Now is the time for businesses to consider deploying Windows 8 on office PCs, according to analyst house Gartner.
Firms considering deploying Windows 8.0 on tablets, or other touchscreen devices, should evaluate "broader deployment" of the OS to desktop and laptop PCs following the upcoming release of Windows 8.1, Gartner advises.
The 8.1 release will address criticisms about the usability of Windows 8 new tile-based interface, which some users of older Windows systems found confusing. The update will bring back the Start Button and make other UI tweaks, as well as introducing the ability to boot to the desktop and Internet Explorer 11.
"Some users rejected Windows 8 because of the changes Microsoft made, coupled with a lack of discoverability, help or cues for the new user experience," according to the post written by Michael Silver and Steve Kleynhans, vice presidents in Gartner's client computing team.
"Based on information currently available, Gartner believes Windows 8.1 features could quiet most of its detractors."
Windows 8 had been installed on fewer than one in 20 PCs and tablets as of the end of May this year, according to figures from web analytics firm Net Applications.
Businesses engaged in planning Windows 8 deployments should pilot on Windows 8.0 if it makes sense, but switch to the Windows 8.1 beta as soon as possible and plan to use Windows 8.1 for production deployments, Gartner says.
Gartner predicts changes in 8.1 will not break compatibility with most legacy Windows applications, but warns to expect "compatibility issues" when moving from IE8 to IE11.
Businesses using Windows 8 should expect more updates like 8.1 on an annual basis, it advises.
The final version of Windows 8.1 is due before the end of the year and will be delivered free to all Windows 8 and Windows RT users through the Windows Store.
2013年6月20日星期四
2013年6月14日星期五
Windows 8 update bug clogs CPUs
Released earlier this week as part of the company's monthly Patch Tuesday update cycle, KB2821895 is designed to update the servicing stack - the portion of the operating system used by Windows Update - to add much-needed improvements. Among the features tweaked or added by the update are the ability to install previously downloaded updates without an active internet connection, a reduction in certain software sizes, and the automatic compression of unused binary files when updates are installed.
While many of the new features are targeted more at tablet users than desktop users, the update was released to all Windows 8, Windows RT and Windows Server 2012 users on Tuesday. Sadly, it soon transpired that there was a problem: with the update installed, users began to report that processes related to the analysis of system files - in particular the TiWorker.exe application, part of the Microsoft System File Checker tool - would take up masses amounts of processor time, locking cores with between 40 and 100 per cent utilisation until failing with an error.
During this time, a logfile - CBS.log - is seen to rapidly grow with entries that show files being marked as damaged, then unable to be repaired. These files, however, do not appear to be actually damaged, and the system runs as normal - albeit slowly - while the error is occuring.
Not everyone who has installed the patch has reported the problem, and thus far it's not clear what is causing the issue on systems that are affected. With KB2821895 not valid for uninstallation, however, a workaround is needed for those that are suffering from the glitch - and, thankfully, there is one.
According to a member of the German-language Dr. Windows forum, which was one of the first sites to spot the problem, the issue can be solved by running the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) command below with administrative privileges:
DISM /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
While this process takes some time, it should prevent the CPU from being overloaded with spurious analysis and error logging. Thus far, Microsoft has not commented on the flaw in the update, nor has it indicated any plans to release a patch of its own for the issue.
While many of the new features are targeted more at tablet users than desktop users, the update was released to all Windows 8, Windows RT and Windows Server 2012 users on Tuesday. Sadly, it soon transpired that there was a problem: with the update installed, users began to report that processes related to the analysis of system files - in particular the TiWorker.exe application, part of the Microsoft System File Checker tool - would take up masses amounts of processor time, locking cores with between 40 and 100 per cent utilisation until failing with an error.
During this time, a logfile - CBS.log - is seen to rapidly grow with entries that show files being marked as damaged, then unable to be repaired. These files, however, do not appear to be actually damaged, and the system runs as normal - albeit slowly - while the error is occuring.
Not everyone who has installed the patch has reported the problem, and thus far it's not clear what is causing the issue on systems that are affected. With KB2821895 not valid for uninstallation, however, a workaround is needed for those that are suffering from the glitch - and, thankfully, there is one.
According to a member of the German-language Dr. Windows forum, which was one of the first sites to spot the problem, the issue can be solved by running the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) command below with administrative privileges:
DISM /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
While this process takes some time, it should prevent the CPU from being overloaded with spurious analysis and error logging. Thus far, Microsoft has not commented on the flaw in the update, nor has it indicated any plans to release a patch of its own for the issue.
2013年5月30日星期四
After protests from customers, Microsoft tries to make Windows 8 easier to navigate, customize
Microsoft is trying to fix what it got wrong with its radical makeover of Windows. It’s making the operating system easier to navigate and enabling users to set up the software so it starts in a more familiar format designed for personal computers.
