In the technology world, it is fashionable to bash Internet Explorer. There is that old joke that people only open IE once -- to download Chrome or Firefox. To some extent, that is true; however, Microsoft's web browser has been improving leaps and bounds. When I am on Windows, I enjoy using version eleven very much.
Unfortunately, the reason Internet Explorer got a bad reputation with some tech nerds, is that it was more susceptible to malware than other browsers. There was truth to this and I experienced it first-hand, when fixing and cleaning the computers of friends and family. Today, Microsoft announces that Internet Explorer is getting more secure by blocking outdated ActiveX controls.
"Starting August 12th Internet Explorer will block out-of-date ActiveX controls. ActiveX controls are small apps that let Web sites provide content, like videos and games, and let you interact with content like toolbars. Unfortunately, because many ActiveX controls aren't automatically updated, they can become outdated as new versions are released. It's very important that you keep your ActiveX controls up-to-date because malicious or compromised Web pages can target security flaws in outdated controls to collect information, install dangerous software, or by let someone else control your computer remotely", says Microsoft.
The company further explains, "Internet Explorer uses a Microsoft-hosted file, versionlist.xml, to determine whether an ActiveX control should be stopped from loading. This file is updated with newly-discovered out-of-date ActiveX controls, which Internet Explorer automatically downloads to your local copy of the file. We are initially flagging older versions of Java, but over time will add other outdated ActiveX controls to the list".
http://betanews.com/2014/08/06/internet ... -controls/
Old Posted News
Windows Threshold preview said to be on track for fall rele
Microsoft is polishing up Windows Threshold and so far this week, we have exclusively reveled that virtual desktops will be coming to the updated Windows OS and that the Charms bar will be getting overhauled as well. While there has not been a single leaked build of the OS (yet), it does look like the plans to release a preview of the OS later this year are still on track.
Mary Jo Foley, who reiterated and confirmed our scoop about the virtual desktops, also reports that her sources have indicated that a fall public preview for Threshold is still on track for release. If true, that means that Microsoft is quickly moving towards a stable release of the OS and we will likely hear more about other new features in the very near future.
Microsoft is pushing aggressively ahead of Windows Threshold as it knows that to get consumers to upgrade from Windows 7 or even XP, it needs to bring back the Start menu. While most of you who have jumped to Windows 8 have easily adapted to the new setup, consumers (and the enterprise) in the wider market have spoken and they want the Start menu back before they think about upgrading.
We expect that Windows Threshold will be a popular release for Microsoft as it seems that many consumers have decided to skip over Windows 8; 75% of all desktop OS users still run Windows 7 or XP. Knowing that, Microsoft will have to hit a home-run with Windows Threshold if they want to keep control of the desktop market.
http://www.neowin.net/news/windows-thre ... ll-release
Mary Jo Foley, who reiterated and confirmed our scoop about the virtual desktops, also reports that her sources have indicated that a fall public preview for Threshold is still on track for release. If true, that means that Microsoft is quickly moving towards a stable release of the OS and we will likely hear more about other new features in the very near future.
Microsoft is pushing aggressively ahead of Windows Threshold as it knows that to get consumers to upgrade from Windows 7 or even XP, it needs to bring back the Start menu. While most of you who have jumped to Windows 8 have easily adapted to the new setup, consumers (and the enterprise) in the wider market have spoken and they want the Start menu back before they think about upgrading.
We expect that Windows Threshold will be a popular release for Microsoft as it seems that many consumers have decided to skip over Windows 8; 75% of all desktop OS users still run Windows 7 or XP. Knowing that, Microsoft will have to hit a home-run with Windows Threshold if they want to keep control of the desktop market.
http://www.neowin.net/news/windows-thre ... ll-release
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Whatacrock
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Security Expert Warns Users of Internet Explorer Flaws
Security Expert Warns Users of Internet Explorer Flaws
This month’s Patch Tuesday rollout will bring nine different security bulletins, two of which are rated as critical and developed to fix flaws in Windows and Internet Explorer.
