Windows 7 RC is available for download!

Today the Windows 7 RC is now available for anyone interested in giving it a spin! Typically, a release candidate is the last development milestone before release to manufacturing (RTM), signifying that engineering and development have made significant advancements and that the code is entering the final phases of testing. Essentially, the Windows 7 RC is the result of a lot of the great feedback we received during the Windows 7 Beta. That’s why I’m so excited to use it and excited for YOU to use it!

Read on the complete post on Windows 7 Official Blog.

I have registered for this RC and yet to start the Download. Will keep this post updated as I progress...

Office 2007 SP2 and IE8

Today, I noticed that Microsoft is pushing the Office 2007 Service Pack 2 and Internet Explore 8 through its Window Updates. Overall, today my Updates size is 420 MB.

Office 2007 Service Pack2 can be downloaded for Offline installation from this link.

Microsoft launches Internet Explore 8.0 Final Release

The final build of Internet Explorer 8 has been announced by Microsoft, and is now available for various platforms including Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. Users who want to grab it straight away can do so from Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 Home Page. Alternatively, Microsoft will push IE8 out via Windows Update first as an optional download, and then via Automatic Updates at a later date. Administrators who want to prevent users from getting IE8 from Microsoft's update channels will want to check out the IE8 blocker toolkit.

Official Website

Microsoft Product Lifecycle

When is the support for Visual Basic 6.0 ending? Till when Windows XP Service Pack 2 will be supported by Microsoft? When is Internet Explorer 6.0 era ending? Do you have such questions on any Microsoft Product. Then, the below URL is the answer for all your questions.

Microsoft Product Lifecycle Search

You can search for any Microsoft Product support end date here. A very usefull link when arriving at the Product Versions for your customer. Just bookmark this for future reference.

Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3)

Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) is now available for download and install via Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center. Windows XP SP3 includes all previously released updates for the operating system, in addition to a small number of new updates. Windows XP SP3 will not significantly change the Windows XP experience.
Installation media and documentation on disc for Windows XP SP3 may sometimes refer to Windows XP SP2. Windows XP SP2 installation guide instructions apply to Windows XP SP3.
Windows XP SP3 is available for both Technet and Non-Technet subscribers. For more details, click here.

Microsoft Press Free eBook Offers

Microsoft eLearning is providing following free eBooks on their website. For those who are eagar to learn the new technologies using eBooks, go and grab them!

Introducing Microsoft LINQ by Paolo Pialorsi and Marco Russo / ISBN: 9780735623910
Introducing Microsoft ASP.NET AJAX by Dino Esposito / ISBN: 9780735624139
Introducing Microsoft Silverlight 1.0 by Laurence Moroney / ISBN: 9780735625396
Download link for above 3 eBooks.

Introducing Windows Server 2008 by Mitch Tulloch with the Microsoft Windows Server Team / ISBN: 9780735624214
Microsoft Windows PowerShell Step by Step by Ed Wilson / ISBN: 9780735623958
Register and Download link for above 2 eBooks and goto the "Special Offers" section.

Microsoft bags Business Intelligence top ranking from Gartner

Business Objects, Cognos, and Microsoft were placed among the leaders in Gartner's just-released Magic Quadrant for Business Intelligence Platforms, 2008. But the research firm placed Microsoft above the other two in its ability to execute, including the competitiveness and success of its BI goods and services, its viability and investment in BI, and the execution of its sales and pricing. In last year's BI platform report, Gartner put Microsoft in the challenger quadrant.

Source:
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206104502&subSection=News

Microsoft bid for Yahoo! for $44.6 billion

If this bid becomes success, then it can become one of the largest technology merger and this can become a big threat to Google.

Yahoo Inc, on Friday acknowledged the receipt of an unsolicited acquisition proposal from Microsoft Corp. and said its board plans to 'carefully and promptly' evaluate the offer.