The revisions to Windows 8 will be released later this year. The free update, called Windows 8.1, represents Microsoft’s concessions to long-time customers taken aback by the dramatic changes to an operating system that had become a staple in households and offices around the world during the past 20 years. Research group IDC has blamed Windows 8 for accelerating a decline in PC sales.
With the release of Windows 8 seven months ago, Microsoft introduced a startup screen displaying applications in a mosaic of interactive tiles instead of static icons. The shift agitated many users who wanted the option to launch the operating system in a mode that resembled the old setup. That choice will be provided in Windows 8.1.
However, Microsoft isn’t bringing back the start menu on the lower left corner of the screen. Windows has offered the button for accessing all programs and settings on every previous version of the operating system since 1995. Microsoft believes the startup screen replaces the need for a button, but its omission has ranked among the biggest gripes about Windows 8.
Microsoft is hoping to quiet the critics by resurrecting an omnipresent Windows logo anchored in the lower left corner. Users will also be able to ensure their favorite applications, including Word and Excel, appear in a horizontal tool bar next to the Windows logo. Accessing apps outside the toolbar will still require using the tiles or calling them up in a more comprehensive search engine included in the Windows 8.1 updates.
Microsoft Corp. announced its plans for Windows 8.1 in early May, but it didn’t offer details about what it will include until Thursday. The Redmond, Wash., company will provide a more extensive tour of Windows 8.1 and several new applications built into the upgrade at a conference for programmers in San Francisco, scheduled to begin June 26.
Antoine Leblond, a Microsoft executive who helps oversee the operating system’s program management, said the ability to start PCs in the more familiar format is meant to ease the “cognitive dissonance” caused by Windows 8.
Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi predicted the desktop option will spur more sales of Windows 8 computers.
“Some people were getting fixated” on the desktop issue, Milanesi said. “This may cause more people who felt uncomfortable with Windows 8 to take a second look.”
Microsoft made the dramatic overhaul to Windows in an attempt to expand the operating system’s franchise beyond personal computers that rely on keyboards and mice to smartphones and tablet computers controlled by a touch or swipe of the finger. But Windows 8 has been widely panned as a disappointment, even though Microsoft says it has licensed more than 100 million copies so far.
Microsoft views Windows 8.1 as more than just a fix-it job. From its perspective, the tuneup underscores Microsoft’s evolution into a more nimble company capable of moving quickly to respond to customer feedback while also rolling out more innovations for a myriad of Windows devices — smartphones, tablets or PCs.
“Windows 8 has been out long enough for us to take stock of where things are going and what we need to do to move it forward,” Leblond said in an interview with The Associated Press.
It’s crucial that Microsoft sets things right with Windows 8.1 because the outlook for the PC market keeps getting gloomier. IDC now expects PC shipments to fall by nearly 8 percent this year, worse than its previous forecast of a 1 percent dip. IDC also anticipates tablets will outsell laptop computers for the first time this year.
The growing popularity of tablets is now being driven largely by less expensive devices with 7- and 8-inch display screens. Microsoft built Windows 8 to primarily to run on tablets with 10-inch to 12-inch screens, an oversight that Leblond said the company is addressing by ensuring Windows 8.1 works well on smaller devices.
If Windows 8.1 doesn’t stimulate more sales of PCs and tablets running on the operating system, it could escalate the pressure on Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Although the company’s revenue and earnings have steadily risen since Ballmer became CEO 13 years ago, Microsoft’s stock performance has lagged other technology companies. Investors, though, appear to be more optimistic about Ballmer’s strategy. Microsoft’s stock has risen by 26 percent since Windows 8’s release last October, outpacing the 17 percent gain in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index during the same period.
Microsoft’s stock gained 15 cents Thursday to close at $35.03.
The upcoming changes to Windows 8 are as much about reassuring the PC manufacturers and other device makers who license the operating system as appeasing consumers, Forrester Research analyst Sarah Rotman Epps said.
“The messaging is really directed at people in the industry,” she said. “The original launch (of Windows 8) seemed incomplete and Microsoft is trying to address that now.”
Windows 8.1 will lean heavily on Microsoft’s Bing search technology to simplify things.
As with Windows 8, the search bar can be found by pulling out a menu from the right side of a display screen. Rather than requiring a user to select a category, such as “files” or “apps,” Windows 8.1 will make it possible to find just about anything available on the computer’s hard drive or on the Web by just typing in a few words. For instance, a search for “Marilyn Monroe” might display biographical information about the late movie star pulled from the Web, a selection of photos and video and even songs she sang. Anyone who wants to hear a particular song stored on the computer or play a specific game such as “Angry Birds” will just need to type a title into the search box to gain access within seconds.
The redesigned search tool is meant to provide Windows 8.1 users with “pure power and instant entertainment,” said Jensen Harris, Microsoft’s director of user experience for the operating system.
