Windows XP Still Tops Desktop Operating System Market Share !!

Windows XP usage dips but but still won't give up its crown as the most used operating system. It is 10 years since Microsoft released the Windows XP operating system, and in those years Microsoft has tried to tempt users away with not just one, but two major OS releases, neither of which seemed to be able to pull entrenched, and mostly business, users away from XP.

Microsoft has committed to support the Windows XP OS until 2014.

Tell us in comments which Destkop OS you use ?

It's a done deal ! Skype is now part of Microsoft !!

Today Skype has announced on its Blog that the deal with Microsoft has formally closed, and Skype is now a division of Microsoft.

Skype was founded in 2003 by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis; it was acquired by eBay in 2005, but eBay couldn’t find a way to integrate it into its business and subsequently sold it to an investment group led by Silver Lake in 2009.

The $8.5 billion deal with Microsoft is a very profitable exit for that group of investors, which includes Index Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Investment Board — they paid $2.75 billion for Skype.

As for the future of Skype and the challenges Microsoft faces, the first and foremost will be the fact that Skype is not yet profitable.

Windows 8 to be more memory efficient than Windows 7

Another week and there’s more news on Windows 8 being put up on Microsoft’s Building Windows 8 blog. This latest bit of information says that Windows 8 will use less memory than Windows 7. A screenshot shows Windows 8 being set to consume just 281 MB as compared to Windows 7’s 404 MB in similar conditions - that’s more than a 40 percent drop in memory consumption on an idle mode. The demonstration system was running both operating systems with just 1GB of memory. These are still early days, so it’s hard to say exactly how efficient Windows 8 may be, and under what conditions. Performance will also vary based on what kind of system you use and what drivers might be loaded on it. 

More than just a new face

Microsoft has tried to cut down redundant information stored in the memory. Another change being made is to the way services are initialized when Windows boots. Services will be started when needed, left on an idle mode for a while after the task is completed and then terminate. Some non-critical services will not be loaded during startup. While using the Metro interface, only essential components of the OS will be loaded. There will also be better prioritization of resources for applications, which means less important programs will not idle in the memory for too long. 

To read more about Windows 8's features, check out our preview of Windows 8's Developer build.

EU gives Microsoft a ‘go ahead’ on Skype acquisition

Over the past few months, news about the technology giant, Microsoft’s plans of buying out the widely used internet calling service, Skype has gained a lot of prominence, and this can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, Microsoft had announced that it was willing to buy Skype for a whopping $8.5 billion; thereby giving Skype’s shining reputation a major facelift. Secondly, with the popularity of Skype coming under the wings of a giant like Microsoft, industry analysts, tech enthusiasts, alike were quite sure that great things were on their way. However, all this while EU had not given its approval to the entire deal, despite the U.S. Federal Trade Commission agreeing to its terms.

It's a go!

However, now, a report in the Times of India confirms that the EU has finally given its approval to the deal, signaling that the deal can now go through. Microsoft wished to get in a new breed of users for its popular Office and Windows software, and believes that with Skype on their side, they could look towards achieving that. It was also confirmed that the deal would not cause any rifts in the market in which Microsoft exists, along with several other technological biggies. Those who’ve been reading through our regular reports in this respect would know that Facebook and Google too were rumored to have been in the race for acquiring Skype.

A few months ago, it was also revealed that Microsoft’s Windows Phone would come equipped withSkype video calling, which is definitely a huge plus, considering the popularity of the service.

Microsoft Launches Windows 8

Say hello to Windows 8, Microsoft’s next-generation operating system.

Microsoft is unveiling the new OS at its Build Conference in Anaheim, Calif. The OS, a complete rebuild of Microsoft’s flagship product, is designed to work with both tablets and PCs.

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Gallery: Windows 8

Windows 8 Devices

Microsoft demonstrated a lot of Windows 8 devices, including tablet devices, at its Build conference in Anaheim, CA.

Windows 8 Devices: A Closer Look

These are some of the devices running Windows 8 at Microsoft's Build conference.

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Windows 8: Lock Screen

"Your personalized lock screen shows you unread emails and other app notifications. The image shown here is a photo of the road leading to Mt. Cook National Park in New Zealand."

Courtesy of Microsoft

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A Journey of Microsoft: Windows NT to Windows 8 [PICS] !!

Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985. Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal computer market. Windows have approx 90% of the market share of the client operating systems for usage on the Internet.