Microsoft's proposal would allow Yahoo shareholders to elect to receive cash or a fixed number of Microsoft common shares, with the total consideration payable to Yahoo shareholders consisting of one-half cash and one-half Microsoft common stock.

Microsoft and Yahoo are estimated to have about 10,000 employees in India, collectively. With Microsoft today making a 44.6 billion dollar takeover bid for acquiring worldwide operations of Yahoo, it could not be immediately ascertained, what would be the impact of such a deal on India operations of the two companies, including on the job front.

Windows XP SP3 is on the way...

Just days after Microsoft Corp. delivered a release candidate preview for Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1), it has quietly issued a similar milestone for Windows XP SP3 to about 15,000 testers, the company said today.
The service pack, the last major update to the six-year-old operating system, is slated for release sometime in the first half of 2008. Microsoft has not been more specific than that six-month stretch, and today even took the time to remind everyone that the half-year window is not a lock. "We are targeting [the first half of] 2008 for the release of XP SP3 RTM [release to manufacturing], though our timing will always be based on customer feedback as a first priority," a company spokeswoman said today.

Windows XP Service Pack 3 is highly anticipated and according to testers from the Devil Mountain Software group, gives a 10% performance boost compared to computers running on Windows XP Service Pack 2. This is using the exact same computer configuration as well.
Windows XP Service Pack 3 is twice as fast as Windows Vista in the OfficeBench benchmark program. 15,000 testers have been given Windows XP SP3 Release Candiate. It will feature over 1,000 hot fixes and patches which have been put out over the past three years and at least four new features.

Windows XP debuted in October 2001 and was last updated as SP2 in August 2004.

Links - Windows Service Pack Road Map

Troubleshooting Performance Problems in SQL Server 2005

Found this informative article which provides step-by-step guidelines for diagnosing and troubleshooting common performance problems by using publicly available tools such as SQL Server Profiler, System Monitor, and the new Dynamic Management Views in SQL Server 2005.

Source: Microsoft Technet Website
Click Here for Direct Link to 108 pages of Word Document

The Wow starts Now

Microsoft launched Windows Vista on 30-Jan-2007 and tells us “The ‘Wow’ starts Now”. The world's largest software company spent some 6 billion dollars and 5 years to develop the programme, and is offering a smorgasbord of different versions designed to fit everyone from the web-surfing granny who needs just basic functionality to the media and gaming- obsessed geek.

Vista users can actually expect several thousand new functions, Microsoft claims. Most of them are hidden underneath the hood, so to speak. One eye-catching element is the new graphical interface, dubbed Aero. It is remarkable first for its semi- transparent windows. Open several windows at once, and you can still see which other folders and documents are open beneath them. This is not exactly trailblazing in the world of operating systems, though. Transparent windows are also available in Apple's Mac OS X and with various Linux versions.

Read complete article at Playfuls.com

Also checkout the Vista Launch post at VJ's Blog.

SQL Server 2005 and the Upgrade Path from MCDBA

Got chance to attend this Live Meeting today online, but unfortunately I could not listen to the audio because I was busy on Phone Line :) Anyways! I am sharing the Q&A that was available at the end of the session. Here I go:

Question: Have you started?
Answer: Yes - you should be hearing the presenter - Try going to the Audio menu and select – “Listen to Internet Audio Broadcast” or you can also call in - If you are unable to connect to the audio through the Internet Audio Broadcast, you can dial in to the audio over a traditional telephony line: US/Canada: (800) 995-0025, International: (503) 295-8000 PIN: 7674
Question: Is there any way i can copy the text from the meeting?
Answer: You can print to PDF and any time - go to the file menu and select print to pdf.
Question: Print to PDF appears greyed out. Remotely enabled?
Answer: It should work now.
Question: How can I subscribe to the MCP newsletter?
Answer: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/newsletters/default.mspx
Question: Are 70-445 and 70-446 exams live yet?, if not when is the beta period?
Answer: Both 445 and 446 have completed their beta cycle. Both will go live on 3/2/07.
Question: What is the cost of each exam?
Answer: All Microsoft Certification Exams are $125 USD. The prices vary from country to country depending on exchange rates.
Question: Will the MCDBA cert still be offered moving forward?
Answer: No. The MCDBA cert title will not be used for SQL 2005 or any future SQL releases. It will remain the current cert for SQL 2000.
Question: I don´t have MCDBA certification, can I make 70-447 exam ?
Answer: No. If you do not have a MCDBA and take 447 you will receive no cert credit. It will remain on your transcript and if/when you pass 431 and earn your MCDBA, you will then receive the MCITP-Database Administrator credential.
Question: Is the MCDBA upgrade path for 7.0 MCDBAs and 2000 MCDBAs?
Answer: Only MCDBAs on SQL 2000.
Question: when will we have the resuts of the 70-446 beta exams
Answer: Beta results for 445 and 446 will be made public in early February 2007.
Question: Are there any official records on how many MCITP Database Developer/Admiistrators exist so far?
Answer: About 1500 MCITP: DBA and about 500 MCITP: Database Developers. Not many!
Question: MCITPDBA - what a mouth full
Answer: Agreed. The new logo builder tool allows you to present the logo in a number of more meaningful ways.
Question: Since Database Developer is an 'offshoot' of the original MCDBA, will there eventually be an upgrade path for an MCDBA?
Answer: Probably not - at this point we are not planning any additional upgrade options.
Question: When will 70-445 and 70-446 be available?
Answer: Both go live 3/2/07.
Question: I'm not interested in being a MCDBA, but I would like to know if I take SQL will it count as an option to MCSA
Answer: Yes...the SQL TS Exams 431 and 445 count as electives for MCSA and MCSE.
Question: Will we see sims in the 70-444 exam this year?
Answer: Not this year but likely next year.
Question: if i take 70-229 will I still achive MCDBA and then be able to upgrade or should i just start over with 2005 exams
Answer: The MCDBA track requires 4 exams - 2 SQL 2000 exams, a Window Server 2003 exam, and an elective exam. If you don't plan on completing the MCDBA track, I would recommend that you simply start with the SQL 2005 exams.
Question: I have passed all except one exam for MCDBA - the server exam. Since I have all the SQL exams taken, can I do the upgrade path, or must I have the MCDBA cert first?
Answer: You need the completed MCDBA credential to use the upgrade path.
Question: I missed it... how many people are currently a MCDBA 2000?
Answer: Over 150,000 folks are MCDBA on SQL 2000.
Question: how long will the MCDBA exams for 2000 continue to be offered
Answer: For at least another 2-3 years.
Question: Will 70-431 have simulations?
Answer: Yes...431 just re-released in English with simulations. The localized versions will start appearing around the world in MArch/April.
Question: Will the Database admin Cert expire?
Answer: not MCDBA; MCITP: DBA will need recertification exam every 3 years or so.
Question: What About Upgrading your Certification from MCDBA 2000 to 2005 ?
Answer: Two exams: 431 and 447; both are required to upgrade.
