An evolved version of the Application Verifier is available as a free download courtesy of the Redmond company. As of the first day in September, Microsoft has made available version 3.4 of Application verifier with full support for Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP. According to the description of the tool, Application Verifier is designed to integrate seamlessly with x86, x64 and IA64 platforms. The tool offers an extra layer for the runtime verification of unmanaged code, on top of the basic application testing associated with the development process. Microsoft in fact boasted that the tool is capable of identifying even the most subtle of programming errors, including problems with heaps, handles and locks.

“Application Verifier is a runtime verification tool for unmanaged code that assists in quickly finding subtle programming errors that can be extremely difficult to identify with normal application testing,” revealed the Microsoft description. (more…)

application testing, application verifier, heaps, ia64, microsoft, programming errors, redmond company, seamlessly, Software, verification, vista, Windows, windows server, windows xp, x86

One of the core differences between 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows Vista is of course how much system memory the two variants of Microsoft’s latest operating systems can use. Users have to understand that Microsoft alone limited 32-bit Vista to a maximum of 4 GB of RAM while taking the high-end editions of 64-bit Vista up to 128 GB of RAM. The fact of the matter is that Microsoft could have tailor fitted both 32-bit Windows Vista and Windows XP to address well in excess of 4 GB of system memory, but didn’t. The best argument related to the possibility of introducing support for over 4 GB of RAM with x86 Vista and XP is the fact that Microsoft does feature 32-bit Window operating systems that do it. Case in point Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32 GB of physical RAM), Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition and Windows Server 2003 SP1, Enterprise Edition(64 GB of physical RAM) and Windows Server 2003 SP1, Datacenter Edition (128 GB of physical RAM). All these server side Windows operating systems are 32-bit platforms.

So why hasn’t the same been done with Windows Vista? Well, just because the 32-bit server operating systems can support in excess of 32-bit of RAM does not mean that it is the ideal solution. Far from it in fact, it is something more of a hack. (more…)

64 bit, 64 bit windows, microsoft, physical ram, server side, side windows, system memory, vista, Windows, windows operating systems, windows server 2003 sp1, windows xp, x86