As far as the browser is concerned, Wolfgang Kandek, CTO of Qualys, recommends users to keep an eye on the security updates to be released next week because they should correct major flaws that would allow attackers to compromise a system with the help of a malicious website.
All versions of Internet Explorer will be affected, Microsoft warns, so basically everyone will have to deploy next week’s patches on their computers.
“The most critical patch is Bulletin #1 which affects all versions of Internet Explorer (IE), all the way from IE 6 to the newest IE 11 on Windows 8.1 and RT. Since browsers are the attackers favorite targets, this patch should be top of your list,” Kandek says.
“An attacker would exploit this vulnerability on your users through a malicious webpage. These pages can be on sites that are either set up specifically for this purpose, requiring him or her to attract your users to the site or are on sites that are already under control of the attacker with an established user community, such as blogs and forums.”
As usual, these patches are going to be shipped via Windows Update, so make sure that your computer is connected to the Internet to get them as soon as they’re available.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Security ... 4144.shtml
This month’s Patch Tuesday rollout will bring nine different security bulletins, two of which are rated as critical and developed to fix flaws in Windows and Internet Explorer.
As far as the browser is concerned, Wolfgang Kandek, CTO of Qualys, recommends users to keep an eye on the security updates to be released next week because they should correct major flaws that would allow attackers to compromise a system with the help of a malicious website.
All versions of Internet Explorer will be affected, Microsoft warns, so basically everyone will have to deploy next week’s patches on their computers.
“The most critical patch is Bulletin #1 which affects all versions of Internet Explorer (IE), all the way from IE 6 to the newest IE 11 on Windows 8.1 and RT. Since browsers are the attackers favorite targets, this patch should be top of your list,” Kandek says.
“An attacker would exploit this vulnerability on your users through a malicious webpage. These pages can be on sites that are either set up specifically for this purpose, requiring him or her to attract your users to the site or are on sites that are already under control of the attacker with an established user community, such as blogs and forums.”
As usual, these patches are going to be shipped via Windows Update, so make sure that your computer is connected to the Internet to get them as soon as they’re available.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Security ... 4144.shtml
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"
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Whatacrock
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Zero Leaks: No Windows 8.1 August Update Build
Zero Leaks: No Windows 8.1 August Update Build Available Before Launch
Microsoft will finally unveil Windows 8.1 August Update as part of this month’s Update Tuesday rollout and even though we’re very close to the public launch of this new important update, no builds are available for download via the standard unofficial channels.
Last year when Microsoft was working on Windows 8.1, tens of development builds of the new OS update reached the web on a regular basis, which basically allowed us and pretty much everyone else to deploy them and see what’s new in the very first major pack of improvements for the core Windows 8.
These days however, the secrecy surrounding Microsoft’s projects is expanding and even though the company is said to be preparing two new important releases for the Windows product family, namely the August Update that’s coming out tomorrow and Windows 9 scheduled for early 2015, no such builds can be found on the web.
The reason for this is most likely Microsoft’s efforts to prevent leaks from reaching the Internet, as the company has recently arrested a Windows 8 leaker and won a lawsuit that sent the man to prison for three months.
Alex Kibkalo, a former Microsoft employee who left the software giant two years ago, was arrested in March after approximately one year of investigations, with the company claiming that the man worked with a French blogger to publish information on Windows 8, as well as leaked builds, on the web.
Kibkalo’s arrest led to a shake up of the Windows community, with famous Russian group WZor, who has a very good track on posting information regarding Microsoft’s future projects, removing its website and social media accounts temporarily.
At the same time, reports coming from inside the company revealed that Microsoft has also made some internal changes in order to prevent leaks from reaching the web, including better security at buildings where developers are working on future Windows versions.
People close to the matter indicated that Microsoft is now signing every testing build of Windows with a unique code before it’s being sent to OEMs and partners for testing purposes. This way, the company could easily find the name of the person who posted the build online, which would obviously lead to penalties and even more legal actions.
And still, Windows 8.1 August Update is coming out tomorrow and one of the reasons why we don’t have a leaked build so far could also be the reduced number of improvements that are part of this release. August Update doesn’t bring anything too exciting, so why the effort to leak stuff?