Windows NT

When Windows NT releases on July 27, 1993. Windows NT 3.1 is a 32-bit operating system, which makes it a strategic business platform that supports high-end engineering and scientific programs.

Windows 95

On August 24, 1995, Microsoft releases Windows 95, selling a record-setting 7 million copies in the first 5 weeks. Win 95 features the first appearance of the Start menu, taskbar, and minimize, maximize, and close buttons on each window. To run Win 95, you need a PC with at least 4 MB of RAM.

Windows 98

Released on June 25, 1998, Windows 98 is the first version of Windows designed specifically for consumers. Windows 98 is the last version based on MS‑DOS.

Windows 2000

Windows 2000 was released to manufacturing on 15th December 1999 and launched to retail on 17 February 2000. Win 2000 adds major improvements in reliability, ease of use, Internet compatibility, and support for mobile computing.

Windows XP

On October 25, 2001, Windows XP is released with a redesigned look and feel that's centered on usability. Win XP is compiled from 45 million lines of code.

Windows VISTA

Windows Vista is released in 2006 with the strongest security system yet. More than 1.5 million devices are compatible with Windows Vista at launch.

Windows 7

Windows 7 is released in October 2009. By the fall of 2010, Windows 7 is selling seven copies a second—the fastest-selling operating system in history.

Windows 8

Microsoft has not yet announced a ship date for Windows 8, although some major media outlets speculate it might be available in late 2012. Reviewers consider that there is little reason to choose Win 8 over Win 7, unless using a touch-screen device.

Nokia to update its Symbian Belle platform with Microsoft Apps

The Microsoft Apps suite includes Microsoft Lync 2010 Mobile, Microsoft PowerPoint Broadcast, Microsoft OneNote and Microsoft Document Connection. The Apps will include Microsoft OneNote sync with SharePoint update in early 2012. Nokia and Microsoft also plan to include Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint as native applications in the second update. The first batch of the apps is expected to be rolled out by fourth quarter of this year.

Microsoft Said : Windows 8 Will be As Revolutionary As Windows 95

Microsoft Corp's Windows 95 truly reinvented the PC experience and revolutionized the PC industry back sixteen years ago in 1995. This week Microsoft opened up Windows 8 development blog and said that its next-generation Windows 8, which will be available for public testing in the coming months, will be as revolutionary as the legendary Windows 95.
 

"So much has changed since Windows 95 - the last time Windows was significantly overhauled - when the 'desktop' metaphor was established. Today more than two out of three PCs are mobile (laptops, netbooks, notebooks, tablets, slates, convertibles, etc.). Nearly every PC is capable of wireless connectivity. Screen sizes range from under 10" to wall-sized screens and multiple HD screens. Storage has jumped from megabytes to terabytes and has moved up to the cloud," said Steven Sinofsky, the president of Windows and Windows Live division at Microsoft.
 

Although Microsoft continues to remain mum about the release date of Windows 8, many believe that the next-generation Windows will be launched in 2012. In its new blog, the world's largest designer of software plans to share how it focuses on performance, reliability, compatibility, security, and quality of Windows 8 and plans to continue the dialog around performance and fundamental engineering of Windows with its customers and end-users.
Microsoft previewed its Windows 8 in June and started by showing user experience and interface on a range of mobile devices. The graphics user interface (GUI) is one of the most important elements of operating systems as end-users interact with it every day. But Microsoft stresses that the new GUI along with compatibility with ARM-based system-on-chips are not the only innovations when it comes to Windows 8. The software giant claims it has engineered changes across the full range of Windows capabilities.
 

"We know people who care a lot about networking want to know our plans there. We know people who are invested heavily in storage want to know what is new in that area. Many want to know about performance and fundamentals. We know developers, IT pros, and gamers all want to know what's new for them. There is so much packed into Windows 8 and there are so many unique and important lenses through which to view Windows 8, and so we want to be sure to take the time to cover as many of these topics as possible, to build up a shared understanding of why we’ve taken Windows where we have. So in the next weeks we will just start talking specifics of features, since there is no obvious place to start given the varying perspectives. From fundamentals, to user interface, to hardware support, and more, if something is important to you, we promise we'll get to it in some form or another," said Mr. Sinofsky.

