I'm relaying the following article on behalf of my colleague Shanen Boettcher, General Manager of Windows Product Management for the enterprise.  During Virtualization Briefing Day in January, Shanen posted to give you background on what we're doing to make it simpler and easier to introduce and get the most out of virtualization of Windows in enterprise environments. He's back again today with an update on virtualization, as well as other components that illustrate our commitment to improving the optimized desktop.

This week at the Microsoft Management Summit (MMS) in Las Vegas, we've talked about Microsoft's role in improving the optimized desktop and emphasized Microsoft's commitment to virtualization. I want to tell you about some news coming out of the show today, which includes details on the product roadmaps for specific tools within the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) for Software Assurance.

The combination of MDOP and Windows Vista gives customers the tools they need to support more flexible work environments for their users, while making it easier and more efficient to manage and maintain their networks. This is the concept we refer to as the optimized desktop, and many of our customers have the tools to realize the benefits today.  We're responding to the enthusiasm our customers have shown for these products by continuing to improve upon them and roll out new updates in real time. Following are the updates you'll be seeing in the most immediate future:

Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5: Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5 Release Candidate 1 is scheduled for June 2008 and will be made available to customers on Microsoft Connect. As customers begin to take advantage of the benefits of virtualization, we've seen a growing interest in Microsoft Application Virtualization. Over 7,000 customers have already downloaded the beta.

Asset Inventory Service (AIS) 1.5: AIS 1.5 is scheduled to be released to the web in Q3 2008. AIS 1.5 will add license reconciliation, System Center Configuration Manager integration and scalability enhancements. 

Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM) 3.0: AGPM 3.0 will be available for all customers in Q3 2008. AGPM 3.0 will provide Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 support (x86 and x64), globalization, more flexible security, enhanced reporting and an enhanced UI. 

We also announced today that for very first time we will be extending MDOP to languages beyond English. We plan to release localized versions of Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT) 6.0 and Desktop Error Monitoring (DEM) 3.0 SP1 in ten languages in Q3 2008. AGPM and Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5 will follow toward the end of 2008. Based on direct customer feedback from the international community, we plan to localize MDOP into the ten following languages:

• Chinese Simplified
• Chinese Traditional
• German
• French
• Italian
• Japanese
• Korean
• Brazilian Portuguese
• Russian
• Spanish

As a follow up on our Virtualization Briefing Day announcement regarding Microsoft and Citrix's expanded alliance, I wanted to tell you about some progress we're making toward a joint VDI solution that will be available for production usage later this year. This turn-key offering combines the brokering and user experience components of Citrix XenDesktop, with the Microsoft hardware virtualization, application virtualization and virtualization management technologies.  Citrix XenDesktop has the capability to create Windows Vista images for specific users from a shared base image and significantly reduces the TCO of this solution relative to today's static deployments.

In separate but related news during Day 2 of MMS, Microsoft announced System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Service Pack 1 (SP1) and System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2. System Center Configuration Manager 2007 is a solution that comprehensively assesses, deploys and updates servers, clients, and devices - across physical, virtual, distributed and mobile environments. System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP1, which will be available May 27^th, will provide further support for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008. Additionally, System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 provides deeper management of the hardware. There is a new, attached service-based connection for System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP1 that ensures accurate insight to the network landscape including support for Microsoft Application Virtualization applications.  

The System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 release natively integrates Microsoft Application Virtualization distribution and streaming technology into the Configuration Manager infrastructure to work even better with Application Virtualization within MDOP. System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R2 will be available to customers in Q3 CY2008.

You may recall that earlier this month, Chris Flores announced the Microsoft Desktop Optimization (MDOP) Pack 2008 - a set of tools designed to make it easier for IT Pros to deploy and manage Windows Vista in their organizations. This, along with many of the solutions we're talking at MMS about today - provides IT Pros with an excellent set of tools for their IT environment and their Windows PCs.

For more information on news coming out of MMS this week, check out the Virtual Press Room.

-- Shanen

previously known as XP Antivirus 2008, is a nasty counterfeit antispyware that degrades the performance of your machine or endangers your privacy. It is also known as WinAntivirus Pro or Win Antivirus Pro by many people. No matter what it calls or where it is originated, it’s an offending code that resides in your computer to create fears and nightmares for the computer users. Technically, WinAntivirusPro usually come up after you installed a video codec that come with Trojan, malware and virus. WinAntivirusPro normally generates fake and misleading system popup error messages so end-users will be tricked into purchase WinAntivirusPro.

It is very important to remove all the components of of the WinAntivirusPro and all the malware and trojans that it might have come bundle with (such as zlob.trojan, trojan.vundo and Trojan.Downloader). To effectively remove WinAntivirusPro, we have produced a manual removal instructions to help you to get rid of this headache. Good luck!
Download SpyHunter* Spyware Detection Utility

Manual Removal Instructions:

Unregister WinAntivirusPro DLL Files:
(Learn how to do this)
shlwapi.dll
wininet.dll

Stop WinAntivirusPro Processes:
(Learn how to do this)
WinAntivirusPro.exe
WinAntivirusProUpdate.exe

Find and Delete these WinAntivirusPro:
(Learn how to do this)
WinAntivirusPro.exe
WinAntivirusProUpdate.exe
shlwapi.dll
wininet.dll
WinAntivirusPro.lnk
WinAntivirusPro on the Web.lnk
WinAntivirusPro.url
Uninstall WinAntivirusPro.lnk

Remove WinAntivirusPro Registry Values:
(Learn how to do this)
HKEY_USERS\Software\WinAntivirusPro

Download SpyHunter* Spyware Detection Utility

The 64-bit edition of Windows Vista delivers not only support for larger quantities of system memory, with the high-end editions supporting as much as 128 GB of RAM, but also some extra horse power hidden under the hood.