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Zero-Lea ... 4354.shtml
Microsoft will finally unveil Windows 8.1 August Update as part of this month’s Update Tuesday rollout and even though we’re very close to the public launch of this new important update, no builds are available for download via the standard unofficial channels.
Last year when Microsoft was working on Windows 8.1, tens of development builds of the new OS update reached the web on a regular basis, which basically allowed us and pretty much everyone else to deploy them and see what’s new in the very first major pack of improvements for the core Windows 8.
These days however, the secrecy surrounding Microsoft’s projects is expanding and even though the company is said to be preparing two new important releases for the Windows product family, namely the August Update that’s coming out tomorrow and Windows 9 scheduled for early 2015, no such builds can be found on the web.
The reason for this is most likely Microsoft’s efforts to prevent leaks from reaching the Internet, as the company has recently arrested a Windows 8 leaker and won a lawsuit that sent the man to prison for three months.
Alex Kibkalo, a former Microsoft employee who left the software giant two years ago, was arrested in March after approximately one year of investigations, with the company claiming that the man worked with a French blogger to publish information on Windows 8, as well as leaked builds, on the web.
Kibkalo’s arrest led to a shake up of the Windows community, with famous Russian group WZor, who has a very good track on posting information regarding Microsoft’s future projects, removing its website and social media accounts temporarily.
At the same time, reports coming from inside the company revealed that Microsoft has also made some internal changes in order to prevent leaks from reaching the web, including better security at buildings where developers are working on future Windows versions.
People close to the matter indicated that Microsoft is now signing every testing build of Windows with a unique code before it’s being sent to OEMs and partners for testing purposes. This way, the company could easily find the name of the person who posted the build online, which would obviously lead to penalties and even more legal actions.
And still, Windows 8.1 August Update is coming out tomorrow and one of the reasons why we don’t have a leaked build so far could also be the reduced number of improvements that are part of this release. August Update doesn’t bring anything too exciting, so why the effort to leak stuff?
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Zero-Lea ... 4354.shtml
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"
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Whatacrock
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Re: Zero Leaks: No Windows 8.1 August Update Build
Windows 8.1 August Update to Launch Tomorrow
Tomorrow, the Microsoft community is celebrating Patch Tuesday, or Update Tuesday, as the Redmond-based software giant is now referring to its patching cycle, but in addition to security fixes and improvements, the company is also introducing the highly anticipated Windows 8.1 August Update.
The new pack of features specifically designed for computers running Windows 8.1 Update is actually part of a broader strategy adopted by Microsoft that’s supposed to bring monthly improvements to its modern operating system, thus helping the company step away from the old concept of service packs, but also from bigger releases as it was the case of Update 1.
Contrary to what people expected, Windows 8.1 August Update won’t bring any significant changes for consumers, but instead will pack three different improvements, as it follows:
• Precision touchpad improvements – three new end-user settings have been added: Leave touch pad on when a mouse is connected; allow right-clicks on the touchpad; double-tap and drag.
• Miracast Receive – exposes a set of Wi-Fi direct APIs for Independent Hardware Vendor (IHV) drivers or OEM drivers to develop Windows 32-bit applications that run on all supported x86-based or x64-based versions of Windows 8.1, enabling the computer as a Miracast receiver.
• Minimizing login prompts for SharePoint Online – reduces the number of prompts with federated use in accessing SharePoint Online sites. If you select the “Keep me signed in” check box when you log on for the first time, you will not see prompts for successive access to that SharePoint Online site.
People close to the matter and even Microsoft itself hinted earlier this year that a future Windows 8.1 update, most likely the August Update, would also bring back the Stat menu in modern Windows, but new reports are now claiming that the company has actually decided to delay this return until Windows 9.
As is the case with all the other patches released on Update Tuesday, Windows 8.1 August Update will be shipped via Windows Update and will not be offered as mandatory. This means that those running Windows 8.1 Update can decide if they want or not to install it, even though Microsoft recommends everyone to do it just to be sure that they’re benefitting from the latest improvements.