Applications also can be found by sorting them by letter or category.
Other new features in Windows 8.1 include a built-in connection with Microsoft’s online storage system, SkyDrive, to back up photos, music and program files; Internet Explorer 11, the next generation of Microsoft’s Web browser; a lock-up screen that will display a slide show of a user’s favorite pictures; resized interactive tiles; and a photo editor.
In an effort to avoid further confusion about the operating system, Windows 8.1 also will plant a tile clearly labeled “helps and tips” in the center of the startup screen.
Even as Microsoft positions Windows 8 as its solution to the popularity of touch-screen tablets, it hasn’t proven it’s compelling enough to put a major dent in the popularity of Apple Inc.’s pioneering iPad or other tablets running on Google Inc.’s Android software.
Microsoft, though, remains convinced that Windows 8 just needs a little fine tuning.
“We feel good about the basic bets that we have made,” Leblond said.
The revisions to Windows 8 will be released later this year. The free update, called Windows 8.1, represents Microsoft’s concessions to long-time customers taken aback by the dramatic changes to an operating system that had become a staple in households and offices around the world during the past 20 years. Research group IDC has blamed Windows 8 for accelerating a decline in PC sales.
With the release of Windows 8 seven months ago, Microsoft introduced a startup screen displaying applications in a mosaic of interactive tiles instead of static icons. The shift agitated many users who wanted the option to launch the operating system in a mode that resembled the old setup. That choice will be provided in Windows 8.1.
However, Microsoft isn’t bringing back the start menu on the lower left corner of the screen. Windows has offered the button for accessing all programs and settings on every previous version of the operating system since 1995. Microsoft believes the startup screen replaces the need for a button, but its omission has ranked among the biggest gripes about Windows 8.
Microsoft is hoping to quiet the critics by resurrecting an omnipresent Windows logo anchored in the lower left corner. Users will also be able to ensure their favorite applications, including Word and Excel, appear in a horizontal tool bar next to the Windows logo. Accessing apps outside the toolbar will still require using the tiles or calling them up in a more comprehensive search engine included in the Windows 8.1 updates.
Microsoft Corp. announced its plans for Windows 8.1 in early May, but it didn’t offer details about what it will include until Thursday. The Redmond, Wash., company will provide a more extensive tour of Windows 8.1 and several new applications built into the upgrade at a conference for programmers in San Francisco, scheduled to begin June 26.
Antoine Leblond, a Microsoft executive who helps oversee the operating system’s program management, said the ability to start PCs in the more familiar format is meant to ease the “cognitive dissonance” caused by Windows 8.
Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi predicted the desktop option will spur more sales of Windows 8 computers.
“Some people were getting fixated” on the desktop issue, Milanesi said. “This may cause more people who felt uncomfortable with Windows 8 to take a second look.”
Microsoft made the dramatic overhaul to Windows in an attempt to expand the operating system’s franchise beyond personal computers that rely on keyboards and mice to smartphones and tablet computers controlled by a touch or swipe of the finger. But Windows 8 has been widely panned as a disappointment, even though Microsoft says it has licensed more than 100 million copies so far.
Microsoft views Windows 8.1 as more than just a fix-it job. From its perspective, the tuneup underscores Microsoft’s evolution into a more nimble company capable of moving quickly to respond to customer feedback while also rolling out more innovations for a myriad of Windows devices — smartphones, tablets or PCs.
“Windows 8 has been out long enough for us to take stock of where things are going and what we need to do to move it forward,” Leblond said in an interview with The Associated Press.
It’s crucial that Microsoft sets things right with Windows 8.1 because the outlook for the PC market keeps getting gloomier. IDC now expects PC shipments to fall by nearly 8 percent this year, worse than its previous forecast of a 1 percent dip. IDC also anticipates tablets will outsell laptop computers for the first time this year.
The growing popularity of tablets is now being driven largely by less expensive devices with 7- and 8-inch display screens. Microsoft built Windows 8 to primarily to run on tablets with 10-inch to 12-inch screens, an oversight that Leblond said the company is addressing by ensuring Windows 8.1 works well on smaller devices.
If Windows 8.1 doesn’t stimulate more sales of PCs and tablets running on the operating system, it could escalate the pressure on Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Although the company’s revenue and earnings have steadily risen since Ballmer became CEO 13 years ago, Microsoft’s stock performance has lagged other technology companies. Investors, though, appear to be more optimistic about Ballmer’s strategy. Microsoft’s stock has risen by 26 percent since Windows 8’s release last October, outpacing the 17 percent gain in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index during the same period.
Microsoft’s stock gained 15 cents Thursday to close at $35.03.
The upcoming changes to Windows 8 are as much about reassuring the PC manufacturers and other device makers who license the operating system as appeasing consumers, Forrester Research analyst Sarah Rotman Epps said.
