you are not on Twitter so I thought i would post the links to the online polls so you have a chance to respond.

Question 1: Where do you get your technical Information on Microsoft products?

Link to Poll: http://poll.fm/11qya

Question 2: What type of content do you consume the most regarding Microsoft Products?

Link to Poll: http://poll.fm/11qyo

Question 3: What is the number one technical issue you worry about the most?

Link to Poll: http://poll.fm/11qz0

We really want to get your feedback because this will help us make sure that we target content to you that best meets your needs. The polls are very quick and have the option to put in your own answer if you don’t feel the options I put in best describe the question for you.

If you have a moment I would really appreciate hearing what you think and thanks if you have filled in the polls.

Technorati Tags: IT Pro's,Feedback,Poll

Jeffa

Windows 7 Success Stories from Microsoft Partners

jeffa36 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:25:10 GMT

I got details of this from a former colleague of mine; Paul Woods who is now working for Data #3 in Brisbane who are one of our certified Gold Partners. These guys are being proactive around Windows 7 Deployment and have even entered a video into a competition being run at our Worldwide Partner Conference being held this year in New Orleans. They are so keen that they are the only Aussie Partner to enter the competition. Check the video below to see what they have submitted.

Also you can check Data #3’s progress of their Windows 7 deployment at http://www.win7deployment.com/. It’s great to see a local Partner getting behind Windows 7 and deploying it early in their environment.

Technorati Tags: Windows 7 Deployment,Partners

Jeffa

TechEd Australia: Free Netbook on offer!

jeffa36 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:52:04 GMT

Yes the secret squirrel is out! As Nick and Long have already posted we are giving each paid delegates to TechEd Australia an HP 2140 Mini Notebook with Windows 7 pre-installed. Pretty cool eh? in my opinion this has to be the coolest and most useful thing we have ever done at TechEd. Yeah bags are nice but you can only use so many of them right? But a Netbook? Very cool indeed!! So what are the details of this machine?

Screen: 10.1”
Hard Drive: 160GB 5400 RPM
Memory: 2GB
Processor: Intel Atom 1.6GHZ N270
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate – You might have guessed that from the boxshot!

So my role in this process is to own the image that gets put on these 2300 machines. Yes I have final say on what we put on the Netbooks. Fun and scary all at the same time. My goal is to make sure delegates have a great experience during TechEd with the devices and be able to take some learning's back to their office around Windows 7 Deployment. After all this is a pretty good size deployment to gain some good insights.

So right now I’m in the early planning stages of working on the image and what’s going to be included. The good news is I’m working very hard to make sure the image is built with Windows 7 RTM code. Could be a bit of a challenge since we don’t know exactly when that will be. So in the early discussions with folks we are look at using the following technologies.

Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK)
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010
Deployment Image Service Management (DISM) – Part of Windows 7 by default
Windows Deployment Services in Windows Server 2008 R2

The idea is that delegates will open the laptop at TechEd when they receive it and the machine will go through a Lite Touch Deployment of Windows 7 and the applications we include plus give you a chance to choose from a list of additional applications. We think that developers and IT Pro’s might not choose the same applications so we want to give you a choice.

So if you are on the fence with attending TechEd this year maybe this will get you over the line. Click on the button to the right to go to the registration page and don’t forget early bird registration is open until July 14th. So get in before then to get a discount!

Community Callout

So given we are in the early stages of developing the image we want to get your help. Tell us what you think should be in the image and what shouldn’t. Let me know your thoughts because the more ideas we have the better it will be!

I also wanted to call out some guys that are helping me out from Microsoft in the US. Jeremy Chapman, Adam Carter and Mike Niehaus will be helping with the creation and loading of the images. These guys have heaps of experience in OS deployment and are going to be at TechEd as well! We are really grateful to have them involved in this project!

Now the fun begins!

Technorati Tags: Netbooks,Free Offer,Deployment

Jeffa

Windows 7 in the Australian Outback?

jeffa36 — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:57:39 GMT

Well maybe not completely the Outback but certainly in the country for sure. Over the last 6 months or so I’ve been talking with many an IT Pro throughout Australia about all the goodness that is Windows 7. The response of course has been overwhelming with many of you running it day to day on your productions machines. And that’s what we were really going for when we embarked on this project. To make it just work. For it to be complete. For it to do what you want it to do. I hope we have lived up to that. Based on the feedback we have been getting I certainly think we have.