On the other hand, more improvements for Windows 8.1 should follow soon, as the company continues work on new updates that are expected to be released as part of future Patch Tuesday rollouts.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows- ... 4352.shtml
Tomorrow, the Microsoft community is celebrating Patch Tuesday, or Update Tuesday, as the Redmond-based software giant is now referring to its patching cycle, but in addition to security fixes and improvements, the company is also introducing the highly anticipated Windows 8.1 August Update.
The new pack of features specifically designed for computers running Windows 8.1 Update is actually part of a broader strategy adopted by Microsoft that’s supposed to bring monthly improvements to its modern operating system, thus helping the company step away from the old concept of service packs, but also from bigger releases as it was the case of Update 1.
Contrary to what people expected, Windows 8.1 August Update won’t bring any significant changes for consumers, but instead will pack three different improvements, as it follows:
• Precision touchpad improvements – three new end-user settings have been added: Leave touch pad on when a mouse is connected; allow right-clicks on the touchpad; double-tap and drag.
• Miracast Receive – exposes a set of Wi-Fi direct APIs for Independent Hardware Vendor (IHV) drivers or OEM drivers to develop Windows 32-bit applications that run on all supported x86-based or x64-based versions of Windows 8.1, enabling the computer as a Miracast receiver.
• Minimizing login prompts for SharePoint Online – reduces the number of prompts with federated use in accessing SharePoint Online sites. If you select the “Keep me signed in” check box when you log on for the first time, you will not see prompts for successive access to that SharePoint Online site.
People close to the matter and even Microsoft itself hinted earlier this year that a future Windows 8.1 update, most likely the August Update, would also bring back the Stat menu in modern Windows, but new reports are now claiming that the company has actually decided to delay this return until Windows 9.
As is the case with all the other patches released on Update Tuesday, Windows 8.1 August Update will be shipped via Windows Update and will not be offered as mandatory. This means that those running Windows 8.1 Update can decide if they want or not to install it, even though Microsoft recommends everyone to do it just to be sure that they’re benefitting from the latest improvements.
On the other hand, more improvements for Windows 8.1 should follow soon, as the company continues work on new updates that are expected to be released as part of future Patch Tuesday rollouts.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows- ... 4352.shtml
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"
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Whatacrock
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Microsoft Announces Critical Windows & IE Updates
Microsoft Announces Critical Windows and Internet Explorer Updates
Microsoft has just released this month’s advance notification for the upcoming Update Tuesday, revealing that it’s going to ship a total of nine security updates, two of which are rated as critical.
Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer are both getting critical security updates, the company says, as it’s trying to fix remote code execution issues that would allow an attacker to run malicious code on a vulnerable computer.
The other seven updates are all flagged as important and are supposed to address vulnerabilities found in Microsoft Office, SQL Server, Server software, and .NET framework.
At the same time, the company will also introduce a new version of the well-known Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, plus a bunch of other non-security updates, most of which are very likely to be addressed to Windows users.
Last but not least, the company is also introducing the new Windows 8.1 August Update, which will bring a number of improvements to the modern platform, including Miracast support.
Also on Tuesday, Microsoft will update Internet Explorer installations to block old ActiveX controls, including outdated version of Java that could pose a threat to Windows users. All Internet Explorer versions will get this update, the company says, with the list to include in the beginning only old Java builds.
Microsoft also appears to be using a different name for Patch Tuesday, as a recent announcement rolled out by the company has referred to the monthly patch rollout as “Update Tuesday.”
Patch Tuesday was never an official name, but Microsoft itself adopted and used it with several occasions.
“Rather than waiting for months and bundling together a bunch of improvements into a larger update as we did for the Windows 8.1 Update, customers can expect that we’ll use our already existing monthly update process to deliver more frequent improvements along with the security updates normally provided as part of Update Tuesday,” the company said in a statement.
As far as Windows 8.1 August Update is concerned, there’s nothing too exciting in this pack, even though it was initially rumored that it could bring a Start menu and even options to run Metro apps on the desktop in separate windows.
