bruceb news

Many of you are seeing an update for “.NET Framework 3.5 SP1” that isn’t installed automatically; the little gold shield or Vista update icon appears by the clock looking for you to click the OK button manually.

.NET Framework is a programming environment that underlies many programs. This is a safe update that improves performance and fixes lots of little issues, but it’s not likely to make any difference that you’ll notice. It shouldn’t break anything. (I won’t be installing it on your servers for a while – that’s a different environment.)

You should install the update but be prepared – it may take a long time to install! […] continued

Microsoft SyncToy is the best utility you’ve never heard of.

SyncToy automates the process of copying a folder and all of its subfolders to an external hard drive or another computer on your network. Once it’s set up, it efficiently keeps the two copies in sync – adding new files, replacing files that have changed, deleting files from the copy that were erased from the source.

That’s not all it does but that’s the important thing for most people. It’s free, it’s easy to set up, and that turns out to be a pretty wonderful thing to do.

You probably have a backup program. […] continued

The Windows 7 taskbar has been reworked, perhaps not for the better. It will display icons for frequently used programs, with no particular attention paid to whether those programs are running or not. You’ll see hype about the convenience of the “jump list” that can be accessed for each icon – a menu for access to frequently used functions and information about any open windows for that program. The “jump list” is just a silly name for the menu that’s always been a right-click away, lightly enhanced to display a bit more information. Unfortunately, right-clicking still does not come intuitively to most people and I’m not sure this is going to change that. […] continued

Several people have asked me about the most recent variations on old, old themes. Email warnings about dangerous messages, like the one on the right. Newspaper articles about the latest virus.

Nothing is new. The latest threats are the same as the old threats. Let’s go through the basics of PC security in 2009.

• Install updates from Microsoft promptly. (Look for the gold shield in the lower right corner. If you use Windows Live OneCare, keep the icon green.)
• Install antivirus software and keep it up to date.

• If you’re running Vista, you have adware/spyware protection.
• If ypu’re running Windows XP, make sure your security software includes adware/spyware protection, or install Windows Defender.

[…] continued

Windows Vista brought deep changes to security and drivers, causing some pain during the transition from Windows XP. Windows 7 doesn’t undo any of those changes; it is focused on tweaking the user interface to make it easier for people to use programs and get work done.

This article has a nice overview of the changes in the user interface introduced by Windows 7. We have some adjustments ahead! The task bar has some pretty dramatic new features, for example.

Instead of a Quick Launch bar next to the Start button, there are icons for frequently used programs pinned to the task bar, indistinguishable from the icons for running programs. […] continued

Windows 7 is the successor to Windows Vista. The new version of Windows went into worldwide beta testing this weekend and you will probably be buying it on your new computers by early fall.

Why a new version of Windows? Funny you should ask.

Windows Vista has been on the market for two years. It’s mature and stable. Everything works with it except a small number of rapidly aging devices and programs. It has improvements large and small over Windows XP and it’s far more secure. Most people using Vista wind up liking it quite a lot after a surprisingly short transition. […] continued

Ho hum. Another day, another batch of updates.

Microsoft released its regularly scheduled monthly updates last night. Your computer may have restarted automatically last night or it will tonight.

If you are using Live Mesh, there is an update that reportedly improves a number of features. Mesh may prompt you to install it at some point soon – I’m not sure if it’s completely automatic.

You might want to take a look at the available updates proactively. Go to the Microsoft Update page. In Windows XP, you’ll arrive at a web site where you can click the Custom button; in Vista, you’ll open up the built-in update program where you can click on View Available Updates. […] continued

Vista’s built-in utility for screen shots is just perfect for most people. If you haven’t found it yet, click on the Start button, type in Snip, and click on Snipping Tool. It’s got all the basic tools to capture an entire window or a region, add some simple annotations, and do something interesting with it – send it by email, save it as a JPG, or put it on the clipboard so you can paste it into another program. Here’s my thoughts about the snipping tool, and here’s an explanation and some tips from Microsoft.

My computer has decided it doesn’t like the snipping tool. […] continued

That rumbling you feel is a seismic shift in the field of security software. This will affect every single one of you and cause major changes in the entire industry.

Microsoft announced today that it will deliver free antivirus and anti-spyware software for all Windows computers, beginning in the second half of 2009.

Windows Live OneCare will be phased out and it will no longer be sold after June 30, 2009.

From the press release:

“Code-named “Morro,” this streamlined solution will be available in the second half of 2009 and will provide comprehensive protection from malware including viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans.

[…] continued

Windows Live Mesh has just been updated, as of about noon on Thursday 10/30. If you are using it already, you will be notified to install the update; it will stop working until the update is installed on each computer running it. If you are not using it yet, it has been fully opened up to everyone – read about it, make sure you have your Windows Live ID set up, and you are free to sign up.

Windows Live Mesh is a place to store files online, a program that runs on your computer to keep folders in sync on multiple computers, and a way to get remote access to your computer from anywhere. […] continued