The Register has posted a new article about an embarrassing technical problem that occured in MessageLabs’ CBL (Composite Blocking List) software. The problem was that it accidentally blocked some IP addresses which should not have been blocked. The Register notes that Microsoft’s Hotmail service may also have been blocked.

“Here at the CBL we take false positives extremely seriously, and we do apologise for this issue. We have taken steps to ensure this cannot happen again in future,” said a spokeswoman.

Source: The Register

Microsoft has denied rumors that the next Windows operating system will be released next year. The rumors started from a seminar which included Bill Gates. He said it would be released “sometime in the next year or so”.

A Microsoft representative sent an email to Information Week which says, “We are currently in the planning stages for Windows 7 and development is scoped to three years from Windows Vista Consumer.”

“As is standard with the release of a new product, we will be releasing early builds of Windows 7 prior to its general availability as a means to gain tester feedback,” the spokesman added.

Source: Tech Radar

Explore2fs is a tool for accessing Linux’s ext2 and ext3 filesystems under Windows in a Windows Explorer like interface. This application can run on all versions of Windows and is able to read Linux virtual volumes. This is a handy tool to have if you work with Linux.
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The first update for Server 2008 will be released today according to an article at SearchSecurity.

It will be released at the same time when Microsoft release patches for five critical and three important flaws. The affected operating systems and softwares besides Server 2008 are Vista, Server 2003, IE 6 and 7, Office XP SP3, and Office 2007.

An updated version of Malicious Software Removal Tool will also be released today which can be downloaded from Windows Update, Microsoft Update and two other Microsoft sites.

Source: SearchSecurity

TechRepublic has posted an article about how to install Windows Server 2008 on a computer that does not have a DVD drive.

There are two ways. The first one that they noted is that users can use the Windows Pre-Installation Environment boot environment. They mentioned that if a user is booting from a 32-bit environment such as the Windows PE disc, then he or she cannot launch a 64-bit version setup.

The second way is by redirecting a hardware to an image file. This method can be accomplished by using products such as the HP Integrated Lights-Out and Dell Remote Access Controller.

Source: TechRepublic

In the past, I have mentioned many of the mistakes I had made as a Computer Technician, mainly to show beginner technicians that it can happen to any of us and so they can avoid my mistakes.

The point of this article is to get some reader discussion going so we can all learn from eachother. So the question is:

What Was The Biggest Mistake You Made As a Computer Technician?

As always, comments are open and you dont need to sign up to post a comment. You can even post annoymously if you wish. Just click the comment link below this post.

A trick has been posted lately at Vista.Blorge.com about installing a full version of Windows Vista from an upgrade version disc.

The instruction is:
1. Install it without the license key.
2. “Upgrade” the installation and enter the license key.

Therefore, it means that all a user has to do is install the upgrade version twice and save about $100 from buying the full version.

“The fact that the company has not taken steps to remove the upgrade trick from Vista SP1 leads us to believe that Microsoft executives knowingly support the trick,” said the Windows Secrets editorial director.

Source: Vista.Blorge.com

Technibble’s articles mainly focus on starting a computer business, but something else that is just as important as opening a business is closing one. Its hard to determine when it is time to close your doors. Am I giving up too easily? Am I just in a slow patch right now? Here are 4 great indicators that it is time to close down.
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The latest version of the Windows operating system may be released as early as next year according to Bill Gates. He said, “Sometime in the next year or so we will have a new version.”

Vista.Blorge.com notes that his message wasn’t clear whether he meant that Windows 7 will be released in a development form, a beta release, or a final release.

Another thing that the blog noted is that the MinWin kernel system will not be a part of the next Windows OS. Microsoft also wished to ship the next Windows within three years after the release of Vista.

Source: Vista.Blorge.com

An interesting article has been posted at earthtimes.org about the difference between the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista. Both versions are available with the retail version of the operating system.

It goes over whether the 64-bit version is better, the compatibility issue, and whether users can upgrade from 32-bit to 64-bit. The article notes that users have this ability but they must reinstall the operating system from scratch by using the DVD that contains the 64-bit version installation. It notes that users should check their computer specifications before they decide to upgrade.

Source: The EARTH Times