To See of official Blog of Windows 8 Click Here 

-News Source (Xbitlabs)

Happy Birthday Windows XP (Microsoft is Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of XP)

Many Many happy returns of the day, wish you a very very happy birthday dear  Windows XP. Microsoft shipped the first copies of Windows XP to PC manufacturers 10 years ago today. Short for “eXPerience”, the successor to Windows 2000 and Windows Me eventually became the most popular operating system of all time. Windows XP is the first consumer-oriented OS built on the Windows NT kernel. The OS had a long run despite a rocky launch and has sustained two subsequent releases, the dreaded Windows Vista and the much-improved Windows 7.
Just one month before the official retail release of XP, a group by the name of devils0wn released a volume license key used to bypass product activation. This allowed potentially millions of users to install the operating system without paying for it. Furthermore, the events of September 11, 2001 put a damper on Microsoft’s retail launch plans and the company decided to scale back worldwide launch parties accordingly.
OEM and retail sales of XP ceased in June 2008, although Microsoft continued to offer the OS to system builders through early 2009. Support will be offered for systems running Service Pack 3 through April 8, 2014. As of last month, Windows XP finally fell below the 50 percent mark among all Windows Internet users. The slow decline is partially due to the success of Windows 7, which now accounts for nearly 30 percent of the market.
Microsoft has been urging customers to upgrade from XP since Vista arrived in 2006 and again when 7 debuted in 2009. According to free antivirus software provider Avast, XP is home to 74 percent of their customers' rookit infections.

-News Source (TECHSPOT)

Windows 8:Detailed

Microsoft debuted Windows 8 at the D9 conference, as well as at a separate preview event atComputex 2011. A lot of details poured in, and we’ve sifted through the lot, and laid the tastiest nuggets about the platform-spanning operating system out for you below. Also check out the must see preview video, further ahead:

• The next version of Windows is being called Windows 8 internally at Microsoft, and will work on both x86 and ARM platforms.
• There won’t be multiple versions of Windows, just one version of Windows running on a variety of hardware platforms and devices/form factors. It therefore has to be light, efficient and modular.
• It is designed to be used either by touch, keyboard and mouse, or all three.
• The same applications and programs will work on both x86 and ARM-based devices, completely cross-platform, as they will be based on the Windows 8 application development platform.
• Apps and programs will be designed for work in one of two environments.
  • a) The traditional Windows 7 UI we are all comfortable with.
  • b) A tile-based Metro UI-styled Start screen with Live Tile apps and feeds, based on HTML5, JavaScript and CSS.
    • Apps in this environment will be ‘chrome-less’, expanding to full screen.
    • Has a similar taskbar to regular Windows 7 UI, auto-hidden in a corner
    • Apps can be switched simply by swiping.
• All files on the entire system can be accessed from either UI. All programs can be launched in either UI.
• Both application environments have been optimized for both touch as well as non-touch input configurations.
• Legacy apps meant for previous versions of Windows will be supported
• User can switch between environments instantly, as well as have a Aero Snap enabled split-screen interface, with Win 7 UI and Metro UI side by side, and the ability to snap and resize all types of apps to best utilise the multi-tasking ability
• The 'full screen experience' is designed for 16:9 widescreens, with a recommended minimum 1366x768 resolution for the best Windows 8 experience. 1024 x 768 is the absolute minimum for both Tile UI nd Win 7 UI to run, while 1024 x 600 is the minimum for just Win 7 UI.
• New Internet Explorer 10, again optimized for touch with a new ribbon interface.
• Built in Windows App Store
• ‘Always on, always connected’ mode for ARM devices, for instant wake-up from sleep, and apps that are constantly connected to the web.
• Great battery life for portable devices.
• UEFI-style BIOS for ultra-fast boot times.
• Support for a whole range of new sensors (especially relevant for tablets).
• Will also feature OEM Activation 3.0, helping both end users and hardware partners.
• Will come out in 2012.

That’s all for now folks, check out the must see video below, to enjoy the eye-candy that is Windows 8:

Source:ThinkDigit 

Windows Password Length:Change your way

By default Windows accepts both short and long passwords as the Windows login password.

Some users use extremely short passwords, which can easily be brute forced. So in order to set the minimum number

of characters or the minimum length of the password, simply follow the following registry trick-:

1. Launch the Windows Registry Editor i.e. c:\windows\regedit.exe

2. Scroll down to the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Network

3. Click on Edit > New DWORD Value.

4. Name this new DWORD value as MinPwdLen and in the data field, enter the minimum number of characters

the password has to be of. One thing to note here is that this value is in Hexadecimal.

5. Now, Press F5 and your system just became a tiny bit securer but certainly not unhackable.

Rename the "Recycle Bin"...!!!!

