Microsoft Talk

As reported earlier, Windows XP SP3 news is for real.

Microsoft is announcing that Windows Vista supports this protocol today and Windows Server^® 2008 and Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) will support it as well later this year.

This has been released by Microsoft Presspass here.

It reports about Unified Access Control and Network Access Protection and Windows XP SP3 developments, due for release later this year.

WindowsXP, ServicePack, SP3, Juniper, NAP, Vista, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

WindowsXP, ServicePack, SP3, Juniper, NAP, Vista, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Tech blog My Digital life links to a modified version of Dreamscene, describing on how to install and use this version on your operating system.

Just download the modified version, unpack it to your system and run a bat file that handles the installation as an administrator.

Dreamscene will then be available after the next restart.

Vista, Dreamscene, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Vista, Dreamscene, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Word 2007 Demo: Make Documents Look Great

Use the information in this demo to give your Microsoft Office Word 2007 documents, diagrams, and tables a professional appearance and feel.

Publisher 2007 Demo: Distribute Publications the Best Way for You

Create a publication in Microsoft Office Publisher 2007 and then send it in an e-mail message, publish it to the Web, or send it in Portable Document Format (PDF).

Visio 2007 Demo: Get a New Perspective on Data with PivotDiagrams

In this demo, you’ll see how PivotDiagrams can help you get a fresh perspective on your data.

Visio 2007 Demo: Show It Like It Is — Connect Data to Your Visio Diagram

This demo shows how you can use Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2007 to analyze how a process or other area is actually performing by connecting data to the shapes in your diagram.

Visio 2007 Demo: Give Your Diagram a Makeover by Applying a Theme

Use themes in Microsoft Office Visio Professional 2007 to easily add color and style to your diagram and create an attractive, engaging piece.

Publisher 2007 Demo: Personalize Newsletters with E-Mail Merge

Use Microsoft Office Publisher 2007 to create newsletters that make customers feel personally cared for.

Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Demo: Tour a Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Site

Watch this demo for an introduction on how to use a Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 site to store, track, and share information with your team.

Word 2007 Demo: Word 2007 — Work with Documents Created in Earlier Versions

Learn how to use Microsoft Office Word 2007 to open and edit documents created in earlier versions of Word and save them in either format.

PowerPoint 2007 Demo: Up to Speed with PowerPoint 2007

Create presentations quickly and smoothly with new Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 options for designing fresh, polished slide content.

Visio 2007 Demo: Build Your Visio Flowchart in No Time with AutoConnect

The new AutoConnect feature in Microsoft Office Visio 2007 enables you to drag shapes from a stencil onto the page or to connect shapes that are already on the page.

Visio 2007 Demo: Let Data Tell Its Story with Data Graphics

In this demo, you’ll see how to use data graphics in your Microsoft Office Visio 2007 diagram to present the right data in the right way and to make your points clearly.

Office2007, Word2007, Visio2007, Powerpoint2007, Demo, WSS, SharePoint, Publisher2007, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Office2007, Word2007, Visio2007, Powerpoint2007, Demo, WSS, SharePoint, Publisher2007, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

In this months TechNet Mag edition, focus is on Security. This month’s edition features:

Inside Windows Vista User Account Control

User Account Control, or UAC, is one of the most misunderstood new features in Windows Vista. But its goal—to enable users to run with standard user rights—can solve many security issues. Get an inside look at the problems UAC is designed to address and see exactly how this new feature works.

Keys to Protecting Data with BitLocker Drive Encryption

BitLocker serves two very important purposes: it provides both full-volume data encryption and a way to validate the integrity of early startup components before Windows Vista starts. Get an overview of how BitLocker works and see how it can help you protect your organization.

Exploring the Windows Vista Firewall

Mobility has changed computer threats and the techniques that guard against them. As laptops wander outside the perimeter and come back to the network, you need better ways to protect your systems. Find out how you can use Windows Firewall to protect your computers—on the Internet and on your own internal network.

New ACLs Improve Security in Windows Vista

While ACLs haven’t had a major overhaul, there are a number of important changes you need to know about when managing ACLs in a Windows Vista environment. Discover how 30 ACLs have changed to improve security, find out how they will impact your organization, and learn how to manage these changes in your infrastructure.

Managing Hardware Restrictions via Group Policy

USB thumb-disk keys and other removable devices can make your personal life easier but your professional life harder. For improved security, you need a way to control what hardware devices your users are installing on their work systems. Now you can use Group Policy to control which devices they can use and which ones they can’t.

4 Security Technologies Every IT Organization Must Have

Most businesses share similar security issues. In today’s connected world, there are four general types of security tools that every organization absolutely must have. Find out what these tools are and explore how the technologies involved may work together in the future to create the ideal security solution.