To get more of you involved I blogged awhile back about IT Pro Momentum as a way to adopt new Microsoft technologies and many of you are enjoying the benefits. Which brings me to a small computer reseller in Queensland who provides computer services to his local community.

Rex Vivash runs R & B Computers in Kingaroy, Queensland which when I looked it up on the map is 985km from my house and 207km from the Microsoft Office in Brisbane. Here’s a map of the location so you can get the idea.

So Rex runs a system builder shop and has been running Windows 7 since the beta and is now running on the Release Candidate. So I got a chance to have a chat with Rex on the phone so he could explain to me how he is using Windows 7 and what he likes best about it.

Jeff: So how long have you been running Windows 7?

Rex: Well since the Beta came out really and at that time ran the 32-Bit version. I’m now running the 64-Bit version with the Release Candidate and have found that runs really well except for an onboard video card that was in the machine. I now have an ATI video card in the machine and it all works fine.

Jeff: How many machines have you deployed Windows 7 on?

Rex: Well 3 machines for now and one is my main work machine with plans to do many more. I run my entire business on that including MYOB which is my accounting software I use to run the business. I’ve had no issues and it seems to run much faster than Windows Vista on the same hardware.

Jeff: “So Rex; what are the main benefits you are getting out of Windows 7?

Rex: Well since moving to Windows 7 I’ve found it’s a lot faster for copying files. Let me explain. I have 3 different hard drives in this machine and have file spread out across the different drives. I’m often moving and copying files around not only this machine but other machines on my network. So 2 other features really help out with that. The first is the new Libraries function which enables me to create custom libraries of data that sits in different locations. This makes it easy to find what I’m looking for across different drives. The next feature that helps in this situation is the new Homegroup feature in Windows 7. This makes home networking a snap and is going to be big for my customers with more than one PC in there house.

Jeff: So if you had to pick one feature as your favourite what would it be?

Rex: Well I would have to make it a tie between the new Libraries feature and the new user interface. The user interface is just so much easier to use and I love the way Windows Explorer is laid out.

So there you have it! That was just a small snippet of how one of our system builders is using Windows 7 today in his business to make himself more productive. And it’s great to see this story coming from a country part of Australia rather than the big smoke as we call the cities down under! And thanks goes to Rex for being so candid and willing to share your story mate!

I hope to hear more great stories as we lead up to RTM and beyond! If you want to get involved with new technologies and want to know more about IT Pro Momentum; drop me a line and I’ll send you some details.

Technorati Tags: IT Pro Momentum,Windows 7 Deployment

Jeffa

Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 4.0 Beta Now Available!

jeffa36 — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 06:47:48 GMT

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 are just around the corner and if you are thinking of deploying these two new OS releases you need some good planning tools. If you are thinking of this then make sure you have a look at the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit 4.0 Beta.

MAP Toolkit 4.0 Beta – What is it?

MAP Toolkit 4.0 is an integrated planning toolkit that makes it easier for you to quickly identify what servers, workstations and network devices are in your environment. There is no agent that has to be installed on target machines and it’s able to discover all computers in Active Directory and in workgroup environments. MAP can get hardware and device inventory, hardware compatibility analysis and generate actions that are environment specific to help with migration to the latest Microsoft technologies.

What’s New in MAP 4.0 Beta?

Windows 7 Hardware and Device Compatibility Assessment
Windows Server 2008 R2 Hardware and Device Compatibility Assessment
Virtualization Candidates Assessment for Hyper-V R2 Server Consolidations
Integration with the Microsoft Integrated Virtualization ROI Calculator
Inventory of VMware Server Hosts and Guests
User Interface and Proposal Customization for Partner Co-Branding
Enhanced Usability and Improved Inventory Performance

Additional Features - Carried over from version 3.2

Virtualization Candidates Assessment for Hyper-V Server Consolidation
Windows Vista Hardware and Device Compatibility Assessment
Windows Server 2008 Hardware and Device Compatibility Assessment
2007 Microsoft Office Readiness Assessment
SQL Server Instance Discovery
Desktop Security Assessment for Anti-virus and Anti-malware Programs Installation
Forefront Client Security/NAP Readiness Assessment
Online Services (Exchange Online) Assessment
App-V Infrastructure Readiness Assessment
Power Savings “Green IT” Calculator

So as we get closer to the release of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 you need to start to think about what you have in your environment and get a good inventory before you start your migration projects. MAP 4.0 Toolkit Beta can provide you with a great way to get this information.