“The messaging is really directed at people in the industry,” she said. “The original launch (of Windows 8) seemed incomplete and Microsoft is trying to address that now.”
Windows 8.1 will lean heavily on Microsoft’s Bing search technology to simplify things.
As with Windows 8, the search bar can be found by pulling out a menu from the right side of a display screen. Rather than requiring a user to select a category, such as “files” or “apps,” Windows 8.1 will make it possible to find just about anything available on the computer’s hard drive or on the Web by just typing in a few words. For instance, a search for “Marilyn Monroe” might display biographical information about the late movie star pulled from the Web, a selection of photos and video and even songs she sang. Anyone who wants to hear a particular song stored on the computer or play a specific game such as “Angry Birds” will just need to type a title into the search box to gain access within seconds.
The redesigned search tool is meant to provide Windows 8.1 users with “pure power and instant entertainment,” said Jensen Harris, Microsoft’s director of user experience for the operating system.
Applications also can be found by sorting them by letter or category.
Other new features in Windows 8.1 include a built-in connection with Microsoft’s online storage system, SkyDrive, to back up photos, music and program files; Internet Explorer 11, the next generation of Microsoft’s Web browser; a lock-up screen that will display a slide show of a user’s favorite pictures; resized interactive tiles; and a photo editor.
In an effort to avoid further confusion about the operating system, Windows 8.1 also will plant a tile clearly labeled “helps and tips” in the center of the startup screen.
Even as Microsoft positions Windows 8 as its solution to the popularity of touch-screen tablets, it hasn’t proven it’s compelling enough to put a major dent in the popularity of Apple Inc.’s pioneering iPad or other tablets running on Google Inc.’s Android software.
Microsoft, though, remains convinced that Windows 8 just needs a little fine tuning.
“We feel good about the basic bets that we have made,” Leblond said.
2013年4月24日星期三
Smaller, less expensive gear on tap for back-to-school
Smaller, less expensive Windows 8 devices based on upcoming Intel processors are in the offing for later this year, the company says.
Specifically, the devices will be based on Haswell and Bay Trail Atom processors, both of which are designed for longer battery life, Microsoft's outgoing CFO Peter Klein said in the company's quarterly earnings meeting.
"In the upcoming back-to-school selling season, we expect to see devices that incorporate advances from throughout the supply chain, including chipsets," he says.
Those prices could be as low as $300 with Haswell chips inside new form-factor devices such as ultrabooks, detachables and convertibles, says Intel CEO Paul Otellini in a Seeking Alpha transcript of Intel's earnings call. He didn't mention the rumored Microsoft watch or 7-inch tablet, but those could be thrown into the mix.
Even cheaper devices -- in the $200 range -- could become possible using non-core chips in thin, light notebooks, he says.
Otellini says that Haswell chips open the door to better compute and graphics performance as well as better battery life.
Otellini says touch is key to Windows 8 adoption, and the new chip will enhance that, too. He says he recently switched to Windows 8 with touch and he thinks it's better than a Windows 7 desktop when using applications built for touch. "There is an adoption curve, and once you get over that adoption curve, I don't think you go back," he says. "And I think people are attracted to touch, and the touch price points today are still fairly high, and they're coming down very rapidly over the next couple of quarters."
He says Intel has written specifications for ultrabooks that will cost as little as $599 with some specially priced at $499 If you look at touch-enabled Intel based notebooks that are ultrathin and light using non-core processors, those prices are going to be down to as low as $200 probably.
Rumored return of Start button
When the next version of Windows 8 -- Windows Blue -- is released later this year look for the Start button. Missing from the initial versions of Windows 8 desktop, the Start button has emerged as the biggest source of complaint from customers about the operating system.
But the rumor, attributed to sources close to Microsoft, are all over the place that Start is coming back, and if it proves false, Microsoft will suffer a renewed wave of complaint about taking it away in the first place and then failing to restore it despite overwhelming popular demand.
Even if the rumor is false, Microsoft should use the time until Blue comes out to make it so.
And if it does prove false, there's already a host of software products that can restore the Start button even without Microsoft cooperation.
Another popular Blue rumor is that users will be able to boot Windows 8 machines directly to desktop mode, avoiding the Windows 8 Start screen that many people find confusing and annoying.
Windows Defender protects Windows 8
"Windows 8 has the lowest malware infection rate of any Windows-based operating system observed to date," according to the latest Microsoft Security Intelligence Report.
Part of the reason is that Windows 8 runs Windows Defender by default, running malware scans in the background and blocking dangerous code. As a result, just 81.% of 32-bit Windows 8 machines and 7% of 64-bit Windows 8 machines are unprotected, the report says.