Now it appears that Microsoft has switched the focus to Windows 9 entirely, so the next big OS release will bring quite a lot of changes, including the two aforementioned options, plus multiple desktops, a preview version of Cortana, and Internet Explorer 12.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 4042.shtml
Microsoft has just released this month’s advance notification for the upcoming Update Tuesday, revealing that it’s going to ship a total of nine security updates, two of which are rated as critical.
Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer are both getting critical security updates, the company says, as it’s trying to fix remote code execution issues that would allow an attacker to run malicious code on a vulnerable computer.
The other seven updates are all flagged as important and are supposed to address vulnerabilities found in Microsoft Office, SQL Server, Server software, and .NET framework.
At the same time, the company will also introduce a new version of the well-known Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool, plus a bunch of other non-security updates, most of which are very likely to be addressed to Windows users.
Last but not least, the company is also introducing the new Windows 8.1 August Update, which will bring a number of improvements to the modern platform, including Miracast support.
Also on Tuesday, Microsoft will update Internet Explorer installations to block old ActiveX controls, including outdated version of Java that could pose a threat to Windows users. All Internet Explorer versions will get this update, the company says, with the list to include in the beginning only old Java builds.
Microsoft also appears to be using a different name for Patch Tuesday, as a recent announcement rolled out by the company has referred to the monthly patch rollout as “Update Tuesday.”
Patch Tuesday was never an official name, but Microsoft itself adopted and used it with several occasions.
“Rather than waiting for months and bundling together a bunch of improvements into a larger update as we did for the Windows 8.1 Update, customers can expect that we’ll use our already existing monthly update process to deliver more frequent improvements along with the security updates normally provided as part of Update Tuesday,” the company said in a statement.
As far as Windows 8.1 August Update is concerned, there’s nothing too exciting in this pack, even though it was initially rumored that it could bring a Start menu and even options to run Metro apps on the desktop in separate windows.
Now it appears that Microsoft has switched the focus to Windows 9 entirely, so the next big OS release will bring quite a lot of changes, including the two aforementioned options, plus multiple desktops, a preview version of Cortana, and Internet Explorer 12.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 4042.shtml
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"
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Whatacrock
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Windows 8.1 August Update Available for Download
Windows 8.1 August Update Available for Download
Microsoft will launch the new Windows 8.1 August Update later today via Windows Update, but the new pack of improvements is already up for grabs manually from the company’s download center.
As you most likely know, this update doesn’t bring anything too exciting, but small improvements to a number of features we have in Windows 8.1, so no Start menu or options to run Metro apps on the desktop for now.
Instead, here’s what you can find in the new Windows 8.1 August Update, as announced by Microsoft last week:
• Precision touchpad improvements – three new end-user settings have been added: Leave touch pad on when a mouse is connected; allow right-clicks on the touchpad; double-tap and drag.
• Miracast Receive – exposes a set of Wi-Fi direct APIs for Independent Hardware Vendor (IHV) drivers or OEM drivers to develop Windows 32-bit applications that run on all supported x86-based or x64-based versions of Windows 8.1, enabling the computer as a Miracast receiver.
• Minimizing login prompts for SharePoint Online – reduces the number of prompts with federated use in accessing SharePoint Online sites. If you select the “Keep me signed in” check box when you log on for the first time, you will not see prompts for successive access to that SharePoint Online site.
The same update will also be released later today via the automated channels, but those who cannot wait should click the links below to get the pack that works on their systems.
Windows 8.1 August Update is not mandatory, but everyone running Windows 8.1 is strongly recommended to install it as soon as possible.
links to download:
x86
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download ... x?id=43746
x64
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download ... x?id=43753
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows- ... 4732.shtml
Microsoft will launch the new Windows 8.1 August Update later today via Windows Update, but the new pack of improvements is already up for grabs manually from the company’s download center.
As you most likely know, this update doesn’t bring anything too exciting, but small improvements to a number of features we have in Windows 8.1, so no Start menu or options to run Metro apps on the desktop for now.
Instead, here’s what you can find in the new Windows 8.1 August Update, as announced by Microsoft last week:
• Precision touchpad improvements – three new end-user settings have been added: Leave touch pad on when a mouse is connected; allow right-clicks on the touchpad; double-tap and drag.