 I am going to write some old but good tricks for those who want to learn some tricks on windows. This trick will tell you the way to rename your Recycle Bin. I think no need to introduce recycle bin. :P


Steps to rename 


1. Click Start and then Run.


2. In run option type regedit.


3. Goto HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT -> CLSID -> {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} -> ShellFolder.


4. In the ShellFolder, change the data value from “40 01 00 20” to “70 01 00 20“ in Attributes.


5. Restart your computer and you will be able to rename Recycle Bin.

Increase Hard Disk speed in Windows

This is a simple trick to boost the speed of your hard disk. If you like to increase your Hard Disk read/write speed without buying expensive software, just follow next steps. With doing these steps you will increase Hard disk speed. It also depends on manufacture and specification of your hard disk. The most speed improvement is visible with IDE drives; however there are reports that this tweak also does good for SCSI disks.


In any case, it won’t harm your system


Steps:


1. Run SYSEDIT.EXE from the start & then Run command.
2. Expand the system.ini file window.
3. Scroll down almost to the end of the file untill you find a line called [386enh].
4. Press Enter to make one blank line, and in that line type
5. Irq14=4096 (note: This line IS CASE SENSITIVE)
6. Click on the File menu, then choose Save.
7. Close SYSEDIT and reboot your computer.
8. Restart windows!


The speed improvement will be noticed just after the system reboots, any system info. software can be used to check the improvement.

disable the right click on the desktop

This registry trick is very useful mostly for home users who want to protect their system default settings against unwanted changes that other users can make. For example changes in system desktop appearance, themes, and screen saver as well as other display settings. Using registry editor, you can disable the right click functionality on desktop to access the “Display Properties” dialog box and this will also prevent users to access windows explorer.


Follow the given steps:


1: Click Start button and type regedit in Run option then press Enter for next.


2: Here locate the location to:


HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer


3: Here in right side panel, right click to create a new DWORD value with the nameNoViewContextMenu (it is case sensitive), then assign number 1 in value data box.


4: Now close the registry editor and restart your computer after any changes to go into effect.
But next time, if you want to enable right click functionality on desktop then simply change the value of data box or delete the NoViewContextMenu DWORD item.

Microsoft on verge of $7-bn deal to buy Skype

Media buzz has it that Microsoft is on the verge of snapping up internet phone company Skype in a $7 billion deal. Although the deal hasn’t yet been formally sealed – and could still come apart – it could be announced as early as Tuesday, Wall Street Journal reports, citing people familiar with the deal.

Deal is likely to be announced today. Reuters

Skype, which has shrunk the world by allowing users to make voice calls and chats over the Internet, has 663 million registered users.  An  industry research report claimed  last year that Skype-to-Skype calls accounted for 13% of all international call minutes in 2009;  of the 406 billion international call minutes, a total of 54 billion were used by Skype calls.

Skype, which is minority-owned by online auction giant eBay,  is headquartered in Luxembourg; but much of the development work goes on in Tallinn, in the Baltic state of Estonia, from where the developers of the Skype software hail.

The Journal adds the deal “represents Microsoft’s most aggressive move yet” in the converging worlds of communication, information and entertainment, and that it would give Microsoft, which is “struggling to get more traction” in the consumer market, an established brand name.

Microsoft, Yahoo! partnership take on Google in the internet search

Microsoft has finally won the second most popular search engine Yahoo! to a 10-year partnership deal and its obvious track to take on the kingdom of Google in the online internet search and advertising market.

Winning the access to Yahoo! gives a major opportunity for Microsoft to shows Bing’s latest search technology. And more likely attract more advertising sales away from Google which generates more than $20B per year.

It shows that the newly born Bing will be accelerated as it will inherit Yahoo! market shares up to 28 percent. According to comScore Inc, a notable 65 percent of the U.S. searches go on Google’s mighty Pandora’s Box. Which we can’t deny it would still be along way for Microsoft and Yahoo! but there are still possibilities.

We don’t know if this is only a counter attack from Microsoft as Google slowly penetrates on its core software business –knowing Google Chrome OS and Chrome Browser.

The partnership deal for both company can brought out their focus strength by simply concentrating Microsoft on search technology and Yahoo! on its keeping a healthy advertising website. This could be a focus little steps in dethroning the almighty Google.

How to "Delete administrator Password" without any software

Method 1
Boot up with DOS and delete the sam.exe and sam.log files from Windows\system32\config in your hard drive. Now when you boot up in NT the password on your built-in administrator account which will be blank (i.e No password). This solution works only if your hard drive is FAT kind.