Also, Windows 8 is still pretty new, so there's been less time for customers to disable the anti-malware or for the real-time protection to expire, the report says. The operating system was only available for the last two months of 2012, and the report covers the second half of the year.
Those Windows 8 machines that didn't have protection turned on had an infection rate 16.2 times greater than machines with protection, according to the report.
The most common threat family found attacking Windows 8 was Win32/Keygen, software that generates product keys for pirated software, allowing the software to be run on a machine illegally, the Microsoft report says. Customers who choose to use these key generators typically turn off malware protection in order to load the generators, increasing their chance of infection, the report says.
The third most common threat found attacking Windows 8 machines was INF/Autorun, malware that is ineffective against Windows 8 even if it is unblocked. Windows Defender blocked it anyway, Microsoft says.
Specifically, the devices will be based on Haswell and Bay Trail Atom processors, both of which are designed for longer battery life, Microsoft's outgoing CFO Peter Klein said in the company's quarterly earnings meeting.
"In the upcoming back-to-school selling season, we expect to see devices that incorporate advances from throughout the supply chain, including chipsets," he says.
Those prices could be as low as $300 with Haswell chips inside new form-factor devices such as ultrabooks, detachables and convertibles, says Intel CEO Paul Otellini in a Seeking Alpha transcript of Intel's earnings call. He didn't mention the rumored Microsoft watch or 7-inch tablet, but those could be thrown into the mix.
Even cheaper devices -- in the $200 range -- could become possible using non-core chips in thin, light notebooks, he says.
Otellini says that Haswell chips open the door to better compute and graphics performance as well as better battery life.
Otellini says touch is key to Windows 8 adoption, and the new chip will enhance that, too. He says he recently switched to Windows 8 with touch and he thinks it's better than a Windows 7 desktop when using applications built for touch. "There is an adoption curve, and once you get over that adoption curve, I don't think you go back," he says. "And I think people are attracted to touch, and the touch price points today are still fairly high, and they're coming down very rapidly over the next couple of quarters."
He says Intel has written specifications for ultrabooks that will cost as little as $599 with some specially priced at $499 If you look at touch-enabled Intel based notebooks that are ultrathin and light using non-core processors, those prices are going to be down to as low as $200 probably.
Rumored return of Start button
When the next version of Windows 8 -- Windows Blue -- is released later this year look for the Start button. Missing from the initial versions of Windows 8 desktop, the Start button has emerged as the biggest source of complaint from customers about the operating system.
But the rumor, attributed to sources close to Microsoft, are all over the place that Start is coming back, and if it proves false, Microsoft will suffer a renewed wave of complaint about taking it away in the first place and then failing to restore it despite overwhelming popular demand.
Even if the rumor is false, Microsoft should use the time until Blue comes out to make it so.
And if it does prove false, there's already a host of software products that can restore the Start button even without Microsoft cooperation.
Another popular Blue rumor is that users will be able to boot Windows 8 machines directly to desktop mode, avoiding the Windows 8 Start screen that many people find confusing and annoying.
Windows Defender protects Windows 8
"Windows 8 has the lowest malware infection rate of any Windows-based operating system observed to date," according to the latest Microsoft Security Intelligence Report.
Part of the reason is that Windows 8 runs Windows Defender by default, running malware scans in the background and blocking dangerous code. As a result, just 81.% of 32-bit Windows 8 machines and 7% of 64-bit Windows 8 machines are unprotected, the report says.
Also, Windows 8 is still pretty new, so there's been less time for customers to disable the anti-malware or for the real-time protection to expire, the report says. The operating system was only available for the last two months of 2012, and the report covers the second half of the year.
Those Windows 8 machines that didn't have protection turned on had an infection rate 16.2 times greater than machines with protection, according to the report.
The most common threat family found attacking Windows 8 was Win32/Keygen, software that generates product keys for pirated software, allowing the software to be run on a machine illegally, the Microsoft report says. Customers who choose to use these key generators typically turn off malware protection in order to load the generators, increasing their chance of infection, the report says.
The third most common threat found attacking Windows 8 machines was INF/Autorun, malware that is ineffective against Windows 8 even if it is unblocked. Windows Defender blocked it anyway, Microsoft says.
2013年4月11日星期四
Windows XP business users offered discount on Windows 8
Microsoft's confirmation that it is really, honestly, genuinely putting Windows XP out to pasture this time next year - a message we've heard several times before from the company - comes with a sugar coating for businesses who will soon need to upgrade: a discount on getting a more modern operating system.
While not as wide-reaching as the company's launch offers for Windows 8, which saw the operating system sold for as little as ￡15 until jumping significantly in Feburary, the deal is being pushed as a sop for businesses that are going to have to find the cash to upgrade a wealth of legacy hardware from Windows XP by April 2014 or face a bleak future with no security or bug-fix updates.