Question: In Market all talk about SAP and Sibel ....wondering Business Intelligence Developing provide ERP solution
Answer: did that help?
Question: Any set date to expire the MCDBA exams?
Answer: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/newsletters/default.mspx
Question: For the 70-431 exam, the Microsoft web site recommends courses/collections 2778, 2779, and 2780. Is there a recommended order? The first/lowest numbered 2778 ("Writing Queries Using Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Transact-SQL (18-hour series)") doesn't seem like introductory material.
Answer: Yes. The numbers are 'in order'. 2778 is similar to the core SQL 2000 course. But, no, it is not an "introductory course" you're right!
Question: how about cost of courses and training materials for these new courses?
Answer: about 300 per day (US) for a course... depends on subject/provider/length, etc. E-learning can range from $150 to $300 US.
Question: Are there any Modl providers in UK?
Answer: There will be, I'm sure. To see if there are now, please visit blogs.msdn.com/trika to see the list of providers again!
Question: How can I test myself using MeasureUp? Does it test using real questions from TS/MCP exam? Do I pay for one MeasureUp test or is the fee for a specific period access? How much does MeasureUp will cost me ?
Answer: Hi - on this page you'll find a link to the practice test provider offer... http://blogs.msdn.com/trika/archive/2007/01/23/e-learning-practice-test-offers-to-help-mcdbas-earn-sql-server-2005-certifications.aspx
Question: are there going to be exam simulations in MeasureUp and SelfTest?
Answer: I'm not sure - pls check with the providers. THey are partners so I dont have all the info! Here is the link to the link to the Measure up offer... http://blogs.msdn.com/trika/archive/2007/01/23/e-learning-practice-test-offers-to-help-mcdbas-earn-sql-server-2005-certifications.aspx
Question: trika, can you post this Q&A in your blog, please?
Answer: i will... but it will take me a few days to get it organized. Sound OK?
Question: Does Microsoft plan to give vouchers for exam 431 or 441-444?
Answer: no!
Question: yes; do you have a directory where or which partners provide the courses and which are available for e-learning; I would assume your website?
Answer: www.microsoftelearning.com
Question: will there be any discounts for MCDBA 2005 if I have MCSE
Answer: no, there is no connection between MCSE and the new certifications for SQL 2005 as far as upgrade paths.
Question: Thanks for the explanation of the ordering. I'm interested in e-Learning or maybe even MODL. 2778 is an e-learning collection. Is there a 2779 and 2780 collection, instead of just classroom training?
Answer: can you send your question to me trikah@microsoft.com and i'll get an answer? Thanks!
Question: do you have any idea for prevention passing exams by testking or somthing like this?
Answer: wow, that's a hard one! one thing we do is to make it clear to customers (and we rely on certified customers to help us with this...) that testking or others are NOT acceptable ways to prepare. Also, we are in the middle of a lawsuit with Test King right now; we hope to go to trial within a year to stop this type of thing. But it is a difficult issue. we'd love to hear ideas.
Question: How much additional preparation is needed after taking a MOC course or going through a MS Press Study guide before being able to take any of the SQL exams?
Answer: did you get an answer you needed?
Question: Is 70-431 for 2005 the equivalent of what 70-228 was for 2000? Does is cover a similar amount of material with a similar level of difficulty?
Answer: can you send your question to me trikah@microsoft.com and i'll get rob to answer? Thanks!
Question: average of pay of the market for certificates? average of pay of the market for certificates?
Answer: Hmmm. We do have some information like that -- I think MCPMag does a survey each year, but Microsoft itself does not have data on this. I'd recommend trying www.mcpmag.com and look up their SALARY SURVEY. Does that help?
Question: Very goog, thank you...
Answer: youre welcome!!!