Method 2
Step 1. Put your hard disk of your computer in any other pc .
Step 2. Boot that computer and use your hard disk as a secondary hard disk (D'nt boot as primary hard disk ).
Step 3. Then open that drive in which the victim’s window(or your window) is installed.
Step 4. Go to location windows->system32->config
Step 5. And delete SAM.exe and SAM.log
Step 6. Now remove hard disk and put in your computer.
Step 7. And boot your computer

All about Microsoft Windows 8.

Only Microsoft knows how the abutting adaptation of its Windows operating arrangement will attending and what it will be called, but big changes could be advanced for the OS that assemblage accredit to as "Windows 8."

At this year's Consumer Electronics Appearance in Las Vegas, Microsoft appear that Windows 8 will abutment system-on-a-chip architectures appliance ARM processors. Unlike the x86 architectonics that today's Windows laptops and desktops assignment with, ARM-based chips tend to run such low-power accessories as tablets and smartphones.

In his CES keynote speech, Microsoft CEO Steve Ball­mer said, "This advertisement is absolutely all about enabling a fresh chic of hardware, and fresh silicon ally for Windows, to accompany the widest accessible ambit of anatomy factors to the market."

In added words, Windows won't be aloof for laptops and desktops anymore.

Actual Facts

Microsoft's ARM advertisement represents the firm's abandoned acutely appear absolute detail about Windows 8. Consistent with it, the aggregation alleged Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Texas Instruments as silicon partners, so Windows accessories congenital aloft their three low-power platforms are likely.

At an architectural acme in London aftermost year, Microsoft en­­couraged the abstraction of virtualizing Windows added heavily, possibly autumn apps, data, Windows settings, and genitalia of the OS itself in the cloud.

Rumors

No rumor about Windows 8 is added absolute than a alternation of leaked slides that allegedly accommodate a adapt for Microsoft's abutting OS. The slides abandoned don't announce final appearance of Windows 8, but they do appearance area Microsoft is headed, abnormally back added letters accept corroborated them.

One slide, for example, talks about an OS that follows users wherever they go; instead of actuality tethered to hardware, users may roam amid desktops, laptops, and tablets in whatever way is best convenient.

Another accelerate speaks of a displace button that preserves apps and settings while wiping out bacilli and added hindrances. Some industry watchers advance that autumn apps and abstracts in the billow could accomplish this affection possible.

As for Microsoft's ambition of "instant on" computing, blogger Manan Kakkar spotted a Microsoft apparent for appliance a hypervisor-another virtualization method-to breach the operating arrangement into a general-purpose OS and a cardinal of appliancelike applications, such as for TVs and tablets. Those uses, Kakkar says, could about-face on instantly alike if the amount OS took 30 abnormal to alpha up.

How will Microsoft accomplish these failing versions of its operating system? A ru­­mor broadcast by Paul Thurrott posits that Windows 8 will acquaint a tile-based interface alleged "Mosh" to serve as an another UI for tablets and added low-power touchscreen devices.

We've additionally heard rumblings about a fresh appliance de­­velopment framework code-named "Jupiter," whose ambition is to advice developers actualize dynamic, visually appealing, and immersive applications for a accessible Windows app store. It may additionally be an attack by Microsoft to accredit developers to actualize apps that assignment on both acceptable x86-based CPUs and ARM-based processors after all-encompassing recompiling and reprogramming.

Speculation

If you agnosticism whether Windows 8 will be a greatly altered operating arrangement from its predecessors, accede this asthmatic bit of advertising that briefly appeared on a Microsoft developer's blog in 2009:

"The minimum that association can booty for accepted is that the abutting adaptation will be article absolutely altered from what association usually apprehend of Windows...The capacity that accept been floated absolutely reflect what bodies accept been attractive [for] for years and it will change the way bodies anticipate about PCs and the way they use them. It is the approaching of PCs."

Microsoft bound removed the blog, as if to abolish the evidence. So is the aggregation absolutely aggravating to agitate things up with Windows 8?

The Big Picture

Microsoft acutely wants to actualize an operating arrangement that scales amid devices. ARM abutment provides the foundation, and billow casework could be a above architecture block. The claiming for Microsoft will be to leave the amount Windows acquaintance and bequest affinity complete while additionally advancing its aerial ambitions.

A final rumor: Reportedly, Microsoft is targeting a 2012 absolution for Windows 8. Anticipate the aggregation can get aggregate ample out by then?