Designed for small and medium businesses - with larger enterprises being expected to have shelled out for subscription-based licensing that will see them able to upgrade to Windows 8 at no extra cost - Microsoft's Get2Modern offer - yes, that's really what the company has called the programme - allows a company to purchase upgrades at a 15 per cent discount, up to a maximum of 249 discounted licences. While that's better than a kick in the proverbials, there's a slight catch: to qualify, a business has to purchase Windows 8 Pro and Microsoft Office 2013 Standard simultaneously. If you're only looking to upgrade one or the other, then you'll find yourself paying full whack.
Available until the 30th of June for customers buying their licences through Microsoft's Open Licence Programme - available to businesses only - the offer seems a little stingy: Microsoft is ending support for an operating system used by around a third of the web, and while customers have had plenty of notice - its original end-of-life deadline was commuted to April 2014 as the result of poor take-up of Windows Vista in 2008 - that's still a large install base that is looking at the sharp end of an upgrade bill.
This time, however, Microsoft looks to be serious: it has launched a site detailing the reasons to upgrade from Windows XP and Office 2003, support for which also ends in April 2014, talking up the worrying spectre of security risks, software compatibility issues, lack of official support and potential business disruption caused by downtime - blamed, in typically Microsoft fashion, on the age of most Windows XP-based hardware rather than any fault inherent in the operating system - as a means of scaring business customers into compliance.
Whether Microsoft is planning to reintroduce discount Windows 8 pricing for consumers with Windows XP machines remains to be seen - but, for now, the company is concentrating solely on its business customers.
While not as wide-reaching as the company's launch offers for Windows 8, which saw the operating system sold for as little as ￡15 until jumping significantly in Feburary, the deal is being pushed as a sop for businesses that are going to have to find the cash to upgrade a wealth of legacy hardware from Windows XP by April 2014 or face a bleak future with no security or bug-fix updates.
Designed for small and medium businesses - with larger enterprises being expected to have shelled out for subscription-based licensing that will see them able to upgrade to Windows 8 at no extra cost - Microsoft's Get2Modern offer - yes, that's really what the company has called the programme - allows a company to purchase upgrades at a 15 per cent discount, up to a maximum of 249 discounted licences. While that's better than a kick in the proverbials, there's a slight catch: to qualify, a business has to purchase Windows 8 Pro and Microsoft Office 2013 Standard simultaneously. If you're only looking to upgrade one or the other, then you'll find yourself paying full whack.
Available until the 30th of June for customers buying their licences through Microsoft's Open Licence Programme - available to businesses only - the offer seems a little stingy: Microsoft is ending support for an operating system used by around a third of the web, and while customers have had plenty of notice - its original end-of-life deadline was commuted to April 2014 as the result of poor take-up of Windows Vista in 2008 - that's still a large install base that is looking at the sharp end of an upgrade bill.
This time, however, Microsoft looks to be serious: it has launched a site detailing the reasons to upgrade from Windows XP and Office 2003, support for which also ends in April 2014, talking up the worrying spectre of security risks, software compatibility issues, lack of official support and potential business disruption caused by downtime - blamed, in typically Microsoft fashion, on the age of most Windows XP-based hardware rather than any fault inherent in the operating system - as a means of scaring business customers into compliance.
Whether Microsoft is planning to reintroduce discount Windows 8 pricing for consumers with Windows XP machines remains to be seen - but, for now, the company is concentrating solely on its business customers.
Windows 8 Group Policy Settings That You Should Know
By and large, Windows 8 supports the same collection of group policy settings as Windows 7, so organizations that already have Windows 7 in place can move to Windows 8 with relative confidence that their existing group policy structure will continue to work.
While this is certainly good news for those tasked with keeping Windows secure, there is a bit of bad news. Even though Windows 8 can use Windows 7 group policy settings, those settings alone will likely prove to be inadequate to keep Windows 8 secure.
As you no doubt know, Windows 8 has two widely used modes. On one hand, there is the new modern user interface (formerly known as Metro), but there is also a desktop mode that looks suspiciously like Windows 7. Windows 7 group policy settings do a great job of locking down Windows 8's desktop mode, but they have little impact on the modern user interface.
Thankfully, Microsoft has created a number of new group policy settings that are specifically designed for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. There are 169 new policy settings in all (plus some extra settings for Internet Explorer 10). In order to use these new policy settings you will need to either have a Windows Server 2012 domain controller or you can add the policy settings to Windows 8's local security policy.
Windows store policy settings
Some of the most useful new policy settings are related to the Windows store. For organizations that operate managed desktops, the thought of users going into the Windows store and downloading unapproved applications can be stomach churning. Fortunately, Microsoft provides group policy settings that can be used to control access to the store. Group policy settings can be applied at either the user or the computer level and exist at \Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Store. The policy settings themselves are self-explanatory. They include turning off automatic downloads of updates, allowing the store to install apps on Windows To Go workspaces, turning off store applications.