So make sure you head over to the MAP Site on TechNet to download the Beta!

Technorati Tags: Windows 7 Deployment,MAP,Beta's

Jeffa

Details on Windows 7 Pricing and Upgrade Options!

jeffa36 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:56:20 GMT

Today we announced some details of upgrade options for Windows 7 and general pricing details. Check out this video from Brad Brooks who is a Corporate Vice President in the Windows Consumer Marketing division.

Announcing the Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program & Windows 7 Pricing

I haven’t had any confirmations yet of local pricing in Australia as of yet but I will keep you informed as soon as I hear something.

We are getting close!

Technorati Tags: Windows 7,Upgrades,Beta's

Jeffa

TechNet Magazine Online: July Edition Available Now

jeffa36 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:00:00 GMT

The July edition of TechNet Magazine is now online and features a great article by Mark Russinovich on UAC in Windows 7 and what it will look like in the final version of the product. Check out the details below along with more great information.

Identity and Access Management – Managing AD Users with ILM 2007 – We all know that enterprises have to deal with multiple digital identities to keep user data in sync between diverse directories and databases. Microsoft Identity Lifecycle manager 2007 is a key tool to help keep all this data in sync. Check out this article for more details of how you can solve this problem.
User Account Control – Inside Windows 7 User Account Control – UAC is a set of technologies that was introduced with Windows Vista with one clear goal in mind. “To make it possible for users to run as Standard User’s”. Sounds like a pretty simple goal right? Well UAC has been one of the more hotly debated topics since Windows Vista came out and one that is often confused. We know that Vista prompted to much and often confused and frustrated customers. Check out the data we received from customers in this post from the E7 blog. So in this article Mark goes through what we have done up until this point and the changes that have been made in Windows 7. The article is definitely worth a read to understand what this key technology is going to look like in Windows 7
SQL Server – Understanding SQL Server Backups – Backing up database is critical piece in maintaining data integrity. But there is confusion about the best strategy to use. In this article Paul Randal explains the 3 most common types of backups you would use and how you can combine them for an effective strategy.

Lots of good stuff this month so make sure you set aside some time to have a look!

Technorati Tags: Technet Magazine,Identity Management

Jeffa

Windows 7 Packaging Revealed!

jeffa36 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:23:06 GMT

We even have a tagline for the packaging of Windows 7. Simple, Clean and Easy to Open..And they are greener than the Windows Vista packaging and 37% lighter! And finally it’s easy to open. The box opens more like a standard DVD case which will make it easier to get to the DVD inside.

So that’s what you can expect to see in retailers later this year. Based on feedback we received we’ve made the logo more prominent and given the packaging a clean look. We hope you like it!

Technorati Tags: Windows 7,Beta's,Packaging

Jeffa

Windows Mobile 6.5 developer training – Jumpstart series

jeffa36 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:35:44 GMT

Next Friday at 1pm is the first of a series of 3 Live Meetings to help Australian developers get started developing for Windows Mobile 6.5 – and to get those apps in Marketplace (Windows Marketplace for Mobile – Open for Developer registration) to distribute/sell to the millions of Windows Mobile users globally.

These Live Meetings will run through July, all on a Friday starting at 1pm. So grab some lunch, your favourite beverage, and get ready to learn. The first starts Friday week, July 3 – click to register now.

July 3rd 1pm - Introduction to Windows Mobile 6.5 and Marketplace: the opportunity and the platform
This webcast introduces the new and upcoming features of Windows Mobile 6.5 and Windows Marketplace. It also outlines the incredible business opportunity for developers to reach millions of users globally via Windows Marketplace – and the processes required to do so.
Register now for Live Meeting session 1

July 17 1pm - Getting started developing for Windows Mobile 6.5: developer tools, technologies, debugging and testing
Learn how to get started developing for Windows Mobile 6.5, what can be done with the new technologies and how to use your existing skills to start coding apps for Windows Mobile 6.5 phones via Windows Marketplace.

July 30 1pm - Widgets: the new internet application
Get insight into the Widgets platform for Windows Mobile 6.5 and discover how to develop powerful Widgets that leverage today’s web experience in a new way.

