TechBlog: What's New on TechNet : Vista

Windows Vista Activation forum now available

TechBlog — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:26:00 GMT

Do you have customers with questions or issues regarding Windows Vista Activation? The Windows Vista Activation forum is now available at http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowForum.aspx?ForumID=2155&SiteID=17. This forum offers a new dedicated resource to help answer customer technical and licensing questions regarding KMS, MAK, VAMT, planning, deployment, operations, and other aspects of Volume Activation 2.0 in Windows Vista.

Download the Application Compatibility List for Windows Vista

TechBlog — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:11:00 GMT

The Application Compatibility List for IT Professionals is a Microsoft Office Excel-based spreadsheet containing software applications which have earned the status of “Certified for Windows Vista”, “Works with Windows Vista” via the Microsoft Windows Vista Logo Program or "Compatible" as reported by the application publisher. For additional application compatibility resources, visit www.microsoft.com/springboard.

Windows Vista: New Ultimate Extras

TechBlog — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:31:00 GMT

With (deservedly) little fanfare, a couple of new Ultimate Extras appeared on Windows Update on April 22. One is a set of two new Sound themes ("Glass" and "Pearl"); the other is a set of looping nature scene videos (dripping ice, a dripping leaf and autumn leaves) for DreamScene. Fun fact: Windows Live Photo Show appears in the list of apps to which sound events may be added.

Windows Vista SP1 now available through Windows Update

TechBlog — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 21:40:00 GMT

You can now get Windows Vista SP1 in English, French, German, Spanish, and Japanese by visiting Windows Update or the Microsoft Download Center. See the Windows Vista Blog for more details.

Also notable: Hardcoreware.net has a Windows Vista SP1 performance review.

'Kill switch' dropped from Windows Vista

TechBlog — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 02:25:00 GMT

The BBC News reports that Microsoft is poised to withdraw an anti-piracy tool from Windows Vista, which disables the operating system when invoked, following customer complaints. The so-called "kill switch" feature was designed to prevent users with illegal copies of Vista from using certain features. With the upcoming release of Service Pack 1, the article says, Microsoft will try a new approach it describes as "a change of tactics." Read more....

Curious about Windows Vista SP1?

TechBlog — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 21:30:00 GMT

Hear Mike Nash, Corporate Vice President in charge of Windows Client operating systems product management, talk candidly about SP1, which was made available to a limited group of beta testers on September 24. (A later pre-release version of SP1 will be available to a larger group of testers.) For more details on what SP1 is or isn’t, please see the SP1 overview.

Plan now for Windows Vista SP1

TechBlog — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:51:00 GMT

Read the White Paper (PDF) http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=090deaf6-2eaa-4aaa-8b3b-2e199db4a97d&displaylang=en

(the SP1 beta is not publicly available yet -- stay tuned for an announcement.)

Also of note: a useful Vista Pilot paper was highlighted in last week’s TechNet Flash and is on TechNet here:
http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista/en/library/a825cf2a-5248-4aa7-b8f5-
a074339c729c1033.mspx