Connected accounts
One of the things that makes Windows 8 really unique is its use of connected accounts. When a user gets ready to log on, Windows 8 gives them the option of logging in using a Microsoft connected account (such as a Windows Live account or a Hotmail account). This account links Windows 8 to online services such as Hotmail, SkyDrive, or even Xbox Live. Of course, these are all consumer-grade services that have no place in most business environments. Worse yet, connected accounts are often tied into social networking sites, such as Facebook.
One of an administrator's first tasks in planning for a Windows 8 deployment should be to prevent users from being able to provide Windows 8 with a connected account. As you have probably already guessed, this can be accomplished through group policy settings.
The policy settings exist at the computer level of the Group Policy hierarchy. You can find them at Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Accounts: Block Microsoft Accounts.
There are actually a couple of different options that you can use when enabling this policy setting. You can either choose the Users Can't Add Microsoft Accounts option or you can choose the Users Can't Add Or Log On With Microsoft Accounts option. The secondary option will prevent Microsoft accounts from being used, even if a user has already added the account to their Windows 8 desktop.
Preventing the accidental removal of modern apps
Windows 8 makes it easy for users to remove modern UI apps. Maybe a little too easy. A user needs only right-click on the app's tile and then tap Uninstall. If you'd rather that users not be able to remove the apps that you have placed on their start screen, you can use group policy settings to prevent them from doing so.
The option to prevent users from uninstalling modern apps is a user-level group policy setting. The option is quite ironically located at: User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar. This section of the group policy hierarchy contains a number of different settings. The specific group policy setting that you must enable is named Prevent Users From Uninstalling Applications From Start.
Obviously there is no way to discuss hundreds of individual policy settings within the confines of a blog post. While I have tried to discuss some of the more useful policy settings, there are many others. You can access the full list of new group policy settings here. Chances are, there's a policy you need to know about that I couldn't get to.
While this is certainly good news for those tasked with keeping Windows secure, there is a bit of bad news. Even though Windows 8 can use Windows 7 group policy settings, those settings alone will likely prove to be inadequate to keep Windows 8 secure.
As you no doubt know, Windows 8 has two widely used modes. On one hand, there is the new modern user interface (formerly known as Metro), but there is also a desktop mode that looks suspiciously like Windows 7. Windows 7 group policy settings do a great job of locking down Windows 8's desktop mode, but they have little impact on the modern user interface.
Thankfully, Microsoft has created a number of new group policy settings that are specifically designed for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012. There are 169 new policy settings in all (plus some extra settings for Internet Explorer 10). In order to use these new policy settings you will need to either have a Windows Server 2012 domain controller or you can add the policy settings to Windows 8's local security policy.
Windows store policy settings
Some of the most useful new policy settings are related to the Windows store. For organizations that operate managed desktops, the thought of users going into the Windows store and downloading unapproved applications can be stomach churning. Fortunately, Microsoft provides group policy settings that can be used to control access to the store. Group policy settings can be applied at either the user or the computer level and exist at \Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Store. The policy settings themselves are self-explanatory. They include turning off automatic downloads of updates, allowing the store to install apps on Windows To Go workspaces, turning off store applications.
Connected accounts
One of the things that makes Windows 8 really unique is its use of connected accounts. When a user gets ready to log on, Windows 8 gives them the option of logging in using a Microsoft connected account (such as a Windows Live account or a Hotmail account). This account links Windows 8 to online services such as Hotmail, SkyDrive, or even Xbox Live. Of course, these are all consumer-grade services that have no place in most business environments. Worse yet, connected accounts are often tied into social networking sites, such as Facebook.
One of an administrator's first tasks in planning for a Windows 8 deployment should be to prevent users from being able to provide Windows 8 with a connected account. As you have probably already guessed, this can be accomplished through group policy settings.
The policy settings exist at the computer level of the Group Policy hierarchy. You can find them at Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\Accounts: Block Microsoft Accounts.
There are actually a couple of different options that you can use when enabling this policy setting. You can either choose the Users Can't Add Microsoft Accounts option or you can choose the Users Can't Add Or Log On With Microsoft Accounts option. The secondary option will prevent Microsoft accounts from being used, even if a user has already added the account to their Windows 8 desktop.
Preventing the accidental removal of modern apps
Windows 8 makes it easy for users to remove modern UI apps. Maybe a little too easy. A user needs only right-click on the app's tile and then tap Uninstall. If you'd rather that users not be able to remove the apps that you have placed on their start screen, you can use group policy settings to prevent them from doing so.
The option to prevent users from uninstalling modern apps is a user-level group policy setting. The option is quite ironically located at: User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Start Menu and Taskbar. This section of the group policy hierarchy contains a number of different settings. The specific group policy setting that you must enable is named Prevent Users From Uninstalling Applications From Start.