Jeffa

Technorati Tags: Windows Mobile 6.5,Developer,Training,Marketplace

Windows 7 Release Candidate and Beta: Information on Downloads and Expiry Dates

jeffa36 — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:13:18 GMT

This is just a heads up reminding you that on July 1st 2009 the Windows 7 Beta will shutdown every 2 hours and it will expire on August 1st 2009. So the best thing to do is download the Release Candidate if you want to continue to run Windows 7. However the downloads for the Release Candidate program will expire on August 15th 2009 so make sure you head over to the download page and download the RC.

And if you are already on the RC and like what you see or want to send us some feedback you can do so with this link. http://input.microsoft.com

Hope this helps you in evaluating Windows 7!

Technorati Tags: Windows7,RC,Expire,Downloads

Jeffa

TechNet Live Meeting: Windows 7 Deployment

jeffa36 — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 02:27:02 GMT

The next Windows 7 TechNet Live event with be on Windows 7 Deployment. More details below.

Windows 7 Deployment Enhancements

Date: Friday, July 3rd 2009
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM (AEST)

Event Overview

This session will focus on Windows 7 enhanced deployment capabilities. We will explore Virtual Hard Disk Image Management and Deployment, Dynamic Driver Provisioning, and Multicast Multiple Stream Transfer functionality that is used with Windows Deployments Services for operating system deployments. In addition we will discuss Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows 7 which includes Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) to create Windows 7 deployment packages. In this session, we will show you how to deploy Windows 7 to a bare metal machine and upgrade existing Windows Vista computers to Windows 7 using Windows Deployment Services included in Windows Server 2008 R2. Then we will show you how to provision a VHD using Windows Deployment Services.

Speaker Details: Me!

If you have any questions prior to the event Twitter it with the hash tag #win7live

Registration Link
http://msevents.microsoft.com/cui/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032418256&EventCategory=4&IO=gsXEArGBrBvoXZ3DcZ0kBQ%3d%3d&culture=en-AU&CountryCode=AU

Hope to see many of you there!

Technorati Tags: Events,Windows 7,Deployment,technetlive

Jeffa

Free E-Books Available: Office Communications Server 2007 R2

jeffa36 — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:54:13 GMT

The good folks at Microsoft Press have another couple of free E-Books available for download. This time around they are on Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2. If you are working on projects in this space then you might want to download these great resources.

Programming for Unified Communications with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2

Step-by-step programming scenarios show you how to deliver high-quality VoIP, presence, click-to-communicate, and contextual collaboration across the enterprise and across time zones.

Click here to download this E-Book.

Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2 Resource Kit

Get the definitive resource for deploying, configuring, and supporting Office Communications Server 2007—now fully updated. For more information or to buy the print version of this title, visit the Microsoft Learning website.

Click here to download this E-Book.

Technorati Tags: Free E-Book,OCS,MSPRESS

Jeffa

Tech.Ed Australia 2009: Windows Server Track Planning

jeffa36 — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:19:04 GMT

It’s that time again and as I did last year I’m going to be owning Windows Server content. This year the way we are organising the tracks is going to be a bit different than it was last year. This year’s Tech.Ed is going to have a heavy focus on Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7. And since there are so many crossovers in technology where you need both we are combining this into on track called Windows Client and Server. Here is a bit of excerpt of that track.

Windows Client and Server

The basis of any strong data centre now and for the future starts with the core operation system. The Windows Server® family of products provides you with the best solution to build your IT infrastructure for any size organization. From the Essential Server Solutions to Windows Server 2008 R2, this track shows you the solutions and set of technologies to ensure success.
In addition, this track covers the comprehensive set of management products and solutions enabled by the Microsoft® System Center product suite as well as various Windows Management Technologies to help you gain back control of your environment. The sessions presented provide you with in-depth guidance and technical background in "Managing the Data centre" and "Managing the Desktop" while also covering the management of heterogeneous IT environments.
Finally, the Windows Client and Server track has everything you need to know about adoption, deployment, management, and virtualization of the Windows® Desktop Environment, including a technical introduction into Windows 7 and Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 8. Come learn best practices and hear about the advancements in the Windows Client technologies which will help you manage and accelerate your desktop deployment efforts. Get real-world guidance from our industry experts via sessions that span client-side development, readying applications for your OS roll-out, deployment tools and technologies, virtualization, and much more.