Essentially, in terms of performance, x64 Vista manages to best all the alternatives available under the Windows client umbrella. However, it's not the x64 Vista with Service Pack 1, as you would expect, but the plain vanilla RTM version of the latest Windows client we're talking about. In a benchmark performed using PassMark PerformanceTest 6.1, the RTM version of 64-bit Vista came out on top of all 32-bit and 64-bit Windows clients starting with the original version of Windows XP.

According to Hardware 2.0, x64 Vista RTM has outrun x64 Vista SP1 with a score of 1183.1 compared to just 1128.8. The platform used for testing featured a Phenom 9700 quad-core processor, an ATi Radeon 3850 256MB RAM, an ASUS M3A32-MVP Deluxe, 2GB (2 x 1GB) RAM, and a Western Digital Raptor HDD 10,000RPM 150GB as well as a Western Digital Caviar HDD 7,200RPM 500GB. On this system, the original 64-bit Vista version bested the SP1 release.

In this context, both 64-bit variants of Vista (with and without SP1) outperformed the 32-bit versions, also RTM and SP1. x86 Vista RTM even scored higher than x86 Vista SP1 with a rating of 1002.4 compared with just 972.3 of the operating system plus the service pack. But, at the same time, both XP RTM and XP SP3 scored higher than 32-bit Vista SP1. XP RTM pulled off a score of 1001.4, while XP SP3 with 990.8 bested not only x86 Vista SP1 but also XP SP2 with just 891, the lowest score of the benchmark. Still, the obvious conclusion of the tests is that while 64-bit Vista editions run faster than any other Windows client, the differences between the 32-bit variants of the operating systems are only superficial, and won't be felt in a real life scenario.

Via [Keznews]

In Part 1 of my 4 part series of blog posts looking at the Origami Experience 2.0 software, I am going to talk about one of the most important new experiences in the new release: browsing the web directly in Origami Central. Origami Central, one of the three apps in the Origami Experience, has the built in capability to browse webpages just as you would in IE7. ActiveX controls work just fine in the browsing experience of Origami Central - as does Flash and Silverlight (demo video below!).

In Origami Central, the browsing experience is tied to the toolbar that auto-hides at the top of the window.

Because the toolbar auto-hides, I get a full screen web browsing experience and with a UMPC running at 1024x600 resolution without toolbars and other things taking up useful screen real-estate.

Just like in IE7, I can use the address bar in Origami Central to do web searches. But in Origami Central, when I type something in the address bar (a phrase or URL), it searches through the history of websites I have already visited. I typed in "windows" into the address bar and these 3 previously visited websites came up:

To do web searches, Origami Central provides a really unique way of searching the web using Live Search. When I type in a search term, it provides a list of popular searches that change depending on the term of course. It also provides previous searches I've made.

Basic functionality for web browsing such as adding favorites also exists in Origami Central. In the toolbar, when I click the gadget-looking icon a list of options appears over the website I am on. Those options allow me to add the site to my favorites (which uses the same favorites as IE), add the site's RSS to my RSS feeds, take a snapshot of the site, or use the zoom capabilities.

When I take a snapshot of a website, it takes a complete "freeze" of the page I am at. I can go back to that site and read the site or access links etc. I can even scroll down to view other parts of the site (as long as it's on the same page of course).

My favorites, history, and snapshots are all available in my "Library" by clicking the star icon in the toolbar.

Origami Central also has touch capabilities as well but I think perhaps my demo video will be better at showcasing that feature (as well as the above mentioned features of web browsing in Origami Central. Take a look!

Web Browsing with Origami Central

In the demo video, I utilize the touch capabilities in Origami Central to navigate Photosynth from Microsoft Live Labs. You can also see the overall experience of browsing the web via Origami Central first hand.  I apologize in advance for some parts of the video (like where it sounds like I said "stylist" instead of stylus).

Stay tuned for Part 2 in which I discuss the new RSS capabilities in Origami Experience 2.0 with Origami Central.

When you get to see the internal parts of your CPU, you are most likely so see a lot of chips, modules and diodes which will surely let you go crazy wondering how anyone in his right mind was able to make all of these pieces operate fluently on the motherboard where they are installed.

Ideally, non-electronic people could care less but if you happen to want to take up computer engineering, these are things that are interconnected which will also make you think a lot. There are the usual and positive and negative connections which have to be soldered properly into the right slot and whenever any of them are installed in them, it is likely that the whole motherboard in use will malfunction.

The motherboard is the life of the computer. If a computer’s motherboard fails to operate, the other computer paraphernalia such as the video cards, sound cards, hard disks and memory modules are sure to become dead. These other components can be replaced easily at any time whenever one of them malfunctions but if they main board of the computer is the one with the problem, it is close to saying you need a whole new computer since it is the heart and soul of the computer.

Lastly, the motherboard is the least expected part that is expected to malfunction. Normally, other parts can have problems along the way. But as far as durability is concerned, rest assured that the motherboard is not among the immediate ones expected to malfunction and needed to be replaced.