A Powerful New Tool for Certificate Management

Certificates are a key component in your infrastructure— when one expires, productivity can come to a halt. If you rely on a Microsoft PKI environment, the new Identity Lifecycle Manager Certificate Management (ILM-CM) solution can help keep things running smoothly. Find out how this tool can help you improve authentication processes and reduce certificate management costs.

HTML help format

Vista, MSTalkOnline, TechNet, Security, Alpesh Nakar  

Vista, MSTalkOnline, TechNet, Security, Alpesh Nakar

JohnTP shares a cool tweak tool for Vista. It’s Tweak VI.

What’s Tweak VI?

TweakVI is a software that lets you tweak hundreds of hidden features of Windows Vista, optimize your PC and customize it to your needs.

TweakVI is available in 3 different flavours:

1. Basic Edition
2. Premium Edition
3. Ultimate Edition

Only the basic edition is free.

The features not available in the basic edition are

• Memory optimization
• RAM disc drive, Pagefile setting, virtualdrives and ReadyBoost control
• Windows Vista Service manager
• Folder statistics and folder icons
• Autostart settings
• Taskbar and sidebar restrictions and settings
• Internet connection optimization
• File renamer, File shredder
• Password generator
• Manage installed softwares
• Registry repair, cleanup, backup and restore
• User Account Control (UAC) tweaks
• DiscDoctor

Checkout John’s blog for more juice

Vista, Tweak, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Vista, Tweak, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

2007 Office System Demo: Sales and Inventory Tracking Application Comparison

This click-through flash demo shows a custom suite of Lotus Domino applications developed for a sales organization, and compares that with a Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 sales and inventory tracking application with the same functionality.

OneNote 2007 Demo: What is OneNote?

Watch this introductory demo to learn about Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 and how to use it to gather, organize, and share your notes and other information.

OneNote 2007 Demo: Set Up a OneNote Notebook

Learn how to create and set up a Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 notebook with just a few clicks.

Excel 2007 Demo: Create Charts in Excel 2007

Use the instructions in this demo to create Microsoft Office Excel 2007 charts that will effectively turn your raw data into useful information.

Excel 2007 Demo: Data Takes Shape with Conditional Formatting

Watch this demo and see how Microsoft Office Excel 2007 makes it easier than ever to apply rich conditional formatting.

Microsoft Transporter Suite 2007 for Lotus Domino Demo: Application Data Migration

This click-through flash demo shows how to use the Microsoft Transporter Suite 2007 for Lotus Domino to transfer application data to Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.

OneNote 2007 Demo: Which Way Do You Want to Share a Notebook?

Learn how to share your Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 notebooks to maximize your team’s collaborative brainstorming potential.

InfoPath 2007 Demo: Convert a Word Document into an InfoPath 2007 Form Template

Use the Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 Import Wizard to convert Microsoft Office Word documents into InfoPath forms.

InfoPath 2007 Demo: View the Business Logic in an InfoPath 2007 Form Template

With the Logic Inspector feature, you can display a Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 form template’s business logic in a single window.

Word 2007 Demo: Up to Speed with Word 2007

Microsoft Office Word 2007 introduces a new feature, the Ribbon, which brings the most popular commands to the forefront. Get familiar with the new design, and see for yourself that you won’t have to learn Microsoft Word all over again.

InfoPath 2007 and Outlook 2007 Demo: Use InfoPath E-Mail Forms to View Data in Outlook 2007

Streamline your data gathering processes by using Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 forms to access and display data from Microsoft Office Outlook 2007.

SharePoint Server 2007 Demo: Add a Library to a Records Center Site

Learn how to add a library to an existing Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 Records Center site.

SharePoint Server 2007 Demo: Configure a SharePoint Server 2007 Site to Receive E-Mail

Learn how to configure your Microsoft Office SharePoint 2007 site to receive e-mail and enable your team members to send information, messages, and files directly to different areas of the site.

OneNote 2007 Demo: Keep It Together with OneNote 2007

Learn how you can use Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 to gather, organize, and search notes and information from many different sources in one location.

Office 2007 Demo: Spice Up Your Text With SmartArt Graphics

This demo shows how to use SmartArt graphics to add color, shape, and emphasis to a Microsoft Office user’s text.

2007 Office System Demo: Project Tracking Application Template Comparison

This click-through flash demo compares the out-of-the-box project tracking template applications from Lotus Domino and Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, and shows how the integrated platform of SharePoint and Microsoft Office can create a more streamlined project management process.

OneNote 2007 Demo: Organize, Search, and Find Information in a OneNote Notebook

Learn how to take advantage of the flexibilty in Microsoft Office OneNote 2007 to organize, search, and re-organize information in your notebooks.

SharePoint Server 2007 Demo: Enable Excel Services and Data Connections for a SharePoint Team Site

Learn how to use Microsoft Office Excel Calculation Services to handle calculations on your Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 team site and control access to important internal and external information.