• Miracast Receive – exposes a set of Wi-Fi direct APIs for Independent Hardware Vendor (IHV) drivers or OEM drivers to develop Windows 32-bit applications that run on all supported x86-based or x64-based versions of Windows 8.1, enabling the computer as a Miracast receiver.
• Minimizing login prompts for SharePoint Online – reduces the number of prompts with federated use in accessing SharePoint Online sites. If you select the “Keep me signed in” check box when you log on for the first time, you will not see prompts for successive access to that SharePoint Online site.
The same update will also be released later today via the automated channels, but those who cannot wait should click the links below to get the pack that works on their systems.
Windows 8.1 August Update is not mandatory, but everyone running Windows 8.1 is strongly recommended to install it as soon as possible.
links to download:
x86
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download ... x?id=43746
x64
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download ... x?id=43753
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows- ... 4732.shtml
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"
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Whatacrock
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Re: Microsoft Starts Blocking Old Java Versions in IE
Microsoft Delays Update to Block Old Java Versions in IE
Microsoft announced last week that this month’s Update Tuesday cycle would bring a patch for Internet Explorer that would block old ActiveX controls in the browser, including outdated builds of Java.
The company has however changed its mind and today has announced that Internet Explorer will actually be updated to start blocking old ActiveX control next month, as the company wants to give users 30 more days before implementing this series of changes.
While no reason has been provided for this delay, it’s safe to say that Microsoft is still working on the file that includes the ActiveX controls supposed to be blocked after the update.
As we’ve already told you, Internet Explorer will determine whether an ActiveX control should be blocked or not with the help of a versionlist.xml file hosted on Microsoft servers and which will be updated regularly in order to stop from loading as many outdated items as possible.
“Based on customer feedback, we have decided to wait thirty days before blocking any out-of-date ActiveX controls. Customers can use the new logging feature to assess ActiveX controls in their environment and deploy Group Policies to enforce blocking, turn off blocking ActiveX controls for specific domains, or turn off the feature entirely depending on their needs,” Microsoft explains in today’s announcement.
“The feature and related Group Policies will still be available on August 12, but no out-of-date ActiveX controls will be blocked until Tuesday, September 9th. Microsoft will continue to create a more secure browser, and we encourage all customers to upgrade and stay up-to-date with the latest Internet Explorer and updates.”
Microsoft has also confirmed that in organizations where old Java applications are being used, IT admins can disable the feature even if the Internet Explorer update is applied.
“There are several ways to disable this feature. Microsoft provides updated IE group policy administrative templates which include 4 new group policies to control this feature. Two of these group policies can be used to disable this feature on a per domain basis or entirely,” the company notes.
The patch supposed to help Internet Explorer block outdated ActiveX controls will be rolled out for Windows users next Update Tuesday, which takes place on September 9. As usual, it’s going to be shipped to everyone via Windows Update, so no user interaction would be required, unless IT admins want to manually deploy the patch.
Here are the java versions to be blocked starting next month:
• J2SE 1.4, everything below (but not including) update 43
• J2SE 5.0, everything below (but not including) update 71
• Java SE 6, everything below (but not including) update 81
• Java SE 7, everything below (but not including) update 65
• Java SE 8, everything below (but not including) update 11
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 4781.shtml
Microsoft announced last week that this month’s Update Tuesday cycle would bring a patch for Internet Explorer that would block old ActiveX controls in the browser, including outdated builds of Java.
The company has however changed its mind and today has announced that Internet Explorer will actually be updated to start blocking old ActiveX control next month, as the company wants to give users 30 more days before implementing this series of changes.
While no reason has been provided for this delay, it’s safe to say that Microsoft is still working on the file that includes the ActiveX controls supposed to be blocked after the update.
As we’ve already told you, Internet Explorer will determine whether an ActiveX control should be blocked or not with the help of a versionlist.xml file hosted on Microsoft servers and which will be updated regularly in order to stop from loading as many outdated items as possible.