So for Tech.Ed Australia I’m going to be owning the Windows Server sessions for this track and I’ve gone through the sessions that were delivered in that track at Tech.Ed North America and ones that have been submitted using the Call for Content Tool. Of course 200 level sessions or overview sessions get dumped straight away as we know that you all want deep level content. So below is a table of my first pass at this. I would love to get your feedback on these and let me know what you think. Of course we can’t do all of these session as we only have 19 sessions dedicated to the Server part of the Windows Client and Server track. So out of these I’m going to have to cut 4 sessions. But before I do that i would like to get your feedback.

Number	Session Title	Products/Technology	Level
1	Windows Server 2008 R2: Technical Overview	Windows Server 2008 R2	300
2	Failover Clustering Feature Roadmap for Windows Server 2008 R2	Windows Server 2008 R2; Windows 7; Hyper-V	300
3	Windows Essential Business Server 2008: Technologies to Drive Cost Out of Midsize Business	Windows Essential Business Server; ISA Server; Active Directory	300
4	Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack: Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5 Deployment Security Best practices	Microsoft® Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP); Microsoft® Application Virtualization	300
5	Deploying and Managing Scalable Web Server Farms with Internet Information Services 7.0	Windows Server 2008 R2; IIS	300
6	Overview of Remote Desktop Services: The merging of terminal services and VDI	Windows Server 2008 R2; Windows 7; Remote Desktop Services; VDI	300
7	Optimizing PHP on Windows Server 2008 R2 for Production Web Services	Windows Server 2008 R2; IIS	300
8	From Zero to Live Migration: How to Setup a Live Migration	Windows Server 2008 R2; Hyper-V	300
9	Extend Your Web Server: What's New in IIS and the Microsoft Web Platform	Windows Server 2008 R2; IIS	300
10	Deploying NAP with 802.1x	Windows Server 2008 R2; NAP	300
11	Windows Server 2008 R2: Hyper-V Technical Overview	Windows Server 2008 R2; Hyper-V	300
12	Determine Candidates for Hyper-V Server Virtualization and Windows Server 2008 with Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit	Windows Server 2008 R2; Hyper-V; MAP	300
13	Virtualization for Sustainable Computing: Lowering your Power Footprint with Microsoft Virtualization Solutions	Windows Server 2008 R2; Virtualization; Power Management	300
14	Windows Server 2008 R2 Group Policy Changes	Windows Server 2008 R2; Group Policy	300
15	BranchCache: Helping You Save on WAN Bandwidth Consumption at Branch Offices	Windows Server 2008 R2; Windows 7 Client	300
16	Reinventing Remote Access with DirectAccess	Windows Server 2008 R2; Windows 7 Client	300
17	Windows Server 2008 R2 Streamlined Management	Windows Server 2008 R2; PowerShell; WMI	300
18	Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2: Technical Overview	Windows Server 2008 R2; SCVMM 2008 R2	300
19	High Availability and Disaster Recovery Considerations for Hyper-V	Windows Server 2008 R2; Virtualization; Clustering	300
20	What's New in Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 - High Performance Computing Simplified	Windows Server 2008 HPC	300
21	Top Ten Active Directory issues from the field	Windows Server System; Active Directory	300
22	Use the power of Group Policy Preference to eliminate logon scripts and take control of your environment.	Windows Server 2008; Windows 7	300
23	Windows Small Business Server 2008: Up and Running in Under an Hour	SBS 2008	300

So let me know what you think. Are we covering the right things when it comes to Windows Server? Is there something I’m missing? Let me know so we can make this track about the content you want to see..

And if you are going to TechEd this year don’t forget that Early Bird Registration closes on July 14th. So get in early to receive a discount off the full registration price.

Technorati Tags: TechEd Australia,Track Planning

Jeffa

Microsoft Security Bulletin: June 2009 Release

jeffa36 — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 10:27:24 GMT

This month we have quite a few security bulletins for you to consider. Please see the details below for links and more information.