Windows Vista and the 2007 Office System Demo: Better Together

Watch this demo to see how the 2007 Microsoft Office system and Windows Vista perform together to improve your work experience.

Office2007, Vista, SharePoint, OneNote, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Office2007, Vista, SharePoint, OneNote, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Vista Aero, that glassy effect on your Vista, is not available on Home Basic version.

There is a work around to that. I cannot test this, since I do not have the Home Basic version. But, you my dear reader can test and let me know if you have Home Basic version of Vista.

Workaround:

Change the values of two registry keys and restart Windows Vista.

1. Open the registry by pressing Windows + R,
2. Type regedit, press enter
3. Navigate to the key Hkey_Current_User \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ DWM \ and change the value of the entry Composition to 1 and the value of CompositionPolicy to 0.
4. Restart

1. Select the Aero interface by right-clicking on the desktop
2. Select Personalize from the menu.
3. Switch to Colors and Appearance
4. Click on Classic Appearance Properties
5. Choose Windows Vista Aero from the menu.

That’s it!

Vista, Aero, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Vista, Aero, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

How often do you use Windows Explorer for all your file management? Copying files, folders, renames. At some stage have you said to yourself “Wish I could do this in Windows Explorer?”

Well then look no furthere. So what if Microsoft did not give you everything in Windows Explorer. There are alternatives to Windows Explorer and you can better manage your file system with these.

Here is a list of few Windows Explorer alternatives/replacements that can add tabs and groups folders from a single window:

Xplorer2 Lite: Download link
TabbyFile: Download link
QT TabBar: Download link
MUcommander: Download Link
UltraExplorer: Download Link

Windows, Windows XP, Windows Explorer, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Windows, Windows XP, Windows Explorer, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Have you installed Windows Xp with SP2? Chances are that your newest installation of Windows XP is not upto date. Even though you have installed Windows XP SP2, Microsoft has since released updates every month.

Till Microsoft release SP3 for Windows XP, create your own.

Amit Agarwal of Digital Inspiration blogs about this. He has 2 options:

1. AutoPatcher XP
2. RyanVM MSFN Pack

I’d recommend option 2. It’s just good enough until the official SP3, which won’t be any different then some additional patches.

WindowsXP, Service Pack, AutoPatcher, RyanVM, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

WindowsXP, Service Pack, AutoPatcher, RyanVM, MSTalkOnline, Alpesh Nakar

Windows Help (WinHlp32.exe) is a Help program that has been included with Microsoft Windows versions starting with the Microsoft Windows 3.1 operating system. However, the Windows Help program has not had a major update for many releases and no longer meets Microsoft’s standards. Therefore, starting with the release of Windows Vista, the Windows Help program will not ship as a feature of Windows. If you want to view 32-bit .hlp files, you must download and install the program (WinHlp32.exe) from the Microsoft Download Center.

Download

Vista

Vista

If you need to quickly tell if the person currently logged onto a PC is a local administrator of the Windows server, right click on the START button. If you see "Open All Users" rather than just "Open," the account is in the local Administrators group.

Windows, Tips, Administrator

Windows, Tips, Administrator

Bored of static wallpapers? Well, then you need Outlook on the desktop.

Outlook on the Desktop lets you replace your boring Desktop Wallpaper with a live view of our your Outlook Calendar appointments and events, emails in your Inbox or the pending items in your TODO list.

You read it right! Live! It’s dynamic, you can add new appointments, reply to email messages or clear pending tasks just like you would do inside Outlook. The program even lets you set the opacity levels so that desktop icons in the background are also visible.

Download

Outlook, Wallpaper, Vista
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Enjoy!
<strong>Alpesh Nakar</strong>

Outlook, Wallpaper, Vista

A software pirate has been forced to take out an advertisement in the computer press after Microsoft won a legal case against him.

The conviction is part of Microsoft’s campaign to crack down on people selling pirated software on eBay.

So far 55 people have been charged and the conviction of M A Jabarkhail of Grimsby was secured in January.

Details here

The Calendar Printing Assistant for Microsoft Outlook 2007 is a program that provides an easy way to print and customize Outlook 2007 calendar information.

The Calendar Printing Assistant for Outlook 2007 is a program that provides an easy way to print and customize Outlook 2007 calendar information. It puts you in control of the tools you need and helps you plan and create designer-quality output.

With this download you can:

* Print dynamic calendar views
* Customize and personalize your calendars
* Adjust information to changing views

Download

Microsoft released this plugin that will allow Windows Media Player to be streamed on browsers other than IE.

You can grab the Windows Media Player Firefox Plugin here.

Better still, get yourself VLC Player. Next week, I will review VLC Player on my blog

Until then…