Are you ready to get in?

Microsoft is busy marketing its New Vista OS in different ways. Here's one of them. Are you ready to board into this?

Microsoft Office Accounting 2007

Microsoft^® Office Accounting Express 2007 is everything you need to make your small business idea flourish. Whatever your idea, take it further with these great features:

Save time on everyday tasks

• Create quotes and invoices; track expenses and employee time
• Enter data once and share it seamlessly with other Microsoft Office system programs
• Manage payroll and taxes with ADP’s integrated payroll service

Get a complete view of your business

• Store and organize all your customer, vendor, employee, and financial information in one place
• Get business insights with over 20 customizable reports
• Easily share your books with your accountant through Office Live

Grow your business online

• List items on eBay, track sales activity, and download and process orders
• Email invoices and get paid faster with PayPal
• Monitor your customers’ business credit in real-time through Equifax
• Share your financial data with your accountant easily through Office Live

To download Office Accounting Express 2007, please visit - Official Website

New Microsoft.com home page

On 14-Dec-2006, Microsoft introduced a new home page for Microsoft.com. The new page incorporates months of research, testing, customer feedback, and refinements. Microsoft hopes the new page makes it easier to find what you’re looking for on Microsoft.com, and that you find new items of interest along the way.

Check it out live at : www.microsoft.com

For more details on the New Home Page design, please visit this link.

Are you ready for MS New Day

Microsoft launches its New Products - Vista, Office 2007 and Exchange 2007.

The MSNewDay website contains information to achieve your Business Value with the Microsoft New Products. Most of the contents are Microsoft Windows Video clips.

Bill Gates turns 51

Happy Birthday Bill Gates - You Rock!

William (Bill) H. Gates (born October 28, 1955 in Seattle, Washington) is chairman of Microsoft Corporation, the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. Microsoft had revenues of US$39.79 billion for the fiscal year ending June 2005, and employs more than 61,000 people in 102 countries and regions.

Forbes magazine's The World's Billionaires list has ranked him as the richest person on earth for the last thirteen consecutive years. According to the Forbes 2006 magazine, Bill Gates's current net worth is approximately $53 billion.

Earlier in June 2006, Microsoft announced Bill Gates transition plans. Refer my earlier post here.

Bill Gates staff will be missing his birthday gift, getting him a new operating system. Windows Vista is nearly done and should be in the hands of businesses in November and consumers in January, according to the company's schedule.

That's not soon enough to give the Microsoft chairman and co-founder an operating system that's been a long time coming. Windows XP launched Oct. 25, 2001, several days before Gates turned 46.

Gates, a Scorpio, turns 51 Saturday. So if not a new version of his company's flagship product, just what do you get the richest man in the world?

Official Bill Gates Bio

Windows Vista RC2 (Build 5744) available for download

Microsoft released Vista RC2 (Build 5744) for Beta Testing on 06-Oct-2006. This will be the last build made available prior to RTM. This new build of Windows Vista offers users a higher level of performance and stability – improving what was established in Windows Vista RC1. There are thousands of quality improvements since Windows Vista RC1. You’ll probably notice improvements in performance, application compatibility, as well as fit and finish work.

The latest RC2 Build 5744 is available for downloaded from this link.

The last versions posted by Microsoft during September are RC1-Build-5600 and RC1-Build-5728.

SQL Server History... Nice boxes ;-)

SQL Server software shipping in 5 1/4" diskettes!!! YES, I found this link where the SQL Server shipment box snaps are available. Its amazing to see its History and tremendous growth.

I have seen it "live" from Ver 6.5 onwards, when it used to be part of BackOffice suite of products.

How do I determine which version of IIS / ASP I'm running?

1. If you are running Windows Server 2003, you are running IIS 6.0 / ASP 3.0 (though some people like to call this ASP 4.0).
2. If you are running Windows XP, you are running IIS 5.1 / ASP 3.0.
3. If you are running Windows 2000, you are running IIS 5.0 / ASP 3.0.
4. If you are running Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 9x, you can determine which version of IIS / PWS you are running by one of the following methods:
   

response.write(Request.ServerVariables("SERVER_SOFTWARE"))

' returns "Microsoft-IIS/4.0" for IIS 4.0 + ASP 2.0

OR

Look for Windows NT 4.0 Option Pack in Add/Remove Programs (Control Panel). If it is there, you are running IIS 4.0 (NT Server) or PWS 4.0 (NT Workstation or Win9x).

OR

• Do a search for ASP.DLL on your system
• right-click it and select Properties
• Check the version tab:

IIS 3.0 shows 1.x
IIS 4.0 shows 2.x
IIS 5.0 shows 5.0.2195.x
IIS 5.1 shows 5.1.2600.x
IIS 6.0 shows 6.0.3790.x

And........... Windows Vista uses IIS 7.0 :-)