Bulletin ID	Bulletin Title	Maximum Severity Rating	Impact	Restart Requirement	Affected Software
MS09-018	Vulnerabilities in Active Directory Could Allow Remote Code Execution	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Requires Restart	Microsoft Windows
MS09-019	Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Requires Restart	Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer
MS09-020	Vulnerabilities in Internet Information Services (IIS) Could Allow Elevation of Privilege	Important	Elevation of Privilege	Requires Restart	Microsoft Windows
MS09-021	Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Excel Could Allow Remote Code Execution	Critical	Remote Code Execution	May Require Restart	Microsoft Office
MS09-022	Vulnerabilities in Windows Print Spooler Could Allow Remote Code Execution	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Requires Restart	Microsoft Windows
MS09-023	Vulnerability in Windows Search Could Allow Information Disclosure	Moderate	Information Disclosure	Requires Restart	Microsoft Windows
MS09-024	Vulnerability in Microsoft Works Converters Could Allow Remote Code Execution	Critical	Remote Code Execution	May Require Restart	Microsoft Office
MS09-025	Vulnerabilities in Windows Kernel Could Allow Elevation of Privilege	Important	Elevation of Privilege	Requires Restart	Microsoft Windows
MS09-026	Vulnerability in RPC Could Allow Elevation of Privilege	Important	Elevation of Privilege	Requires Restart	Microsoft Windows
MS09-027	Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office Word Could Allow Remote Code Execution	Critical	Remote Code Execution	May Require Restart

If you want to see a summary of these bulletins please click here.

New Security Advisories

We are also releasing two new security advisories. These were released on June 9th 2009. Details are below.

Security Advisory # 1	Microsoft Security Advisory (971888) - Update for DNS Devolution
Summary	Microsoft is announcing the availability of an update to DNS devolution that can help customers in keeping their systems protected. Customers whose domain name has three or more labels, such as "contoso.co.us", or who do not have a DNS suffix list configured, or for whom the following mitigating factors do not apply may inadvertently be allowing client systems to treat systems outside of the organizational boundary as though they were internal to the organization's boundary.
Mitigating Factors	Customers who are joined to a domain and have a DNS suffix search list configured on their system are not at risk of inadvertently treating external systems as though they were internal. Microsoft encourages all enterprise customers to set DNS suffix search lists on client systems in order to ensure all DNS queries stay within organizational boundaries. In most cases, home users who are not members of a domain do not use DNS devolution and therefore are not exposed to this risk. Home users who are not members of a domain but have configured a primary DNS suffix, however, do use DNS devolution and are at risk of inadvertently treating external systems as though they were internal. Customers whose DNS domain name consists of two labels are not exposed to this risk. An example of a customer who is not affected is contoso.com or fabrikam.gov, where "contoso" and "fabrikam" are customer registered domain names under their respective ".com" and ".gov" top-level domains (TLDs).

Security Advisory # 2	Microsoft Security Advisory (969898) - Update Rollup for ActiveX Kill Bits
Summary	Microsoft is releasing a new set of ActiveX Kill Bits with this advisory. The update includes a kill bit from a previously published Microsoft Cumulative Update: Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Service Pack 6 Cumulative Update (KB957924) The update also includes kill bits for the following third-party software: Derivco: This security update sets a kill bit for an ActiveX control developed by Derivco. Derivco has released a security update that addresses a vulnerability in the affected component. For more information and download locations, see the security release from Derivco. This kill bit is being set at the request of the owner of the ActiveX controls. eBay Advanced Image Upload Component: This security update sets a kill bit for an ActiveX control developed by eBay. eBay has released a security update that addresses a vulnerability in the affected component. For more information and download locations, see the security release from eBay. This kill bit is being set at the request of the owner of the ActiveX controls. HP Virtual Room v7.0: This security update sets a kill bit for an ActiveX control developed by Research In Motion (RIM). RIM has released a security update that addresses a vulnerability in the affected component. For more information and download locations, see the security release from HP. This kill bit is being set at the request of the owner of the ActiveX controls.
Additional Resources	Microsoft Security Advisory 971888– Update for DNS Devolution Microsoft Security Advisory 969898– Update Rollup for ActiveX Kill Bits Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) Blog Microsoft Malware Protection Center (MMPC) Blog Security Research & Defense (SRD) Blog

And as per normal we are release an updated version of the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool. Get more details on that here.

Technorati Tags: Security,Patches,Updates,WSUS

Jeffa

BING.COM is now Live..Let the search wars begin!

jeffa36 — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 06:43:38 GMT

I’m using Bing now and it’s cool. You should too..try it out at www.bing.com

Technorati Tags: Search

Jeffa