“Based on customer feedback, we have decided to wait thirty days before blocking any out-of-date ActiveX controls. Customers can use the new logging feature to assess ActiveX controls in their environment and deploy Group Policies to enforce blocking, turn off blocking ActiveX controls for specific domains, or turn off the feature entirely depending on their needs,” Microsoft explains in today’s announcement.
“The feature and related Group Policies will still be available on August 12, but no out-of-date ActiveX controls will be blocked until Tuesday, September 9th. Microsoft will continue to create a more secure browser, and we encourage all customers to upgrade and stay up-to-date with the latest Internet Explorer and updates.”
Microsoft has also confirmed that in organizations where old Java applications are being used, IT admins can disable the feature even if the Internet Explorer update is applied.
“There are several ways to disable this feature. Microsoft provides updated IE group policy administrative templates which include 4 new group policies to control this feature. Two of these group policies can be used to disable this feature on a per domain basis or entirely,” the company notes.
The patch supposed to help Internet Explorer block outdated ActiveX controls will be rolled out for Windows users next Update Tuesday, which takes place on September 9. As usual, it’s going to be shipped to everyone via Windows Update, so no user interaction would be required, unless IT admins want to manually deploy the patch.
Here are the java versions to be blocked starting next month:
• J2SE 1.4, everything below (but not including) update 43
• J2SE 5.0, everything below (but not including) update 71
• Java SE 6, everything below (but not including) update 81
• Java SE 7, everything below (but not including) update 65
• Java SE 8, everything below (but not including) update 11
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Microsof ... 4781.shtml
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"
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Whatacrock
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Windows 8.1 August Update Complete List of Bug Fixes
Windows 8.1 August Update Complete List of Bug Fixes
Microsoft this week introduced the eagerly-anticipated Windows 8.1 August Update, a pack of improvements that actually brought fewer new options than expected, but lots of bug fixes for the core operating system.
As we’ve already told you in a few days ago, Microsoft published a list of the new features included in the August Update on the official KB2975719 bulletin page, but the company updated this link yesterday to also reveal the bugs addressed by this new OS update.
As reported by Manish Singh of WinBeta, this list contains a number of improvements for Windows 8.1 and RT 8.1 applications, including OneDrive and Xbox Music, but also several new options for both the Modern UI and the desktop.
Windows 8.1 August Update is delivered as an optional update, but you still need the Windows 8.1 Update released in April in order to deploy it. Microsoft focused especially on performance and reliability in this new update, so no new features and major changes are included. Instead, users of both desktops and tablets are recommended to deploy it in order to make sure that everything works as expected.
You can find the complete list of bug fixes in the list after the jump, while the new options integrated into Windows 8.1 are available here http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows- ... 4792.shtml
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows- ... 5131.shtml
Microsoft this week introduced the eagerly-anticipated Windows 8.1 August Update, a pack of improvements that actually brought fewer new options than expected, but lots of bug fixes for the core operating system.
As we’ve already told you in a few days ago, Microsoft published a list of the new features included in the August Update on the official KB2975719 bulletin page, but the company updated this link yesterday to also reveal the bugs addressed by this new OS update.
As reported by Manish Singh of WinBeta, this list contains a number of improvements for Windows 8.1 and RT 8.1 applications, including OneDrive and Xbox Music, but also several new options for both the Modern UI and the desktop.
Windows 8.1 August Update is delivered as an optional update, but you still need the Windows 8.1 Update released in April in order to deploy it. Microsoft focused especially on performance and reliability in this new update, so no new features and major changes are included. Instead, users of both desktops and tablets are recommended to deploy it in order to make sure that everything works as expected.
You can find the complete list of bug fixes in the list after the jump, while the new options integrated into Windows 8.1 are available here http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows- ... 4792.shtml
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows- ... 5131.shtml
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"
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Whatacrock
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Re: Windows 8.1 August Update Complete List of Bug Fixes
Windows 8.1 August Update – What’s New
Yesterday Microsoft released the eagerly-anticipated Windows 8.1 August Update, but as compared to what people expected, this new pack of improvements only brings small refinements and a couple of new options.
Unfortunately for those who wanted to see the Start menu available in this update, no such feature is being offered right now, as Microsoft is most likely focusing more on Windows 9 these days.