Obviously there is no way to discuss hundreds of individual policy settings within the confines of a blog post. While I have tried to discuss some of the more useful policy settings, there are many others. You can access the full list of new group policy settings here. Chances are, there's a policy you need to know about that I couldn't get to.
2013年4月10日星期三
Microsoft's security apps still trip up on Windows 8
German independent security firm AV-Test has released evaluations of security software for Windows 8 for the first time, and – not entirely surprisingly – it once again found Microsoft's own products were among the weaker performers.
The firm tested its usual batch of 25 antivirus products for consumers, plus eight aimed at corporate users, during the first two months of 2013. It published its results on Saturday.
Microsoft Windows Defender – the rebadged version of Microsoft Security Essentials that comes bundled with Windows 8 – scored just 2.0 out of 6 in AV-Test's Protection rankings. Redmond's enterprise-oriented System Center Endpoint Protection scored a paltry 1.5.
According to AV-Test, Windows Defender managed to spot just 82 per cent of zero-day malware attacks during January and 81 per cent during February, based on 125 samples. The industry average was 95 per cent.
Windows Defender did a little better at detecting "widespread and prevalent" malware, catching 98 per cent of samples thrown at it in January and 99 per cent in February. But that still wasn't quite as good as the industry average, which was 99 per cent.
On the enterprise side, System Center Endpoint Protection caught a consistent 98 per cent of widespread malware samples across both months. That was another subpar showing, though, given that on average, the other enterprise products identified all the samples.
And Endpoint Protection's track record for zero-day malware was even worse than Windows Defender's, spotting just 80 per cent of the samples in January and 83 per cent in February.
Both of Microsoft's products ranked fairly well in other aspects AV-Test looked at. In particular, both scored 6 out of 6 for Usability, with no false positives spotted and no legitimate actions being blocked erroneously. Both offered reasonably good performance as well, although here Endpoint Protection had the edge over Windows Defender.
Many customers might argue, however, that high usability and fast performance aren't much good when the product isn't so hot at what it purports to do: stopping malware.
But others are likely to disagree with AV-Test's assessment of Redmond's security products – not least of which is Microsoft itself. AV-Test has butted heads with the software giant over its testing methodology in the past, which Microsoft says uses malware samples that "don't represent what our customers encounter."
Be that as it may, several other products significantly outperformed Microsoft's on the Protection portion of this round of AV-Test's evaluations. Leading the pack in the consumer sector were products from F-Secure, G Data, Bitdefender, Kaspersky, BullGuard, and Trend Micro, all of which earned perfect scores. Kaspersky and F-Secure topped the list of the enterprise products.
The firm tested its usual batch of 25 antivirus products for consumers, plus eight aimed at corporate users, during the first two months of 2013. It published its results on Saturday.
Microsoft Windows Defender – the rebadged version of Microsoft Security Essentials that comes bundled with Windows 8 – scored just 2.0 out of 6 in AV-Test's Protection rankings. Redmond's enterprise-oriented System Center Endpoint Protection scored a paltry 1.5.
According to AV-Test, Windows Defender managed to spot just 82 per cent of zero-day malware attacks during January and 81 per cent during February, based on 125 samples. The industry average was 95 per cent.
Windows Defender did a little better at detecting "widespread and prevalent" malware, catching 98 per cent of samples thrown at it in January and 99 per cent in February. But that still wasn't quite as good as the industry average, which was 99 per cent.
On the enterprise side, System Center Endpoint Protection caught a consistent 98 per cent of widespread malware samples across both months. That was another subpar showing, though, given that on average, the other enterprise products identified all the samples.
And Endpoint Protection's track record for zero-day malware was even worse than Windows Defender's, spotting just 80 per cent of the samples in January and 83 per cent in February.
Both of Microsoft's products ranked fairly well in other aspects AV-Test looked at. In particular, both scored 6 out of 6 for Usability, with no false positives spotted and no legitimate actions being blocked erroneously. Both offered reasonably good performance as well, although here Endpoint Protection had the edge over Windows Defender.
Many customers might argue, however, that high usability and fast performance aren't much good when the product isn't so hot at what it purports to do: stopping malware.
But others are likely to disagree with AV-Test's assessment of Redmond's security products – not least of which is Microsoft itself. AV-Test has butted heads with the software giant over its testing methodology in the past, which Microsoft says uses malware samples that "don't represent what our customers encounter."
Be that as it may, several other products significantly outperformed Microsoft's on the Protection portion of this round of AV-Test's evaluations. Leading the pack in the consumer sector were products from F-Secure, G Data, Bitdefender, Kaspersky, BullGuard, and Trend Micro, all of which earned perfect scores. Kaspersky and F-Secure topped the list of the enterprise products.
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