As we’ve reported last week, Windows 8.1 August Update was only supposed to bring three different improvements concerning precision touchpads, Miracast features, and SharePoint Online.
Now thanks to a detailed description of the KB2975719 patch, we finally have more information on what’s included in the August Update, which can be installed on Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2.
We’ve selected all release notes and you can read them below:
• Settings changes for Update and Recovery - This feature introduces new information in the Windows Update Settings, and gives you more information on how up to date your systems are by displaying the most recent check for updates and the last date updates were installed.
• Precision touchpad improvements - This feature adds the following three end-user settings to control the behavior of precision touchpad devices (under the Mouse and touchpad menu in PC Settings):
- Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected
- Allow right-clicks on the touchpad
- Double-tap and drag
• Ruble symbol update - This feature adds new Ruble currency support for input and rendering.
• Out-of-date ActiveX control blocking
• Wi-Fi Direct APIs for Discoverability - new set of APIs for Independent Hardware Vendors (IHV) or computer OEMs to develop Windows-based applications on all supported x86-based and x64-based versions of Windows 8.1. This enables IHVs and OEMs to build a Miracast receiver on Windows.
• Video capture metadata for MP4 - adds capability for developers to read and write the "Date taken" and GPS data on MP4 files by using Windows Runtime and Win32 APIs.
• Minimizing Logon Prompts for Microsoft SharePoint Online - reduces the number of prompts with federated use in accessing SharePoint Online sites. If you select the "Keep me signed in" check box when you log on for the first time, you will not see prompts for successive access attempts to that SharePoint Online site.
As you can see, there are no big improvements for end users, but Microsoft is recommending everyone to install this. The update is not mandatory, so you can decide whether you really need it or not by reading the release notes above and determining if any of these improvements can improve performance of your device.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows- ... 4792.shtml
Yesterday Microsoft released the eagerly-anticipated Windows 8.1 August Update, but as compared to what people expected, this new pack of improvements only brings small refinements and a couple of new options.
Unfortunately for those who wanted to see the Start menu available in this update, no such feature is being offered right now, as Microsoft is most likely focusing more on Windows 9 these days.
As we’ve reported last week, Windows 8.1 August Update was only supposed to bring three different improvements concerning precision touchpads, Miracast features, and SharePoint Online.
Now thanks to a detailed description of the KB2975719 patch, we finally have more information on what’s included in the August Update, which can be installed on Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2.
We’ve selected all release notes and you can read them below:
• Settings changes for Update and Recovery - This feature introduces new information in the Windows Update Settings, and gives you more information on how up to date your systems are by displaying the most recent check for updates and the last date updates were installed.
• Precision touchpad improvements - This feature adds the following three end-user settings to control the behavior of precision touchpad devices (under the Mouse and touchpad menu in PC Settings):
- Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected
- Allow right-clicks on the touchpad
- Double-tap and drag
• Ruble symbol update - This feature adds new Ruble currency support for input and rendering.
• Out-of-date ActiveX control blocking
• Wi-Fi Direct APIs for Discoverability - new set of APIs for Independent Hardware Vendors (IHV) or computer OEMs to develop Windows-based applications on all supported x86-based and x64-based versions of Windows 8.1. This enables IHVs and OEMs to build a Miracast receiver on Windows.
• Video capture metadata for MP4 - adds capability for developers to read and write the "Date taken" and GPS data on MP4 files by using Windows Runtime and Win32 APIs.
• Minimizing Logon Prompts for Microsoft SharePoint Online - reduces the number of prompts with federated use in accessing SharePoint Online sites. If you select the "Keep me signed in" check box when you log on for the first time, you will not see prompts for successive access attempts to that SharePoint Online site.
As you can see, there are no big improvements for end users, but Microsoft is recommending everyone to install this. The update is not mandatory, so you can decide whether you really need it or not by reading the release notes above and determining if any of these improvements can improve performance of your device.
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows- ... 4792.shtml
"Now if you Sons of B*@ches got anything else to say, NOW'S THE F@#%ING TIME!!"